THE GOLF

D’Andrea Golf Club
6,849 yards, par 71
Greens fee: $95-$105
775-331-6363; dandreagolf.com

D’problem most players face at D’Andrea is d’constant elevation change. Designer Keith Foster was handed a hilly plot to work with, and rather than bulldoze it into submission he opted to go with the lay of the land. The character of the course is apparent from the first hole, a steeply sloped par 4 that requires two extra clubs on the approach. But it’s even clearer when you reach the third, a nosebleed par 3 that drops severely to a tricky tiered green. Conditions at D’Andrea are usually firm and fast, and the views of downtown Reno and the Sierra Nevadas are superb.

Old Greenwood 7,518 yards, par 72 Greens fee: $100-$170 800-754-3070, oldgreenwood.com The Bear went into the mountains, and this is what he built. Jack Nicklaus’ design sits in the high Sierras, a half-hour drive on the interstate from Reno but a world away in its terrain. This is alpine golf, 8,000 feet above sea level. Although not as sadistic as some of Nicklaus’ earlier courses, Old Greenwood punishes misplaced drives by forcing you to shape your approach shot or execute a long and awkward carry over water. The setting is serene, and even when you’re standing in the heart of the fairway it feels as if you’re wandering through the woods.

Old Greenwood Golf ClubFred Vuich

Wolf Run
Golf Club
7,100 yards, par 72
Greens fee: $65-$75
775-851-3301, wolfrungolfclub.com

Depending when you play it, Wolf Run can feel like two different courses: a docile animal in the morning or a monster in the wind-whipped afternoon. Elevation changes play a huge role here. The fairways are forgiving and the course has a couple of utterly forgettable holes. But the par 3s are nifty, and Thomas Creek, which wanders through the course, can seem like the Mississippi when the winds at this Wolf begin to howl.

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