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A


little more than 160 years ago, Claude Chana struck gold in the foothills of the


Sierra Nevada Mountains. What Chana didn’t know


is he also discovered a future gold mine for golf in Northern California. Chana is credited with


putting the quaint town of Auburn on the map when he found three large gold nug- gets while panning in a river on May 16, 1848. The town 30 miles northeast of Sacra- mento along Interstate 80 has since grown from a mining camp to having a population of 13,300. Continue along I-80 East for another 60 miles and you’ll hit Truckee. But history buffs and


avid outdoorsmen will want to make the stop in Auburn, which also happens to host three terrifi c golf courses—DarkHorse, The Ridge and Auburn Valley. None are more expensive than $70. “If we had these three golf


courses in the Sacramento area, we would be super-busy packed and we could charge a premium rate,” said Rob Weizer, Auburn Valley’s direc- tor of golf. “It’s a blue-collar town that happens to have three great golf courses.” Old Town Auburn em-


AUBURN CALIFORNIA


Rich in Golf and History


BY GARRETT JOHNSON


braces its rich gold rush history, as a giant statue of a stooping Chana pan- ning for gold domi- nates the town center. Adding to the authen-


tic, lost-in-time fl avor of Old Town Auburn are tours of iconic gold rush landmarks, guided by docents dressed in 19th-century costume. Want to strike it rich


without wagering everything in Lake Tahoe? Pioneer Mining Supplies allows you to try your hand at genuine gold panning.


FALL 2013 / NCGA.ORG / 49


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