Saddle Creek Resort in Copperpolis, Calif., has been named California’s No. 8 course in Golfweek’s latest Best You Can Play, State-by-State rankings.
This distinction marks the fourth consecutive year that Saddle Creek has ranked among the top 10 courses in the state. The course climbed a spot from No. 9 to No. 8 on the list, bucking the downward trend experienced by many courses in the five to 15-year-old range. Further solidifying its position among the elite layouts in America, Saddle Creek is positioned above such prestigious courses as the South Course at Torrey Pines, site of the 2008 U.S. Open Championship, the Links at Spanish Bay (Pebble Beach) and Harding Park.
The survey, which included nearly 800 California courses, examined overall strength of routing, feature shaping, natural setting, greens, variety and memorability of holes, conditioning and maintenance, landscape management and other criteria. Golfweek, which has a readership of more than 400,000, perennially sends roughly 300 “America’s Best” raters in search of notable places the public can play.
“Saddle Creek Resort and Castle & Cooke are honored by the favorable ranking by Golfweek and its rating panel,” says Al Martell, Vice President of Golf Properties for Castle & Cooke. “Over the past year, we’ve enhanced all 100 bunkers, expanded the practice facility and implemented an aggressive turf maintenance program that has the course in optimal condition. It is great to see these efforts pay off.”
Superintendent icon Paul Latshaw, whose resume includes tenures at Augusta National, Pebble Beach, Congressional, Riviera and Winged Foot, consulted on Saddle Creek’s state-of-the-art maintenance plan. Latshaw assisted head superintendent Scott Dickson in implementing a system that takes full advantage of Saddle Creek’s soil and climate.
Designed by Carter Morrish and opened in 1996, the Saddle Creek Golf Club is framed by the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The 6,800-plus-yard layout challenges players of all levels with five sets of tees, 100 crystal white sand bunkers and a number of shimmering lakes. To create an atmosphere of tranquility and isolation, Morrish devised a routing in which no two holes run parallel to each other. Saddle Creek’s thoughtful design, challenging-yet-fair setup and sublime conditioning have led to numerous state-wide and national accolades including:
- Golf Digest, “4 1/2 Stars”
- Golf Digest, “Best New Upscale”
- Golfweek, “Best Residential Golf Course,” 2007
- T+L Golf, “America’s Best 100 Courses for $100 or Less,” 2002
- Fairways & Greens, “Top Golf Experiences of the West”
- Golfing Magazine, “Top Ten Courses of Northern California,” 2006
The course has also been favorably reviewed in golf and lifestyle publications from coast to coast, including Private Air, Calabasas, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Oakland Tribune, San Jose Magazine, Gentry, Southland Golf and more. For more information about the Saddle Creek Resort and the community visit www.saddlecreek.com or call 800.611.7722
