1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 1
Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center
Shooting Range, Golf Courses and
Fishing Lakes - 1951 to 1969
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 2
Aqua Sierra Sportsmans Club
–1952 Aerial Overview
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 3
Aqua Sierra Sportsmans Club
and The Roy Rogers Sports
Center
–1959 Aerial Overview
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 4
Aqua Sierra Sportsmans Club
Devonshire Golf Club
Palmer Trout Lakes
1961 Facilities Overview
(1967 aerial)
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 5
Aqua Sierra Sportsman’s Club
Devonshire Golf Club
Palmer Trout Lakes
–1969 Aerial Overview
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 6
Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center
• Two homestead parcels were combined in the 1950’s and 60’s to create a 127 acre sports
center at the west end of Devonshire, on what is today’s Chatsworth Park South and part of
Rockpointe.
•There are multiple stories involved:
•The founding of the Aqua Sierra Sportsmans club in 1949, and the building of two skeet
and trap stations by 1951/52, before Minnie Hill Palmer sold the Hill homestead.
•The expansion of Aqua Sierra after the 1956 purchase of the Hill homestead by Henry
Berkenkamp of Oroweat Bakeries. By 1959, there were five skeet and trap stations, a 90
foot hi-tower, one nine-hole golf course, a driving range, and two trout lakes. In 1959 it is
advertised as the Roy Rogers Sports Center.
•In 1961, three additional nine-hole golf courses were added on an adjacent 52 acre
Butler and Dejeremias homestead parcels. This acreage was leased from the Scheplers.
•The decline of the sports center began in 1968, when Rockpointe began development on
the Butler/Dejeremias homestead parcels. In 1973 the City of Los Angeles purchased the
75 acre skeet/fishing/golf course site and it became today’s Chatsworth Park South.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 7
Homesteader Background
•James Hill and family set up squatters
rights on their homestead in 1886. Their
120 acre homestead eventually grew to
229 acres.
•In 1952, their daughter, Minnie Hill Palmer
(a widow), still living in the Homestead
Cottage, at 66 years of age, leased part of
her land to the Aqua Sierra Sportsmans
Club.
•Minnie continued to live at the cottage
until 1976, at the age of 90.
•Minnie was very involved in the
community, and worked closely with the
Chatsworth Historical Society and the City
of LA to maintain the legacy of the Hill
Homestead.
The 1913 Hill Homestead Cottage
L.A. Historic Cultural Monument 133
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 8
The Aqua Sierra Sportsmans Club begins
•The first mention of the Aqua-Sierra Club is in an article in the
Van Nuys News in Dec. 1951. The annual turkey shoot is at the
club grounds at the end of Devonshire.
•A May 1952 Van Nuys News article introduces Clarence Palmer
as President of the Aqua Sierra Sportsmans Club; the club is 3
years old. The article encourages public inspection of the new
range at the end of Devonshire Road.
Dec 1951 Turkey Shoot at the
end of Devonshire
This 1952 aerial shows two trap stations in Red;
Minnie Hill Palmer’s house is in Blue to the right
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 9
Aqua Sierra Sportsmans Club
–1952 Aerial Overview
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 10
Trap Shooting 101 - Introduction
•Before we go further, we need to explain the sport of Trap and Skeet shooting.
•Trap and skeet shooting are two disciplines of clay pigeon shooting (shotgun shooting at clay
targets).
•Trap and skeet shooting is a good way to practice before you go on a dove or quail hunt.
•Competitions involve shooting 25 shots, which is how many shotgun shells are in a box.
•Equipment required is a shotgun, clay targets, and a clay target launcher.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 11
Trap Shooting 101 - Trap
•In trap shooting, there are 5 shooting positions and one trap. The clay target thrower or trap
machine is positioned in a structure, called the trap house, 2½ feet below the ground, 16
yards in front of the stations. The trap machine oscillates left to right and back, launching a
single clay target, or bird. The five shooting stations or paths radiating out from behind the
trap house are marked with distances from its leading edge from 16 to 27 yards.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 12
Skeet Shooting 101 - Skeet
•In skeet shooting, there are 8 shooting positions and two traps. Targets are launched from two
"houses" in somewhat "sideways" paths that intersect in front of the shooter. The two traps are
called a “high house” (10 ft above the ground) and a “low house” (3 ft above ground).
