First round our four day golf trip. Cool temperatures around 55 degrees made our choice easier to play the course at 6500 yds. $175 green fee. Excellent layout with many elevation changes and for... Continue »

First round our four day golf trip. Cool temperatures around 55 degrees made our choice easier to play the course at 6500 yds. $175 green fee. Excellent layout with many elevation changes and forced carries. Fast greens with difficult green complexes. Excellent warm up round before we hit the crown jewels of Lake Tahoe.

Played Sunday 8:30 as part of a tournament (NCGA) group. 107+ players using both tees resulting in a round of just about five hours POP.
Course is in great condition overall as they prep for the PGA... Continue »

Played Sunday 8:30 as part of a tournament (NCGA) group. 107+ players using both tees resulting in a round of just about five hours POP.
Course is in great condition overall as they prep for the PGA tourney late July. Cart path only restrictions due to that although they had said to our organizer this would not be the case when he inquired about carts.
Rough is the real rough stuff. Ball often sits down deep in the landing areas off fairway. Little chance to advance extracting. Iron back in play the prudent choice. Lush and thick.
Fairways are good. Tee boxes level and good coverage. Bunkers have good sand coverage. No rakes (CV-19) Our rules provided lift clean and place option.
All course conditions as expected at a $$$ level facility.
Greens I felt were rolling a little slow. A few ball marks. Interesting undulations and large with many hole options.
Didn't use or go inside clubhouse. Range and #1 and #10 are away from the CH. Beverage cart out for service this day.
Overall a great summer weather in the mountains and better than average course conditions on the Jack Nicklaus design combine to make it a good day.
They have a short season and there are many course to choose in the Truckee area. The better conditioned ones are priced accordingly.

After playing Greenwood on Monday evening, we moved up our Old Greenwood tee time to 7:30 on Tuesday. This was the most expensive round of the trip at $175. They do combo deals with Gray's Crossing an... Continue »

After playing Greenwood on Monday evening, we moved up our Old Greenwood tee time to 7:30 on Tuesday. This was the most expensive round of the trip at $175. They do combo deals with Gray's Crossing and NCGA rates, but because we paid only a twilight rate at Gray's, we weren't able to get any discounts on the round here. Ultimately, it was a wash because the two rounds together were right about what we were planning to pay for the original package deal anyway. They put us out as a twosome behind three foursomes. We ended up playing through 2 of them and then caught up to the other on the back nine and they didn't let us play through. We all caught up to maintenance anyway soon after that, so there was really nowhere to go and we just slow-played the final few holes behind them. The conditions here were great as this course had the deepest green look of all the courses we played on the trip. Some minor issues when you looked really close and got really nitpicky, but otherwise lush and nicely manicured throughout. Thick rough that provided extra challenge. Fairways also a bit on the soft side with all the watering and morning moisture. Greens very nice. Soft and receptive with the moisture, but rolling great at nice speeds that obviously got quicker as they dried out. I really liked Old Greenwood, too. Though the course has its demanding qualities and the tricky Nicklaus greens, it wasn't quite as tough as I expected it to be. I was expecting another Montreux, but there aren't really any significant elevation changes at Old Greenwood and thus the diagonal/undulated greens aren't quite as brutal. The back nine is tougher than the front, I thought, with a few more somewhat-elevated greens and blind approach shots a la Nicklaus design. Still a fairly difficult course (especially if you play the longer tees), just maybe not as much as a butt-kicker as I expected. Either way, it's a beautiful track with a great setting in Truckee, so I would easily recommend it to just about anyone.

Played 6/27, 1pm shotgun, as part of a 4 day golf trip. My personal ranking of the 4 I played: Incline Village Championship Course, Old Greenwood, Edgewood, Gray's Crossing. Though all 4 are really ... Continue »

Played 6/27, 1pm shotgun, as part of a 4 day golf trip. My personal ranking of the 4 I played: Incline Village Championship Course, Old Greenwood, Edgewood, Gray's Crossing. Though all 4 are really great and fun.

