SOUTH PARIS – Long-ball hitters may be welcome at Paris Hill Country Club, but they certainly feel out of place.

Two of the nine holes at the 105-year-old layout are par-4’s that measure less than 260 yards, and another three are par-3’s. The longest hole on the course is a 355-yard par-4, followed by one that is 352 yards long, and another that measures 350.

In all, the square layout takes golfers on a 2,305-yard walk across hilly, uneven terrain and forces them to hit undulating, postage-stamp sized greens with short approach shots.

“Basically where we specialize is with seniors, beginners, families and youth,” said course marketing director Bernie Dunn. “We have to try to focus our efforts because of the style of course we have here.”

Square one

The layout itself is almost a perfect square. When the course was built in 1899, founders enclosed the grounds with a rock wall, and development since then has forced Paris Hill to remain confined within those walls, which which add a stylish flair to many of the holes. They also make for some tight driving holes that often punish golfers that stray too far to the right off the tee.

“Over the years, out of bounds has been the stone walls,” Dunn said. “In the last few years, though, we moved the stakes inside of the walls to make it a little bit tougher on golfers.”

The first hole leads golfers away from the clubhouse and down the hill to a small green that slopes from front to back, making the approach particularly precarious. The second hole forms the boundary of the course at the bottom of the hill, and at 260 yards is a reachable par-4 for long hitters, if they dare.

“The trees come up real fast at the back end of that green,” Dunn said. “Long hitters can try to reach it, but if they bounce over it, which when the greens are hard is possible, look out for the trees.”

The third is a short par-4 that forces golfers to choose between laying up in front of a giant puddle of mud (water in the spring) or going for the green, which is guarded heavily by a bunker in the front and one on either side.

“You can’t just run it up there, even if you hit it long because of those bunkers,” Dunn said.

After a long par-3 that runs alongside No. 3 back across the water and bordered to the right by another stone wall, the fifth hole presents the toughest challenge on the course. At 352 yards, it seems like a standard-length par-4, but add to it a steady uphill climb and narrow driving area, and par all of a sudden becomes an excellent score.

The sixth and seventh holes are unique because they form a cross. Theoretically, a tee shot hit from the 125-yard par-3 sixth could collide with a tee shot from the 309-yard, par-4 seventh in mid-air.

“It’s a wonder that people haven’t gotten hit more often, honestly,” Dunn said. “When we have a tournament out here, I wonder why we don’t tell people to wear helmets crossing through there.”

According to Dunn, technically those walking down the sixth to the green have the right of way. Along the right side, to warn golfers of the danger, there is a sign that reads, “Old Duffer’s Crossing.”

The last of the par-3’s, the eighth hole, asks golfers to hit the smallest green on the course with a 129-yard tee shot, over a burn that guards the left half of the green, and the ninth comes back up the hill to a green next to that from the sixth hole.

Special events

With its location in the heart of Western Maine, and with its relative ease when compared to championship courses that are popping up across the region, it is no wonder that Paris Hill has become a favorite for minor tournaments and group outings.

One such tournament is the Maine Pee-Wee Championship, being held this year on August 1. In that tournament, golfers from age 10 to age 14 play one round of golf with an adult, usually a parent, as a caddie. For more than 20 years, the club has hosted that event, and this year will have 72 golfers competing.

Another popular tournament at Paris Hill each year is the Rally For A Cure Cancer Benefit Tournament, being held this year on July 21. Proceeds from that tournament will be used to support the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

“So many people turn out for those, and they are all for a good cause,” Dunn said. “This course is really good for things like that. People come to play here because it’s a a bit shorter. Like I said before, we target seniors and younger players, and those just starting to play. There is so much history here, and you can see that all over the course, from the walls to the greens, to the clubhouse.”