Golf

Claude Luke was an Air Force officer about to leave for Vietnam when developer Ray Henderson invited him to see a golf course he was building out on Highway 16. “I came up here and looked at it and I said, ‘That looks pretty nice,’” Mr. Luke said in a 1998 interview. By the time he returned from the war, the North Course was complete. Mr. Luke attended the grand opening in October 1971, “and I’ve been around here ever since,” he told his interviewers.  Read more »

Rancho Murieta Country Club hosts the 10th annual "Tee Up Fore a Cure" tournament benefiting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Sunday, Oct. 12. Last year the tournament raised more than $50,000 for the cause.  Read more »

Don Thames had an experience open to few -- he played in the U.S. Senior Open. That's not to mention signing autographs. (Photos: Carole Thames)

Neighbor Don Thames earned a spot in the U.S. Senior Open two weeks ago in Colorado, and he had the golf experience of his life. He made the trip with his wife, Carole, and family and friends. Don writes about it here -- first-tee jitters, good shots, bad shots, friendly golf legends and the U.S. Golf Association's equipment rules.  Read more »

It seemed as if the whole Rancho Murieta Country Club headed to the club Wednesday evening to celebrate Don Thames as he goes off to compete in the U.S. Senior Open next week in Colorado. It's been his lifelong dream to play a major tournament, Thames told the cheering crowd of at least 200.  Read more »

Dozens of volunteers washed cars Sunday morning at the Rancho Murieta Association parking lot. Cars backed up onto Marr Drive and snaked around the lot. The Rancho Murieta Tennis Team organized the car wash to benefit the family of Gretchen Rhodes, who was severely injured last month in a car accident on Highway 16 near Murieta South. The event raised $6,500, which will assist the Rhodes family with expenses.

The Rancho Murieta Women's Golf Club held a putting contest Sunday afternoon for junior golfers from ages 5 to 17. Club members turned the practice green on the North Course into a nine-hole course for the occasion and reserved a 10th hole as a tie-breaker. Each hole paid colorful homage to pop culture icons while challenging the young golfers. Organizers said more than 60 children participated, nearly doubling the attendance of the first contest, held last year. The club plans to make the contest an annual event. Following is the list of winners, provided by the event organizers.  Read more »

The Country Club is throwing a send-off party for Don Thames as he leaves for the U.S. Senior Open July 28-Aug. 3 in Colorado. The party, open to club members, begins 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Terrace Lounge. The club is hosting complimentary draft beer and hors d'oeuvres as well as raffle prizes. How did Thames qualify for the Open?  See his story here.

A golf tournment to benefit Growth Oriented Adaptive Learning Skills takes place July 19 at Champions Golf Links, 8915 Gerber Road, Sacramento. GOALS is a non-profit activities and sports program for the developmentally disabled founded in 2004 by Murietan Tom Rhoades.  Read more »

Don Thames is a four-time Men's Club champion.

Don Thames tells the story as he’ll tell it for many years to come. It’s a great story -- how he qualified to play in this month’s U.S. Senior Open in Colorado.  Read more »