Jeff Jewett swings a special park golf club during a round at Jefferson Park Golf on Sunday, May 17. (Mic LeBel photo)
A new business in Jefferson aims to get ahead of a perceived trend in the sport of golf.
Lou Pieri’s new business venture, Jefferson Park Golf, is tapping into a novice-friendly style of golf that is very popular in South Asia. Pieri noted that there are more than 1,400 park golf courses in Japan and 400 in South Korea, but it is still a relatively new concept in the United States.
According to Pieri, there are several factors that give park golf an advantage over standard golf. Park golf requires less space, less money, minimal playing equipment, and virtually no golf experience to enjoy a round compared to regular golf.
“Park golf is a shrunk down version of the sport that is meant to be social and fun for people of all athletic abilities,” said Pieri. “It is a scale of golf that is between executive golf, which is typically on short par three courses, and mini golf.”
Pieri, a longtime golfer, came across the park golf concept last year while visiting his son in New Jersey and has been obsessed ever since. He has been working hard this spring to convert several acres of open land on his family farm into the first park golf course in all of New England.
“I bet that in the next 10 years, there will be more than 100 park golf courses in New England,” said Pieri. “It is perfect entertainment for people vacationing in the region.”
Pieri opened the 18-hole Jefferson Park Golf course over Memorial Day weekend. The course, located at 459 East Pond Road, is just over the Nobleboro town line in Jefferson. The cost is $10 for an 18-hole round. The business also offers a season membership for unlimited golf at $270 per season, which runs through mid-October.
Pieri has a current promotion to entice people to try the sport at his new course. Through Sunday, May 31, visitors to Jefferson Park Golf can enjoy one free 18-hole round.
To play park golf, participants use one specially designed club and a smooth ball similar to a lacrosse ball. The club and ball are both provided in exchange for the greens fees.
“The sport is a little bit like croquet, in that the ball is primarily rolling along the ground after you strike it,” said Pieri. “The club does not have an angled face to it, so it is key for the player to keep the ball rolling in the mowed fairway and out of the deeper rough. There is no out-of-bounds, and if the ball is off the green and has a bad lie, the rules are casual in that a player is allowed to move it within one club length.”
With an 8-inch diameter, the cup for each hole is much larger than golf in part due to the fact that park golf greens are far less manicured and smooth.
Players drive the ball off a rubber tee to begin each hole. The course has a mix of short par 3’s (25-35 yards), medium par 4’s (40-55 yards), and long par 5’s, which are up to 100 yards long. Like most typical golf courses, the par score on Pieri’s 18-hole park golf course is 72 shots.
Pieri plans to add other features, such as snacks and beverages, after the season gets underway and he learns more about what customers are seeking.
“A round at Jefferson Park Golf is a fun way to spend some time outdoors with friends and family on nice farmland in the Midcoast,” said Pieri. “All people have to do is show up, and we’ll outfit them with a club, a ball and a little advice on how to play.”
For more information about Jefferson Park Golf, go to jeffparkgolf.com or call 458-7804.
