10. Old Marsh Country Club
Wells, Me.
6,523 yards, par 70; Green fee: $89;
207-251-4653; oldmarshcountryclub.com

Architect Brian Silva made his name as a makeup
artist, carefully restoring old masters. Old Marsh proves
he can hold his own with original designs, even if he does
borrow liberally from the greats. Located on a wooded
landscape in southern Maine, less than an hour's drive
from Greater Boston, Old Marsh features the engineered
look of C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor, with steep,
random, strategic bunkers, mammoth fairways and
similarly scaled greens, most notably the 15,000-
square-foot behemoth at the 215-yard, par-3 17th. (It's the
largest putting surface in the state.) For fans of classic
design, Silva employed an Alps feature and a punchbowl
green at the 375-yard 2nd, and a Redan-style green at
the 410-yard 5th. But modern touches abound as well,
with Florida-style excavated lakes forming the bulk
of the hazards. Even with its Old World flavor,
Old Marsh is a Yankee original.• Return to 2008 Best New Courses Homepage