Mainland Golf Course, named for the town just up the Northeast Extension, is a delightful little loop that, frankly, doesn't get the attention it deserves.

Earlier this week, when even some of the more exclusive country clubs in the area were burned and browned by the heat and drought, Mainland was as green and soft as a politician's slush fund.

It's another safe bet that you won't find many facilities -- the course, the bar and grill, the staff -- more inviting. Of course, maybe that's just because it's far enough off the beaten path to retain a certain amount of civility.

For the average golfer, Mainland is a course to remember.

Perhaps it won't put up much of a fight for the big hitter or low handicapper -- it's only a shade more than 6,000 yards, and its slope is 117. But those rather average figures belie the charm of the Montgomery County course.

Mainland has several short but very interesting holes. It has decent doglegs (one of them quite unusual), a couple of fun par 5s, and three par-3 holes that are as good as you'll find almost anywhere.

``It's a diamond in the rough,'' said head pro Wayne Morris. ``The only drawback to the course is the shortness -- you probably won't get to hit every club in your bag. But it can still beat you up.''

That's a fair assessment. If you hit your driver 250 yards or more, you're looking at a 9-iron and lob wedges into the greens.

But if you don't mind that, or if you're a shot-knocker, or a senior or junior or woman who doesn't exactly thrive on 430-yard par 4s, Mainland could be perfect for you.

The course, originally called Twin Lakes, opened about 35 years ago as a four-hole track, then went to nine holes and finally 18. It originally was owned by a local family, according to Morris.

``They were doing OK, but I don't think they strove for much publicity,'' said Morris, who at the time worked up the road at Indian Valley Country Club. ``It was extremely average.''

Then, three years ago, Sal and Mario Lapio, whose family is in the construction business around Mainland, bought the course and began to infuse it with their money.

Morris, who had taught Sal Lapio to play the game at Indian Valley, was brought on as head pro. Falcone, an assistant superintendent at the Cricket Club, was hired to whip the course into shape.

Back then, as now, the chief weakness was its length -- it was only 5,500 yards. So they began moving back the tees where they could. They added a couple of ponds and fairway bunkers, and rebuilt one hole.

More work is planned, but Mainland already is a fun course. Like Paxon Hollow in Delaware County, it's short on yardage but long on quality.

Mainland starts you off with a straightaway, downhill par 4 that's a decent and somewhat forgiving opening hole. But very quickly, at No. 2, you're faced with one of the trickier holes on the course, a 524-yard par-5 dogleg-right. Yes, you can cut the corner to go for birdie.

The unique hole on the front side has to be the 349-yard dogleg fifth, which is very narrow and tree-lined. The tee faces one direction, the fairway goes another -- in other words, you've got to cut your tee shot right or you're in the sixth fairway. As you get closer to the green, there are a pond and bunkers.