Sunday River Golf Club

Sunday River Golf Club – Played 2014

• Rankings: Golf Magazine Public #89
• Location: 18 Championship Drive, Newry, Maine
• Year: 2004
• Architect: Robert Trent Jones Jr
• Course Access: Public
• Walking Rules: Carts Available

Score Card Information:

• Black: 7,130 yards, Par 72, 75.3 Rating/150 Slope
• Blue: 6,558 yards, Par 72, 72.3 Rating/139 Slope
• White: 5,851 yards, Par 72, 69.7 Rating/129 Slope
• Green: 5,006 yards, Par 72, 65.0 Rating/120 Slope

I planned to fit in a round at Sunday River Golf Club while we were visiting my family in New Hampshire.  The course plays through the Sunday River valley between the Mahoosuc Range.  As with many mountain courses there is a lot of elevation change.  The town of Newry is a little remote, but there are lodging options up the road from the course.  It is located 90 minutes from Portland and three hours from Boston.  If you like, you can come back in the winter and ski at the resort.  Let’s get right into the course tour.  Luckily, the wife was along to take some great pictures.  I played the blue tees and all the distances will reflect that.

This is the entrance to the course.

 

Hole 1 – 499 yards – Par 5

The opening hole at Sunday River is a reachable par five.  There is trouble down the left and woods down the right.  The best play is a draw off of the bunker seen on the right of the fairway.

The second shot plays downhill.  As you can see in the photo below, the course had some conditioning issues.  It took away from the experience a little bit, but other than these spots, the course played fine on the tees and fairways.  In this part of the country winterkill from the snow and ice is always possible.  It’s just something to be aware of when planning a trip.

We decided to snap some shots of the surrounding views.  Below is one of some of the ski slopes.

Here is the green as shot from the left side.

Hole 2 – 384 yards – Par 4

This tee shot plays quite a bit downhill.  These shots are always tough for me because of aiming, but pick a line and commit here.

The second shot flattens out quite a bit, but don’t miss to the right.

Here is a closer shot of the green.

Hole 3 – 332 yards – Par 4

This short par four has another nice view.  Driver may not be the best play.  I hit a three iron at the middle bunker.

Here is another picture of the beautiful vistas.

More ski slopes.

Below is the second shot that will most likely be played with a short iron.

The green is large with plenty of undulation throughout.

Hole 4 – 175 yards – Par 3

Talk about some elevation change.  I played this one about a club less than the stated yardage.

The green is seen below.

Hole 5 – 425 yards – Par 4

The fifth is tighter than it seems.  The right bunker is reachable so play accordingly.

This photo shows the mountains and the green in the bottom right.  It was a pretty small target for the length of the hole.

Here is a zoomed-in shot of the green.

We got a little break with the flag in the wider section of the green.  You can see the slope throughout the surface.

Hole 6 – 178 yards – Par 3

There is trouble to avoid with the waste bunker seen here that extends all the way to the green.  There is some bailout on the right.

The green has some fall off to the right that you can see me walking past.  There are also some ridges in the green.

Hole 7 – 440 yards – Par 5

This is a short one and definitely gettable in two.  Focus on a good drive here.

Here is a clearer picture of the tee shot.

The second plays up the hill and over some greenside bunkers.

The green is seen below.

Hole 8 – 410 yards – Par 4

This tee shot is pretty open, but there is some trouble way right if you spray your drive.

The fairway cants to the right and may force a sidehill shot into the green.

Below is the green.

Hole 9 – 339 yards – Par 4

This is another hole that doesn’t necessarily require the driver.  Accuracy is more important to set up the second shot.

The second plays over a hazard to a green with a false front.  Be wary of your club selection.

There is a big ridge running the length of the green as you can see below.  Take note of the pin location so you can have a flat putt.

Hole 10 – 385 yards – Par 4

This one played much longer than the yardage on the scorecard.  I would say all you have with a driver is fine unless you blast it.

The approach plays up an even steeper hill.  I definitely had to club up here.

The green is perched at the top of the hill, but is pretty flat itself.

Hole 11 – 565 yards – Par 5

This is a fairly straightaway tee shot.  It’s a long hole that probably can’t be reached in two by most players.

The approach plays to a lowered green with a greenside bunker.

Here is a closer shot of the green.

Hole 12 – 412 yards – Par 4

This par four plays downhill and requires some focus on the alignment.

Here is a zoomed-in view of the fairway.

The green is guarded by two bunkers on the right side and has some good slope as you can see.

Hole 13 – 316 yards – Par 4

The fairway bends to the right on this hole.  Driver doesn’t give you much of an advantage here so go with a two hundred yard shot for position.

The second shot features more of the elevation change we have seen so far.

This is a photo from the right side of the green

Hole 14 – 185 yards – Par 3

Another downhill shot here with a middle or long iron.  Distance control is a must.

Here is a closer look at the green.  Notice the drop off on both sides and particularly on the right.

Hole 15 – 483 yards – Par 5

This hole plays up the slope and is best played with a draw.

The second shot deals with a waste bunker and makes concentration on the layup critical.

Here is a zoomed-in look of the second shot.

The third shot must negotiate the two bunkers seen here.  The left bunker is the more dangerous with its depth.

The green is seen below with a slight ridge between the two tiers.  The flag is on the upper tier.

Hole 16 – 142 yards – Par 3

The only place to miss here is to the right, but with a short shot you should take dead aim.

The green is not very deep and is backed by another bunker.

This is another shot of the putting surface.  You can see the change in elevation as you scan the green from this side to the flag.

Hole 17 – 474 yards – Par 4

This is a beast of a hole that frankly seemed out of character from what we had faced the rest of the round.  It also plays uphill making the hole play longer than the yardage.

This is a shot showing the slope up to the green.

Here is another example of the conditioning issues I mentioned.  This was where my tee shot ended up.

The green was expansive which was nice since you probably need a long iron or more to get home.

Hole 18 – 414 yards – Par 4

A solid hole finishes the course.  A draw fits the hole best.

The second shot plays downhill like the tee shot.  The bunkers on the left are well below the green and are very penal.

One more panoramic view for all you nature lovers!

The green has two levels with the ridge going diagonally across the green from the front left to back right.

I did want to show you the clubhouse at Sunday River.  It is made of wood and stone and looks very rustic.  It fit right in with the mountainous course and surroundings.

I really enjoyed the scenery at Sunday River.  There were some solid holes and the constant elevation change provided plenty of challenge.  I was disappointed with the conditioning.  I don’t need wall to wall green, but some of the issues actually affected playability.  In my opinion, the price was a little steep for what you get.  That being said, the course itself was a fun play and I would definitely say to give it a try if you are in the area.