Maximizing enjoyable: Peters household revives miniature golf course simply north of Baker City

When Debra Peters sees a ball drop right into a gap on her household’s miniature golf course simply exterior Baker City, the distinctive echo is a tribute to her late father, Danny Peters.

He constructed the course practically 4 a long time in the past.

More than 20 years after the whimsical structure closed, Debra and her son, Jacob, have revived a practice that allowed individuals to put aside the tribulations of life briefly and focus as an alternative on making an attempt to putt that dimpled white ball via vexing curves and bounce it off rocks and different obstacles.

But their new attraction, The Old Peters Place, is greater than a 10-hole mini golf course shaded by quite a lot of bushes and with a sweeping view of the Elkhorn Mountains.

Visitors also can check their dexterity with croquet, badminton and cornhole, and browse gadgets crafted by native artists in Debra’s reward store.

The enterprise has its grand opening this weekend, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22 and Saturday, Aug. 23.

The Old Peters Place is at 42576 Old Trail Road, straight north of the A Frame RV Park and simply west of Interstate 84 on the North Baker City exit.

Debra, 56, and Jacob, 31, have been engaged on the property, which has been within the household for six generations and properly over 125 years, for concerning the previous 4 years.

When Debra watches individuals line up a putt, she thinks of her dad, who died Jan. 16, 2020, at age 89.

“It gives me goosebumps,” Debra mentioned on the morning of Aug. 22 as she arrange a desk for guests to make tie-dyed clothes, a part of the grand opening celebration. “It’s just amazing to be able to keep it in the family, to see my dad’s dream continue.”

Debra mentioned her purpose is similar as her father’s — to offer individuals a enjoyable diversion in a neighborhood she loves.

“We want to be able to help the community as much as we can,” she mentioned.

For now, The Old Peters Place is open by appointment solely. The price is $10 for ages 16 and older, $5 for ages 5-15, and free for teenagers 4 and youthful.

Peters, who has a sales space at many occasions, together with Miners Jubilee and the Sumpter flea markets, mentioned that after the final Sumpter market of the 12 months, over Labor Day weekend, she plans to supply common hours via no less than Oct. 15 and presumably via Halloween.

She lives in Arizona for about half of the 12 months — the chilly half, she notes with a smile.

She’ll publish updates on a Facebook web page — TheOld Peters (no area between The and Old) — and on the enterprise’ web site, www.oldpetersplace.com/.

Visitors also can schedule time on the course by way of the web site.

The authentic course

Danny Peters and three of his brothers constructed the unique mini-golf course, a complete of 36 holes, within the late Eighties, Debra mentioned.

Danny Peters and his spouse, Nola, lived within the nineteenth century dwelling on the practically 20-acre property for many years. Danny was born in Baker City, labored as a DJ at a neighborhood radio station and served within the U.S. Air Force.

(Jacob continued the household’s army custom, serving within the U.S. Marine Corps, and a Marine Corps flag flies at The Old Peters Place.)

The golf course was open till the early 2000s, when the maintenance turned an excessive amount of of a burden for Danny and Nola, Jacob mentioned.

“A lot of people have memories from when they came out here,” Debra mentioned.

She’s heard from a few of these individuals since saying publicly that the course was reopening after the lengthy hiatus.

“This is a labor of love,” she mentioned.

Debra mentioned everybody she has talked to and labored with has supported the undertaking.

The listing consists of Bryan Tweit, Baker County’s financial developer, and Jeff Nelson of Blue Mountain Community College’s Small Business Development Center.

When she and Jacob determined to attempt to revive the course, most of the authentic 36 holes had been eliminated.

But 10 of the concrete pads remained.

Jacob mentioned the inexperienced synthetic turf had to get replaced, however in any other case the present 10 holes are simply as they had been in a long time previous.

Well, aside from a few of the impediments.

Among the issues guarding a direct line to the maintain are statues of a toad, a gnome and the aforementioned dragon.

Jacob mentioned he plans to maneuver the objects continuously to create new challenges for golfers.

He has additionally positioned trinkets across the property, to offer youthful children, who aren’t fairly able to wield a putter, one thing to occupy their time whereas dad and mom and older siblings play the ten holes.

He has different concepts, together with planting quite a lot of shrubs and bushes every with a QR code so guests can use their telephones to be taught concerning the vegetation.

Like his mother, Jacob remembers with fondness the unique course his grandpa designed.

“I was lucky — I could play whenever I wanted,” Jacob mentioned. “It’s incredible to see it come back. I’m hoping that people are going to be able to enjoy it.”