East: 9-Hole Gems

West Central East
Welcome to the Eastern section of the country. My old stomping grounds. Sadly I never played much golf here while growing up. Let’s share our experiences and find those 9-hole gems on the east coast highways and byways. The East states include: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Washington, DC.

I’m not sure what was more important on this trip – golfing or eating? I guess it was who you were talking to – Karen or me!

If you are interested in diversity, this is a trip to follow. The trip commenced with a visit to Old Port, Portland and a walk along the water. Our first stop was Shipyard Brewery and of course our first lobster roll along the roadside. We played a gem at Wawenock GC and found clothing we couldn’t live without at L.L. Bean. The trip continues…

Acadia National Park was filled with hiking, eating (lobster rolls) and playing at a quirky course – Causeway Club. As we traveled up the coast we were able to visit:

1.  An old college roommate from 1970.
2. Campobello Island, the summer retreat for Franklin D. Roosevelt.
3. Play Herring Cove GC on Campobello.
4.  St. Croix CC, which is the easternmost golf course in the US.
5.  West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, the easternmost point in the US.

We are still trying to locate the easternmost spot in the US to eat a lobster roll.

Wawenock Golf Club, Walpole, ME
Causeway Club, Southwest Harbor, ME
St. Croix Country Club, Calais, ME
Herring Cove Golf Course, Welshpool, NB, Canada

***

What more can I say? There weren’t too many Birdies; there were far too many Bogeys; we love Beaches; we love Beer; and this trip was about old friends Scott, Ed, and Dave – all with East Coast roots.

It was time to explore the Atlantic coastline a little farther south of the Jersey Shore where we spent much of our youth. We found out there was more to the coastline than Seaside Heights, Long Beach Island, Wildwood, and Cape May. Along the way we found these hidden gems.

American Classic Golf Club, Lewes, DE
Captain’s Cove Golf and Yacht Club, Greenbackville, VA
Lambert’s Point Golf Course, Norfolk, VA
Golden Horseshoe Golf Resort (Spotswood), Williamsburg, VA
East Potomac Golf Course (White), Washington, DC

P.S. We also found a way to play 9-holes of golf and still have time to explore our Nation’s Capitol – all in one day!

P.P.S. We move forward to 2020 and the year of COVID-19. American Classic Golf Club was named our 2020 Course of the Year because of how they helped grow their business during the year and what they did for their community.

***

Two periods can make all the difference in the meaning of a sentence. This should read…It’s all about U.S. We played in Philadelphia at a course that held the U.S. Open in 1907 and 1910. I’m originally from this area and of course there is just a little U.S. History surrounding this city.

U.S. Presidents would be an important part of the trip. In PA/NJ, you have George Washington crossing the Delaware and the Battle of Trenton (my birthplace). We played two courses in Poughkeepsie, NY and toured grounds and buildings of Franklin D. Roosevelt in Hyde Park, NY.

However, in the end, it was about US as I was in town for my 50th high school reunion. Seeing old friends that I haven’t seen in about, well…50 years!

P.S. We are staying at the Stonegate B&B in Highland, NY and join a group at the breakfast table. The group is in deep conversation so we just quietly enjoyed our meal. Finally, one of the men asks us where we live. I say Colorado but I grew up in Bucks County, PA. He says, “me too, I lived in Yardley”. I say, “me too – I went to St. Ignatius”. He says, “me too”. I ask his name and find out his older brother was in my class from 3rd through 8th grade. Small world!

Philadelphia Cricket Club, Philadelphia, PA
Vassar Golf Course, Poughkeepsie, NY
College Hill Golf Course, Poughkeepsie, NY

***

New England: 9 Holers; 9 Days; 9 States; 9 Courses; 900 miles

And on the 10th day, it was time for rest and recovery for this group of old men!

The Always Time for 9 “A” Team was up for the challenge. This trip was scheduled for 2020 but we all know what COVID-19 did to our travel schedules. So DC Dave, Woody, the ArmChair Piper, and I were ready for this grueling schedule. 

You may think us crazy, but we continue our hunt for 9-hole gems in the small towns around the country. It’s sometimes a winding road getting to many of the small New England towns but most of the time the journey is worth it and we found a number of gems on this trip.

The trip was golfed out of three distinctly different locations…

ArmChair Piper and I golfed out of our old boyhood area in Yardley, PA

American Classic Golf Club, Lewes, DE

Oxford Valley Golf Club, Fairless Hills, PA

The River Cabin – Schroon Lake, NY (Hosted by Bonnie)

Rip Van Winkle Country Club, Palenville, NY

Bomoseen Golf Club, Castleton, VT

Carter Country Club, Lebanon, NH

Hooper Golf Course, Walpole, NH

The Captains House – Mystic, CT (Hosted by Gerard)

Dudley Hill Golf Course, Dudley, MA

Fenwick Golf Course, Old Saybrook, CT

Jamestown Golf Course, Jamestown, RI

Non-Golf Adventures during the trip

Revolution Rail Tour, North Creek, NY

Ben and Jerry’s Factory Tour, Waterbury, VT

Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic CT

Argia Sailing Cruise, Mystic, CT

Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield, MA

Beach, Beer, and Boardwalk, Rehobeth Beach, DE

P.S. Our 9th state was New Jersey. Even though we didn’t play there, we spent a few hours in traffic on the Jersey Turnpike. The two houses in which we stayed were awesome and can be found on Airbnb.

***