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By TOM CHARD, Staff Writer Wednesday, May 22, 2002

Sugarloaf Golf Club in Carrabassett Valley has been at or near the top on almost every list of the top courses to play since it opened in 1986.

The mountain course, which Golf Digest has rated as the top course in Maine for the past 16 years, now has another feather in its cap. The New England Journal of Golf has named Sugarloaf the top public course in its poll of New England's top 100 golf courses.

Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., Sugarloaf is a challenging yet fair test. With its mountain backdrop, it is one of the most scenic courses in the country, annually listed in national golf magazines as one of the top 100 public courses in the country.

Despite constant praise, Sugarloaf hasn't rested on its laurels. The course has been upgraded yearly in order to maintain its high level of quality.

"We're thrilled to receive the recognition," said Cheryl Fullerton, Sugarloaf's communications manager. "There are a lot of nice courses that could have been No. 1.

"The competition is strong and we know we have to keep improving to be where we are."

Fullerton said the course is showing the benefits of recent drainage work. Other improvements include a new irrigation system, bunker work and paving of all cart paths and the parking lot.

"We know it's important to raise the bar," Fullerton said.

After Sugarloaf, the magazine's top five courses are Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown, Mass.; Farm Neck Golf Club in Oak Bluffs, Mass.; Waverly Oaks Golf Club in Plymouth, Mass.; and Country Club of New Seabury, Ocean Course, Mashpee, Mass.

"New England's geography is unique in that you can drive to and play any course in the same day," said Hal Phillips, managing editor of the New England Journal of Golf. "You might see a course on the list that you haven't played." Phillips said the reaction to the top 100 has been varied.

"Rankings can be disputed. We welcome that," he said. "Some have said our list is great. Others tell us we're crazy. With lists, you either love them or hate them. But I think most golfers accept Sugarloaf as a top course."

Other Maine courses in the top 25 are Belgrade Lakes at No. 10, Kebo Valley in Bar Harbor at No. 14, Samoset Resort in Rockport at No. 19 and the Ledges in York at No. 25.

Using a panel comprised of New England golf pros, architects, course superintendents, journalists and golf association personnel, the magazine based its rankings on overall design, difficulty, variety of challenge, scenic value, environmental factors, course conditioning and the ability to enjoy a course.

The New England Journal of Golf, formerly Golf of Maine magazine, is in its second year of operation. It is published six times a year from its Falmouth headquarters. To see the remaining courses on the list, log on to www.nejg.com.

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