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Edgewood
Tahoe Golf Course- Stateline NV
Ever play golf
in a postcard before? I did, at Edgewood on the shores of Lake Tahoe.
As you look at the snow-capped mountains and glistening lake from
just about every hole, you’ll think you’re in golf heaven.
A couple things
you gotta know before we go any further. The place isn’t cheap.
It’s $175, including cart, every day. And it’s not exactly next-door.
It was a three-hour drive from the East Bay.
Given the location,
I thought for weeks that I must be crazy to drive that far (and
back the same day) just to play golf. But the moment I laid eyes
on the course, I knew it was worth it.
Some of these
resort-type courses sucker you in with one or two picturesque holes
that they put on all the advertising materials, but not Edgewood.
On every hole
you have a great view, particularly with the course’s dramatic closing
holes.
No. 16 is par
5 with the lake behind the green. No. 17 is a short par 3 cozied
against the water. And No. 18 is a par 5 with the green tucked between
the lake and a small pond. It’s virtually impossible to hit this
green in two. It’s hard enough to hit it in three.
You probably
know this course, particularly the closing hole, from the annual
Celebrity
Golf Championships, shown on NBC every July.
I know what
you’re thinking: 'Jeff, am I paying all that money for the scenery?'
Honestly, yes. It’s a challenging, well-maintained course with plenty
of intriguing holes, but it certainly wouldn’t be worth $175 if
it was land-locked in the East Bay.
Still, I’d
make it a once-a-year pilgrimage. Make a weekend out of it. Play
some blackjack. See a show. Have some nice dinners. Rent a boat.
Play some golf.
Anyway, about
the course itself. It’s long—7,379 yards from the tips, down to
6,365 from the whites—but you’ll get about 10 percent more distance
on all your shots because of the elevation, 6,200 feet. Also, the
fairways are cut tight and quick, so you’ll get a lot of roll.
The front is
much easier than the back. The only real monster is No. 9, a par
4 that plays 461 from the tips and 414 from the whites. And you’ll
have to fade your drive or the green will be practically unreachable
with your second shot. Don’t fade it too much, though, because this
is one of several holes lined by thick, mature trees.
The same goes
for No. 16. Keep it straight here, and don’t trust your eyes. The
green looks much closer than it is, because it’s very deep and the
lake is right behind it. And there are bunkers surrounding the front
to catch misjudged shots.
If you can
make good contact, you can score here, because the greens aren’t
particularly tricky or fast. Most likely you won’t be that concerned
with your score, though. You’ll just wish you brought your camera.
By
Jeff Fletcher
Editor, sfbaygolf.com
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