Kevin Carter grew up loving golf, hoping to one day work in the industry but never expecting he'd own a golf course.

After four years as director of golf at The Quarry, Carter joined general manager Darren Stalteri and greenskeeper Keith Rasmus as a one-third owner. The trio bought out Peterborough businessman Don McPherson's share.

Carter, 35, grew up in Ennismore and started playing golf at age 12 at Tamarac Golf and Country Club long before The Quarry opened in 2007 on Tara Road in Ennismore.

He took business at Fleming College and joined Kawartha Golf and Country Club as an assistant pro at age 19. He spent four years there before assuming the same role at Wolf Run Golf Club for five years serving as head professional in his final year. Carter joined The Quarry as director of golf in 2015.

"It's been what I wanted to do since I was in high school," Carter said.

"I always wanted to own my own golf course but I didn't think it was going to happen with so many courses in the area and the market being diluted. If I was going to buy in somewhere this was going to be the place. It's a great business model and business partners."

Coming out of school Carter hoped to find work in the field without having to move away.

"I knew I wanted to live in this area and there are only four or five really good jobs in golf in this area,' he said. "It was a low percentage that I was going to be one of the guys who got one.

"It's pretty exciting. I'm definitely looking forward to it. It gives me some stability in the business."

McPherson was part of the group which purchased the course nine years ago from a resort company which bought it from the Janzen family who built it.

"Don had some other interests with some buildings he is doing downtown and he wasn't an on-site guy, while both Darren and Keith were," Carter said. "Once they started the buyout process they offered me a spot."

Carter says his day-to-day responsibilities won't really change.

"I treated the place like it was my own when it wasn't so really this will just kind of validate all the time and effort I put in," he said.

Stalteri said he and Rasmus were pleased to bring Carter into the fold.

"It was just a great fit with his experience and his connection to the community and being a golf pro and a manager," Stalteri said. "He's been an awesome employee so we're very welcome to have him as an owner."

Stalteri said it doesn't really change their relationship.

"I never felt like his boss. I always felt like we were partners," Stalteri said. "He always ran the place like he owned it. It's not going to be any different."

Stalteri followed a similar path as Carter working his way through the industry to ownership. He thinks it will help to have three owners who have made golf their life.

"It really adds a little more passion from all three of you. You all get it and you all have very similar goals," he said. "It's about the golf, the experience and the service and you're all on the same page."

The club has 250 members but has always been open to the public.

"We try to be a private club experience but for the public golfer at a public price but the same conditions you'd get if you went to the high-end private course," Carter said. "Keith is one of the best superintendents probably in Canada."

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mike.davies

@peterboroughexaminer.com