The Valley Chronicle - Golden Era Golf Course now SCGA ratedng

‘Good, fair test of golf’ says SoCal Golf Association

[caption id="attachment_8519" align="alignright" width="517"] Photo courtesy of Golden Era
Doug Sullivan of the SCGA (left) and Bruce Sampson (right) inspect Golden Era’s popular golf course.[/caption] ■ Golden Era Productions / Contributed A team of dedicated volunteers from the Southern California Golf Association (SCGA) headed by Doug Sullivan, SCGA Director of Course Rating, rated the Golden Era Golf Course on Jan. 10. “We enjoyed playing the course today and there were enough challenges with the water, trees and the sand bunkers,” stated Doug Sullivan. Sullivan, who has rated 550 golf courses in the Southern California area, has been at the job for 12 years. “The Golden Era Golf Course is a good, fair test of golf,” Sullivan added. Golf has a handicap system that no other sport has – it allows golfers to play with all other golfers no matter the difference in skill. The course rating system compares the difficulty of each golf course, and the handicap system helps to create a measuring stick for golfers to know if they are improving. Rating is the foundation of the handicap system. The Golden Era nine-hole golf course is 3,091 yards long — or 6,182 yards if golfers play 18 holes. The course has three lakes that come into play with large established cottonwood trees to provide adequate shade during the hot summer months. The site of the present golf course was originally part of the Gilman Hot Springs Resort—founded by the Gilman family more than 100 years ago. In fact, the present golf course is where the Gilmans developed the “Foothills 9,” the first all-grass golf course on this side of Riverside County. It opened in 1931 and became one of the most popular golfing destinations in Southern California. In 1978, the family sold the resort to the Church of Scientology International, which established its film and sound studios on the property: Golden Era Productions. Golden Era set about rebuilding, and opened the course and clubhouse for the community in 1991 as a public golf course. In 2007, the church’s board of directors graciously decided to turn the golf facility into a private venue so it could be used exclusively, free of charge, by non-profit and charitable groups. In the past 10 years, the golf course has sponsored more than 300 different groups—including nonprofit, service clubs, faith-based schools and youth groups, and helped them raise more than $2.1 million for their important programs. These groups have made use of the facility to hold charity golf fundraisers, banquets, meetings, and school and church events. Further every year on Veterans Day, the Golden Era Golf Course provides a venue for the community to show support to all those veterans who have served our country. Activities include free golf for veterans and a Veteran’s Day ceremony, followed by a complimentary lunch. The Golden Era Golf Course is home to the Grandfathers for Golf Youth Program, Inland Valley Golf Academy, the San Jacinto High School boys and girls golf teams, San Jacinto Valley Academy golf team, Nuview Bridge High School golf team and the Hemet/Beaumont Emblem Club. Members of the community can now attend fundraisers and help nonprofit groups that need their support, while also increasing their golf course handicap score, thanks to the SCGA. Contact the Golden Era Golf Course community events director, Linda Greilich, for more information at 951- 654-0130. [caption id="attachment_8521" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Photo courtesy of Golden Era
Sullivan and his SCGA crew considered Golden Era, “a good, fair test of golf.”[/caption]