FRANKLIN COUNTY – Local golfers have a number of choices for play in western Maine. Here are the closest courses:

Mingo Springs Golf Course – Country Club Road, Rangeley, ME 04970, 864-5021. This course was built on rolling hills. The tees and greens are elevated. Water comes into play only on three holes and the fairways are narrow and tree lined.

Sugarloaf Golf Club & Resort – 5092 Access Rd., Carrabassett Valley, 237-6806 or 237-2000. This course plays longer than it looks due to the steep inclines. The course is very well manicured and offers scenic views of the surrounding mountain ranges. The signature hole is #11, a 222-yard, par 3, requiring a tee shot from off a cliff and over a river to the green. “Golf Digest” chose this course as “Best in State” for the years 1995 through 1998. In addition “GOLF Magazine” rated the course 20th best under the 1998 category of the “Top 100 Courses You Can Play in the U.S.” This club hosted the 1994 Maine State Championship. The Original Golf School is located on the premises; for additional information, please call 237-6812. A second 18-hole course is planned for the future.

Maple Lane Golf Course, 295 Maple Lane, Livermore ME 04253, 207-897-3770: Golf is a game for a lifetime, as the people who play Maple Lane Golf Course in Livermore will attest. From young children to folks 90 years of age and older, the attracts people of all ages for a scenic and affordable golfing experience on the wooded hills near the Androscoggin River.

The nine-hole course opened around 1976 thanks to the vision of Arthur Chapman, who transformed a set of fields into a golf course. It is a par 35 nine-hole layout with several sets of tees to challenge all levels of golfers.

Moose Meadows Golf Course – 485 Rangeley Rd., Stratton, 864-2783. Moose Meadows is a par 3 wilderness golf course, built by locals and located in Stratton. The course was built and is maintained by community members, with a casual atmosphere where all people should be able to learn and play golf.

Sandy River Golf Course – George Thomas Road, Farmington Falls, ME 04940, 778-2492. This “Pitch and Putt” course is wide open and easy to walk. The fairways are typically flat, but there is an occasional mound that can cause uneven lies. All the greens and tees are elevated, and sand bunkers come into play frequently. The wind is generally a factor in the early evening, so selecting the proper club becomes an important part of the game. The scorecard doesn’t show handicaps for individual holes.

Wilson Lake Country Club, 320 Weld Rd., Wilton, ME 04294, 645-2016 — In the early 1930’s, the great golf architect Wayne Stiles created the classic nine-hole layout that still sits today by the shores of Wilson Lake in picturesque Wilton, Maine. The course opened on Aug. 6th, 1932 and has been a favorite amongst both local golfers and friends from “away” ever since.

More than a few who have experienced Wilson Lake Country Club believe it to be the best nine-hole layout in the state of Maine. It has retained much of its original Stiles character across nearly eight decades of play.

The course has historical significance not only for its excellent Stiles layout, but also for the fact that in 1946 the famous Patty Berg played an exhibition match here, setting the women’s course record of 38.