This blog is to help folks who are traveling to Maine for a vacation figure out where to go play disc golf. I hope you get a chance to come to Sabattus and try out somewhere else while you’re here.
If you’re from Maine, I hope you get out and experience all the amazing courses this state has to offer.
I did some checking of all the courses in Maine, there’s 71 that I found. I’ve played 36 different courses in Maine and haven’t played 35 of them. Now that my elbow has healed up I look forward to playing a few new-to-me courses all over the state this year.
There’s nothing like the thrill of playing a new course is there?
Stepping out into the woods and walking forward off the teepad to see where the basket actually is, and how accurate the hole signage is.
Taking birdie on a hole that you’ve never played feels like you’re 1000 rated.
You can meet course owners, and also meet plenty of folks who are a part of the disc golf community.
Maine has a great tradition of disc golf. From having one of the first 10 courses in the USA, hosting the 2016 USWDGC, hosting a silver series event, and having the most disc golf rounds played on UDisc per capita. Maine has so much to offer disc golfers, it’s incredible.
I hope that when you do consider a disc golf vacation you consider coming to Maine to play disc golf, and perhaps enjoy one of the greatest national parks.
Today I’d like to write a blog about some of the courses that rock, and in my opinion don’t get enough recognition. By enough recognition I mean they fall outside UDisc Top 100 courses.
Ask Maine disc golfers their opinions and you’ll get some great local knowledge about our courses, not just the ones featured in articles.
Ummmm… Andrew, you're really writing a blog about other courses to play?
Yeah. Maine disc golf is E-X-C-E-P-T-I-O-N-A-L.
Yes it’s 99% pay to play, but it really is worth it when you come and see what courses have to offer. The course owners are great, and they run really solid leagues, have nice pro shops, the courses are top notch, they reinvest the profits into making better courses, and they should be recognized.
Plus I get asked all the time about what other courses players should check out.
I’m never going to stop espousing how great we have it in Maine for disc golf. And it would be a disservice to not let you folks know which courses I recommend you play while you’re here in vacationland. Every course I recommend is going to be a pay to play, and they all have pro shops, just a heads up.
UDisc annually reviews the Top 100 courses. Here are the 2022 reviewed Top 100 courses in the US,.
In 2023 they released a new Top 100 list and 3 courses from Maine fell off the list. Sabattus was fortunate to have our courses remain in the top 100. I think if you’ve played here before, you know why we’re regularly listed as a destination.
The three that were dropped were Acker’s Acre’s Twisted, The Patriot at Pineland Farms, and Black Bear at Woodland Valley.
They’re all incredible courses. In fact, Acker’s and Pineland Farms have 2 courses, and Woodland Valley has 3 courses. In Maine you’re going to find that lots of places have multiple courses to accommodate players of all skill levels.
These 3 courses are definitely places to check out if you’re on a trip. Here’s a brief description of why to visit each one.
Acker’s Acre’s Twisted- It’s heavily wooded compared to many courses. You’ll find shade out there on hot days, even when you hit the fairway. They’re in my hometown of Bowdoinham, so I’ll always have a spot in my heart for Acker’s. It has elevation changes that make for some super fun lines. And you can get amazing food in between rounds.
Pineland Farms Patriot- I genuinely can’t believe the Patriot fell off the list. It has elevation, views, woods, open shots, it’s the featured course for the Maine State Championships. Everyone in Maine has at least one instagram picture of Hole 4. Holes 2, 10, 15, and 17 would be signature holes on almost any other course.
Pro Tip: Go get lunch while you’re there. Trailblazer on wheat bread with a Moxie is my order.
Woodland Valley Black Bear- There’s plenty of great stonework in this course. It’s shorter, but it really offers you that chance to attack every hole. There are huge elevation swings on holes that really test your knowledge of disc selection. I got to caddy for Uriyah Kelly there in 2020, and it was special to watch him carve it up and take the victory.
What about the hidden gems of disc golf in Maine that haven’t made it on the Top 100 courses list?
Here are 3 I think you should absolutely check out while you’re here in Maine.
Devils Grove (Near SDG)
Located in Lewiston, Devil’s Grove is about 5-8 minutes away from SDG. It’s got 2 courses, the Demon and the Devil. I’m a big fan of the original Demon course, as it’s a deuce or die in the woods course. It’s got plenty of ace runs and winds its way up and down the hill. But most folks prefer the Devil. It has Red, White, and Blue tees so everyone can play on it. It’s wooded and has OB. Devil’s regularly hosts tournaments and on Tuesday nights in the summer has a tag league night, and on Fridays it’s BYOP or Random dubs. Alex Olsen, the owner got a write up in the local news for building a brand new pro shop. Then while I was writing this blog (over the course of a couple of months) he got interviewed by the local news as well. Alex is the one with the exceptional beard, and he’s a great disc golfer, for a lefty 😉. This is where I first learned how to play dubs and I met so many people in the disc golf scene.
Bittersweet Ridge (Near Pineland)
Bill is a great dude who runs a sweet pro shop and awesome courses. BSR has the biggest turnout at doubles of anywhere in the state, and the courses are a blast to play. Plus have you met the course mascot Bob?
Sweetside is the original course and it’s very family friendly while still offering a challenge to competitive players to birdie everything they can. BSR is big part of the Maine State Championships and I think almost everyone in Southern Maine has played at BSR. The North Course is my favorite of the two because it offers lots of elevation change and great woods shots. Hole 9 is one of my favorite holes I’ve ever played. They’ve got a nice pro shop filled with knowledgeable folks and their dubs are regularly 40+ people in the summertime. The vibe at BSR on a sunny summer afternoon is mint. Go here if you want to be treated like an old friend the second you walk in the door.
Ghost Tree
Elevation, woods, long shots through the woods and a wide open hole 18 that you can drive 600’ downhill. It’s a long walk with lots of rocks featured in the course. It’s got a couple of short holes, but it’s a par 69 and 8040’ course! I always bring an extra shirt because I sweat through one per round walking. Get a fresh water or gatorade in the pro shop while you’re there. Once you tee off on one, you’re not gonna be back for a while.
I love this course because I relish that feeling of being sweaty and tired at the end of the round and throwing downhill on 17 and 18 with some crushes is such a great feeling. If you’re looking for something easier you can play Quarry run, part of the same disc golf complex but goes to the other side of the woods.
Augusta is home to several great courses. You could make a trip out of just that city and play a handful of courses. Ghost Tree to me is just the blend of difficulty I’m looking for.
I love all Maine disc golf courses. If you’re looking for a new course (or a couple) to try while you’re here, these are the courses I have a great time at.
*Mainer Disclaimer*
To any Mainer’s reading this blog, yes there are plenty of other great courses out there that I didn’t write about. These are just the ones I usually recommend when folks are here visiting. Maine didn’t get the number 1 disc golf city in America (Lewiston/Auburn) by having one or two great courses. It’s a collection of all 71 courses in Maine that offer a good time to all of us disc golfers. The quality in Maine is high, and we’ve got plenty of courses located close together.
May your discs miss all the trees,
Andrew Streeter #70397
