Many of us get caught up in playing the same golf courses week after week. With so many wonderful courses in the New England states, I urge you to step outside of the (tee) box and play someplace new and different. Better yet, plan a trip to Maine in 2007and be adventurous. With so many ‘play and stay’ packages available, it becomes difficult to choose. Let me suggest a few places that I have recently visited, since they are just a short drive away from anywhere in New England and worth the trip.

The Ocean

Sebasco Harbor Resort on Casco Bay, Maine, has it all. I assure you, you’ll have as much fun as we had during our stay there. Less than an hour from Portland, Maine, Sebasco Harbor Resort has endless activities for singles, couples, or the entire family. The 9-hole golf course is both fun and challenging to play. Don’t let the 145-yard, par-3 second hole swallow your ball as it passes over Casco Bay and hopefully finds it way to the three-tiered green. Each hole has unique characteristics and complexity, making it a very delightful round. Another 9 holes are in the developmental stages and are expected to be completed by 2009.

The 575 acres of woods, in part along the rocky shores of the Atlantic, offer guests a variety of lodging opportunities. As you walk around the beautifully decorated grounds of Sebasco Harbor, scattered flower gardens make you stop to appreciate the colorful splendor of a gardener’s hard work. An Olympic-sized saltwater swimming pool parallels the ocean with only a stone wall separating the two. There are all types of activities for children of all ages, even ‘adult children’. A recreation room is full of games from “years gone by“, a four-lane candle-pin bowling alley, a pool table, table shuffle board, air hockey, basketball, softball, and much more. Child care is available for the younger ones and the older kids are offered supervised programs. Kids always want to vacation here year after year and so do their parents.

The dining experience can be casual at the Ledges Pub, where you can sit inside or outside on the waterfront patio. If you want a more formal dinner, the resort offers deliciously prepared meals upstairs at the Pilot House. Most evenings while you are dining, you will be able to witness the beautiful sunsets over the Casco Bay.

We were impressed with the number of activities available, including kayaking, tennis, swimming, fishing, boating or sailing. The spa can reserve a time for a full massage or to use their gym equipment. Take a bike ride, or a scenic harbor cruises, nature cruise, pirate cruises, or even a lobstering cruise. Start your own family vacation tradition this year. www.sebasco.com

The Lakes

Driving an hour and a half to the west, we arrived at Belgrade Lakes for a 1:10 pm tee time at the Belgrade Lakes Golf Course. When we arrived at the bag drop and got out of the car, we both exclaimed, “Wow!” The clubhouse perched on a high peak that gave way to a spectacular view of the Belgrade Lakes below, a beautiful, peaceful vista from high above the lakes.

Belgrade Lakes Golf Course was designed by Clive Clark and has received a five-star rating from Golf Digest. If you love to play golf, Belgrade Lakes is a must play for the serious golfer. Twelve minutes between tee times indicated the “no rush - enjoy the day” atmosphere. The General Manager explained that Belgrade Lakes Golf Course’s philosophy intends to offer their visitors a memorable golf experience. We thought to ourselves, how could this NOT be an enjoyable experience?

The scenery from the elevation at the clubhouse was breathtaking. The extreme changes in elevation at each hole warranted the use of most clubs in our bags. The fairways were scar-free and felt like a soft but firm sponge under our golf shoes. The greens were perfectly groomed and ball marks were few and far between. The cart paths were discreetly tucked off to the side, behind strong tall pines and flowering shrubs. With five sets of tees, the course offered a game for every skill level. It was a course that urges a golfer to play at least once, but after playing once, you’ll want to come back over and over again. www.belgradelakesgolf.com

For our overnight, we stayed at the Wings Hill Inn and Restaurant, about a five-minute drive from the Belgrade Lakes Golf Course. The Inn is a restored, circa-1800, post-and-beam colonial farmhouse located between Long Pond and Great Pond. We were welcomed by our innkeepers and chefs, Chris and Tracey Anderson, who met in 1995 while attending the Culinary Institute of America in New York. They purchased Wings Hill Inn and began numerous makeovers before opening the Inn in May of 2001. The inn has six guestrooms that are pleasingly decorated and include private bathrooms. Our hosts served a scrumptious three-course breakfast and an afternoon tea with freshly-baked pastries. Dinner is served Thursday through Sunday, with a five-course menu that changes weekly. www.wingshillinn.com

The Mountains

After a wonderful breakfast, we were off again for the one-hour drive to The Bethel Inn Resort in Bethel, Maine. The quaint little town of Bethel reminds one of going back in time, when life was lived at a slower pace, when people took the time to smell the flowers and stop to talk with neighbors walking their dogs. Just on the edge of town is The Bethel Inn Resort, another entertaining place to go for a week, a weekend, or for a golf school in the summer. The 18-hole, 6,663 yard golf course will test your skill, and the mountain scenery will hypnotize you with a sense of serenity. No matter how well or how badly you play, you ultimately have a delightful time enjoying the soft whispers of the mountain forests. The course is surrounded by the White Mountains of Maine and New Hampshire, with Kodak moments around each green and tee box. The only human sounds consist of other golfers laughing with joy or shouting disapproval over making or missing a difficult putt. Birds, owls, foxes, and even a coyote howling in the distance are not uncommon background music at The Bethel Inn Resort.

The accommodations vary from beautifully-decorated suites in the main building to two or three- bedroom luxury townhouses along holes one and eleven.

The Millbrook Tavern has been remodeled, and the terrace has been winterized. Enjoy an exceptional dining experience in the hotel’s restaurant with a candle-lit meal prepared by an award-winning chef while listening to music on the Steinway, a great way to end the day.

The Bethel Inn Resort has a wonderful golf school, offering two, three, and four day all-inclusive Golf School packages with Jason Hurd, PGA Head Golf Professional. The student-teacher ratio is 3:1 and includes video analysis and playing instruction on the course.

When you’re looking for a getaway, make certain you look at the Bethel Inn Resort before making a decision. Golf groups, weddings, retreats, meetings and conferences will delight at the hospitality and affordability when booking this classic New England resort.    www.bethelinn.com

Our final stop, as we headed south to MA, about an hour’s drive from Bethel, was the Poland Springs Resort. The Links at Poland Springs was the first golf course built as a resort in America. In 1895, Arthur Fenn designed six holes at the location, and in 1912, golf course architect Donald Ross added his signature design to complete the 18 holes as it plays today. We decided to play one more round of 18 holes before heading home. The Links at Poland Springs were beautifully maintained and prove to be a treasure to the town of Poland. Beautiful views of the lake a hundred feet below the fairways and greens can be seen from several locations. An 18-hole, championship 6156 yard, par-71 golf course offers hotel guests a very special rate to play all day long. www.polandspringinns.com

Bring your suntan lotion, your family or friends, your camera and of course, don’t forget your clubs. Prices vary from $35.00 to $110.00 for a round of golf at these different courses, but whatever the cost, you’ll be ensured an enjoyable round. Wherever you end up, tell them Tee Time Magazine sent you.