Reno-Tahoe area: the ultimate (and inexpensive) summer golf escape

The elevated par-3 15th at LakeRidge Golf Course in Reno (Mike Bailey/TravelGolf)

After a weeklong golf trip in the Reno-Lake Tahoe area, it’s back to the reality of a full-blown summer here in Houston, although technically it’s still spring for another week or so. Even with an unexpected snowfall in Truckee, Calif., last Monday that wiped out a round of golf, the escape to cool weather and even cooler golf is always a treat, and it’s surprisingly affordable.

Green fees generally run under $100 at most courses, even the resort type courses in the Sierra Mountains. Accommodations are also generally reasonable, especially at the casino resort hotels, whose aim is to get people on the casino floors.

Reno, which is much milder than Las Vegas in the summer, is a great town. Another benefit of having casino hotels is the many entertainment and dining options it offers, like Bistro Napa, one of a couple of great restaurants located in the Atlantis Casino Resort & Spa. The city also has a state-of-the-art Triple A minor league baseball park to house the Pacific Coast League’s Reno Aces, it hosts the largest bowling tournament in the world, and is home to the Best of the West Nugget Rib Cook-off, the largest of its kind in the world.

No wonder Reno bills itself as the “Biggest Little City in the World,” and the golf there isn’t bad either. Host of the Reno-Tahoe Open, there are several enjoyable public golf options in the city, including LakeRidge Golf Course, which has one of the most dramatic par 3s in the country.

Reno is just the beginning, though. There’s the Carson Valley, which is home to several outstanding golf courses and resorts. The South Shore of Lake Tahoe has one of my all-time favorite courses, Edgewood-Tahoe, home of the annual American Century Celebrity Golf Championship. The North Shore features Incline Village and the recently renovated Incline Village Championship Course. Truckee is simply one of the most charming places on earth with its terrific dining, simple charm and several top-rated courses such as Schaffer’s Mill (formerly Timilick), Old Greenwood and Coyote Moon. And the Graeagle and Plumas Pines area, which boasts a number of cool courses, including Whitehawk Ranch and Old Grizzly, is a fantastic summer golf destination as well with its snow-covered peaks in the background.