Schaffer s Mill’
about the growing amenities and community nestled between the exclusive company of Martis Camp and Lahontan in charming Truckee, a scenic 15-minute mountain drive from the shores of North Lake Tahoe. But at the heart of the 450-acre
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property is a memorable John Harbottle and Johnny Miller design that opened as the Timilick Club in 2008 to impressive acclaim, debuting as Golfweek’s best new private club in California. Harbottle’s original Northern
California courses include Cinnabar Hills, Stevinson Ranch and Dairy
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NCGA.ORG / SPRING 2015
t just keeps getting better. That’s how you feel as you
discover surprising and exciting holes deeper into your round at Schaffer’s Mill Golf & Lake Club. And that’s how members feel
Creek, but this design is uniquely different. The par-71 Schaffer’s Mill, which sits at some 6,000 feet of alti- tude, delivers true mountain golf. Schaffer’s Mill is a retreat into
nature amid towering and fragrant fir, spruce and pine trees, peaceful brooks and creeks, eye-catching rock outcroppings, and over provocative ponds. It races up and over ridges, un- veiling stealthy and hike-worthy vistas of Martis Valley, Lookout Mountain, Northstar and the Carson Range. “There really is nothing like it,”
said Schaffer’s Mill Director of Golf Clint Bassett.
The first-timer will be struck immediately by Harbottle’s distinct bunkering, with its Einstein-like eyebrows shooting out from the top edges. “If you’re familiar with Harbottle
By KEVIN MERFELD
designs, he really is a student of Alister MacKenzie, with native grass growing around the bunkers,” Bassett said. “They look like they’ve been there forever.” For the first eight holes, Schaffer’s
Mill embraces drives with enticing fairways, but the greens are peppered with troublesome bunkers, and strate- gically shielded by trees. The opening eight holes route through a relatively tame meadow, as the trees lay back— think prevent defense instead of crowding the fairways and showing an all-out blitz. “Harbottle did a tremendous job
of really mixing things up with the terrain that he had,” Bassett said. “Everything is framed very nicely. The teeth are around the greens.” The holes are varied in a fun way. They are long and short, uphill and
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