Vaughn Barker always liked golf better than farming so it wasn't too surprising that he converted his family farm into a golf course 20 years ago.
Barker got the idea for the golf course in 1973 when he got together with the owners of a par-3 course on Highland Drive that had just closed and decided to start a new golf course on Barker's land. The others moved to Florida, leaving Barker on his own, but he decided to build the course anyway with the aid of architect Williams Howard Neff. Within a year, it was ready for play, opening in May of 1974 as the Fore Lakes Golf Course.Fore Lakes has always been a family affair. Barker, one of the top senior golfers in the state, is the owner of the course, and his son, Todd, perhaps the top amateur in the state, is the course superintendent. Barker's step-son, Brad Asplund, is the head professional and others in the Barker clan do various jobs around the course.
So how did Fore Lakes get its unique name?
"My wife and I were driving to California and I saw a sign for "Seven Lakes," said Barker. "I immediately thought of our course, which had four lakes."
Barker cleverly changed the spelling to Fore Lakes and some could argue it's an appropriate name because of the course's clientele.
The course is full of beginners, who are more apt to hit off line and yell "Fore." But don't worry about getting injured. The course is well laid-out and there aren't many places where you have to worry about errant shots.
"There's lots of beginners and women and couples and kids," said Barker, describing his clientele. A Ladies League competes on Tuesdays and a Newcomers League plays on Wednesday.
The front nine is a par-3 course, the longest hole being the 165-yard 3rd hole, although the 9th stretches to 205 from the back tees. The back nine is an executive course with two par-4s and a par-5 as well as longer par-3 holes. The best hole is the 460-yard par-5 14th, a dogleg that bends around one of the four lakes.
The course doesn't take reservations, but you can usually get on one of the nines within a half an hour. If you have a wait, you can spend a few minutes on the driving range.
Our group had a 20-minute wait, but I was concerned when we got to our second tee and saw three groups waiting at No. 11, a par-3 across a pond. But the crowd eventually spread out and we finished our nine holes in just over two hours.
The sign at No. 11 made me smile because it assumes that you're going to hit into the lake. It reads, "After hitting into the lake, go to the drop area," rather than "If you hit into the lake . . ."
The course is extremely well-kept, on par with most full-sized courses. And how successful has the course been for for Barker and his family?
"It's a lot better than farming," said Barker.
*****
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
LOCATION: 1258 W. 4700 South, Murray
HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Brad Asplund
DESIGNER, YEAR OPENED: William Howard Neff, 1974
COST: $5 par-3 course, $6 executive nine, carts $6.50, range $2/$3.50/$6
RESERVATIONS: Not taken, call 266-8621 for info
EASIEST TIME TO GET ON: Sundays, Mondays, 1-4 p.m. weekdays
COURSE RECORD: Glen Spencer, Mike Smith, Spike Henderson, 26 (exec. 9)