By Deb Risden
Peyton has been the home of Antler Creek Golf Course for almost 20 years. Wayne Reorda, general manager, said the course is the second longest in Colorado. Reorda has worked at Antler Creek for 17 years and has been the general manager for 14.
Rick Phelps, a golf course architect, designed the course, which measures 8,000 yards from the tips (championship or back tees).
“Our golf course sits at 7,200 feet in elevation,” Reorda said. “It takes us a while to get started. And it was a very difficult winter, so we were slow coming this year. The rains arrived late this year and impacted the greens in the spring.” Although the amount of rain of late has been helpful, he noted, “A little too much rain right now, but we’ll take it.”
When it’s not raining every day, the course is watered with reclaimed water that is non-potable. Reorda said most golf courses use this type of resource. The course has three lakes, and they use mosquito pucks to control the mosquito population.
Besides the watering challenges, the golf course has fertilizing, mowing, top dressing and landscaping detail. “Everything to keep it going is very expensive,” he said.
And then there are staffing issues.
The course employs 13 people for maintenance alone. “Getting staff hired is our biggest challenge, and timing has been difficult this year,” Reorda said. “We have everyone hired now, and we are getting them trained.” The golf course hires mostly high school and college students for the summer season.
The good news is that golfers are teeing off in strong numbers. “It has been on an upswing,” Reorda said. “There was a time before COVID hit that golf was hurting. Once COVID hit, people could still play golf because it was outdoors. Our year-round play has increased quite a bit.”
They will be hosting several tournaments through September, and one is an annual military appreciation tournament for active military, retired military and family members of the military who reside in Meridian Ranch. The golfers play at no charge, and the tournament includes lunch and prizes. Local businesses help sponsor the event. “It’s a way of saying thank you to the military residents in Meridian Ranch,” Reorda said. The tournament will be held Sept. 9.
On Sept. 8, they will host a charity tournament for Woodland Park’s Camp Wapiyapi, which offers camping experiences for children battling cancer. “We do the fundraiser so we can send a child with cancer and a sibling to the camp so they can get a break for four or five days,” Reorda said. The tournament is open to the public.
The golf course also hosts an annual Worby Memorial tournament, which raises money for scholarships in academics and sports for students at Falcon High School; and they also host the Burnside Memorial Scholarship tournament for student scholarships in Calhan.
Three golf pros at Antler Creek provide individual lessons. They offer junior golf clinics in July in two separate age groups: ages 5 to 8 and ages 9 to 14. Details can be found on their website. They also offer memberships for a monthly fee.
Antler Creek Golf Course, located at 9650 Antler Creek Drive, is open seven days a week from sunup to sundown; https://antlercreekgolf.com
Antler Creek: Besides a day of golfing, the scenery at Antler Creek is like seeing an “eagle” in the sky — or on the grounds.
Antler Creek will be hosting several tournaments through September, and one is an annual military appreciation tournament for active military, retired military and family members of the military who reside in Meridian Ranch. The golfers play at no charge, and the tournament includes lunch and prizes.
