Dave Silbar Impossibly Beautiful: Lake Tahoe’s Trilogy Provides a Mountain Golf Getaway D e s t i n a t i o n s T he moment I stepped onto my balcony at the Edgewood Tahoe
but the five sets of tees make it incred- ibly playable. The mountainous layout features generous fairways that invite the driver, but the elevation changes (from 4,800 to 5,400 feet) and the stra- tegic, deep bunkering keep you honest. Cupp gave players wide landing zones, but the approaches to the greens are often elevated or guarded. Holes like the drivable par-4 11th and the challenging par-4 15th (pro- tected by a sharp false front) demand specific execution. The views here are less about the lake and more about the rugged, vast mountain wilderness. It felt like playing golf on the edge of the world, with pure air and pristine condi- tions that made the distance worthwhile.
The massive, natural turf driving range was a bonus, allowing a proper warm- up before tackling this remote gem. The plaque inside the lodge-style restaurant here said it all: Golf Digest ’s Top 10 Courses You Can Play in California (think Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, Torrey Pines, etc). with Grizzle Ranch at #9. North Shore Challenges: Incline Village Championship Course The next day, I drove north, circling the lake to Incline Village, Nevada, for a starkly different, but equally beauti- ful, challenge. While the club offers the accessible, par-58 Mountain Course, I chose the Championship Course, a full par-72 layout famous for its tight,
Resort, the world outside seemed to pause. Nearby, the famous 18th hole curved gently toward the impossibly blue water of Lake Tahoe, framed by the jagged peaks of the Sierra Nevada. This wasn’t just a golf trip; it was an alpine pilgrimage. The High Desert Test That’s Worth the Drive : Grizzly Ranch Golf Club The journey to Portola, California, and the remote Grizzly Ranch Golf Club was an adventure in itself, marking the geographical transition from the granite peaks of the Tahoe Basin to the vastness of the high desert. Leaving the dense, lakeside forests of South Lake Tahoe, the route immediately climbs and then descends, offering breathtaking farewell views of the entire cobalt-blue lake. As the drive turns away from the immediate Tahoe area, the landscape dramatically changes. The thick stands of alpine pine give way to open, expan- sive skies and the golden, arid terrain characteristic of the Great Basin. The air feels lighter, and the horizon stretches out forever, dotted only with sagebrush and juniper trees. This stretch is a master- class in Western American scenery—fast, empty roads framed by dramatic rock formations and the occasional work- ing ranch, creating a profound sense of solitude. Finally, as the route merges onto California 70 and approaches the Plumas National Forest near Portola, the landscape softens once more. The high-desert scrub transitions back into the lush green of alpine meadows and thick forests, signaling the entrance to the remote, wild region where Grizzly Ranch is perfectly hidden. This visual transition underscored just how distinct the Grizzly Ranch experience would be. Tucked over an hour northwest of Reno in the high-desert landscape bor- dering the million-acre Plumas National Forest, this Bob Cupp design felt truly remote and expansive—a stark contrast to the manicured confines of Tahoe’s resort courses (more on those later). Grizzly Ranch is a sprawling, 7,411- yard championship test from the tips,
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