The Maine Open golf championship is moving to the Falmouth Country Club from Riverside Golf Course this summer while the Portland Open, which has been played at Riverside since 1996 – the last two years combined with the Maine Open – won’t be held.

The Maine State Golf Association and Harris Golf, which owns the Falmouth Country Club, will team up to hold the June 21-22 tournament with the pro-am the day before.

It’s a week earlier than last year’s Portland Maine Open because the Massachusetts Open is being held a week later than usual. New England tourneys try to avoid conflicting dates.

The MSGA’s board of directors approved the move.

“We were asked by the MSGA to hold the tournament,” said Jeff Harris of Harris Golf of Bath. “I think it will be a good fit. Falmouth is one of the best competitive venues for that level of play in the state. It should go well with our upgrading of the course.

“We’re a big supporter of several golf organizations in the state. It’s our duty to make it work.”

In the early 2000s, when Falmouth was owned by its members, it hosted a round of the Maine Open or the pro-am for four consecutive years with the Portland Country Club, The Woodlands and Purpoodock.

Falmouth has been upgrading its bunkers, adding fescue and removing some trees. Harris said Falmouth’s greens, which are large and undulating, will be fast for the tournament.

The course is a par 72 that can be stretched to 7,088 yards.

“We did six holes last June and seven or more holes will be done by the tournament,” Harris said.

Romeo Laberge, the MSGA tournament director, said the organization was looking for a more challenging course.

“It will be a good test for the quality of the field,” said Laberge. “It’s a well-conditioned course.”

But it could be one and done at Falmouth, said Harris. Harris said the MSGA’s policy, beginning with his course, will be to move the Maine Open around to other courses.

“I don’t think it will stay put,” said Harris. “The MSGA wants to have the tournament at other private and public courses that are favorites of Maine’s amateur and professional golfers. We would welcome it back for sure, but I don’t know if that’s the mandate.”

Ryan Scott, the Riverside manager, confirmed the Portland Open will end. Riverside and the city of Portland combined to run the tournament in past years with proceeds benefiting programs at the Barron Center in Portland.

“I was told a week or two ago that the Maine Open was going to Falmouth,” said Scott. “There’s not enough time to get the Portland Open ready at this point. We would have to get sponsors and change dates. There are some dates available in August, but we would have to work around those tournaments held by the New England PGA.

“We’re definitely going to miss it. We liked having the tournament. Maybe it will start back up next year.”

The Maine Open began in 1916 and has been held every year except 1943. Riverside has hosted the most tournaments.

 

Staff Writer Tom Chard can be contacted at 791-6419 or at: tchard@pressherald.com

 

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