The Island Country Club

Writing this newsletter for the Old Club’s 94th season is a lot like playing links golf. Some issues roll out beautifully as if on a downhill, divot free fairway. Others are buffeted by the winds, some inside the Clubhouse. Occasionally a pot bunker swallows a story or a thought and getting out may mean going around instead of straight ahead. The news comes in from our reporters like Scottish greens – smoothly written but a little bit slower than experience leads the editor to exp...

Dana Douglass and I were sitting on the Clubhouse’s back porch the other day, admiring the new fence on Tennis Court #1 and catching up on Club business, when a group of young golfers headed off the 2d green and headed immediately to the 5th tee. “It’s really summer,” we said to each other and then Dana directed them back to the tee for #3.

On the 5th tee Sunday morning, where we belonged, my group was waiting for a threesome of first-time visitors a...

For those who follow this newsletter diligently, you will recall that Lorem ipsum dolor sit is a nonsense phrase that typesetters (of blessed memory) used as a placeholder when waiting for a writer to produce promised text. It is also a phrase some writers (this one particularly) use while awaiting an idea.

It was an interesting week at the old Club. Lots of good things happened, nothing standout. Maybe summer R...

Last week began with the heartbreaking news that a longtime member of the Club and a very good friend to many, Ken Kleeman, had died. Later in the week we received news of other members and good friends afflicted with serious illness. Too many of the events scheduled for the week were rained out or rained on. And then, on Saturday afternoon, the rains briefly stopped, the sun broke through and that most joyous of life’s events – a baby shower – was celebrated in...

(Even if some of us aren’t swinging fully anymore)

The breadth and tempo of the Island Country Club’s 94th season swung into full gear last week, even with a couple of days of “it’s just Maine in June” weather. The fairways are a beautiful green, the greens themselves are coming back from the near devastating drought in May, the tennis courts are finally ready for play, the golf leagues are fully in play, Ladies Golf begins with their pl...

Whether you remember your own experience in grade school, or that of your kids or grandkids, we all know how happy it made you to get extra credit on a test, a homework assignment or a special project. This week’s Newsletter begins with bestowing Extra Credit Awards for recent efforts that make clear why we are The Best Little Country Club in America.

Suzanne Banghart receives the Extra Credit Award for the many years she has decorated the periphery of the Clubhouse w...

If you remember the television show from which that headline is derived the bad news is that you are as old as I am. The good news is that you still have a working memory (perhaps until you add up how many strokes you took on #8). A not uncommon combination of typically foul mid-May Maine weather, late arriving “summer people” and some non-Covid health issues conspired to lead to the cancellation of many of last week’s planned early season activities. The forecast for this w...

94th Season Starts in the Fairway!

If one thinks of the entire season as a round of golf, the Island Country Club’s 94th season has just teed off of #1. And, if you’re an optimist (not an easy person to be these days), you’re sitting in the middle of the first fairway, just left of the bunker, with the green clearly in view. In your mind you see a short iron flying high and true, sliding down the slope, settling just below the ...

Welcome back to the Island Country Club for 2022!

Hello friends, members and guests - it's that time of year again to break out the clubs, rackets, and sunscreen. This year we have some exciting things planned, new gear in the pro-shop, and even a new fence on Court 1! Our opening day is coming soon on Friday the 13th, which also happens to be our wonderful Ground Supervisor Keith's birthday, so be sure if you stop by the club to give him a big thanks for keeping our club beautiful...