In recent years it was a decent ask to get golfers to drive by both Truckee and Lake Tahoe and make the trip to the Reno area.
The golf, while decent, really didn’t hold a candle to the surplus of world class courses in Truckee, or Edgewood in South Lake Tahoe.
An argument could be made the Carson Valley could offer equal, if not better golfing options.
To persuade the golfer to make the trek into Reno, they needed a high-end golf destination location. Something offering excellent golf, with superior lodging, and finally top-notch dining.
They’ve got it now. In spades.
Welcome to the Red Hawk Golf and Resort in Sparks, just outside of Reno.
Let’s start with golf.
There are 36 holes with two wonderful and extremely different courses. See our separate stories on each course as the Lakes course and the Hills offer immaculate tracks, offering two different styles of courses.
Did I mention they are managed by Troon Golf? That alone tells you it will be all about great golf and wonderful customer service.
While the golf courses are detailed in separate stories, let’s focus on the property overall!
Lodging
The Villas are, well, stunning. I have stayed at resorts around North America, and I will put The Villas right up against any lodging property.
When I go to Reno to gamble, it’s fine staying in one of the casinos. The rooms are usually great, there are plenty of dining options, and there is the complete gaming experience.
But, if not in your room, the noise level can be annoying, and of course there is the permeating smoke smell that follows your everywhere – even in your luggage all the way home.
What the Villas offer is completely the opposite. And they serve two purposes. It can be a great spot for a buddy trip, or it can be an awesome getaway for the family.
Both work and work well.
Not a lot of places I have visited over the years can fill both options as well as Red Hawk can and does.
The Villa we stayed in offered three independent suites but they all had connecting doors so it could be three different lodging options or one big place.
I had the joy of staying in the 829 square foot Parlor Suite. You walk through the front to an entrance hallway. As you head down the hall, you first pass the spacious bathroom, before turning right into the living area.
The first thing you come upon is the large kitchen area which offers everything you need to make up feel at home. There is a seated bar area right connected to the kitchen, offering ample seating.
Looking over the bar you see a big couch which turns into a queen sleeper sofa. The couch sits in front of a fireplace with the TV mounted above on the wall.
There is a workplace to the left of the fireplace, and a cabinet with drawers to the right.
Behind the couch there is a table/chairs combo which could also be used for dining, as well as a taller table which provides some separation between the couch and the big king bed.
There is also a patio, which was a nice and quiet place to sit with morning coffee or a late-night refresher.
My buddy stayed in the Talon Suite, which adjoined my suite. The Talon Suite is 646 square feet and can easily stand alone as a lodging option.
There is a smaller refrigerator, microwave, and a wet bar in the room, along with a table, chairs, fireplace, and TV. There is also a big bathroom which offers both a shower and a jacuzzi tub.
The Red Hawk Suite is like the Talon Suite but offers a queen sleeper sofa.
The most intriguing suite is the Loft Suite. This 1,332 square foot suite is two stories. There loft offers a king and a queen bed on the second level, with a queen sleeper sofa downstairs.
It also has a full kitchen and laundry amenities for the perfect family or buddy trip.
You want the wow factor the first time you see your lodging and Red Hawks aces the test.
Dining
David’s Grill offers both a sports bar and a resort restaurant that ranges from traditional breakfast, burgers or salad for lunch, and high-end cuisine for dinner.
There are three seating options – the sports bar replete with a lot of cool sports memorabilia, a dining room – that includes private rooms, and comfortable and scenic outside seating.
The best example as to the quality of the offerings is the number of people from the local community that make David’s their dining establishment, or regularly stop by after work for a drink or two.
We were there on a Tuesday-Thursday and the place was packed for lunch each day, as well as crowded for dinner. Breakfast saw a decent crowd on Wednesday and Thursday.
For dinner I highly recommend the Red Hawk Rib Eye. If you’re steak man – and most golfers are – then this entrée is right down the middle of the fairway.
The wine list was solid and had options to pair with whatever entrée was selected. There was an excellent Tawney Port to end the night.
Breakfast offers traditional fare, all of which seems high quality. Quick service allows you to get in, grab a bite, then hit the course.
There is also a snack bar that is higher end than traditional snack bar. Breakfast is great there, but also there for food at the turn, and a beverage or two following the round.
The outside seating is relaxing before or after the round.
Swim and Fitness Center
Resort guests are allowed to use the facilities, both of which are state of the art, as the Resort offers memberships for both.
There are both current cardio and weight offerings, fully capable of getting you a full workout.
The pool is of such quality, Red Hawk offers swim memberships to the local community, and that are very popular with the locals.
There are ample areas to have parties, with the availability to make your group feel like it has its own space, without compromising the regular guests.
There are party packages available, ranging from a small group of say five, up to packages for groups of 20 or more.
Other events/facilities
Red Hawk has turned out to be a premier wedding location as the newly renovated events center along with the Villas offer a one-stop, wedding festival that promises to be a great time.
There are three other ideal spots on the property, with three of them involving outdoor venues. All offer excellent outside aesthetics.
The event center is also used for corporate events as the Reno area continues to expand from a business perspective, bring in major companies to the area.
At the end of the day, after spending my early adulthood visiting Reno with my buddies, the more I got into golf, the less I found myself visiting the Reno area.
With a facility like Red Hawk Golf and Resort I can see myself as a regular visitor. Between the golf, the Villas, dining, and other amenities, there is everything you want in a getaway from Northern California.
Check out www.redhawkgolfandresort.com.
By Dennis Miller