Manchester, Maine
Augusta Country Club delivers a quintessential parkland experience steeped in New England tradition. Its Wayne Stiles and possible Donald Ross heritage, frequent championship play, and thoughtful risk/reward moments create a round that serious golfers will appreciate. While not a national bucket-list course, it's a local treasure for architecture-minded players and those interested in the roots of Maine golf.
Look for the plaque commemorating Francis Ouimet's 1918 visit—a unique nod to golf history found near the 10th tee.
Augusta Country Club is a living example of New England architectural heritage, weaving together its original 1917 back nine with a 1929 Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleek front nine. The result is a course that blends old-school strategic motifs—angled greens, alternating short and long par 4s, and risk/reward routes—with a distinctly Maine sensibility. While some believe Donald Ross may have influenced the back nine, the course carries a stylistic through-line of subtle challenge and period authenticity, anchored by tree-lined parkland holes and clever green sites.
The front nine is credited to Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleek (1929), with the back nine likely routed by Arthur G. Lockwood; some sources suggest Donald Ross may have influenced the closing holes.
The 5th is Augusta’s longest hole, stretching 546 yards and often playing even longer thanks to a subtle rise to the green. For many players, it’s a strategic three-shotter demanding careful management of layup distance and a pinpoint approach.
Avoid the fairway bunkers off the tee and plan your layup to favor your best distance for a wedge approach.
Trouble lurks on both sides with trees crowding lines of play, and a poorly judged layup leaves a tough angle in.
Consistently strong private-club turf with recent bunker and tree work enhancing playability.
Traditional, understated, and proud of its local legacy.
Many greens favor thoughtful entry routes over brute force—study your distances and shape shots.
You’ll face mid- and long-iron par 3s requiring totally different clubs and mindsets.
Several short par 4s reward precise pitching and chipping around subtly contoured greens.
Course roots as Augusta Golf Club
Current back nine opens; first tee shot by Walter S. Wyman
Francis Ouimet plays and suggests green relocation
Hosts inaugural Maine Amateur
Clubhouse and records lost to fire
Stiles & Van Kleek redesign front nine
Bunker overhaul, tree removal on holes #2 and #7
In 1918, U.S. Open legend Francis Ouimet played Augusta Country Club and inspired the transformation of one hole from a par 4 into a 465-yard par 5 with a single recommendation. That bit of advice showcases the club’s early championship DNA.
The Halloween fire of 1925 destroyed much of the clubhouse and wiped out original blueprints, leaving historians to reconstruct the initial routing from clues instead of records. Playing the course is playing a living mystery.
Augusta Country Club was the site of the very first Maine Amateur in 1918 and has hosted the event more than a dozen times since, cementing its place as a keystone of Maine tournament golf.
Augusta hosted the first Maine Amateur in 1918 and has hosted the championship 16 times.
Francis Ouimet, golf legend, once suggested moving a green here—his idea still shapes the present routing.
A devastating fire in 1925 wiped out the original clubhouse and left Augusta's early secrets shrouded in mystery.
Its architectural DNA blends rare Stiles/Van Kleek work with rumored Donald Ross touches.
The club removed hundreds of trees and rebuilt its bunkers as recently as 2021.
Top-tier Maine public with dramatic routing and pristine conditioning.
Friendly layout and accessible fun for all skill levels.
Multiple 18s and a short drive from ACC—great variety.
A worth-the-drive mountain destination if you want grandeur.
If you can secure access, it makes for an authentic local double-header.
Augusta, Manchester, or Hallowell for easy access to the course and central Maine sights.
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: What links these two? A comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character — a familiar feeling, expressed in Knollwood Country Club's own setting.
Why it matches: If Augusta Country Club is your kind of course, Mark Bostick Golf Course at the University of Florida is worth a look because it a comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character.
Why it matches: What links these two? A comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character — a familiar feeling, expressed in Onion Creek Club's own setting.
Community Sentiment
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