•Trap stations usually are combined with a high and low house, so you can shoot either trap or
skeet at a single station.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 13
A side story on Skeet Shooting
•There was only one accident that made the
newspapers from Aqua Sierra, in 1953. A 13 year
old boy, Gary Edler, was launching skeet from the
high house (10 ft high), when he was accidently shot
in the chest by pellets.
•We were delighted to meet Gary Edler for the first
time last month. His story is below:
“I was in the skeet hi-tower when I was hit. I was also lucky that I was
standing on an apple crate, or I would have gotten hit in the face instead of
the chest. I had to stand on an apple crate to get enough leverage to cock
the clay target launcher. At first I thought the arm of the clay target launcher
had hit me in the chest, because it hurt pretty bad. But then I looked down,
and my chest was all bloody. I don't remember who was shooting that day.
It was called Aqua Sierra Sports Club back then and it was before Roy
Rogers was there. I don't remember who was in charge.”
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 14
Hi-Tower Shooting 101
•Some shotgun shooting ranges include a Hi-Tower, which
will launch clay pigeons from up to 100 feet high.
•The picture below shows the Hi-Tower described in a 1958
article, where Roy Rogers discusses the Aqua Sierra Club
as a skeet and trap shooters dream complete with a 90-
foot tower.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 15
Hi-Tower Shooting 101
•Another view of the 90-foot tall Hi-
Tower in a 1959 HistoricAerials
Photo, circled in red below.
•The picture to the right is from the
CSUN archives, dated 1956.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 16
The Expansion of Aqua Sierra Facilities - 1955 to 1960
•The Aqua Sierra Sportmans Club facilities began in 1951, but the
organization was having some issues in the early years.
• In 1955/56, Heinrich Berkenkamp (known by all as “Berky”, and
one of three partners of the very successful Oroweat Bakeries)
helped out the club by buying the 229 acre Hill Homestead. The
deed granted a life tenancy agreement for Minnie Hill Palmer to
live rent and tax free at her 1913 cottage and surrounding 1.3
acre grounds.
•Coincidentally, in 1955, Roy Rogers moved to Chatsworth from
Encino and bought the 129 acre Paulson Homestead, renaming
it the Double R Bar Ranch.
•Both Berky and his wife Charlotte shot at Aqua Sierra. Their son
Karl remembers Clarence Palmer, as sort of a promoter, and that
he ran the operation. Berky bought the land as an investment,
but also to help out the club. Roy Rogers was involved as well in
some way, and lent his name to the Sports Club in later years.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 17
The Heinrich Berkenkamp Story
•Heinrich Berkenkamp (known to all as “Berky”) immigrated to the
US from Germany in 1913 as a baker. He married Leola in 1916
in St. Louis and adopted his wife’s two sons Lynn and Floyd. He
raised the boys to adulthood in Southern California, his marriage
didn’t work out, and he returned to Germany around 1930.
•Berky re-immigrated in 1933 (leaving Hitler’s Germany), and
arrived in Los Angeles again as a baker. He soon went into
partnership with Ed Nagel, who drove a milk truck and would
deliver bread to his customers. Another partner joined them, and
they decided that they could slice the bread and wrap it in
cellophane for their customers.
•It was a huge hit, and Oroweat Bakeries was extremely
successful. Berky was the operations guy and ran the Oroweat
Bakery in downtown Los Angeles.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 18
The Heinrich Berkenkamp Story
•Berky married Charlotte in 1940, and they lived in Winnetka Estates by 1943.
Their son Karl was born in 1947 and graduated from Chatsworth High School
in 1965. Their house burnt down in the Sept 1970 Newhall to Malibu Fire.
• Berky’s grandson Wayne from Berky’s first marriage worked in the bakeries
growing up and has many memories. Berky enjoyed hunting and shooting,
and shared that hobby with Wayne. There was an area in the bakery where
they would practice shooting, they had a special bullet trap set up to catch
the bullets. Berky would also ask Wayne to join him with bakery clients on
hunting trips.
•Charlotte Berkenkamp won the state single womens trapshooter
championships in 1961, 1967 and 1969, and was inducted into the California
Trapshooting Hall of Fame in 1977. In 1966 she won a silver medal for the
U.S. in the ISSF World Shooting Championships in Germany.
