A toast to Mother Nature. After all, she found time to create Lake Tahoe, North America’s largest alpine lake surrounded by the Sierra Nevada and, thereby, planting the foundation on which some of the planet’s finest fairways and greens have been carved. The collection of elevated courses surrounding the Big Blue reward golfers with a wealth of fairways and greens in all shapes, sizes, and difficulty on a variety of mountain landscapes. And don’t forget the ego-booster benefit of the higher altitude assisting the golf ball travel further! Regardless of ability, the course diversity and close proximity to Sacramento and the Bay Area solidifies this destination on golf’s A-list.
Feature Photo: Edgewood Tahoe by Robert Kaufman
Coyote Moon Golf Course
TRUCKEE
Nestled in a serene setting at 6,800 feet among towering pines and enormous granite outcroppings, the 7,177-yard Brad Bell design serves up one of the best mountain golf experiences anywhere. With generous fairways, most of which funnel to medium-sized, undulating greens protected by trees, sand and water, this upscale course provides dramatic elements of risks, including the 13th, a 200-yard par 3 that drops 80 feet from tee to green. Enjoy counting the ball flight time! coyotemoongolf.com
Edgewood Tahoe
STATELINE, NV
Arguably, the crown jewel of Lake Tahoe’s golf scene, Edgewood Tahoe is the lone course to physically border the shoreline and as a bonus, the ninth fairway allows for a tee shot to travel from California to Nevada. Regardless of which state you’re in, this is the place to be every July for the annual American Century Celebrity Championship to spectate plenty of golf drama produced by top stars from the NFL, MLB, NFL, NHL, and Hollywood. edgewoodtahoe.com/golf
Gray’s Crossing Golf Course
TRUCKEE
Designed by former PGA TOUR player, Peter Jacobsen, Gray’s Crossing treats golfers to panoramic views of the High Sierras and Mt. Rose while navigating their golf ball around tall Jeffrey Pines and wetlands. At 7,466 yards, the course is a formidable test with constant elevation changes, water hazards, and strategically placed bunkers. Set in a mountain meadow covered in wildflowers and abundant with wildlife, the Tahoe Mountain Club property is an Audubon International Gold Signature Sanctuary. golfintahoe.com/grays-crossing
Incline Village Golf Courses
INCLINE VILLAGE, NV
With two very distinct 18-hole courses, legendary architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr., has rewarded golfers with “views you will never forget.” The 7,106-yard Championship Course offers tightly cut fairways, flanked by towering pines, and testy bunkered greens and lateral water hazards on almost every hole. The much shorter Mountain Course at 3,527 yards favors accuracy (don’t be distracted by the views of Lake Tahoe) over distance with 14 par 3s and four par 4s. yourtahoeplace.com/golf-incline
Lake Tahoe Golf Course
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA
Just before reaching Lake Tahoe’s waterfront via Highway 50, Lake Tahoe GC is the only certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary located in South Lake Tahoe. Sharing the meadow landscape with abundant waterfowl and mountain wildlife, William Bell’s design blends harmoniously with its scenic surroundings in the Sierra Nevada, including breathtaking views of Mt. Tallac, Twin Peaks, and the top of Heavenly. The Upper Truckee River comes into play on seven holes, with lakes and streams in play on six others. laketahoegc.com
Links at Squaw Creek
OLYMPIC VALLEY
This magnificent links-style course was the culmination of 10 years of planning by renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones, Jr. who designed the layout to preserve the unique beauty, natural wetlands and wildlife habitat of Squaw Valley. The front nine climbs along the mountainside through trees and narrow fairways and the back nine winds through the valley wetlands. All tee boxes feature four sets of tees — plus family tees — for a fun and exciting experience. destinationhotels.com/squawcreek
Northstar Golf Course
TRUCKEE
Tucked into the Martis Valley in North Lake Tahoe, the Robert Muir Graves-designed Northstar GC delivers two very distinct nines. Totaling 6,781 yards, the links-style front side is a friendly meadow course with free-flowing fairways and pleasant mountain vistas, including Mt. Rose, while the back nine is definitive mountain golf with narrow tree-lined fairways complimented with greens that appear to get smaller with each hole. northstarcalifornia.com
Old Brockway Golf Course
TAHOE VISTA
The family-owned Old Brockway GC has a cherished history since opening for play in 1924 at the corner of Highway 267 and North Tahoe Blvd. Surrounded by Jeffrey Pines and plenty of lake views, one of the top nine-hole courses in the country is where a rising entertainer, Bing Crosby, hosted his “Crosby Clambake” (1934-35) before switching beaches by moving the event to Monterey’s 17-Mile Dive where it is now known as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. oldbrockway.com
Old Greenwood Golf Course
TRUCKEE
Minutes from central Truckee, Old Greenwood is nestled among 600 acres of towering pines and surrounded by a backdrop of captivating High Sierra vistas. With twisting fairways, deep bunkers, and water hazards guarding demanding greens, this 7,500-yard Jack Nicklaus Signature Design is the recipient of an Audubon International golf certification. The facility, part of the Tahoe Mountain Club, is also home to the Barracuda Championship, a PGA TOUR golf tournament. golfintahoe.com/old-greenwood
Tahoe Donner Golf Course
TRUCKEE
Although originally built in 1976, this premier mountain layout weaving throught the High Sierra landscape is the new kid on the Tahoe link’s trail following a year-long (2020) $2.2 million renovation that included new greens, tee box expansion, and eliminating piles of trees to widen fairways for more enjoyable play amidst towering pines and meandering creeks. Known for some of the best greens in Tahoe, the 7,002-yard course sets the stage for strategic playing and thoughtful club selection. tahoedonner.com/golf
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