GOESSEL ? Myron Schmidt always dreamed of living on a golf course.

But he’s a farmer by trade and his land is near Goessel.

So rather than uproot himself and his wife, he brought the golf course to himself.

“Most people build a home by a golf course,” Schmidt said. “I built a golf course around a house.”

Schmidt converted 18 acres of his farm into a nine-hole golf course. He did all the work himself, taking seven years to get where it is now.

He is ready to open his tiny patch of heaven to anyone who wants to take on the 1,364-yard, par-30 course, about a mile and a half east of Alexanderwohl Church.

He calls his course Pine Edge, because he planted pine trees on the south and west edges of the course.

Seven years ago, Schmidt began building the course by digging a pond. He has spent the rest of his time moving earth to create greens, digging sand traps, seeding grass and building an irrigation system.

“I’ve had a lot of fun building this,” Schmidt said. “I like to play golf, and I love to landscape. … It has been a good project. I have learned a lot of skills.”

The 55-year-old Goessel native never set a date for his course to open while he was doing the bulk of construction.

But the course is now open to the public.

“It looks so great to see golfers out there walking around,” Schmidt said.

Like every course, Pine Edge has a signature hole. Schmidt is especially proud of his 126-yard par three third hole. While the hole is short, it is intimidating when you step to the tee box.

What you see is more than 100 yards of water, no fairway and no place to play a safe shot. It’s over the water to get to what amounts to an island green.