•Berkenkamp sold the Hill Homestead to the DOURENCE Corp (DOUglas and
ClarENCE Palmer) in 1966.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 19
The Roy Rogers Story
• Roy Rogers’ career began in 1934 with a recording
contract with the Sons of the Pioneers. Roy soon turned
to movies, and was in the top-ten money-making western
stars list from 1939 to 1954.
•He and his wife Dale Evans also appeared on the Roy
Rogers Radio Show for nine years, before moving to
television from 1951 through 1957.
•Roy, Dale and family moved to Chatsworth in 1955, lived
on Andora, and were very active in the community. They
were co-honorary mayors of Chatsworth during that time.
•Roy and Dale sold their Chatsworth home in 1965 and
moved to Apple Valley, California, near Victorville.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 20
The Roy Rogers Story
•Roy was an accomplished sportsman and a big
game hunter. He made three trips to Africa, and
had a trophy room in his house on Andora
displaying the numerous animals that he had shot
on safari. One remembrance was end tables made
of elephant feet with glass tops.
•A 1960 article mentions that Roy and Clarence
Palmer were inducted into the Rotary Club as
Honorary members. And that Roy was in charge of
the Rotary program that day featuring “films of
safari undertaken by the popular cowboy”.
•Roy was also known as a crack shot at trap and
skeet. In 1961 Roy competed at the Trap and
Skeet championships in Gardena. Charlotte
Berkenkamp also competed at that same event.
Sign in 1959 Chevrolet Commercial
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 21
•From 1956 to 1961, major facility improvements were completed on the Hill Palmer
Homestead.
•Part of the life tenancy agreement included improving the 1913 cottage by piping
water to the house, which up until then had been carried in by a water tank on a truck.
•In 1956, a 35’ deep dam for a 2-acre trout lake was completed, and later filled with
9 million gallons of water. There is a second smaller trout lake for kids.
•By 1958, the skeet and trap ranges are expanded from two to five; Roy Rogers is
interviewed and shares that he operates the Aqua Sierra Gun Club, a skeet and trap
shooters dream with a 90-foot Hi-Tower.
•By 1959, a nine hole, 27 par golf course and driving range (the “white” course) is
completed.
•Wells are dug just east of the trout lake to feed water to the lake and irrigate the golf
course.
•By 1961, three more golf courses are added on the 52 acre Butler/Dejeremias
parcels.
The Expansion of Aqua Sierra Facilities - 1956 to 1961
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 22
•The 1956 4th of July
Chatsworth Parade ends at
the Fairgrounds at Aqua
Sierra Sportsman’s Club.
Charles Janess, president
of the Chatsworth Chamber
of Commerce, touts the
event.
•The parade begins at
DeSoto and Devonshire
and ends at Aqua Sierra
Fairgrounds.
•(No mention of Roy Rogers
Sports Center yet).
1956 Chatsworth Parade ends at Aqua Sierra
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 23
•Advertisements of the Palmer Trout
Lakes begin in 1958
•A 1958 newspaper article quotes Roy as
operating the trap and skeet center.
•The Devonshire Golf Course is first
advertised in 1959. In that ad it is
identified as the Roy Rogers Sports
Center.
•And the following commercial says it
all…….
1959 Chevrolet Commercial
&
the beginning of the
Roy Rogers Sports Center
25
A two-minute
1959 Chevrolet
Commercial
Trap Shooting at the
Roy Rogers Sports
Center
On Youtube, search
“chatsworthhistory”
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 26
• In 1958 Roy Rogers buys Clark Gable’s
pump shotgun for $600 at Aqua Sierra.
•A frustrated Clark shoots only 4 clays out
of 25 at Aqua Sierra, then shoots 6 or 7.
Clark begged someone to make an offer
on the SOB, and Roy bought it.
•Roy then shoots 25 out of 25, and then
again 25 out 25. From that day on Roy
didn’t bother with another shotgun.
Roy Rogers, Clark Gable
Shotgun Story
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 28
Roy Rogers, Clark
Gable
Shotgun Story as told
by Dusty Rogers
(3 minutes)
Clark Gable’s gun sells for
$62,000 in 2010 at auction.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 29
•Ann interviewed Beverly Ulis, who with her husband Ken
were very active members at Aqua Sierra in the 60’s.
•Each year there would be an annual potluck and the men
worked on the facilities before the dinner. She brought
lasagna and everyone liked it so much she had to make
more each year for five straight years.
•Ken Ulis and Bill Sesnon were world record holders at the
two man team event in Dallas Texas in 1964. Bill Sesnon
is related to the Porter family of Porter Ranch.
