BETHEL – The golf course is easy to miss for those casually driving through this small, Western Maine town.

Nestled on the town common, well off the main roads that connect Bethel with Portland to the South, Rumford to the East and Berlin/Gorham, New Hampshire to the West, the Bethel Inn and Country Club is not a grandiose resort hotel with a posh country club.

And they’re proud of it.

“When people come here, it’s for a vacation,” Club Teaching Pro Jason Hurd said. “They are here playing one of maybe two or three rounds for the year. It’s very laid back atmosphere. Once you are here, the car is parked. Everything is here on site.”

The course

The golf course itself is a mix of old and new. Originally constructed in 1913, the current course features seven holes from the original nine-hole layout, with 11 “newer” holes from a 1989 redesign that included lots for on-course condos.

“You can almost tell which holes are which, just by the way they feel when you are on them,” Hurd said. “You can see certain older features on certain holes, including the way the greens are built and the way they are shaped.”

For the record, holes 1, 2, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 18 are the older holes.

The best dam hole…

“We like to say we have the best dam’ hole in Maine,” Hurd said pointing to the third hole, one he considers a signature’ hole. “The Mill Creek Dam is still in place today, the same as it was when it was originally dammed up to create that pond.”

The hole itself is an imposing par-3 over a pond and a creek (both created by the dam). After a scenic walk over a bridge and through the trees, the tee shot golfers face is daunting. The hole rises only five or 10 feet from tee to green, but it is still enough to warrant an extra club.

“You want to grab an extra club for sure,” Hurd said. “There is that pond over to the right and the bunker short left. It also shares a green with a hole from the back nine, and some people even end up putting all the way across from that other green to this one.”

The other thing Hurd noted about the third hole was the importance of staying below the hole.

“You definitely don’t want to be putting or chipping down that slope,” he said.

What a view

While the entire course is loaded with views of the majestic White Mountains, and while most of the better views are available in the Fall when the leaves change from shades of green to amber, crimson and gold, there are certain holes that will take a players breath away no matter during which season they play.

One such hole is the par-4 15th.

From the tee, the 15th hole looks like a typical par-4 with a narrow landing area between two tall trees on either side of the fairway. After reaching the crest of the hill, however, golfers may soon forget about their 200-yard approach shot after looking out over the green and into mountain range. On the course itself, a creek winds its way across the front of the green, forcing many gofers to lay up on their second shot and leaving them with a difficult pitch to an undulating green.

“The green is pretty small, and shorter hitters really need to decide whether or not they want to try and go over the brook or lay up,” Hurd said. “And the view is enough to make those that miss feel like they got their money’s worth anyway. You just have to step back and enjoy where you are.”

Take it from the pro…

Hurd himself was honored in the last calendar year as the top teaching professional in Maine by Golf Digest Magazine and runs a school based at the Inn.

“It’s such an honor being nominated by former students and by my peers,” Hurd said. “You can sign up for the full school, or you can take one or two lessons while you are staying here on vacation. The process and the notice has actually made me and the school itself better.”

In all, Hurd estimates he and his staff have instructed more than 5,000 students since the school opened in 1992.