The history of the land that Rancho Murieta Country Club sits on dates back to the Native Americans who settled along the river that divides the North Course and the South Course.  They gave the Cosumnes River its name.  Today, it remains the last “wild” river on the Western slope of the Sierra Nevada. 
 
Then there is our namesake, Joaquin Murieta, sometimes known as the “Robin Hood of El Dorado,” who, depending upon one’s point of view, was either an infamous bandit or a Mexican Patriot.  He arrived during the Gold Rush era along with many others, including John Driscoll, who migrated from Ireland during the potato famine.  

One of Driscoll's daughters married Robert Granlees and they ran the turkey ranch on the property which is now a golf course! The Granlees Ranch House, to the right of the third fairway on the North Course, still remains and it is that family who sold the property to the Operating Engineers in the 1960’s.
 
The Operating Engineers Training Center, for large equipment and “earth movers” was established and construction of the first golf course, the North Course, began as their training site in 1969 and was completed in 1971.   The Training Center is still a part of the community and assists with many large projects.