Reno has no shortage of public golf courses and for the most part they are opened year round. Even with snow on the surrounding peaks you can get out and tee it up.
When it comes to scenic golf courses in the Reno area, put LakeRidge near or at the top of your list!
LakeRidge is a course with beautiful views off the tee, great hole designs throughout, and challenging approaches where the risk will be worth the reward.
What to expect from your round at LakeRidge:
For the bigger hitters you will find yourself salivating at the opportunity to show how big you really are in the altitude that Reno affords as opposed to the rest of Northern California with a few opportunities to drive the green or carry one of the creeks that navigate through the course.
This is also where it gets tricky because you will have to fight the dog inside of you to make the smart play and pull out the 3-wood and lay up.
The approaches vary which is nice due to the fact you aren’t seeing the same shot every time.
The variety of uphill, downhill, bunker-laden, and a couple greens surrounded by water, keeps it from being a boring round of golf.
The conditions, whether it be right at the start of the season or in the middle of November, never seem to disappoint.
From the tee boxes to the greens and everything in between is always in good shape. Fast, yet consistent greens will make for an exciting round every time. The maintenance team deserves praise for the never-ending consistency of the course.
While the entire course is enjoyable, the highlights come from the following holes.
The opening hole – No. 1 (410 yards, par 4) – while not necessarily difficult is a great opening hole that features a risk/reward shot off the tee.
The big hitters are faced with the options to cut over the trees needing a 260 carry to clear the creek. Or playing the slight dogleg right and giving yourself 280 until the water.
This follows into a narrow approach with bunkers playing deep right and front left. Not necessarily a difficult hole but shows how the course likes to play the mental game early on.
No. 8 is a big, straight, 536-yard downhill par 5 with an open fairway that affords the golfers of all skill levels that chance to let the big dog eat.
The difficulty on this hole comes with the second shot. The average golfer looks at a 230-yard shot to get home in two. Doesn’t sound too bad yet? The last 90 yards of the 230 is over water, and this hole became a whole lot scarier. The mere presence of water makes most golfers overthink the shot.
The back nine features the signature hole of the course, No. 15. The iconic downhill par 3 to an island green with the city of Reno in the background is hands down the prettiest views on a course in Reno.
Sitting at a 239-yards the hole plays closer to 200 yards, showing how steep the drop off is. Making it on the green is something to be proud of and walking off with par is just fine.
The ACES team always has felt the closing should be a match decider and that’s what you get here at No. 18
The 525-yard par 5 also boasts an open fairway but does have danger if your drive leaks too far to the right.
The hole has a dogleg left, with creek guarding the right side of the hole, beginning 200 yards off the tee and running all the way to the hole.
With a small opening to the green surrounded by bunkers on both sides makes for a risky yet rewarding chance at getting home in two.
It’s the type of hole we love, not the toughest – it’s the No. 8 handicap hole – but with just enough to bite the golfer with a wayward shot!
LakeRidge is the perfect course to get out an play year around for golfers of all skill levels.
For more information go to www.lakeridgegolfcourse.com
By Joshua Miller