Saddle Creek is Shiny as a New Copper Penny

Back in mid 1800s copper was the lure that drew folks to the tiny Sierra Nevada town that became Copperopolis. Today it’s golf.

Ranked one of the top ten golf courses in Northern California, Saddle Creek, a golf resort community, shines pretty as a new copper penny amid the golden rolling hills and oak trees of the Sierra foothills.

Located in Calaveras County, west of Angel’s Camp, Saddle Creek Resort is a gated 900-acre Castle & Cooke community. Designed by Carter Moorish and Jay Bechtol, the 18-hole course opened in 1996 and offers five sets of tees to challenge players of all levels. The scenic beauty of the Sierra foothills play a big part on the design of the course - no two holes run parallel to each other, giving the course a tranquil and isolated feel.

“When you’re playing #6, you won’t see people putting on #4,” said golf pro Chris Bitticks. “There’s a special feel when you’re out there. It’s not claustrophobic when it’s busy.”

Bitticks, 56, has had a nearly lifelong love affair with golf. He’s been playing since he was eight years old. “I’m a golfaholic,” he freely admitted. “I’ve always played golf.” His idea of vacation or work includes golf. Once, as a youth, he played 108 holes in one day.

Saddle Creek earned a name as one America’s best residential courses for its overall community plan, the variety, conditioning and playability of the layout, and how interesting and pleasing the course is as an experience.

“I’ve played a lot of golf courses in my day,” Bitticks said. “Great golf courses have personality. The personality here is so strong it’s like having a conversation with a compatible stranger.”

One of Saddle Creek’s biggest advantages, Bitticks said, is its playability. It is challenging for experienced players, and user-friendly for beginners, making it an ideal course for couples or friends who have varying levels of play.

“The best part of my job,” said Bitticks, “is watching a beginning golfer have his or her first best round of golf. I enjoy when that happens, it’s fascinating to me. And it happens with men, women, kids and seniors. This is such a great game. We all have our own zone, our own successes.”

As a golf pro, Bitticks does what he loves best. “I’m an entertainer. I get to help people have a better day. Coming into work is not work.” He laughed as recalled that some guys have played 72 holes at Saddle Creek in one day.

Like every other golfer who knows a course well, he has his favorite and not-so-favorite holes. Hole #11 is his favorite because it’s a short part 3 and seems to be between a hard 8 and an easy 7 club. “Shorter holes require thought and creative challenge.” His least favorite is hole #13, a par 5. “The only reason this is my least favorite is because the tee shot isn’t framed as well as the rest,” he said.

            Golfers at Saddle Creek feel like “they are the only people out there,” Bitticks  said. He attributes that feeling to the design of the course and the placement of the homes.   The homes that surround the golf course sit back from the greens, adding to the open feel of the course. Currently, 250 homes are built, with 500 lots sold. Ranging from one-third acre to one-acre lots, 1100 home sites are available at Saddle Creek – so named for the small natural creek that runs alongside the first hole.

Besides golfing, there’s lots to do in the area. Mountain biking and hiking trails surround the development, and the sports club offers a workout facility, yoga and aerobic classes, tennis courts, a pool and spa. Skiing and shopping are nearby. Lake Tulloch, New Melones Lake and the historic gold country towns of Murphys, Angels Camp and Jamestown are a short drive, and Yosemite is about an hour away. The Saddle Creek Lodge offers dining at the Copper Grille Restaurant and a fully-stocked bar. Overnight guests may stay in one- or two-bedroom bungalows.

Coming soon is the development of a new town, Copper, which will be located four miles from Saddle Creek and offer specialty shops, boutiques, art galleries and restaurants.

If You Go

Saddle Creek Resort
1001 Saddle Creek Drive
Copperopolis, CA  95228
(888) 852-5787
http://www.saddlecreek.com
http://www.saddlecreekgolf.com

Bungalow rates range from $100 to $295. For reservations or information about overnight stays, call (800) 611-7722 or (209) 785-7415.

Golf rates are $70 Monday-Friday, $35 after 2 p.m. Weekend and holiday rates are $105, or $55 after 2 p.m. For golf reservations, call (888) 852-5787 or (209) 785-3700. Saddle Creek is a public and semi-private golf course.

Driving directions:

From Auburn: Take Hwy. 49 south to Angels Camp, turn right on Hwy 4. Turn left on Little John Road, turn right on Saddle Creek Drive.
From Hwy. 99 or Interstate 5: Take Hwy. 4 to Little John Road. Turn right. Turn right on Saddle Creek Drive.   Saddle Creek is located about two hours from San Francisco, a little more than two hours from Tahoe, and about 40 minutes from Modesto and Stockton.

Copperopolis History

 A ghost town today, Copperopolis was a thriving population during the days it provided  millions of pounds of copper to make shells and bullets for the Union Army during the Civil War. During wartime, Copperopolis boasted a population of 10,000 – much larger than any of the nearby gold camps. The copper lode was first discovered by two prospectors in 1860 and provided most of the metal needs for the Union Army. During the war, the price of copper was 55 cents a pound, and after the war, the price dropped to 19 cents, eventually leading to closures of many mines. However, the mines saw resurgence during the two world wars.

 Copperopolis enjoyed great prosperity during 1860-1867 when many claims were established and producing huge quantities of copper ore. Originally known as Copper Canyon, Copperopolis was founded on the site of the second largest discovery in 1860.

 Getting the copper to the Union forces was a great effort in itself. In 1863, one of the first miners to discover copper, William Reed, built a toll road which oxen teams hauled $1.6 million in copper ore the first year. The copper was taken to Stockton, shipped down river to San Francisco, put on ships and taken around Cape Horn before arriving in Boston, New York and Philadelphia.

 The Bureau of Mines credited Copper Canyon with producing over 72 million pounds of copper between 1861 and 1946, which totaled $12 million worth of copper.

 Copperopolis wasn’t a gold town, but it was a thriving mining town and the second largest copper producing district under northern control during the Civil War.