Beverly Ulis remembers Aqua Sierra
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 30
• Ken’s shotgun pouch (which she donated) has a “100
straight” pin attached to the Aqua Sierra Sportsmans
club pin.
•Beverly explained that the Aqua Sierra Gun Club was
not a public course. It was an exclusive club, and
members were invited to join. The most important
attribute was that you had to be able to shoot well,
and the group included quite a few Hollywood
celebrities.
•Celebrities at the club included Clark Gable, Roy
Rogers, Robert Taylor, Robert Stack, Robert Sterling,
John Wayne, Charlton Heston, Walter Brennan. In
1958 there were over 200 paying members at the
Aqua Sierra Sportsmans Club.
Beverly Ulis remembers Aqua Sierra
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 31
The following 5 minute clip is from the 1961 The Andy Griffith Show
Season 2, Episode 8, “The Perfect Female”
Filmed at the Aqua Sierra Sportsmans Club in Chatsworth, California.
Scenes not related to skeet shooting have been edited out.
The story line is that Andy has a date with Karen. Andy is trying to impress
her, but never gave her a chance to tell him that she is a skeet shooting
champion.
The full episode can be found on YouTube.
Andy Griffith Show Episode
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 32
Next….. A 5 minute clip
1961 The Andy Griffith Show
Season 2, Episode 8, “The Perfect Female”
Filmed at the Aqua Sierra Sportsmans Club in Chatsworth
Scenes not related to skeet shooting have been edited out.
Available on YouTube as “1961 The Andy Griffith Show S02E08 Gail
Davis The Perfect Female Aqua Sierra Sportsmans Club clipped”
https://youtu.be/R3-fT8KXeUQ
A 5 minute clip
1961 The Andy Griffith
Show
Season 2, Episode 8,
“The Perfect Female”
Filmed at the Aqua
Sierra Sportsmans
Club in Chatsworth
Scenes not related to
skeet shooting have
been edited out.
The full episode can be
found on YouTube.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 33
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 34
The caption below reads:
“Pictures taken at the Aqua Sierra Sportsmans Club,
“where the Stars shoot”, at Chatsworth, California.
1963 Guns Magazine
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 35
•In April 1959 The Devonshire Golf Course is advertised in the
Valley News.
•In June 1959 Ashley Loafea is named the Pro of the
Devonshire Golf Course.
• In Nov 1960 the Devonshire Women’s Golf Club compiled a
handbook on rules and etiquette on the greens, and
announced that they would schedule tournaments every
Wednesday from 8:30 to 10 am.
•Construction of the red, yellow and orange courses began in
Aug 1960 and was finished by June 1961.
•In June 1961 there was a pro-amateur celebrity golf
tournament featuring James Garner and other celebrities.
•There was a Chatsworth Youth Golf Club formed in the early
‘60’s. It was sponsored by the Chatsworth Rotary Club and
George Lorbeer was the advisor.
The Devonshire Golf Course
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 36
Aqua Sierra Sportsmans Club
and The Roy Rogers Sports
Center
–1959 Aerial Facilities
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 37
The Devonshire Golf Course
–1959 Aerial Golf Starter Shed
•To arrive at the Starter Shed you would
travel north past the cottage and around the
hill (road marked in blue)
•The Starter shed is where you would rent
golf clubs and pay greens fees, or buy a
bucket of balls for the driving range.
•Notice how the 1st tee, the 9th hole, and the
Driving Range are all near the Starter Shed.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 38
• The Out of Bounds Marker (below right) used to be between the third hole and Minnie’s
vegetable garden (see yellow line below).
• Ken Ditto “rescued” it from a trash pile when the pro shop was moved. Ken recently
donated the marker to the Chatsworth Historical Society.
Out of Bounds Marker
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 39
•A newspaper article describes 82 year old Minnie with a routine two to three hours work in her
big garden in the middle of Devonshire Golf Course.
“Well known by many movie stars and television actors, she retrieves the golf balls that are hit into
her yard. She turns them into the office at 25 cents a bucket. The money goes to support the Girl
Scout program and is usually given to Troop 680.”
Nov 30th, 1968 It’s Minnie Palmer’s 82nd Birthday
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 40
Aqua Sierra
Roy Rogers Sports Center
–1961 Facilities
(1967 aerial)
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 41
•This slide shows the Pro Shop and
Putting Green; the Starter Shed is
just east of the Pro Shop.
