WALSENBURG — Welcome to Choctaw Links at Navajo Ranch, a dream come to life for Walsenburg resident Carey Jones.
"This might be a case of Field of Dreams, meets Tin Cup, meets Outbreak," Jones said.
Over the past five months, the 56-year old AP English teacher and baseball coach at John Mall High School has been working on a project unlike any other.
"It really got me out here amid the COVID-19 outbreak and between grading papers," Jones said.
A golf course unique in every facet, it's an18-hole wheel-shaped design, with nine tee boxes and two separate artificial greens spread over his 4.8 acres.
"I typically made it a par 4," Jones said. "My dad said Carey, you ought to put a hole right there and throughout the years I've tried to pay tribute to my late father and it has slowly become an obsession."
Nestled in the foothills of the Spanish Peaks, Jones spends hours a day in his home behind his home. A perfect outlet and one he is ready to share with family, friends, and faculty now that he's completed his golf fantasy.
"I started doing this in early March, it all came in, my fiance helped out and about a week ago I finished it and am excited to try it out," Jones said.
At a time where so many are looking for ways to spend their time, Carey Jones has found the perfect way to lose track of it.
"Anyone that is a golfer is welcome to come out and try Choctaw Links, I think it would be a unique experience," Jones said.
A passion project coming to fruition, right in his own backyard.
"Whether you're building your own green or your own dream, just go out and do it," Jones said.
