RIFLE – A week of confusion and abundant rumors centering around the Rifle Creek Golf Course came to a close last week.

At the center of the situation was the status of long-time head golf professional Steve LeDonne.

During a public meeting Wednesday, March 12, the Rifle Gap Land Company/Rifle Creek Golf Course Board of Directors agreed to keep LeDonne as the head pro at the Rifle Creek Golf Course.

Prior to the meeting there had been rumors circulating around the Rifle community that the board of directors had chosen not to renew LeDonne’s contract at the end of the current season, prompting LeDonne to resign his position effective immediately.

While neither LeDonne or members of the board would speak directly about the rumors, they did say that any conflict has been resolved.

According to Board President John Savage, there had been some issues between the board and LeDonne. Savage said several shareholders in the land company had come forward at the March 12 meeting to speak in favor of LeDonne. At the end of the meeting the board and LeDonne reached a favorable agreement.

“I think we’re going to work this out,” Savage said. “Steve knows what we think and he’ll be here in the future. The LeDonne family is very important in the history of the golf course, Steve’s father Jimmy was a progenitor of the course.”

LeDonne acknowledged that there had been some controversy about his position but that it had been resolved and he will continue as the course pro and as the Rifle High School golf coach.

LeDonne is a member of the Professional Golfers Association and has been the club pro at Rifle Creek for 22 years. His father Jimmy LeDonne was one of the original founders of the course which opened in 1960.

LeDonne currently coaches both the boys and girls golf teams at Rifle High School, and is the high school’s only state champion, having triumphed in 1972.