On a late December morning in Alaska, the temperature hovers at –15 degrees Fahrenheit. In a state best known for hunting, fishing, and survival against the elements, the golf season appears long dormant.
But inside a gray-walled room warmed by a space heater, golf is very much alive.
Keira DeLand, at home in Palmer for winter break, is hard at work refining her game. A sophomore at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, DeLand is focused on many of the same things as her childhood friends – family, the holidays, and the comfort that comes with returning to the place where her formative years were spent.
But what sets DeLand apart is her unwavering passion for a sport played only a few months each year in Alaska, often beneath the midnight sun.
“I knew going into college that I was going to have a lot more ground to make up,” DeLand said, as she gears up for the spring season on the women’s golf team at Lee University.
On this particular day, local golf guru and former professional tour player Rob Nelson has been called into action. A longtime fixture in the Alaska golf community and one of the state’s most accomplished competitors, Nelson continues to give back to anyone willing to learn.
Inside the DeLand family home, a dedicated practice area allows Keira to train year-round, an invaluable advantage in a state where winter dominates the calendar. “I wanted to work,” DeLand said. “I didn’t want to go to another school and immediately be the No. 1 player.”
That same mindset is shared by Abigail Ante, another Alaska product out of Anchorage. Ante continues her development at the collegiate level, carrying Alaska representation onto the national stage as a sophomore on the University of Missouri-St. Louis women’s golf team.
With Youth on Course membership surpassing 700, the Alaska Golf Association is committed to growing the future of the game in the state.
“We are at an exciting place in the game right now,” said AGA President Jeff Ranf.