Today was an overcast windy day, in the 60s, but windchill made it colder. I really enjoyed this course. Interesting holes, with lots of elevation changes. Using every club in your bag.
Need to club down at least one club for elevation. With the 20-30 mph winds, I had a hard time with club selection, and was long on most shots. The wind died down a little on the back, and I eventually figured it out. My mantra all weekend became "trust the altitude".

Greens super grainy, so if you can't read the grain, you will struggle. They were true, ran about 11.5 downgrain, 10 upgrain. The course overall was in great shape. Cart girl came around multiple times. Definitely want to play here again.

Played 9/4/2014 at 11:20, temp around 80°, occasional wind, very light, but variable in direction. Rack rate $200, but NCGA or SCGA members pay $150.

First trip for me to this course. Third day o... Continue »

Played 9/4/2014 at 11:20, temp around 80°, occasional wind, very light, but variable in direction. Rack rate $200, but NCGA or SCGA members pay $150.

First trip for me to this course. Third day of three day Truckee/Incline golf trip. Jack Nicklaus Signature design. You will love it or hate it. My playing partners thought it was great. I prefer Palmer designs over Nicklaus designs.

The course is gorgeous and the layout is great. Every hole is different. Some doglegs, some straight. Some uphill, some downhill. Some short holes, some long holes. Something for everyone. Pretty narrow with many pine trees and some mountain lakes with a lot of tules. Lots of fairway bunkers. But the fairways lies are relatively flat (unlike Incline Village where there are no flat fairway lies).

Greens: quite firm, around 11 stimp, multitiered, lots of grain. Many are elevated, some have false fronts and collection areas. Most have long rough just off the green which makes chipping very hard.
Fairways: pretty much perfect. Firm with tight lies. Very few fairway divots so never a bad lie.
Rough: Around 3". Ball nestles down. Too be avoided.
Fairway bunkers: Quite deep.
Greenside bunkers: Deeper than fairway bunkers. More than once we had bunker shots from 6 feet below the green surface.

Amentities:
Great practice range. All grass. Large practice putting green with the same speed as the course. Separate chipping area with adjoining deep bunkers so you can experience the bunker play before you actually go to the course.

Starter very friendly and is located adjacent the practice area. He sends groups from there to the first tee which makes for great traffic control. Course marshal was seen about every third hole which minimized any potential backups. We played in 4 hours which I consider amazing since most players are tourists who only play occasionally. Likewise, on course beverage service was more than regular and she has hot dogs and snacks along with drinks which was a big plus because you do not go back to the clubhouse at the turn.

No carts in parking lot, so use the bag drop. Also the cart return is right next to the indoor/outdoor restaurant. There is a bag rack right there so you can keep an eye on your clubs while you have drink/food on the patio.

No GPS. Buy the $5 course layout booklet. You will need it for the carry distance to and over the fairway bunkers and water features. Ice chests on carts and water stations about every three holes.

Excellent golf experience. Feels like a private club. If you like Nicklaus designs, this is one of the best I have played. If you don't want to feel like you have been in a prize fight when you are finished, play Gray's Crossing.

Played 8/20/12. Loved this course. Great condition, challenging (Nicklaus design) but fair enough to make enjoyable. Had perfect dry, calm, 80 degree day which made for fast conditions. My first exper... Continue »

Played 8/20/12. Loved this course. Great condition, challenging (Nicklaus design) but fair enough to make enjoyable. Had perfect dry, calm, 80 degree day which made for fast conditions. My first experience here or at any short season courses with elevation. Greens are a little thin / shallow, and quite firm. Even shots hit with spin, rolled out a bit. Greens were very smooth and a little grainy which made them tough to read. Spectacular layout among giant pines. Starter indicated 96 sand bunkers and in true Nicklaus style, very punitive and deep around the green. Fairway bunkers tough as well. Well defined fairways, and pretty thick rough. This course is in Truckee, so elevation not as much a factor here. Maybe 5-10% (at the most). Great service inside and out, with exception of one rogue cart girl who drove directly in front of one of our tee shots, and told us we were crazy...We explained, in no uncertain terms, what the correct etiquette should be. Otherwise, great time here, good practice area, clubhouse, and outdoor 19th hole. Highly recommend.

