Five people will be inducted into the Maine Golf Hall of Fame Oct. 13 in the banquet room of the Poland Spring Inn.

Bill Kennedy, Golf Columnist

• Casey Bourque of Dutch Elm is a top instructor who excelled as an amateur and became a professional in 2000.

“If you’ve ever found yourself holding a 7-iron on a Maine beach in January, then we’re clearly kindred spirits,” Bourque once said.

• Robert Girvan II, of Penobscot Valley, was a quality amateur golfer who died of cancer in 2008 at the age of 54.

• Julie Green, of Bangor Municipal, has been a top women’s amateur golfer and coach at Husson University. She joined Bangor Muni in 1964 and won the Maine Women’s Amateur championship in 1990.

• Norm Hevey is owner and superintendent of Dutch Elm. He is a past president of the Maine Golf Course Superintendents Association.

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• Leon Oliver, who has been a very good Maine golfer, is owner and superintendent of Sheepscot Links, a course he purchased in 2019 after being the pro and general manager at Bath.

The induction dinner is at Poland Spring for obvious reasons. Poland Spring is the most historical golf site in Maine, for several reasons, including the fact that it is the oldest resort golf course in the United States, and where U.S. presidents and celebrities have played golf for more than a century.

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Brian J. Bilodeau and Jace Pearson of Martindale captured the Maine State Golf Association Four-Ball Championship Sept. 17-18 at Rockland by carding 64-65—129 to win the tournament by three strokes. In the process, they earned $600 in pro shop credit.

Bilodeau and Pearson played the first 12 holes of the second round in even-par. On the last six holes, they were 5-under to leave the field well behind. It was the second consecutive state four-ball title for them, after winning it in 2021 at Bridgton Highlands.

For Bilodeau, it was his third four-ball crown, winning it with Phil Bilodeau at Sugarloaf in 2012.

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The semifinal round of the MSGA Senior Match Play Invitational, scheduled to conclude Sept. 22, was rained out and will have those two matches and the final held Sept. 26 for the title at Prouts Neck.

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The MSGA, aka Maine Golf, will conduct four play days during the week.

The men will be at Northeast Harbor Sept. 30 and at Kebo Valley Oct. 1. The women will be playing Sept. 27 at Penobscot Valley and Webhannet.

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In Charlie’s Cup competition, two area men’s players are among the top 10. Don Flanagan of Springbrook is sixth with 49 points, while James Thumbs of Bridgton Highlands is ninth with 43 points.

There are no area players in the women’s top 10.

Bill Kennedy, a retired New Jersey golf writer and editor now residing on Thompson Lake in Otisfield, is in his 10th season as Sun Journal golf columnist.


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