Old Marsh Country Club in Wells likes to do things in a big way. It has the largest green in the state – the par-3, 17th, which measures 15,000 square feet.

And now it has the largest putting green in the state, and maybe in New England, with the completion of an area that measures approximately 150 yards in length. The putting green is called the Himalayas for its size and large undulations, which will challenge the most accomplished putters.

It was designed and built by David Cummings. He and Jeff Harris of Harris Golf came up with the idea of building a grandiose putting green. Harris Golf owns and runs Old Marsh along with several other golf courses in Maine, including Sunday River in Newry, Penobscot Valley in Orono and Falmouth Country Club.

“Big and bold,” said Matt Barnard of Harris Golf. “That’s what Jeff was looking for. Both Jeff and David were looking as to how they could combine a putting green and a practice area. They brainstormed and came up with this.”

The practice green has bunkers and a target green at one end. There’s a hitting net for golfers to warm up before their rounds by hitting drives and irons. The putting green has 18 holes with flags, so golfers can play a complete putting round.

“We started the project last spring and worked all summer on it,” said Cummings, a former Maine schoolboy champion and Maine Open winner. “It was seeded by the end of August.”

The Himalayas opened for members last October and for the public in late April.

“I’m very happy with the way it came out,” said Cummings. “It was built as something more to offer the membership and as a way to introduce new players to the game. You can putt, chip or practice your bunker shots.”

Barnard said the Himalayas has a separate scorecard, and the public can come in and play it. The putting green/practice area is also available for free to golfers who pay 18-hole greens fees and want to get additional work on their short games.

“They did a good job building it with the bunkers, the putting green and the hitting area,” said Zibby Pulieo, a Old Marsh member. “It’s amazing how big it is. You could have an 80-foot putt.”

BENTLEY UNIVERSITY junior Malcolm Oliver of Damariscotta tied for seventh in the NCAA Division II East/Atlantic Golf Regional in Nashport, Ohio, coming up two strokes shy in his bid to advance to the NCAA championships.

Oliver finished the three-day tournament with a 9-over 225 after shooting a 3-over 75 in the final round Wednesday at Longaberger Golf Club. The Lincoln Academy graduate had the tournament’s second-most birdies (10), including three in the final round, but a triple-bogey on his third-to-last hole proved costly.

With five holes to play, Oliver seemed to be in good shape with a two-stroke cushion in the battle for two spots open for the NCAAs. He bogeyed the par-3 188-yard fifth but bounced back with a par on the sixth. The 557-yard par-5 seventh was his undoing, sending him from 6-over for the tournament (and even for the day) to 9-over.

The two players who advanced, Matt Barto of Gannon and Niklas Koerney of St. Thomas Aquinas, turned in a two-under 70 for the final 18 to finish the tournament at 7-over.

TEE TO GREEN: The 51st Paul Bunyan Amateur will be accepting entries until May 25, said Matt Barnard of Harris Golf. The tournament will be played June 13-14. The A and B divisions will have a rotation of Penobscot Valley Country Club and Falmouth Country Club, while the C and D divisions will have the opposite rotation.

The counterpart to the Bunyan in Eastern Maine is the first Downeast Metro Amateur, which will be played on the same dates. Entries are still being accepted for that tournament, too. The courses are Bangor Municipal and Kebo Valley Club in Bar Harbor.

The deadline to enter the Club Team Championship and the Senior Club Team Championship, run by the Maine State Golf Association, is May 21. Both tournaments are at Belgrade Lakes Golf Club, on back-to-back days. The Club event is May 31 and the Senior event is June 1.

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