The Best of Tahoe Golf

The grandest views, toughest shots and tastiest food of all of Tahoe’s links

by Doug Sanders

Tahoe’s golf season is brief, lasting only from early May until the end of October. But for those six months, it is easy to see why playing golf in the mountains is such a joy. There are over 30 golf courses around the region, offering everything from cozy nine-hole courses to some of the fi nest private clubs in the West. With so many choices, we’ve compiled a guide to the best golf options, making it easy to fi nd a round that suits your game to a tee.

Best Course for Beginners

Carson Valley Golf Course

Recognized as the best learning course in Nevada in 2006 by the National Golf Course Owners Association, this pleasant location along the Carson River in Gardnerville is dedicated to making the game fun for juniors, beginners and families. Owner Tom Brooks has built a series of forward tees on this simple 18- hole course so that kids and parents can play together.

Most Memorable Hole

13th Hole (Par 3, 227 yards) at Coyote Moon Golf Course

This course leaves many lasting impressions, but its 13th hole, a par 3, which features a drop of 135 feet to a green fronted by a stream, will stay with you forever. You’ll want to hit two less clubs for this downhill shot, and the green, which seems pretty small from the tee, is actually a fairly large target.

Best Blast From the Past

Old Brockway Golf Course

This vintage course was built in 1924, and the owners have made a point of maintaining its original character and charm — they even offer the opportunity to play a round with hickory-shafted golf clubs from the era. While trying to hit the ball with this old technology, you’ll not only gain a renewed appreciation for modern equipment, but will also have a hard time believing that the course record of 31 was shot here in 1931 with bygone gear.

Most Expensive Course

Edgewood Tahoe

This grand course hugging Lake Tahoe’s shoreline is perennially ranked among the country’s top 100. Edgewood Tahoe shines on television each summer when it hosts the Celebrity Golf Championship, adding to its cachet and demand and driving greens fees into the stratosphere. Just $225 will get you on the tee, but that’s a bargain compared to how quickly you can lose that much at the nearby casinos.

Best Spot to Unwind

Brooks’ Golf Bar & Deck at Edgewood Tahoe

Genoa Lakes Resort’s clubhouse is impressive from the 18th tee, but persistent winds keep you indoors. The Old Tahoe– style roof lines and heavy beams of the clubhouse at Old Greenwood, and the rockers on its porch sporting a spectacular view, are also great. But nothing beats Brooks’ Golf Bar & Deck at Edgewood Tahoe. This comfy collection of tables and chairs surrounding a fi re pit and overlooking the shores of Lake Tahoe make it the best spot to add up your scorecard.

Best Private Club for an Invitation

Lahontan Golf Club

If you don’t have a membership at a private club, it’s nice to know a few folks who do. I make a point of being extra nice to them in hopes that I’ll get invited for another round, especially if it’s Lahontan in Martis Valley. This Tom Weiskopf course is big, bold, playable and peaceful, with all the amenities of a fi rst-class private club. I love to stroll down the 14th fairway just for the great view of the Sierra.

Best Private Club Bargain

The Timilick Club

Looking for private play but want to pass on the pricey prerequisite real estate purchase? Truckee’s highly anticipated Timilick Club is the only private course in Tahoe that doesn’t require property ownership to join. Designed by Johnny Miller and John Harbottle III, the 7,000- yard championship course, tucked into 475 wooded acres in Martis Valley, is scheduled for partial completion this September.

Best Spring Ski/Golf Combos

Old Brockway Golf Course, Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort Golf Course, Old Greenwood, Genoa Lakes Golf Club

There aren’t many places where you can hit the slopes in the morning and tee it up in the afternoon, but Tahoe offers several. You can enjoy the corn snow at Alpine Meadows until noon and then tee it up at nearby Old Brockway, Northstar-at-Tahoe or Old Greenwood in the afternoon. On South Shore, you can shred the morning away at Heavenly, then easily slip down Kingsbury Grade to Genoa Lakes for 18 holes.

Most Inviting Tee

1st Hole at Whitehawk Ranch Golf Club

There are many appealing tee shots around the Tahoe region, but none call you to the golf course quite like the 1st hole at Whitehawk Ranch in Clio. The tee for this par 4 is tucked under three large pine trees, and the hole breaks out into a meadow just give you a bit more confidence in your own game.

