MEXICO, Maine — European immigrants have left their mark in communities across Maine, and the rural town of Mexico is no different.
The paper industry was a massive economic driver for the area for more than 100 years. Around 1920, some members of the management group at the mill in Rumford decided to bring their country's game to their new backyard.
Scottish settlers built the course, located just 2 miles from the mill, and the first few holes opened for players in 1923. Oakdale Country Club has been serving golfers locally and from away ever since.
“We love to have people from anywhere come and join us," Oakdale Board of Directors Member Edward Dawson said. “But once they come here, they become our own friends.”
On Saturday, the course held its 100th-anniversary tournament for members past and present. There was no major prize money up for grabs, rather, it was a day for fun.
Dawson said in the early days of the course, there were more than 300 members. But as the area population dropped over the decades, so too has the membership.
Members took over ownership of the course 30 years ago, and now they do everything they can to keep the grounds in good shape, and host league nights, and other events.
“We love it. We love the members. It's a fun big family," Janice McKenna, a member and lead volunteer at Oakdale said.
She and other people from the area even came to the course in the winter when they were kids to take advantage of the hilly terrain for sledding. McKenna said she now brings her grandchildren to enjoy those same thrills when snow covers the course.
Ginny and Marshall Todd are two of the countless longtime members at Oakdale. On Saturday, Marshall was decked out in a vintage golf outfit.
“Because that’s how they dressed then," he said.
Marshall has been playing at the course for 60 years, and Ginny has been the board's secretary for the last number of years.
“[The course] really is a challenge, but it’s fun," Ginny added.
If you think playing at the same course for six decades gives Marshall an advantage, you'd be right. But he also wrote a book on the history of Oakdale.
According to his excerpts, the course has made several improvements over the decades, most recently, rebuilding the entertainment pavilion two years ago.
Marshall wrote that many accomplished golfers in Maine got their start at Oakdale.
While the course is one of the oldest, and one of the few nonprofit courses in the state, members and the Board of Directors are looking into the future to keep their beloved trek viable for generations to come.
“We’re always looking to do what is best for Oakdale in the future and make sure we’re around for our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren 50 years from now," Dawson said.
As the members look towards the next chapter of Oakdale, they will honor the history of the club this summer and plan to bury a time capsule on the course filled with memorabilia and items from the past 100 years.