Deb and Dennis Dedels held their retirement event on Friday, September 24th at their celebrated golf course named Antler Acres. The event was a way to acknowledge the community members who enjoyed the golf course every summer, and to say thank you to the Dedels for their effort throughout the years to create and continue their beautiful small town golf course.
When asked about the initial construction and their motivation for turning farmland into a golf course, Deb said previously they owned and farmed the land, but their machinery was getting old. She mentioned, “That was the same time as when Grant Devine’s diversification program came out; we figured maybe we should take a look and see what’s out there. We [Deb and Dennis] had gone golfing a couple of times with my dad before. We walked around out there, then we came in and said ‘what do you think?’ We came up with the same idea. We were on the same page, but we didn’t realize it would cost more than farming, but that’s how we started.”
Since the Dedels had acquired the farm land already in 1987, they next set their sights on finding all the financing required for the golf course development. Finally, through the East Central Development Committee, the Dedels started the project on a $75,000 loan at 10% interest. $40,000 of the financing went toward the various grass types required throughout the different sections of the golf course.
During the first year of development, it would take Deb and Dennis nine hours to water all nine greens. The couple explained. “We had to go a mile over and a mile back, because we ran out of water so we had to go next-door. Ronnie [Sveinbjornson] helped us with a dugout next-door, and it took an hour for every round-trip.” This process would happen every day as brand new grass is often delicate while establishing the roots. The course opened its doors to the public in 1989.
Deb explained the origin of the name Antler Acres. “We got our name from a couple in Manitoba who had named their acreage Antler Acres. I asked them if I could use that name, because at that time we had about 200 deer a day going across the fairways, and now you very seldom see one.”
It requires a tremendous effort for two people to maintain a golf course. Over the years, there have been some family members, as well as community members, who have contributed to various projects. The initial development required a ton of family help, even the kids would be out picking rocks. Meanwhile, Deb’s mom filtered through the sand pits with her sand bucket and rake ensuring no stones were left any bigger than a quarter-inch in size. A few senior fellows helped put the rafters up. Also, a group of ladies helped lift the frame during the installation of the exterior walls for the new clubhouse. Dennis told a story about how the group of ladies came to golf and asked if the course was open, he replied, “Sorry, we’re closed, but we’re open as soon as that wall gets up.” Dennis said the wall went up so fast it nearly went over the other side, and the women went on their way to enjoy a great round on the course.
Speaking about the biggest events that stuck out to them throughout the years, Dennis joked, “We’re not gonna put that in the paper.” Deb included that one big event was when the golf course received eight inches of rain. “It turned us right around here. The road was just a solid lake…it was running like a river through here. But, you still had to cut the grass and it was very difficult on machinery. We probably lost close to 1000+ trees. A lot of this area was much more beautiful, but it all died out after the flood around 2014. In 2011, we got a heavy snowstorm around the end of May and that was disastrous too, as we stayed wet for a number of years. One fairway was always full of water afterwards for many years.”
Deb said one year that really stuck out to her is the year the Hanson Brothers from Slapshot appeared during the Kevin Kaminski Golf Tournament. Deb said, “That was awesome. You couldn’t move here. We were in the old clubhouse and there was no place to park. This fancy car pulls right up on the sidewalk. I went out and said ‘you guys can’t park here!’ and this guy comes out saying, ‘who the are you?’ Well if I’d known who I was talking to, it’s the Hanson boys who just arrived. They made it such a fun day. They were so good with the kids. They even took my dogs down on the ground and they posed for many pictures.”
Mentioning the Kevin Kaminski Golf Tournament specifically, the Antler Acres owners ensured to state, “The community has really benefited from him having the tournaments here.” Kevin ensured that the tournament would be held in Churchbridge. “All that money has stayed in our community and helped a lot of different groups. That came out of our little bit of hard work. They put a lot of hard work into the tournament and brought it to us which was nice.”
One of the benefits of a small town golf course is the comfortable atmosphere. Deb explained, “We’re relaxed. We don’t have the stringent rules that most of the courses have because we want the kids to come, we want the families to come and you’ve got to be patient.” Dennis added, “Some of those little kids that came in strollers are now out here golfing.”
To prepare for the offseason each year, the Dedels must winterize the clubhouse. Usually the plan is to drain the waterlines, punch and do other things to the greens, and empty the club house. In the spring, during start-up, the priority is to get the water lines going once it is warm enough in the clubhouse, before getting the food and liquor brought in for the Men’s Night and Ladies’ Night events.
Retirement is a topic the Dedels haven’t really thought too far ahead about. For the most part, the goal is to take care of their health. They worked many hard hours on the course, and they also trucked all winter during the off-season. If there is an opportunity for catering in the future, Deb mentioned she is willing to explore it, but it is too uncertain in the current environment.
The Dedels told stories about some of the wildlife that have visited the course over the years.
When the course first opened to the public in 1989, over two hundred deer would pass through the course on any given day. An initial attempt to move the animals away from the golfers involved a propane can that sent out a loud boom. Dennis said the propane cans were set on a timing system and you could hear them half a mile away; that worked for about a week. After that, when the deer would hear the bang, they would turn their heads (at most) and carry on as if the sound was not a big deal.
Deb and Dennis also mentioned how one time, a fox had become so friendly that it came up to the steps of the clubhouse toward Dennis. Deb had commonly fed leftover buns to the animals, so she had the idea to go into the clubhouse and found him one. The fox came so close that Dennis could have petted it if he was careful.
The Dedels are currently still seeking a buyer as they move into retirement. The goal is to sell the golf course so that someone else may continue the legacy of Antler Acres. The residents of Churchbridge and surrounding area hope someone finds an interest in purchasing the celebrated community cornerstone; the course that started as farm land in 1987 and, through hard work and dedication, developed into an integral part of the community.