62 South Bay Accent PREVIOUS PAGES: COURTESY OF SADDLE CREEK RESORT; THIS PAGE: COURTESY OF GREENHORN CREEK RESORT GREENHORN CREEK RESORT marketing director-historian at Greenhorn, regaled me with further tidbits about the characters that left their mark in Angels Camp while giving me a tour of the golf course. Opened in 1996, the golf course is named in honor of the greenhorns who once panned for gold along the nearby creek, according to Reed. The course measures out at 6,749 yards from the tips with a par of 72. It was originally designed by Don Boos and was revamped in 2000 by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., regarded as the father of environmental golf. Jones has taken full advantage of nature’s abundant local gifts and created a course that will engage any level of golfer and ensure that a walk down every fairway, contrary to Twain’s admonishment, is never spoiled. Only a few holes in, I knew I had struck it rich. Greenhorn features a variety of golf holes, well-bunkered fairways and large protected greens, as is Jones’ signature. Oak trees, native elderberry and stream crossings accentuate the natural beauty. In addition to the (unseen) mine shaft below the 12th green, history is honored with a period stone wall constructed by Chinese laborers that splits the landing area on hole No. 4. An old mining camp oven sits adjacent to No. 5. Recalling the indestructible spirit of yesteryear, Reed tells the story of how a dynamite blast on these premises left the property owner, old man Selkirk, blind but certainly not de- I started my golf prospecting in nearby Angels Camp, one of the most celebrated mining towns of 1849, which today boasts more mine shafts than traffic signals. In fact, the Tuft Nut Mine is purportedly safely protected below the 12th green of the golf course. Guests are greeted by a bronze sculpture of America’s favorite author, Mark Twain, sitting on a bench with a copy of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” in hand. Inside the craftsman-style building, you find the Mark Twain room where, every Wednesday, a retired teacher named Jim Fletcher gives a presentation about the author’s 88 days spent in Angels Camp. Based on voluminous research, Fletcher claims that Twain had run away from “problems” in San Francisco and was hiding out on Jackass Hill. It’s easy to be waylaid here by enthusiastic yarn-spinners in the tradition of Twain, who got his start as a writer by spinning tales of the West in local frontier newspapers. Robert “Buck” Reed, the GREENHORN CREEK RESORT GOLF COURSE, 711 McCauley Ranch Road, Angels Camp, 6,749 yards, par 72, 73.2/142 tips; 6,014 yards, 70.0/133 blue/white combo tees; 5,192 yards, 70.7/125 red ladies tees. Open year-round. Green fees $40–$90 depending on season and day of week. Stay-and-Play packages starting at $99 in Caddy Shack (sleeps 12 guests); $120 in cottages or condominiums. CAMPS restaurant, meeting areas and wedding facilities are available. Visit greenhorncreek.com or call 209/729-811 for information and reservations.
South Bay Accent - Apr/May 2015
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