Picture emerald green fairways painted onto a small glen, surrounded by the golden brown of the Sierra-Nevada Foothills. Well maintained homes border the course while wild flowers embrace large rolling greens with a panacea of reds, yellows and purples. Cool, clear ponds abound with bass and natural fauna as a valley hawk patrols his domain from above. Deer casually graze or frolic on the fairways and are not disturbed by the occasional golf ball that invades their space. A slight breeze caresses the tops of the pines and oaks that dominate the area.

If you can picture this, then you have captured the essence of La Contenta Golf Club. The course is located on Highway 26, just south of the historic gold rush town of Valley Springs, in Calaveras County. Early settlers called the area “La Contenta,” or “The Valley of Contentment.” They knew what they were talking about!

As you enter the gated entrance, a well appointed clubhouse greets you as it stands guard over the golf course, in the valley below. The facilities feature a fully stocked bar offering every type of beverage, including some of the famous wines of Calaveras County. A restaurant, offering culinary feasts that will satisfy any palate, also features panoramic views of the course. A large banquet room that can accommodate 200 guests is available for private parties, weddings and tournament dinners. Larry Pitton, who is the Food and Beverage Manager, assured us that service is number one on their minds at La Contenta. Larry has twenty-six years in the food and beverage industry. “We are reasonably priced and every function we serve is with the customer and guests in mind.”

The Pro Shop offers equipment featuring Titleist, Cobra, Taylor Made, Mizuno, and Adams Golf equipment. Inside the Pro Shop is a club repair facility that provides service while you wait. It is staffed by friendly, efficient employees lead by Mr. Dave Rider, the Head Professional and Glen Stubblefield, Class A PGA Professional. Golf accessories of every brand and type are available for purchase and these fine gentlemen will assist you to locate what equipment is right for you.

The course opened for play in 1974. Players were given a free round of golf if they filled the buckets that were provided by the course, with the rocks that covered the fairways. In 1986 its current owners, and PGA Golf Professionals, Rod Metzler and Curt Hammond purchased the course and facilities. Rod and Curt also operate three other courses in the Sacramento area, Ancil Hoffman, Cherry Island, and the Davis Golf Course. Under their direction the course and facilities have undergone numerous upgrades and improvements over the years including a new clubhouse and recently a state of the art irrigation system. All the improvements have made La Contenta a favorite destination for golfers from all over California.

La Contenta Golf Course stretches 6460 yards from the tips. Dramatic views, oak lined fairways, and quick greens offer challenges for both the advanced and novice players. The signature 13th is a 185 yard, par three. The tee box is perched 200 feet above the expansive green which slopes back to front. It is guarded by a large pond, featuring its own imitation alligator. Dave assured us it was docile. His duty is to frighten the geese. I didn’t see any geese but there were a lot of golf balls at the bottom of the pond. Errant shots to the left are greeted by a large sandy bunker. Anything to the right requires a chip shot with the touch of Tiger Woods. Any imperfection faces the danger of running off the green into the pond. Par is a good score on this one, and leaves the player with a fine sense of accomplishment!

La Contenta offers an array of memberships starting as low as $299 per 12 month period. Charter memberships, annual play passes and business memberships are available. Any first time participant in the annual pass program will receive 13 months of golf for the price of 12. The annual pass memberships will fit any budget or schedule. They include unlimited golf with no holiday restrictions. The club also offers weekend and afternoon passes. All annual passes are available for 12 months beginning on the date purchased, meaning the pass can be activated at a later date or given as a gift!

All members are presented with The Empire Club Rewards Card which tracks your purchases and rewards points for every purchase in the golf shop, restaurant or bar. These reward points are not only honored at La Contenta but also Ancil Hoffman and Cherry Island. “You can redeem the points towards discount golf or merchandise on our website,” added Dave. “We are anticipating a pretty good growth in our annual passes.”

Charter memberships are offered for families or individuals. Members receive special pricing on cart rentals, guest fees, unlimited golf and advance reservation privileges. Commercial and business memberships offer complete private memberships and family privileges, as well as guest privileges.

Regular green fees are $21 mid-week, $26 on Fridays, and $33 on weekends. Seniors (60+) are $16 Monday through Thursday, excluding holidays.

La Contenta offers something for every golfer from novice to pro. This challenging course places a high value on your ability to execute the accurate golf shot and rewards you for doing so. La Contenta is a wonderful course that cannot be ignored! For more information contact the staff at 209-772-1081 or www.empiregolf.com.