New Chapter at a Historic Clubhouse: The Links Pub Carries On a Kebo Tradition

At Kebo Valley, a New Team at The Links Pub Picks Up a Storied Torch

Jun 09, 2025

BAR HARBOR—A fresh team is behind the bar at The Links Pub, but the spirit of the place remains the same—welcoming, community-centered, and deeply rooted in tradition.

SSC Hospitality has taken over operations at the restaurant inside Kebo Valley Golf Club, and early days are promising.

“The first week has been fantastic,” said Bo Jennings of SSC Hospitality. “While it hasn't always been super busy, it's been great getting to train staff, showcase our efforts to members and locals alike, and to hear invaluable feedback. Our core values are: act with integrity, communicate with clarity, and keep growing. It hasn't been perfect this week, but we will continue to do the very best we can and live our core values each and every day at The Links Pub.”

postcard and image of the club. Postcard is likely early 1900s. Image of grounds is 1890s.

Longtime locals and club members know that The Links has always been more than just a place to grab a drink after a round of golf. It's hosted community events like the YWCA MDI meetings and Bar Harbor Rotary’s 50th anniversary, and it’s long served as a cozy gathering spot just beyond the downtown bustle.

That spirit of community gathering stretches back to the club’s founding in 1888, when Charles T. How, DeGrasse Fox, and others created Kebo Valley as both a golf course and a social club. Since then, the landscape and its uses have evolved. There’s been tennis, horse racing, baseball, and of course, plenty of golf—traced back to at least 1892.

The original clubhouse, which featured both a restaurant and a theater, burned in 1899 but was quickly rebuilt. It burned again during the devastating 1947 fire, and once again, the club rebuilt in time for the next season.

Today, while the six holes nearest the clubhouse have expanded and the needs of members have changed, food and community remain a constant.

The Links Pub is the latest chapter in a long story—and its newest stewards are eager to keep writing it.

The Links Pub opened this week and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is open to the public. Customers can order takeout online via the website and toast app.

“We’re so thankful to the KVGC board of directors for the opportunity to serve the members and all of those that come to The Links Pub,” said Jennings.

During the soft-opening Monday night, Jennings and Jeff and Jena Young all praised the staff, which includes Culinary Director Jon Dumaine and Hospitality Director Jasmine Burne who put together the beverage program and the front-of-house service and standards.

“The front-of-house team is really unique in that all of them have local ties. Either they grew up/live on MDI, or have worked in other restaurants on the island. It's been so neat watching members (and locals alike) come in and connect with people they know behind the bar,” Jennings said. “The community feel in The Links Pub is exactly what we wanted!”

Kebo has always been about gatherings, about connections, about exchanging quips over missed shots or anecdotes over libations. Even during Monday’s opening, tales of sickness, of recoveries, of cats having hijinks, of work, of town machinations were interspersed with everyone slapping their name tags on one man’s back.

“Sports and hospitality are always going to be synonymous because they bring people together,” Jennings said. “Whether you play a round by yourself, or as a part of a 100-person tournament, you connect at The Links Pub over tales of the errant shots, tall tales of the impossible rescues, and the one shot each round that was perfect. The one perfect golf shot each round will have you coming back again and again, just like the perfect pub experience will make you visit time after time.”

Kebo is a triple threat, Jennings said.

“First, the history of Kebo is so unique, being the 8th oldest course in the U.S. Shooting anything less than a 27 on Hole 17 (aka the Taft Hole), being able to say you are better than a U.S. President is a fun experience. But then the beauty of the course is unmatched. Dave Perconti, Nate Rand, and the grounds crew do an amazing job keeping the course in tip top shape,” Jennings said. “And to top it off, the course has Acadia National Park as a backdrop. Teeing off the outer 9 with multiple peaks in your viewpoint is an experience unlike any other. Finally, Peiter DeVos, the Head Golf Pro, is one of the more personal golf professionals I have ever been around. He's incredibly knowledgeable, and cares about each golfer having a superior experience. When you hit the course, you're ready for one of the best rounds of your life.”

According to an article in linksmagazine.com and Kebo Valley’s own website, Kebo Valley Golf Club is the oldest golf club in Maine. Incorporated in 1888, with the first six holes being completed in 1891, it has been a place of meeting, building community, and making business deals for 132 years. It still continues those traditions today.

According to Kebo Valley Golf Professional Peiter DeVos, interest in golf has skyrocketed since COVID.