CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Maine — The Sugarloaf Golf Club, consistently ranked as one of Maine and New England’s premier golf courses for the past 24 years, will kick off the 2009 golf season on Thursday, June 18. New for this season, Sugarloaf will expand its acclaimed Golf School offerings to include specific theme weeks and complimentary clinics with any golf and stay package.

Greens fees will be just $65 for unlimited play during Sugarloaf’s opening weekend, and golf and stay packages are available for as little as $89 per person per night, and include lodging, 18 holes with cart, and complimentary clinic at the Sugarloaf Golf School. Midweek rounds will be just $65 through July 10, and include a complimentary lunch at Strokes Bar and Grille.

The United Way of the Tri-Valley Area will host its 15th Annual United Way Foundation Tournament on opening day, featuring numerous prizes for players and a free additional round of golf to every player registered in the tournament. For more information, please visit http://www.uwtva.org/.

“This winter was a challenge for a lot of courses, but I think our patience in opening will be very beneficial in the long run,” said Director of Golf Scott Hoisington. “We’re excited to open and are confident that guests will return to the high quality conditions they have come to expect from Sugarloaf.”

Sugarloaf took additional time this spring to fertilize and aerate greens and fairways, and over-seed them with new, heartier varieties of grass that should prove more resilient during the Maine winters.

With the direction of new Course Superintendant Bob Bruce, visitors to Sugarloaf this season will notice an increased attention to detail throughout the course, and an enhanced focus on player friendliness. Crews will work to improve drainage throughout the season, and will continue with an ongoing tree thinning project.

New this season, the Sugarloaf Golf School will feature various theme weeks throughout the season, with clinics uniquely tailored to meet the needs of specific groups. Weeks will include Women’s Weeks, Senior Weeks, Canadian Weeks, and Family Week.

The Golf School will also offer clinics teaching the new “Stack and Tilt” swing, which has been hailed as “the new tour swing” by Golf Digest. The Stack and Tilt swing emphasizes the elimination of weight-shift on the backswing, helping golfers to hit the ball straighter and further.

For more information on the Sugarloaf Golf Club or to book a tee time for opening weekend, please visit www.sugarloaf.com or call 1-800-THE-LOAF