Best Reason to Drive

North Plumas Pines Golf Resort

When it comes to deals, many courses offer twilight rates after 2:00 p.m. or even earlier. But if you need a reason to drive up the pleasant Route 89, you can head to Plumas Pines in Graeagle for a golf and dinner package. Monday through Friday after 1:00 p.m., for $85, you can play a round and then enjoy an excellent dinner at Longboards Bar & Grill looking out over a stunning summer sunset.

Best Instructors

Brian Eilders at Old Brockway Golf Course, Peter Smith at Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort Golf Course

Some of the best golf instructors in Northern California have made Tahoe their home base and can help golfers hone their skills. Brian Eilders at Old Brockway has been teaching for nearly two decades, and his solid presentation of the basics has been a boon to local duffers. Pete Smith, Northstar-at-Tahoe’s head pro, who also taught at Tahoe Donner, came to the Sierra from the Bay Area’s venerable Olympic Club 15 years ago. He now runs several clinics for juniors and beginners, along with individual instruction and clinics geared towards women.

Best Driving Ranges

Incline Village Championship Course, Resort at Red Hawk

Space restrictions make it tough to find a practice facility in the mountains, but two stand out. Incline Village offers 25 stalls, which seem to always be full in summer. In Sparks, the Resort at Red Hawk has the ultimate setup for practice, with its combination of driving range, chipping areas and the Hale Irwin–designed putting course. Practice makes perfect.

Best Way to Get Serious

Golf Digest School at Old Greenwood

For over 30 years, Golf Digest Schools have provided the ultimate way to improve your game, offering everything from half-hour private lessons to a threeday clinics where you will beat balls for hours to fi nally get the proper feel for your swing. The practice area at this new Truckee course offers chipping greens, practice bunkers, a large putting green and a double-ended range.

Best Pro Shop

Genoa Lakes Golf Club and Resort

Every pro shop carries the obligatory balls, shirts, hats and shoes, but others take the shopping experience to another level. The Resort Golf Shop at Genoa Lakes offers great deals on golf attire, clubs and even jewelry, crystal gifts and formal wear. If you sneaked out to play 27 holes, you can pick up a nice gift here to get yourself back in good graces on the home front.

Best Walking Course

Lake Tahoe Golf Course

Let’s face it, golf is supposed to be a walking game, and getting out of the cart is the best way to commune with your surroundings. Mountain courses can lead you to some real hikes, but for a great stroll through the grass, try Lake Tahoe Golf Course in South Lake Tahoe. This public track runs across a broad meadow intersected by the Upper Truckee River. The course is usually very busy, so carrying a bag here makes even more sense.

Best On-Course Food

Chicken Caesar Wraps at Old Greenwood

The snack cart is a staple at mostresort courses, but trying to eat a turkey sandwich with little packets of mayo and mustard that burst open all over your golf glove is hardly the height of convenience. However, the chicken Caesar wraps at Old Greenwood provide a scrumptious treat in a tidy tortilla format.

Best Par 5

18th Hole at Whitehawk Ranch Golf Club

Par 5s are looked at as birdie opportunities, and the strategy required sets them apart. Although there are many competitors, the 18th hole at Whitehawk Ranch tops the rest. This hole runs along the Feather River and presents bunkers, a lone tree in the fairway and a tricky dogleg to consider as you line up your tee shot. A creek guards the ample green, and the prevailing wind is in your face as you try to get home in two.

Best Mountain View

Resort at Squaw Creek Golf Course

This is the Sierra, after all, so choices abound, but for a gripping glimpse of the range’s granite peaks, you can’t beat those found at the Resort at Squaw Creek. From the 6th tee, the Squaw Valley massif spreads out before you, and the slopes of Headwall form the backdrop for the uphill shot from the fairway to the 13th hole. This is mountain golf at its best.

Greenest Greens

The Golf Club at Gray’s Crossing

The brand new Golf Club at Gray’s Crossing proves its grass is greener: It’s the only golf course in the nation to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifi cation, and is one of only 12 courses in the world to receive the Audubon Gold Signature Award. The private championship course was designed by Peter Jacobsen and Jim Hardy and offers 400 memberships with a variety of real estate options.