By Melissa Wynn
Blessed with a mild Summer climate, the mountain communities throughout the Sierra Nevada provide a wide variety of golfing options for locals and visitors from warmer climates alike. Several choices are available for those looking to enjoy a sunny afternoon knocking balls around the green. But when was the last time you played a round on a cool, clear, dark mountain night?
During the months of Summer and early Fall, by the light of the moon, with some LED light bulb support, golfers are invited to do just that at the Mount Huff Golf Course in Crescent Mills. Each month when the moon is full enthusiasts of all ages will arrive at this nine hole, public course to play a fun and unique round of moonlight golf.
Westwood local Jeff Stevens tells MVL that the course “looks like a runway” when the lights come on for the game. The balls too are lighted in a variety of colors including a very popular and cheerful shade of pink. Two of these special glowing golf balls are included in the $55 package that also includes dinner in the newly renovated clubhouse Bar & Grill at Mount Huff. Additional lighted balls are available for a $5 fee.
Patrons will play the first nine holes in the shadow of towering mountains around 6pm as the sun begins it’s lazy descent and lights up the sky above beautiful Indian Valley. A break for dinner follows, prepared for your dining pleasure by owner/operator Elisa Rutledge. The last nine holes are played after dark, under the full moon, on the LED lit course. Baying at the moon after a stellar swing is optional, but has been to known to occur. Friends are free to form teams of four and sign up as a group. Space is limited, so whether you team up or not, call and sign up early. The next night golf scramble is Saturday August 5th at 6PM. Sign in by 5:30pm.
Great for a night out with friends, date night with your spouse or that special monthly outing with just Dad and me, this sport beneath the stars is much more about the fun and the quality time than it is about the score. Although there are always those super competitive few that will never stop trying to one up one another and broadcast their reign at the top. Winning comes with bragging rights after all.
Brain child of owners Jim and Elisa Rutledge’s son, Matthew, this unconventional event is just one of the changes these new owners brought to Mount Huff in the fall of 2014. After an unfortunate flooding event, the clubhouse was renovated late this Spring and the grand re-opening introduced a new salad bar and shake machine. Weather permitting, Mount Huff is now also one of very few golf courses in this neck of the woods that remains open year round.
When Matthew suggested buying a golf course in April of 2014, Jim and Elisa never dreamed that it would all happen so fast. Mostly to humor Matthew, Elisa quickly searched Craigslist and was surprised to find that there were actually a few available. After checking out a few that didn’t quite fit their vision, this industrious family from Roseville made a visit to the area and knew they had found the place that they would soon call home. Back in Roseville they put a home on the market, sold it in two weeks and were the proud, established owners of Mount Huff Golf Course by October of the same year.
Today you can find Elisa on site most of the time. Mount Huff Golf Course is open 7am-7pm, 7 days a week all Summer long. During winter the hours are reduced to 9am-5pm. Her regulars have become her friends and a family feel permeates the atmosphere at this pretty little golf course just off Highway 89.
Sometimes it’s necessary to step outside the box and try something new. Next time you feel like a little adventure and a whole lot of fun, bring your friends and family and join the Rutledge family this season for a round of twinkling, moonlight golf.
