Their own field of dreams Lyle Carter
A unique golf course has an ideal setting along Wallace River
During early August, I played the Wallace River Golf Course with my son James Carter, who was visiting from Calgary, Alta., and his father- in- law, Frank Niedermayer, of Medicine Hat.
Bruce Peers, of Truro/pugwash, joined us on the fifth tee.
A picturesque golf course, several holes have a magnificent setting near the waters of Mead Creek and Wallace River, which run into the Northumberland Strait.
Ron Weeks, assisted by his son Allyson “Al” Weeks, built the beautiful nine-hole, par-36 course. A story of an amazing vision and a long-shot dream, it took 17 years to build, with no large equipment on site in the beginning.
Returning to Wallace River in late August, I wanted to learn more about this incredible story.
“When I was quite young, my grandfather, Bliss Weeks, introduced me to the sports page and Toronto Maple Leafs,” said Ron Weeks, 57, of Wallace River. “Sports was big after that, but I never swung a golf club until I was 40.”
Introduced to golf at a small course in Brule in 2000, Weeks had an idea.
“This 40 acres the golf course is built on was 90 per cent woods; I decided to cut out an area and have a hole where the number three fairway is now.
“That was in the fall of 2001 – I just wanted to practise where no one could see me.” Weeks’s idea grew.
“A lot of work with a powersaw followed, such as cutting out fairways. Little by little, I’d cut down another tree. I began setting a goal for myself to cut out a fairway a year. I wasn’t quite able to do that, but it was close.”
Weeks tried to keep what he was up to quiet in the early going.
“When word got out what my project was, there were some naysayers. But, most people just held their breath and waited to see if I was going to get through it.”
Continuing their effort, the father-and-son team rented a 16ton porter; local contractors were hired for pulling stumps and a plan was developed to haul them away.
Weeks said he was familiar with the Kevin Costner baseball movie, Field of Dreams, and the iconic phrase from it, “If you build it, they will come.”
“I made up my own version: ‘Little by little, we will be there.’ I stuck with it. Working out there with ear plugs on, I guess I was really tuned in. When I looked ahead at the work that had to be done, it got you In July 2017 the ribbon was cut for the grand opening of the golf course. From left, Al Weeks, Stephanie Weeks, Donna Weeks, Ron Weeks and Maggie, the course mascot, were on hand to take part in the festivities. down. But, when I looked back course, physically, it was a maraat what had been accomplished, thon.” it was uplifting. Building the golf Weeks described a personal highlight.
“The day I realized we were very close to the finish line was the day Allyson and I put the cups in the greens. It was a very satisfying feeling.”
During early June 2017, approximately 17 years from when the demanding project started, a large turnout was on hand at Wallace River Golf Course.
“We had our grand opening, it was an outstanding celebration,” Weeks said.
“I remember that a lot of people were happy for us. One of our members, Ian, hired a pipe band and a disc jockey; we enjoyed a lot of good music and good food. Then, everyone went golfing.”
It’s an amazing story. Weeks was able to design a beautiful golf course through researching several other courses and hauling in truckloads of gravel and sand to build properly drained greens, while numerous other challenges were met including being taught to mow greens and change cup locations.
“We’re especially pleased with this year,” Weeks told me. “Some days, there’s 40 golfers, another day there might be 25. The course’s top day so far, we had 70 golfers.”
With reasonable green fees of $20, Wallace River and nearby Tatamagouche golfers play the course, while many others come from away. A guest book verifies visitors from Amherst, New Glasgow, Truro, Bible Hill and Halifax.
A large world wall map points out that visiting golfers came this summer from New Brunswick and as far away as British Columbia, Texas, Arizona, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Australia and Germany.
Ron had a 38- year career with Windsor Salt, of Pugwash. Al is still employed at the salt mine.
We’re especially pleased with this year … Some days, there’s 40 golfers, another day there might be 25. The course’s top day so far, we had 70 golfers.” Ron Weeks
“When word got out what my project was, there were some naysayers. But, most people just held their breath and waited to see if I was going to get through it.”
Ron Weeks