Golfing Lake Tahoe: Teeing it up with spectacular views

Lake Tahoe runs deep and blue with the backdrop of the Sierra Mountains reflected in its calm water. The beauty of America’s largest Alpine Lake can be captured in photographs, but it is even more spectacular in person.

Offering some of the best skiing in America, Lake Tahoe is an incredible golf setting too, whether you are on the North or South shore of the lake or on the Nevada or California side. It’s also an area ideal for stay and play packages with combinations that can include casinos, chain hotels, boutique digs and historic inns.  

And the great golf and fun extends beyond Lake Tahoe’s shores into nearby incredible communities like Truckee, Calif., which is not only surrounded by great golf, but features sensational restaurants, pubs and accommodations, to more remote and unique and difficult tests in the Graeagle area.  So fly into nearby Reno and rent a car, or take a scenic road trip from a western state. This is a destination great for first-timers or those returning year after year. Here’s a guide to some of our favorite courses in the Lake Tahoe region.

Golf on the lake

Perhaps the marquee course in this incredible setting is Edgewood Tahoe. Located on the South Shore of the lake just east of the California border in Stateline, Nevada, it also offers its own luxury accommodations making it one of many stay and play options for a Lake Tahoe golf vacation.  There are also casino hotels nearby, such as the Hard Rock, Montbleu Casino Resort & Spa, Harvey’s and Harrah’s Lake Tahoe. 

Perennially ranked among the top 100 public golf courses in the United States, Edgewood Tahoe is a George Fazio design that opened in 1969 and was renovated in the late 1990s by his nephew, Tom Fazio. With its water and mountain views on many of the holes, its beauty is hard to match, much less surpass. 

The finishing stretch is particularly tantalizing with the par-5 16th playing into the lake, and the par-3 17th and risk-reward par-5 18th playing alongside it. During the annual American Century Championship, the year’s most watched celebrity golf tournament, the boats just offshore on these holes are filled with enthusiastic spectators basking in the sun.  

While Edgewood Tahoe is a premium experience, there are more budget friendly options close by. Lake Tahoe Golf Course, a few miles west near the south shore, is set in a wide, lush meadow with Mount Tallac, the signature peak of the South Shore, in view throughout its 18 holes.  Tahoe Paradise Golf Course, a par-66 that plays just over 4,000 yards, is another option as is nine-hole Bijou Municipal on the South Shore.  

Lake Tahoe’s North Shore golf scene is led by Incline Village’s two golf courses, The Championship and The Mountain courses. The Championship Course, which opened in 1964, was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and renovated in 2003 by Kyle Phillips. The lake comes into view through several holes. Playing at more than 7,000 yards from the back tees, placement is more important than power, making it a pretty difficult test. The Mountain Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., is a fun 18-hole executive course set away from the lake. And if you’re looking for a nice nine-hole experience, check out Old Brockway, a historic 3,500-yard course with lots of great looks into Lake Tahoe, located in Kings Beach, Calif.  

Truckee a great small-town golf destination

Just a short drive from the western shore of Lake Tahoe is Truckee, Calif. Not only are the golf courses in this area of the High Sierras superb, but so is the town. From the historic Truckee Inn to the Donner Lake Bed & Breakfast, to the incredible restaurants and pubs in this riverside village of about 16,000, Truckee is an incredibly relaxing destination in and of itself. 

In the late spring, summer and early fall, however, golfers know Truckee is paradise, with several spectacular courses just a few miles away. 

One of the most spectacular is Coyote Moon Golf Course. With no homes and one of the most dramatic par 3s in the West, this really is a must-play for visiting golfers. The 13th is a 227-yard par 3 with a 200-foot drop, which means a short iron for stronger players, but there is plenty of trouble around the green. As for the rest of the course, there are elevated tees galore providing you with incredible scenic views of the area. 

Old Greenwood, a Jack Nicklaus design originally intended as high-end private club but now open to public play, is another pristine option. Fairways are wide and conditioning is impeccable at this most enjoyable 7,300 yard layout.  The Golf Club at Gray’s Crossing is Old Greenwood’s sister course and is yet another terrific offering in Truckee. Designed by Jim Hardy and player consultant Peter Jacobsen, this wooded semi-private course with Mount Rose as its backdrop stretches to 7,466 yards. One of the highlights is the drivable par-4 sixth, which plays 304 yards from an elevated tee. 

Schaffer’s Mill Golf & Lake Club is another premium Truckee option. The club is private, but it does open up for limited public play on Mondays. This beautiful John Harbottle III and Johnny Miller design has incredible meadow and mountain topography. 

If you’re looking for accommodations that are authentic to the area with a unique and local vibe, be sure to check out the Coachman Hotel which has taken a cool minimalistic yet modern approach giving you that Tahoe experience that you are looking for. 

More great golf choices in the Lake Tahoe area

Not too far from Truckee is the Resort at Squaw Creek, which is situated at the base of Squaw Valley and was the host site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. The luxury resort also offers golfers the Links at Squaw Creek, a fun and scenic Robert Trent Jones Sr. design. 

A little farther north of Lake Tahoe in the Graeagle area are some more choice golf options. One of the best known is The Dragon at Nakoma Golf Resort. This Robin Nelson masterpiece is one of the toughest golf courses you’ll ever play as the mountain scenery with its elevated tees is hard to beat. The course was softened a few years ago, but it’s still plenty tough. A Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired designed clubhouse with a terrific restaurant and onsite accommodations make for a nice stay and play option as well.  

Carved into the Mohawk Valley, the Dick Bailey-designed Golf Club at Whitehawk Ranch is yet another great option. It is loads of fun and plenty challenging with seven streams and several ponds on a golf course that cuts through the pines, cedar and aspen trees.  Add in Grizzly Ranch, a wonderful Bob Cupp design in the area, as well as Plumas Pines Golf Resort, and you can see why the Graeagle area could be a stand-alone golf vacation in and of itself. 

Recommendation

Again, the Lake Tahoe area truly is one of the greatest golf destinations in the United States. The incredible lake and mountain views combined with terrific layouts elevate this collection to top tier, and the crisp, fresh air will provide you with the perfect setting for a relaxing and enjoyable golf getaway.