Northstar California Golf Course opened in 1974 in Martis Valley, just outside Truckee on the north side of Lake Tahoe. The 18-hole, par-72 layout was designed by Robert Muir Graves, a Northern California-based architect known for routing courses through rugged, wooded sites and shaping holes with flowing bunker lines and contoured greens. The course sits at roughly 6,000 feet of elevation, where thinner air typically adds 10 to 15 yards of carry.

On the course

The routing splits into two clearly different nines. The front, known as the Meadow Nine, plays through the open valley floor in a links style with wider corridors that invite drivers off the tee. The back, called the Mountain Nine, climbs into the pines and demands more precise iron play, with tree-lined fairways and smaller greens. The par-3 15th, which requires a tee shot over a creek to a small green, is generally identified as the signature hole. From the back tees the course stretches to roughly 6,800 yards, with the par-5 7th the longest hole at around 590 yards, and it carries an NCGA rating of 72.4.

Who it suits

The contrast between the two nines makes Northstar a useful test for a wide range of players. Higher-handicap golfers and visitors getting used to mountain conditions can find a rhythm on the more forgiving Meadow Nine, while better players will be more interested in the shot-shaping required on the Mountain Nine. As part of the Northstar California Resort, the course also operates as a destination round for skiers visiting in the off-season, and it works well for groups combining golf with other Tahoe-area activities. The season is short and weather-dependent, typically running late spring through mid-fall.

Architect: Robert Muir Graves · Opened: 1974