The Maine Agenda › Golf in Maine
Public Golf Courses Near Portland, Maine: Every Course You Can Play
Most golf directories for this area do two things badly. They mix in private clubs you cannot actually book, and they list courses that closed years ago and are now apartment sites. This is the list we wanted and could not find: every public and daily-fee course within about 25 minutes of downtown Portland where anyone can walk up, pay, and play, with the numbers that decide whether it is worth your morning.
Everything here was checked against each course's own scorecard, the Maine State Golf Association listing, and the operating town or city in July 2026. Where a source disagreed with itself, we say so. Two well-known local names are missing on purpose, and we explain why at the bottom, because a directory that sends you to a course that no longer exists is worse than no directory at all.
If you want opinions rather than a directory, our best golf courses near Portland guide ranks them. For when the season actually opens and closes here, see the Maine golf season, month by month.
The short version
Seven public courses sit inside the core radius. Three are municipal (Riverside in Portland, Val Halla in Cumberland, and the little South Portland nine), and four are privately owned daily-fee courses anyone can play (Nonesuch River and Willowdale in Scarborough, Gorham Country Club, and Toddy Brook in North Yarmouth). If you want the sternest test, Val Halla carries the highest slope of the group. If you want the fastest, cheapest loop, the South Portland municipal nine is a par 33 you can walk in an evening. Everything else falls in between.
The full directory
| Course | Town | Holes | Par | Yards (back tees) | Owner or designer | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside Golf Course (North) | Portland | 18 | 72 | 6,353 | City of Portland; designed by Wayne Stiles | The region's busiest municipal course, plus a 9-hole South and a 3-hole practice loop |
| Val Halla Golf Course | Cumberland | 18 | 72 | 6,567 | Town of Cumberland | Highest slope of the public group (130); driving range and rec center on site |
| Nonesuch River Golf Club | Scarborough | 18 | 70 | 6,324 | Designed by Tom Walker | Daily-fee course threading the Nonesuch salt marsh; full practice range |
| Willowdale Golf Club | Scarborough | 18 | 70 | 5,980 | Opened in the 1920s | Easily walked, borders the Scarborough marsh, one of the oldest courses here |
| Gorham Country Club | Gorham | 18 | 71 | 6,552 | Designed by James McDonald, opened 1961 | A daily-fee "country club," about 10 minutes from the Jetport |
| Toddy Brook Golf Course | North Yarmouth | 18 | 71 | 6,214 | Opened 2002 | Big elevation changes and some of the better greens in the area |
| South Portland Municipal | South Portland | 9 | 33 | 2,071 | Larry Rowe, 1931 | A quick, walkable city nine; the friendliest place here to learn |
Yardages are from the longest tees; every course plays several sets shorter. Green fees change by season, day, and time, and none of these are expensive by destination-golf standards, so book through the course rather than trusting a third-party number.
Portland
Riverside Golf Course. The default. Owned and operated by the City of Portland at 1158 Riverside Street, along the Presumpscot River, Riverside is where most of the city learns and keeps playing. The North course is the real one: a par 72 of 6,353 yards laid out by Wayne Stiles, the New England architect whose name still carries weight, on rolling, tree-lined ground that dates to the 1920s. There is also a 9-hole South course and a 3-hole practice loop, which makes Riverside the best place in the region to bring a mixed group where one person wants 18 and another wants a quick nine. It gets busy, exactly as a good muni should, so book a weekend morning ahead.
Cumberland
Val Halla Golf Course. The town-owned course at 1 Val Halla Road is the quiet overachiever of the public group. At 6,567 yards, par 72, with a slope of 130, it is the stiffest test anyone can walk up and play around here, and it comes with a driving range, two putting greens, and a recreation center attached. If you have gotten comfortable at the easier daily-fee courses and want to find out where your game actually is, this is the honest answer.
Scarborough
Nonesuch River Golf Club. A daily-fee course on 203 acres that threads the Nonesuch River salt marsh, designed by Tom Walker. It plays par 70 at 6,324 yards from the tips with four sets of tees, so it flexes from a beginner-friendly 4,960 up to a real test. The marsh is the character of the place: pretty, and quietly punishing if you spray it. There is a modern clubhouse, a full-size range, and a golf academy, which makes it a good place to take a lesson and then go apply it.
Willowdale Golf Club. At 52 Willowdale Road, Willowdale is the walk-and-play choice: par 70, a modest 5,980 yards, bordering the same Scarborough marshes, and one of the oldest courses in the area, dating to the 1920s. It is flatter and more forgiving than Nonesuch, genuinely easy to walk, and priced for a regular loop rather than a special occasion. If you want to play a lot of golf without renting a cart every time, this is your home course.
