Here are Sharon Gay's choices of the best golf courses open to the public that are a short 30 minute drive from Reno and easy to get to from Lake Tahoe's North Shore, West Shore, Tahoe City, Squaw Valley, King's Beach, Truckee, Northstar and Incline Village.
INCLINE VILLAGE
The Mountain Course - Executive Course - Incline Village - Mount Rose Highway to Golfer’s Pass Road
This short course is 18 holes and 3,513 yards and a par 58. Etched into the hills of Incline Village this course had been rated as one of the top executive courses in the US. The facility offers a putting green, cart rentals, a pro shop, and a restaurant.
690 Wilson Way
Incline Village, Nevada
866.925.GOLF
Incline Championship Course - Incline Village and Fairway Boulevard
A premier course with spectacular views of Lake Tahoe. The course is 18 holes 7,106 yards from the black tees and a par 72. The site was designed by Robert Trent jones Sr. and the facilities include a driving range, putting green, cart rentals, pro shop with club rentals, restaurant, and a snack bar and bar.
955 Fairway Boulevard
Incline Village, Nevada
866.925.GOLF
SQUAW VALLEY USA
Resort at Squaw Creek - Squaw Valley USA
Perfectly situated in the center of six towering Sierra Nevada peaks, the 18-hole championship golf course at the Resort at Squaw Creek is the product of 10 years of planning and careful design. Robert Trent Jones, Jr., designed the course to preserve the natural wetlands and wildlife habitat so prevalent in Squaw Valley and the impressive result is a course that blends beautifully with the surrounding mountain landscape. Audubon International has acknowledged the course as a Certified Cooperative Sanctuary, and Golf Magazine has rated it as one of the “Top Ten Courses You Can Play.”
400 Squaw Creek Road
Olympic Valley, CA 96146
530.581.6637
800.327.3353
TAHOE CITY
Tahoe City Golf Course - Tahoe City, California behind Albertson’s supermarket
This course was designed by one of the first women course designers May Dunn Hupfel and is one of the oldest dating back to 1914. The course is nine holes covering 2,570 yards and a par 33. The facility includes a driving range, putting green, as well as the pro shop and restaurant.
251 North Lake Boulevard
Tahoe City, California
530.583-1516
KINGS BEACH
Old Brockway Golf Course - Kings Beach, California next to Safeway supermarket
Built in 1924 the Old Brockway was the favorite of the infamous Rat Pack. Holes one, two, three, eight, and nine were affectionately referred to as "Whiskey Run" after Dean Martin’s drinking habits while on the course. The course is nine holes with 3,400 yards and a par 34. The facility offers a driving range, putting green, cart rentals, a pro shop, and a restaurant.
7900 North Lake Boulevard
Kings Beach, California
530.546.9909
NORTHSTAR
Northstar-At-Tahoe - Highway 267 between Kings Beach and Truckee
The course is 18 holes at 6,897 yards and a par 72. The front nine are open and wide while the back nine are much more challenging. More than three-quarters of the holes have some type of water hazard. The course sits at the base of Northstar ski resort with views of the Martis Valley. The facility offers a driving range, putting green, cart rentals, a pro shop, and a restaurant.
Northstar Drive on Highway 267
530.562.2490
TRUCKEE
Old Greenwood - Truckee, California
The year-round resort community of Old Greenwood in Truckee is home to an incredible Jack Nicklaus Signature Course that arguably ranks among his most spectacular. The 18 magnificent holes of the par-72 course wind more than 7,500 yards through regal pines and clumps of blue sage, melding perfectly with the natural landscape to create a course that’s as breathtaking to view as it is to play. Mr. Nicklaus’ signature touch is evident everywhere you turn, from the beautiful water features to the lush, undulating greens and smooth fairways.
12915 Fairway Dr.
Truckee, CA 96161
530.550.7010
Tahoe Donner Golf Course - Truckee, California
Located a few miles from Truckee this course winds through the Tahoe Donner housing community. The course is picturesque but narrow and can be tough to get a tee time during summer weekends. The 18 hole course offers a par 72 with 6,917 yards. The facilities include driving range, putting green, pro shop, and a restaurant.
12850 Northwoods Boulevard
Truckee, California
530.587.9443
Coyote Moon - Truckee, California
This course is set on over 250 acres of rolling hills with no views of homes. Coyote Moon Golf Course is a challenging but extremely fair test of golf. The course will offer enjoyment and challenge to all levels of golfers with generous fairways and medium sized greens. Once on the course you will find tee shots that offer ample landing areas with only a few forced carries. From the landing area the course typically funnels down to medium sized undulating greens that are well protected by trees, sand, and water.
10685 Northwoods Blvd. Truckee, California
530-587-0886
Golf Club at Gray's Crossing - Truckee, California
The Golf Club at Gray’s Crossing, a Peter Jacobsen/Jim Hardy designed championship golf course nestled in Truckee, Calif., gives golfers a premier 36-hole mountain golf resort experience, which includes Gray’s Crossing and its sister course, Old Greenwood. Golfers will experience “a return to tradition”, as the course meets golf enthusiasts’ demands to play a course with a traditional private club feel. Fast greens and tournament-like conditions await golfers every day. Demanding a combination of creative club choices and tactical strategies, the traditional Jacobsen design reveals his passion for fun, yet challenging play. Towering Lodgepole and Jeffrey Pines line the fairways as the course weaves through a natural mountain surrounding with Mt. Rose as its backdrop. When calculating each shot, the environment plays as much a role as the course.
11406 Henness Rd.
Truckee, CA 96161
530.550.5800
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