acres of lakes, reservoirs and wetlands, he chose not to make Lahontan a target course, nor torment short hitters with long forced carries. Generous fairway and green complexes help keep the ball in play. Adds Cobain: “Tom came back here last year and asked us to move the rough back in a few places to maintain that playability.” This approach is im-
mediately evident around the large green of the first hole—a stout 398 yards from the blue tees and 423 from the tips—which on the right side has a mound that can kick a faded approach back onto the putting surface, a fine confidence-building touch. The second is considered a Weiskopf favorite, a true three-shot par 5 and the No. 1 handicap hole. From the tee it skirts the Goose- neck Reservoir to the right, and features a huge bunker that comes into play on the second shot. A brave lay up close to the sand sets up an easier third shot, while a safer line left brings the reservoir that wraps around the green well into play on the approach. However, a round at La-
hontan isn’t completely de- fined by shot values. While the next few holes offer strategic choices, the scen- ery only gets better as the fairways meander though a mature forest, to black rock outcroppings next to a green, and to dramatic views of Lookout Mountain and its breathtaking ski runs. The eighth hole includes an initial encounter with Mar- tis Creek, the trout stream
that doesn’t come into play but appears in several places on the course. Back to golf, the 12th
starts a sensational finish- ing sequence of two par 4s, a pair of par 3s and two par 5s—a series in which one can either pick up a couple strokes, or pick up the ball and pocket it. No. 14 is a downhill
403-yarder from the blues with rock outcroppings on the left side, which then give way to a drop-off where pulled shots go to get lost. But the left side of the green has a bunker that will keep an errant shot in play, and shaping on the right to bring off-line shots back toward the hole.
The final pair of par 3s
at Nos. 15 and 16 both pres- ent downhill tee shots. No. 16 is the shorter of the two, but demands an approach to a small target surrounded by wetlands and heavy bunker- ing. No. 17 plays at a stiff 621 yards from the tips, while No. 18 is a much more manageable par 5 from the blues at 484 yards, so long as the drive remains on the narrow fairway. “We’re open from early
May until the third Sunday in October,” says Cobain, a New England native who has been with Lahontan since 2002. “We have 350 golf members, about two thirds of whom are summer residents. It’s really quiet in the winter, since only 22 families live here year-round.” Social life is therefore
compressed into summers. “The main course hosts about 8,000 rounds over the five and a half months, and the par 3 course gets more
Jay Stuller is a California-based author, journalist and communications consultant. His features have appeared in Smithsonian, Playboy, Audubon, Outside, Travel & Leisure and, among many other publications, Reader’s Digest.
28 /
NCGA.ORG / WINTER 2013
than 1,500 rounds,” Cobain explains. “The are tourna- ments at the course and Saturday pick-up games. There are a lot of self-di- rected activities and events created by members.” The cornerstone of the
community is the lodge, which includes a huge stone fireplace and an exceptional restaurant with views over- looking the Martis Valley, and which often features wine dinners. The club also has a day spa, fitness center, swimming pools, a sand volleyball court and three clay-surface tennis courts. During summers it also runs Camp Lahontan, with a variety of family-oriented activities that include chil- dren’s camps, tennis camps and aquatics programs. Moreover, Lahontan
doesn’t exactly shut down in the winter. Its fitness center offers a specialized ski con- ditioning class to improve
strength, flexibility and bal- ance, as well as winter yoga. The Lodge serves a huge spread on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. And around the holidays the club orga- nizes ice skating trips, sleigh rides and snow-tubing trips for residents who enjoy downtime in the mountains with their extended family. The property also in-
cludes a small fishing pond with a dock. “I took one of my grandchildren out and we caught a big trout on the first cast,” recalls Hansford. “There’s a lot more to La- hontan than golf.” Within months memo-
ries will turn into expecta- tions, as winter leaves and Lahontan activities resume, including dinners, swim- ming and fishing. At the heart of the club, though, is Tom Weiskopf ’s extraor- dinary course design, a signature of exquisite High Sierra golf.
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