Gorham
Gorham Country Club. Do not let the name fool you. Gorham is a daily-fee course open to anyone, not a private club, and it is about 10 minutes from the Portland Jetport. James McDonald laid it out in 1961 at par 71 and 6,552 yards, with a driving range and a season that runs April into November. It is the closest thing on this list to a traditional parkland "country club" experience you can book off the street.
North Yarmouth
Toddy Brook Golf Course. The newest course on the list, opened in 2002 at 925 Sligo Road, and the one that feels most like modern design: rolling hills, elevation drops that reach 150 feet, water in play, and greens that regulars will tell you are among the best in the state. Five sets of tees make it playable for most handicaps. It is a little north of the pack, which keeps it quieter than the Scarborough courses on a summer weekend.
South Portland
South Portland Municipal Golf Course. Nine holes, par 33, 2,071 yards on 25 acres at 155 Wescott Road, laid out by Larry Rowe back in 1931. This is not a championship test and does not pretend to be. It is four par 3s and four par 4s (with one more hole to make nine), the best place in the region to put a beginner or a rusty returner, and a genuinely pleasant walkable evening nine when you do not have four hours to spare.
Two courses you will still see listed (that are gone)
Because so many stale directories still name them: Sable Oaks in South Portland and Twin Falls in Westbrook are closed. Sable Oaks, a long-time daily-fee course near the Maine Mall, shut in 2019, and its land is headed for housing and other development. Twin Falls, the old 9-hole par 33 on Spring Street, closed in 2016 and the property was sold for homes. Neither is playable. If a list is still sending you to them, it has not been checked in years.
Just past the line
One honest note on the radius. If you are willing to drive about 30 to 35 minutes north, Brunswick Golf Club is a well-regarded public 18 just beyond our 25-minute core. We hold the directory above to courses inside the radius so the numbers stay tight, but Brunswick is worth knowing if you live on the north side.
And the private clubs
Four private clubs sit inside this same radius, and you cannot book a tee time at any of them without a member: Purpoodock Club in Cape Elizabeth (playing since 1922), Portland Country Club and The Woodlands Club in Falmouth, and Falmouth Country Club, also in Falmouth. We list them for context, not as options you can walk up and play.
Of the four, Falmouth Country Club is the one with the measurable case worth spelling out, because it is easy to verify and rarely stated plainly. Its championship course, a Cornish and Silva design that opened in 1988, plays par 72 at 7,372 yards, and it is the only course in Maine to have hosted a Korn Ferry Tour event, the top rung below the PGA Tour. That is a fact, not a review, and it is the kind of credential the star-rating aggregates tend to bury. Falmouth is also a non-equity club, which in plain terms means the ownership invests in the course to attract members, rather than assessing existing members to fund capital projects the way equity clubs do. If a private membership is something you are weighing, our guides to the best country clubs in Maine and equity versus non-equity clubs lay out the tradeoffs, and you can see Falmouth's own golf details here.
FAQ
What is the best public golf course near Portland, Maine?
For the toughest and best-conditioned public test, Val Halla in Cumberland (par 72, 6,567 yards, slope 130) is the standout. For a modern design with dramatic elevation and strong greens, Toddy Brook in North Yarmouth is the pick. For a classic municipal layout, Riverside in Portland is the region's busiest for good reason. The right answer depends on whether you want a challenge, a walk, or a quick nine.
Can you play Gorham Country Club without a membership?
Yes. Despite the "country club" name, Gorham is a daily-fee course open to the public, with tee times anyone can book. It plays par 71 at 6,552 yards and sits about 10 minutes from the Portland Jetport.
Which public course near Portland is best for beginners?
The South Portland Municipal Golf Course, a par 33 nine at 155 Wescott Road, is the friendliest place to start: short, walkable, and low-pressure. Willowdale in Scarborough is the next step up, a full 18 that is easy to walk at a modest 5,980 yards. Nonesuch River also runs a golf academy and beginner lessons.
Is Sable Oaks Golf Club still open?
No. Sable Oaks in South Portland closed in 2019, and its land is being redeveloped. Twin Falls in Westbrook, another course still listed in older directories, closed in 2016. Neither is playable, so ignore any list that still points you to them.
How many public golf courses are near Portland, Maine?
Seven public and daily-fee courses sit within about 25 minutes of downtown Portland: Riverside (Portland), Val Halla (Cumberland), Nonesuch River and Willowdale (Scarborough), Gorham Country Club (Gorham), Toddy Brook (North Yarmouth), and the South Portland Municipal nine. Four private clubs sit in the same area but require membership.
When can you play golf in Maine?
The public season here runs roughly April into November, weather depending, with peak conditions from June through September. Courses open as the ground thaws and close when it freezes, so shoulder-season rounds are a gamble. See our Maine golf season guide for the month-by-month breakdown.