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ever seen. It wasn’ t much. But the farmers and the locals, they came out of the woodwork and started playing this game. It was probably more dangerous than being in the Civil War here. Golf balls were flying everywhere because nobody could hit one straight.”
Modernization Bill Singleton was 13 when Hat Creek first opened its doors in 1975. The club celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025. Now 67, Bill has the weathered look of a man who spent his life outside working with heavy machinery.
The original Hat Creek design was rudimentary. With James’ limited knowledge of course design, the fairways were straightforward, the greens simple. It opened as a par-34 course but has since been expanded to a par-36 with enough
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bite that Jeff Thomas will bring his Liberty University team— a consistent presence in NCAA regionals— down sometimes to practice.
One key change from the course’ s very early days is in its greens, which have gone from basic to compelling, thanks to help from a gentleman named Lee Scruggs, who had retired and moved to the area and began to play at Hat Creek. Scruggs had a background in course architecture and helped Bill bring the course into the modern age, focused especially on nuance and curvature of the greens.
“ He helped me remodel this whole golf course,” Bill said.“ Building tee boxes and greens. And he could just put mounds and swirls and turns in like you wouldn’ t believe. I was just basically a miracle.”
The only original green remaining at Hat Creek is No. 8, visible as you drive onto the property from Hat Creek Road.
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No. 8, we never did rebuild that. I got the dirt and steel up there, a little haul to rebuild it. But it almost took on the nostalgia effect that, hey, that was the green that he built. I decided that we’ re going to keep it. That’ s some of our roots right there. Daddy built that green with his truck.”— BILL SINGLETON
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CHRIS LANG, HAT CREEK GOLF COURSE |