The golf season in Maine is less than a month old, but you wouldn’t know it by some of the low scores already being shot. Don’t these guys need a spring training? Or maybe they’ve already had one in Florida.

Last week’s Maine State Golf Association’s midweek amateur at the Portland Country Club was Exhibit A.

Seven golfers broke 70.

Aidan Boyce won the tournament with a 6-under 65. Boyce’s 3-handicap will likely drop as his win at Portland Country Club was already his third of the season; he triumphed in regular weekly amateurs at Brunswick and Spring Meadows. Boyce shot 73 at Brunswick and 71 at Spring Meadows.

Boyce is a former South Portland High and University of Southern Maine golfer. Mike Doran of the Maine State Golf Association said the scoring conditions at Portland were ideal.

“The course was in fantastic shape and there was little to no wind,” he said.

Doran said the course measured just over 6,000 yards from the tees that were used. For some of the young bombers in the tournament, that yardage meant wedges for second shots to many of the par 4s.

“I don’t think I can remember that many red numbers in one of our tournaments. I guess the rust is coming off some of the players,” said Doran.

Other 60 shooters in the tournament were Matt Greenleaf with a 67, Joe Alvarez, fresh off a performance in the USGA Four Ball Championship, with a 68, Curtis Jordan 68, John Hayes IV 69, Peter Wright 69 and Scott Dewitt 69. Two players, Ashley Fifield and Craig Chapman, shot 70s.

Greenleaf opened the MSGA tournament season by shooting a 69 at Fox Ridge in Auburn. Brian Angis paced the field with a 69 in a rescheduled MSGA event at Biddeford-Saco.

The other thing that is helping to produce low scores are the conditions of Maine courses. The majority are in very good early spring condition. It’s a sharp contrast to last year when many greens were suffering from winter kill.

All these low numbers by a large group of players have the potential to make for a very exciting and competitive Maine Amateur Championship in July, Doran speculated. It will be played at Waterville Country Club on July 7-9. Waterville is a similarly styled course as Portland.

“Last year’s Maine Amateur was played at The Woodlands Club, which is a very challenging course,” said Doran.

“There were probably 20 guys in the field that had a legitimate shot of winning when the tournament began. At Waterville there could be a lot more players with a shot to win. It’s going to be a logjam,” he said.

For those amateur hopefuls who are not already in the tournament, the process begins with qualifying rounds. The first Maine Amateur qualifier is June 18 at Biddeford-Saco. Fox Ridge will hold a qualifying tournament June 23 while Penobscot Valley in Orono has the last on June 25.

The state’s tradition-rich courses like Portland, Augusta and Waterville usually attract many entries for the state amateur when the event is held at those sites. With its central location, Waterville could attract entries from all over the state.

THE FIRST Memorial Golf Classic in memory of Dr. Leon Buck will be held July 21 with a noon shotgun start. The tournament will benefit the Bath YMCA Youth Development Fund that provides scholarships and financial aid for programs and services.

Buck was a longtime head rules official for the Maine State Golf Association along with work for the New England Golf Association and the LPGA’s Futures Tour. He died last January at the age of 98. He won the Maine Amateur in 1950.

The tournament will have a dual format. Higher handicaps will play a scramble with gross and net prizes. Lower handicaps will play a best ball of four gross. Entry fee is $75 for a player and $300 for a team. Barbeque and awards follow. Sponsorship options are available. Greg and Anne Page are organizers. Registration is available at Bath Country Club or online at www.bathymca.org. For more information, call Greg Page at 751-1641 or reach him at spice5858@comcast.net.

TEE TO GREEN: The deadline to enter the Maine State Golf Association’s Club Team Championship or the Senior Club Team Championship is Thursday. Both tournaments will be at Belgrade Lakes. The Club Team is May 31 and the Senior Team is June 1.

The first Downeast-Metro Amateur will be accepting entries through June 10. The tourney is being played at Bangor Municipal and Kebo Valley in Bar Harbor on June 13-14. Entry fee is $99. Coordinator Rob Jarvis of Bangor Muni said 150 players would be a good number for the first-year event. “I feel we’re going to get pretty close to that. A lot of my members have asked about it,” he said.

At last week’s MSGA Senior tournament at Dunegrass in Old Orchard Beach, Doug Scott had a hole-in-one on the 140-yard second hole. He was playing with Paul Pelletier, Ron Brown Jr. and Jeff Sweet.