Montreux Golf & Country Club - hole 6
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Montreux Golf & Country Club - hole 6
Host of the Reno-Tahoe Open on the PGA Tour, Montreux Golf & Country Club is a spectacular Jack Nicklaus private design. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Red Hawk Resort - Lakes course - No. 14
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Red Hawk Resort - Lakes course - No. 14
The public golf course at the 36-hole Red Hawk Resort in Reno, Nov., the Lakes is a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Dayton Valley Golf Club - No. 6
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Dayton Valley Golf Club - No. 6
Dayton Valley Golf Club in Carson Valley is a regular PGA Tour Q-School venue. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course - No. 18
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Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course - No. 18
Spectacular Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course finishes along the shores of Lake Tahoe's south shore. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Coyote Moon golf course - No. 18
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Coyote Moon golf course - No. 18
A dramatic mountain golf course in Truckee, Calif., Coyote Moon boasts severely elevated tees and greens. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Schaffer's Mill Club golf course - No. 15
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Schaffer's Mill Club golf course - No. 15
Truckee's newest golf course, the Schaffer's Mill Club, is a private design now offering limited "promotional" play. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Golf Club at Gray's Crossing - hole 6
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Golf Club at Gray's Crossing - hole 6
The Golf Club at Gray's Crossing in Truckee, Calif., is now offering public play daily. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Old Greenwood Golf Club - hole 9
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Old Greenwood Golf Club - hole 9
The Jack Nicklaus-designed Old Greenwood Golf Club rolls through tall pines in Truckee, Calif. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Whitehawk Ranch golf course - No. 11
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Whitehawk Ranch golf course - No. 11
Quiet, secluded and scenic Whitehawk Ranch is the gem of the low-key Graeagle, Calif. area. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Plumas Pines golf course - No. 18
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Plumas Pines golf course - No. 18
Near Graeagle, Calif., Plumas Pines is a scenic golf course with narrow fairways and some beautiful mountain views. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Martis Camp golf course - No. 17
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Martis Camp golf course - No. 17
The Tom Fazio-designed Martis Camp is an exclusive, upscale private club in Truckee, Calif. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Clear Creek Tahoe golf course - hole 4
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Clear Creek Tahoe golf course - hole 4
The large hump in the middle of the fourth green at Clear Creek Tahoe makes putting difficult. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
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The best of golf in the High Sierras

The Sierra Nevada mountain range in northern Nevada and California makes for spectacular natural scenery and a collection of the mountain and desert west's top golf courses.

At an altitude more than 6,000 feet, Lake Tahoe is one of America's most spectacular natural wonders and is a top resort and gaming destination. South Lake Tahoe is home to the region's most famous, golf course, Edgewood Tahoe, which finishes spectacularly on the south shore.

Just north of Lake Tahoe, the village of Truckee has experienced a growth in golf and residential developments in the mountains, including the newest course, Schaffer's Mill Club. Truckee is remote, but Graeagle is more so, a small, laid-back village in Plumas County, which is home to more mountain golf, none better than Whitehawk Ranch.

The golf season can be all too short in the High Sierras, sometimes not opening until late May or early June depending on the course's elevation. For four-season golf and 24/7 gaming and entertainment, Reno-Sparks boasts affordable, sunny high-desert courses year round, including semi-private Red Hawk Golf Resort, while also serving host to the PGA Tour's Reno-Tahoe Open at exclusive Montreux Golf Club.

Here's a look at the many different sides to golf in the High Sierras, Reno and Carson Valley.

Brandon Tucker is the Sr. Managing Editor for GolfPass and was the founding editor of Golf Advisor in 2014, he was the managing editor for Golf Channel Digital's Courses & Travel. To date, his golf travels have taken him to over two dozen countries and nearly 600 golf courses worldwide. While he's played some of the most prestigious courses in the world, Tucker's favorite way to play the game is on a great muni in under three hours. Follow Brandon on Twitter at @BrandonTucker and on Instagram at @btuck34.
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The best of golf in the High Sierras