tree-lined fairways and dramatic ele- vation changes. Designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones Sr., this course demands creative shaping and precision. The altitude helps add distance off the tee, but the pine-lined chutes require per- fect alignment. The design philosophy is classic Jones Sr., with large, heavily bunkered greens. The par-3 7th hole is particularly memorable, featuring a steep, downhill shot where judging the distance—and accounting for the thin air—is a serious mental test. Unlike Edgewood’s open, lakeside finish, Incline Village felt perfectly carved into the Sierra landscape, rewarding accu- racy and strategy over brute strength,
all the while offering stunning glimpses of the cobalt lake peeking through the tall trees. The Crown Jewel: Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course The trip officially kicked into high gear during my last two rounds, played on the South Shore, at the renowned Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. Host of the annual American Century Celebrity Championship, this Tom Fazio design is everything it’s cracked up to be: world- class conditioning and, crucially, the only course on the lake’s shore. The greens are not only smooth as glass, but nearly impossible to read when you first play here. In fact, one of the golf profession-
als quipped that it took him two years to fully understand many of the greens and their undulations. The initial holes offer a gentle intro- duction, winding through dense pines and mountain meadows, but the course gradually tightens its grip. The real drama begins on the finishing stretch of the back nine. Standing on the tee of the par-5 16th, which sweeps along the shore- line, I felt the lake’s gravity pull my ball toward the water—pinpoint accuracy is required here to set up a challenging approach. The penultimate 17th hole, a signature par 3, is the postcard moment: a green perched right on the lake’s edge, where a soft, high iron shot is essential to avoid the massive bunkers or, worse,
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