•The 1st tees for all four golf courses
start near the starter shed, and the
9th holes all end near the starter
shed.
•The holes for the white course
were renumbered when the
additional courses were added.
•The Fenced Reservoir was
supplied by a well and was used to
irrigate the golf courses.
Devonshire Golf Club
–1961 Facilities
(1967 aerial)
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 42
Devonshire
Golf Club
–1961
Facilities
(Schepler photo)
•This Golf Course photo was taken from the east fence
of the Schepler 52 acres, facing West.
•In 1965, the land that the golf club was leasing from
the Schepler’s was sold to the Rockpointe Townhome
project. Townhomes are being sold by 1969.
•The next few slides will zoom in on some of the items
identified in yellow in this photo.
Office / Restaurant
& Minnie’s Cottage
Pro Shop, Starter Shed,
Driving Range & Driving
Range Shed
White benches
and ball
washers for tees
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 43
Devonshire Golf Club –1961 Facilities
Office / Restaurant & Minnie’s Cottage
• The photo zoom above show the Office/Restaurant to the left. It was on Minnie Hill’s
property just south and east of today’s Homestead Acre.
• Minnie’s 1913 cottage is on the right, you can see the tan building with windows. And the
trunk and crown of todays walnut tree are visible in the front right of the cottage.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 44
Devonshire Golf Club –1961 Facilities
Pro Shop, Starter Shed, Driving Range & Driving Range Shed
• The building on the left is the Pro Shop, today’s Museum. The building in the foreground
directly to the right of the Pro Shop is the Starter Shed. In the middle you see parked cars.
•What appears to be a sweeping curved brown wall just below the cars is the Driving Range,
surrounded by lights, with a Driving Range Shed behind the Driving Range.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 45
Devonshire Golf Club –1961 Facilities
Driving Range & Driving Range Shed Explained
•The Historic Aerial photo on the right shows the Driving Range Shed in red. And 25 black
driving range mats in a sweeping curved pattern.
•Each of those driving range mats was separated by wooden partitions, so the golfers would not
hit each other as they practiced their tee shots.
•In the photo on the left, those wooden partitions appear to be a sweeping curved brown wall.
•You would buy a bucket of balls from the driving range shed.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 46
Devonshire Golf Club –1961 Facilities
White benches and ball washers for tees, and the road around the hill
•The lower right of this photo shows two white benches and two white ball washers, with towels.
• The parking lot continues to the right of the picture, it appears as a white “dashed line”, at a
slightly higher elevation than the golf courses.
•You can see the road where you travel north past the cottage and around the hill to get to the
Palmer Trout Lakes and the Aqua Sierra Gun Club.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 47
•Ken Ditto shared some interesting stories about how to play the courses
(in addition to always being polite to Minnie because you never knew
when a ball was going to land in her yard)
•There was a huge parking lot north of the Pro Shop, but you always
wanted to park at the south end. When people would try to make the
first green on the red course in one shot, they sometimes wouldn’t
make it and your car would get hit.
•One of the holes on the yellow course was just south of the Pro Shop
(? in picture at right), and there was a 30ft high fence at the end of
the green to protect the Pro Shop. So your best shot when
approaching the green was to just hit the ball into the fence, and the
ball would bounce back onto the green.
Some interesting stories about the layout of
the course….
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 48
•The White Course had lots of
fairways that were close together.
You had to keep an eye out for errant
golf balls bouncing around from other
golfers.
•The White Course had no sand traps
or water hazards. But occasionally
there would be a Chatsworth
Rattlesnake near the southern end of
the course.
Some interesting stories
about the layout of the
course….
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 49
•Ashley Loafea was named the golf pro at the Devonshire
Golf Course in 1959, and was no doubt involved in
designing the 1961 expansion of the 4 courses, driving
range, pro shop, and restaurant.
•In 1930, Ashley was the Paramount Studios golf
professional.
•In 1932, he was teaching golf to RKO-radio celebrities
and a technical advisor in two golfing films.
•In 1938 he was on the PGA tour at LA Griffith Park (now
played at Riviera Country Club)
The Ashley Loafea Story
1944 Ashley Loafea Dorothy
Jordan teaching golf
•Ashley was still operating the Pro Shop at the Devonshire Golf Course in 1968 at
age 57. He had a son Randy born in 1948 that was pursuing a golfing career at
that time.
