Jun. 2—Kyle Courcy was living in Massachusetts in 2022 when he and a friend decided they wanted to try to play every mini golf course in the state.
Just three years later, Courcy placed among the top 16 of the 42 mini golfers who qualified for the World Adventure Golf Final in Portugal in May.
Now, Courcy, who grew up in Norway and moved to back to Maine last year, is ranked 53rd in the world.
An engineer at Tambrands in Auburn, he won’t call himself a professional mini golfer until it’s paying his mortgage, but he’s not your average putt-putt player, either.
Courcy, who lives in Lewiston, is among the most hardcore members of the Maine Mini Golf Tour, a league that meets every Sunday morning at Tabers mini golf course in Auburn and also travels to compete in tournaments around New England.
It was Courcy’s third-place finish at the Matterhorn Mini Golf Pro-Am in Canton, Connecticut, in September that earned him a spot in the world finals.
“My goal was not to come in last,” he said about playing in Portugal, but he did much better than that, and now he wants to go back.
Courcy is still making his way through the 80-some mini golf courses in Massachusetts and hasn’t played every spot in Maine, either, but here are a few of his favorites and, in his own (lightly edited) words, why — though, he says, it’s hard to make recommendations because “any mini golf is better than no mini golf!”
Tabers
WHERE: 470 Lake Shore Drive, Auburn
WHEN: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. daily
WHY: Right out of the gate, I need to recommend my “home” course in Auburn. Great mini golf, and the view of Lake Auburn can’t be beat. Friendly ownership (Dan, the owner, took over from his parents who originally owned it for many years) and among other things, the site of the Maine Mini Golf Tour weekly league and host of the annual Maine Mini Golf Open in August.
PRO TIPS: The putting is fun, and there are enough challenging holes to reward those who are able to make some tough shots. The tiered 10th hole has been known to be a make-or-break hole, as well as the 13th, with its slim line to a hole-in-one between a rock and the brick border.
CONDITION: Newly replaced turf (approximately two years ago) and in good shape.
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Dolphin Mini Golf
WHERE: 510 Wiscasset Road, Boothbay
WHEN: Noon-5 p.m. daily
WHY: Gem of a “classic”-esque mini golf spot with a nautical-themed, 18-hole course. The course was built by a competitive mini golfer Lee Stoddard (now run by his wife) and played host to the 2008 U.S. Open for mini golf. Friendly owner, and don’t miss the amazing shell museum adjacent to the course. Host of the long-running Dolphin Open (this year will be 32nd year), which is a two-day, 10-round odyssey bringing out competitive mini golfers and locals alike.
PRO TIPS: The course will have you revisiting high school geometry as you try to make challenging bank shots off brick borders and thread the needle with focus-needing putts, including under buoys (15th hole) and through a fisherman’s shack (ninth hole).
CONDITION: Newly replaced turf (approximately two years ago) and in good shape.
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Raptor Falls
WHERE: 1912 Portland Road, Arundel
WHEN: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
WHY: What’s not to like about dinosaurs on a mini golf course? This relatively new-ish course delights young and older putters alike. The outstanding dinosaur construction and props on the course make for great photo opportunities, and the water, which weaves its way throughout the course, makes for a pleasant ambience.
PRO TIPS: The expansive layout and longer hole length makes for some challenging and rewarding putting, and indeed, this course wastes no time getting into it with a first hole that may very well send your ball rolling back down toward you if you’re not properly warmed up!
CONDITION: Good overall.
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Desert of Maine
WHERE: 95 Desert Road, Freeport
WHEN: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday
WHY: A terrific addition to the Desert of Maine that opened a few years ago. The lookout tower hole that sucks your ball up (if you make a good tee shot!) and sends it to the top is a novel and fun prop, along with adorable animals in the form of sheep, camels, etc. dotting the course, make for a cute, entertaining and, at times, educational voyage through 18 holes.
PRO TIPS: Featuring some creative props and some tough holes that will challenge young and old alike to make tough putts (but enough just hit-it-and-hope-for-the-best holes thrown in to keep kids engaged).
CONDITION: Good overall.
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