When The Ledges opened in 1999 it was named the top new course in New England by Golf Magazine, and it has been rated one of the top layouts in Maine ever since. It will host a US Amateur qualifying round for the third straight year, and from the back tees it plays nearly 7,000 yards with dramatic elevation changes. The York layout was designed by Brad Booth, who hails from Ogunquit. Booth has designed several courses in Maine and New Hampshire, and he collaborated with PGA Tour pro Brad Faxon on the Bay Club in Mattapoisett.

‘‘The big thing here is our greens,’’ said Shawn Welock, the assistant pro. ‘‘They’re pretty fast, with lots of undulations, and they’re very hard to read.’’

The Ledges is deceptive in another way. ‘‘People hear that the course is in York, and they think it must be on the beach,’’ said Welock. ‘‘We’re actually 10 miles inland. It’s kind of secluded, although we have views of the Piscataqua River Bridge into New Hampshire.’’