•Ashley was the golf pro at the Santa Paula golf course in 1973.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 50
Aqua Sierra Sportsmans Club
and The Roy Rogers Sports
Center
–1967 Aerial Pro Shop
•This slide shows the Pro Shop,
the Starter Shed and the
Restaurant in relationship to
the Cottage.
•Clarence Palmer talked Minnie
into moving the Pro Shop onto
the acre in Oct 1969.
•The pro shop was used for
storage until 1979 when it was
turned over to the Historical
Society for their Museum.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 51
Aqua Sierra Sportsmans Club
and The Roy Rogers Sports
Center
–1969 Aerial Pro Shop
•This slide shows the Pro Shop
moved to the Acre where it
remains today, as Rockpointe
construction begins.
•The restaurant was given to a
friend of Clarence Palmer’s
around 1974. It was dismantled
and re-assembled in the friend’s
backyard on Tulsa St., where it
remains today, renamed the
“Cantina”.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 52
•July 1958 –Palmer Trout Lakes Open
Every Day 8 am ‘til Dark
The Palmer Trout Lakes
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 53
•July 1958 –Palmer Trout Lakes Open
Every Day 8 am ‘til Dark
The Palmer Trout Lakes
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 54
The Palmer Trout Lakes
• Mike Fender’s wife’s grandparents are Alice and
Albert Biddison. Alice and Albert were caretakers of
the Trout Lake, short 9-hole golf course, and the gun
range during the 50’s and early 60’s. His wife spent a
lot of time at the “Lake” and remembers her
grandfather conversing with Roy Rogers on several
occasions. Mike’s mother-in-law knew Minnie Palmer.
•Mike forwarded us pictures of the scale (seen at right)
used to weigh the fish at the Trout Lakes. One paid
by the pound for the fish caught.
•Mike said that when the lakes were drained there
were several very large catfish in the larger lake, one
being close to 3 feet long.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 55
The Palmer Trout Lakes
•There was a Fishing Shed where
they would rent poles, and they
would clean your fish for you.
•There was a small pond for the
kids, and a larger pond for the
adults.
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 56
•Entrance road leading around
the hill behind the acre (now
leads to a State Park Trailer)
What remains of the Sports complex today in 2016
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 57
•Aqua Sierra Shotgun Range
•Concrete Path behind the shotgun range stations
•Flagpole at clearing behind center shotgun station
(also seen in 1959 Chevy commercial)
What remains of the Sports complex today in 2016
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 58
•Aqua Sierra Shotgun Range
•Some lead pellets in foothills north of the stations.
•Some clay pigeon debris piles (which also includes used
shotgun shells; only the brass heads remain as the shell
casings have been burnt away by fires over the years).
What remains of the Sports complex today in 2016
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 59
•Palmer Trout Lakes
•concrete foundation of Fishing Shed and bathrooms
•Fence around tree covered in ivy just east of the trout
pond
•Water well to supply water to the trout pond
What remains of the Sports complex today in 2016
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 60
•Golf Facilities
•Concrete steps and
patio of Restaurant --
The north part of the
building was the
snack shack
/restaurant, and the
south part of the
building was the
office of Clarence
and Doug Palmer.
•In the golf photo
there is a white
awning over the
patio.
What remains of the Sports complex today in 2016
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 61
•Golf Facilities
•Pro Shop –Today
the Virginia Watson
Chatsworth Museum
What remains of the Sports complex today in 2016
1/15/2021 Chatsworth Historical Society - Aqua Sierra and the Roy Rogers Sports Center 62
Sources/Acknowledgements
Contributed content by:
Karl, Wayne and Jeff Berkenkamp of the Berkenkamp family;
Ken Ditto, Chatsworth Youth Golf League, Chatsworth High School (CHS) ‘64;
Beverly Ulis, whose husband was a member of the Aqua Sierra Sportsmans Club
Roland Russ, launched skeet during high school, CHS ’64
Dennis Muehlenbach, starter at the golf course, CHS ‘65
Gary Edler launched skeet, Chatsworth Lake Manor resident
Mike Fender - Biddison trout lake caretakers contact
Special thanks to Ken Ditto for assisting with the interpretation and layout of the facilities
aerials and maps.
Prepared by Ann & Ray Vincent, Chatsworth Historical Society, February 2016, revised Jan
2021
