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Grazin’ on the<br />
GREEN<br />
Young farmer repurposes golf<br />
course to expand his herd<br />
<strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Iowa</strong> <strong>Farmer</strong> Photos / Nick Joos<br />
Payton Marx has spent months transitioning the former Canyon Creek Golf Course into pasture for his cattle.<br />
BY nick joos<br />
eastern iowa farmer<br />
For a guy who hasn’t swung<br />
a golf club more than a couple<br />
times in his life, Payton<br />
Marx sure spends a lot of his<br />
time on a golf course.<br />
Or, at least what used to be one.<br />
In February 2016 the rural Bryant<br />
farmer took possession of the former<br />
Canyon Creek Golf Course between<br />
Goose Lake and Clinton along state<br />
Highway 136. Marx, 22, wanted to<br />
expand his small livestock operation,<br />
but he had only four acres of pasture.<br />
Then came the auction.<br />
“There were about 20 or 30 people<br />
with bidding numbers,” Marx said.<br />
“Only me and one other lady made<br />
offers; she said she wanted to turn the<br />
property into residential.”<br />
The entire nine-hole course was<br />
part of the Joyce E. Koehler estate,<br />
and in November 2016, the property,<br />
in addition to all course-maintenance<br />
equipment and golf carts, was auctioned.<br />
“The first day we came out here<br />
for the viewing to see what it was all<br />
about. Everyone was showing up in<br />
fancy cars, and here me and my buddy<br />
come rolling up and we have feed<br />
dust on us,” Marx recalled. “Then,<br />
when we went to the auction, I never<br />
imagined it; I thought [the price]<br />
32 <strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Iowa</strong> <strong>Farmer</strong> | fall <strong>2017</strong>
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