Hirth and his wife, Lori, said the club's emphasis on members mingling has made for easy acceptance and eliminated the tendency toward cliques.

"Dinner at the club is not a quiet experience, where the couple sits at their table and talks to no one else," Lori Hirth said. "It's like a party, with people bouncing from table to table."

Members' children and grandchildren can also play golf and are encouraged to participate in the club's junior golf program.

"The important thing for us was to cover the spectrum, from the 6-year-old who's never held a club to couples who play together all the time," Shady Canyon club pro Brian Gunson said.

Overlooking Shady Canyon's expansive driving range, Gunson saw a teenager practicing his irons. Near the No. 1 tee, two women who'd just finished their round were sipping iced tea.

"You should see this place at sunrise," Gunson said. "The marine layer of clouds hangs over the hills there, and the sun turns the range into the most incredible green you've ever seen."

From where Gunson stands, a new day has come.