High school summer leagues for Maine athletes exist in many sports, so why not golf? That’s the question asked by Brian Bickford, executive director of the Maine State Golf Association, now known as Maine Golf.

Bickford has more than just an MSGA stake in scholastic golf, because for years he has been the golf coach at Greely High School.

Bill Kennedy, Golf Columnist

With the MSGA taking over the Freeport County Club and using it as an instructional facility, called Maine Golf Center Freeport, the creation of a summer golf league was easy to execute. Gray-New Gloucester, Brunswick, Greely, Falmouth and Freeport are sending scholastic golfers to compete. Bickford said that 14-20 players have been there on Fridays, with more anticipated because Lewiston and Edward Little have made inquiries.

To participate, the young golfers must have completed eighth grade through their high school junior year last month. That means all of them will be high school students, grades 9-12, when school opens in September. This is a team competition, as opposed to the individual competition that the MSGA Junior Tour conducts.

“The high school golfers asked us to have the team events and we listened,” Bickford said. “Word is spreading, and we are starting to get there.”

This endeavor is being supported with sponsorships from Titleist and Callaway.

There is a bonus to this new league. A program is being planned to have middle school and elementary school programs at the Golf Center and perhaps other golf venues this fall. Competition among these younger students probably will be broken down into three divisions of Maine: Southern, Central and Northern.

With First Tee of Maine having stepped out of the Maine junior golf picture a few years back, it is refreshing to see the MSGA pick up the ball and expand junior golf in the Pine Tree State.

Kudos to the MSGA aka Maine Golf.

*****

The Maine Event for 2022 has not yet been rescheduled by the Maine State Golf Association. Work on the bunkers at the Augusta Country Club continues in hope of the course being ready for the tournament later this season.

The tournament sponsor, Charlie’s, has an affiliation with Augusta, which is why it has been held there only in recent years. Stay tuned on a new 2022 date for the Maine Event.

*****

MSGA Play Days for the month of July will be reduced because of championships.

The men will not have one until the end of the month. One of the reasons is the Men’s Amateur Championship July 12-14 at Webhannet. Another reason is that the annual B&C Championship is slated for July 19-20 at Val Halla.

The women are on Play Day hold until July 12, with their Amateur Championship scheduled July 19-21 at Portland.

Then there is the Junior Championship July 26-27 at Dutch Elm, and the Mixed Championship July 31 at Fairlawn.

Suffice it to say, July is a busy MSGA/Maine Golf championship month.

Bill Kennedy, a retired New Jersey golf writer and editor now residing on Thompson Lake in Otisfield, is in his 10th season as Sun Journal golf columnist.