Every day for the last four years, Chris Rutherford happily motored the 50 or so miles from Vicksburg to Brandon for his job as the head golf pro at Patrick Farms.

And every time he neared home, he’d pass the Clear Creek Golf Course fairways that flank I-20 and think about working there.

Well, Rutherford got his wish.

He was hired earlier this month as the new assistant pro at Clear Creek. The 45-year-old brings a wealth of teaching knowledge and enthusiasm to the job, earned through years of working for one of the best instructors in the country.

&#8220Every day I would drive by and see this, and I’d say I wish I could work here. I almost feel like I could walk to work,” Rutherford said.

Rutherford got his start in golf instruction in Vicksburg. He worked as an assistant pro at Vicksburg Country Club from 1985-89. He then moved back to Colorado to take a job at the Mike McGetrick Golf Academy in Denver. McGetrick was the PGA National Teacher of the Year in 1999, and his school has been ranked among the top 25 in America by Golf Magazine each year since 1997.

After a few years, Rutherford decided to branch out on his own. While the time spent working with McGetrick taught him the ins and outs of golf instruction, the school’s reputation drew hordes of customers that didn’t allow for the kind of personal instruction that Rutherford prefers.

&#8220When I worked there, it was almost like a meat market. Here, it’s going to be a lot more personal,” Rutherford said.

In 13 years in Colorado, Rutherford mentored nine Colorado high school state champions and helped more than four dozen students earn college golf scholarships.

He believes he can have the same kind of success with Warren County’s young golfers. His plans include a year-round program with junior tournaments in the offseason. Like youth baseball programs that start with T-ball and go through high school, Rutherford believes that keeping skills sharp is the key to success.

&#8220It’s kind of like the Northwest Rankin baseball program,” Rutherford said, referring to the high school that won the Class 5A state championships in 2005. &#8220It starts when they’re young, and it’s coaching, and they have great teams every year.

&#8220I’d like Vicksburg, five years from now, to have a reputation of great junior golfers. And I fully expect that to happen.”