Old Greenwood Golf Course Review
Truckee California Golf Course Reviews

Played "Jack's" course yesterday, and it's definitely a trek that will cause you to plan your shots. Well thought-out excursion through the forests around Truckee and it really pays to play on the sh... Continue »

Played "Jack's" course yesterday, and it's definitely a trek that will cause you to plan your shots. Well thought-out excursion through the forests around Truckee and it really pays to play on the shorter grass here. The course was immaculate although I thought the greens were a bit much on the "hard" side...ball marks were more like skid marks. Had played Gray's Crossing the day before (can't seem to find a listing for it on Greenskeeper) on the NCGA "2 Course Play" special, so will put that info in here also. Fairways a bit more open at GC than OG and I guess that's a mark of Peter Jacobson. Greens were about the same as OG but otherwise, both courses were in great fall shape. Interesting sidebar is that #6 is a driveable par 4 which plays downhill and mostly downwind. The service at both was flawless with no complaints. Great practice facilities at both courses. A tip for anyone thinking of playing either/both: bring your better or best game or it may be a long day. Mountain golf, especially in the Tahoe region...undeniably worth the effort.

Played 8/15/10 with $45 NCGA discount for $145. This is one of at least three courses that were built as private club real estate deals in the Truckee area (Greys Crossing and Timilick are the others)... Continue »

Played 8/15/10 with $45 NCGA discount for $145. This is one of at least three courses that were built as private club real estate deals in the Truckee area (Greys Crossing and Timilick are the others). The failed real estate market provides us working folks with a chance to play these private gems as resort courses, albiet pricey. Greenwood shows The Golden Bear's touches, like doglegs right, green complexes with one side steeply dropping into bunkers, and a misplaced shot results in shooting over a bunker to the green, while a well placed shot leaves a wide open green.

The course management is still mostly interested in selling real estate than they are pleasing us interlopers. They require cart path only on holes that can be seen from the clubhouse or the road into the course. Even their website emphisizes the real estate to the point that its hard to find the golf section.

As far as the golf...a 5-1/2 hour round pretty much detracts from course conditions and layout and makes for a miserable slog. I rated the rough really low because there really isn't any. There's a 2 inch cut along the sides of the fairway but the rough is just brush under pines, and any shot off the green grass is unplayable, or unfindable. We didn't see a marshall until the 13th hole (and 4 hours)...when I asked "who's leading this parade?" he just smiled and said a tournament had gone out before us. I asked how come a tournament can't be asked to play fast? Who am I kidding? They're not going to tell a bunch of potential land buyers to hurry.

I think pricey resort golf should provide as many amenities as possible to make the course as playable as possible...this should at least include a yardage book and a pin sheet, since its likely I'm not going to play the course often enough to know what lies ahead. It was obvious that the course hadn't been "layed out" for the day...e.g. 7 of the first 9 holes had back pin positions; the flags aren't color coded, and the greens are large enough to make a club difference on approach. I recommend sticking with Coyote Moon for resort golf in the pines. Greenwood is just more expensive and slower.

3 Aug 14:00 Tee NCGA $100. Very nice staff all around, ok F&B at Terrace, good drinks cart attendance and polite starter. Superb practice facility!! The course presented immaculately (see pics) with m... Continue »

3 Aug 14:00 Tee NCGA $100. Very nice staff all around, ok F&B at Terrace, good drinks cart attendance and polite starter. Superb practice facility!! The course presented immaculately (see pics) with manicure and maintenance of a very high standard. Tees, fairways, rough, sand all watered just enough for growth and lushness. The greens were incredible; firm and fast and fun. A good design and challenge for anyone. Lots of water stations and good pace with nice vistas made a return necessary.