It’s party time in Lake Tahoe again as the American Century Championships roll into town this weekend.
The mix of celebrity and a Mardi Gras type atmosphere on the shores of Lake Tahoe make for a must-see event for the golf fan and the celebrity seekers as the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course plays host to entertainment and athletic celebrities for the premier 54-hole celebrity tournament.
Former San Jose Shark Joe Pavelski is the defending champion and is back to defend his title in three-day event that has a purse of $750,000 of which $150,000 goes to first place.
First time participants are Drake Maye of the New England Patriots and Kyle Hamilton of the Baltimore Ravens. NFL coaches Mike Macdonald (Seattle), Robert Saleh (Tennessee), and Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota) are all making their debuts as well.
As usual there’s a load of celebrity names playing in the tournament such as: Anthony Anderson, Charles Barkley, Brian Baumgartner (Kevin from the Office), Drew Brees, Roger Clemens, Steph Curry, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney (Rascal Flatts), Bobby Flay, Kyle Juszcyk, Jake Owen, Jerry Rice, Rob Riggle, Ray Romano, Tony Romo, Miles Teller, and Larry the Cable Guy.
There are a couple of ways to view the tournament and I recommend doing both. The best days to attend the tournament are Friday and Saturday and you should go each day. On Friday, roam the course – the further you get away from the clubhouse, there are less people and the chance to see the celebrities up close is optimal.
Then on Saturday, get to the tournament real early and head out to the 17th tee area. Get a good spot and prepare to camp out there the entire day.
It is the second-best party hole in all of golf, trailing only the 16th hole at the Waste Management Open at the TPC Scottsdale.
There’s music. Interaction with all the players, a throng of fans surrounding the course, either on the course or on the beach and boats docked along the beach. Best of all, the hole is framed by Lake Tahoe and the surrounding Sierra Nevada.
I have always headed home early on Sunday, beating the busy holiday weekend crowd and usually get home in time to watch the end of the tournament on TV.
If you have never been to the tournament, you owe it to yourself to check it out. And you never know who you run into in the casino, restaurants, or night clubs.