Golf in Nevada

Nevada and golf are synonymous. In fact, with more than 100 courses throughout the state, Nevada is truly a golfer’s paradise. From championship courses such as the 36-hole Las Vegas Paiute Resort to casual, recreational links like the nine-hole Brookside Golf Course in Reno, Nevada has endless recreational options for golfers.
In Southern Nevada, there are more than 50 courses within two hours of Las Vegas including three dozen in the immediate area. The courses range from publicly owned and operated links to private clubs that are limited to members and guests.
Among the newer courses in Southern Nevada: the Rhodes Ranch Country Club and the Royal Links Golf Club.
The venerable Desert Inn Golf Club, established in 1952, is one of the hosts of the annual PGA Las Vegas Invitational in October, along with two private courses, the Tournament Players Club at Summerlin and the Las Vegas Country Club.
Several other Southern Nevada communities have also established themselves as golf Mecca’s including: Boulder City, located 23 miles southeast of Las Vegas; Henderson /Green Valley, 13 miles southeast of Las Vegas; Laughlin, 95 miles southeast of Las Vegas; Mesquite, 79 miles northeast of Las Vegas; Primm, 43 miles southwest of Las Vegas; and Pahrump, which is 62 miles west of Las Vegas.
The Reno-Lake Tahoe region offers more than 50 golf courses within an hour of the Reno-Tahoe International Airport including the Wolf Run Golf Club, the Golf Club at Genoa Lakes, the Resort at Squaw Creek, and the Golf Club at Whitehawk Ranch. In the Reno area, courses include not only the state’s oldest links – the Washoe County Golf Course, which was established in 1934 – but several of the most recent courses such as Arrow Creek, Red Hawk, and Monteux, all of which opened in the past few years. The latter is a private course that is also home of the Reno/Tahoe Open, a new stop on the PGA tour.
The Carson City area, south of Reno, offers what it calls the “Divine Nine”. These nine courses encompass about 70.000 yards of green and roughs and include the Dayton Valley Country Club, Empire Ranch, and the new Sierra Nevada Golf Ranch.
At Lake Tahoe, golfers try not to be distracted by the lake’s natural beauty while attempting to sink a long putt. Lake Tahoe offers a dozen championship courses including Edgewood Tahoe on the south shore of the lake. Edgewood is the site of the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship in July and is rated one of Golf Digest’s top 25 public US golf courses.
In the more rural parts of Nevada, golfers will find plenty of wide-open spaces into which they can slice or hook. Courses range from Hawthorne’s Walker Lake Country Club, one of the state’s most picturesque nine-hole courses with its mature, towering elms, to the Mason Valley Country Club in Yerington, which recently expanded to 18 holes.
A couple of the state’s most unusual golf courses are Burning Sands at Empire, a nine-hole public course in the center of town, where green fees are a $10 donation, and the Sandy Bottoms Golf Course in Gabbs, the state’s only all-clay, free course. Playing Sandy Bottoms is kind of like playing at entire round in sand traps.

Indian Territory, Nevada

Between 10.000 and 12.000 years ago, various hunter-gatherer cultures flourished in Nevada. Prehistoric Lake Lahontan, an ancient inland sea that covered much of Northern Nevada and Utah, provided abundant fish, and the land was home to mammoth, bison and other game. While these prehistoric peoples left behind few clues about their lives, they did carve the mysterious “petroglyphs”, or rock writings that are found throughout Nevada and the Western United States. No one is certain of the meaning of these stone etchings, which depict a variety of shapes and designs as well as human stick figures, big horn sheep, and lizards. Some of the state’s best are found along US Highway 50 at Grimes Point, east of Fallon; Hickison Summit, east of Austin; and Valley of Fire State Park, northeast of Las Vegas.
As Nevada gradually grew drier and large game animals became extinct, the native Great Basin people adapted to the environmental changes. Massive Lake Lahontan receded into two smaller lakes, Pyramid and Walker, and their shores became the home of the Northern Paiute people. Meanwhile in Southern Nevada, the Southern Paiutes clustered near the springs of the Las Vegas Valley and the tributaries of the Colorado River. Other tribes, including the Western Shoshone and the Washo, found homes in Nevada’s many mountain ranges, which provided water, small game, and pine nuts.
In contemporary Nevada, many of the descendents of the state’s original settlers continue to occupy portions of their ancestral lands. For example, Pyramid Lake, located north of Reno, is located within the boundaries of a Northern Paiute Indian reservation. Reflecting the magnificent natural beauty of the region, Pyramid Lake Rd has been designated a National Scenic Byway, the only federal scenic byway located entirely within the boundaries of an Indian reservation. Pyramid Lake is a special place. It offers some of the best fishing in the state and the Pyramid Lake Visitor Center is home to a fascinating museum devoted to the lake’s natural history and the culture of the native people.
To the south, parts of Walker Lake and the community of Schurz are located within the Walker Lake Indian Reservation. Walker Lake also boasts trophy fishing, dramatic high desert landscapes, and plenty of wide-open space for exploring. Interestingly, while the present native tribes have been in Nevada for many thousands of years, they were preceded by a culture that has become known as the “Anasazi” or ancient ones. These prehistoric people constructed large and elaborate adobe villages along the Muddy and Virgin Rivers, which feed into the Colorado River. Today, the best place to learn more about the Anasazi is the Lost City Museum in Overton, which is northeast of Las Vegas. It houses Anasazi artifacts that have been found in the area as well as reconstructions of the adobe buildings and pit houses used by these ancient Nevadans.
Additionally, the Nevada State Museum in Carson City has an extensive display of native Nevadan artifacts, as well as dioramas showing daily life before the arrival of the white settlers. The Stewart Indian Cultural Center, south of Carlson City, was a federal boarding school for Indians until 1980. Today, it houses exhibits on the history of the school.
These days, Nevada’s tribes are involved in a variety of business enterprises ranging from native craft shops to smoke shops. The Las Vegas Paiute Resort, owned and operated by the Southern Paiutes, includes two championship golf courses located 20 miles northwest of Las Vegas, in the shadow of the 11.918 foot Charleston Peak.
A powwow is a gathering of Native peoples. Traditionally, it has been highlighted by dancing, which often takes the form of “fancy” dancing or traditional dancing (each refers to the dress and dance style). Tribes add their own variations to the dancing, based on their heritage and traditions. In Nevada, visitors are encouraged to attend powwows to learn about tribal culture and traditions, enjoy the dancing, purchase crafts, or sample native foods.

Las Vegas, part two

An attraction of another sort can be found near the quiet, shaded community of Boulder City, located southeast of Las Vegas. Boulder City is the gateway to Hoover Dam, a 726-foot-high concrete structure that creates Lake Mead. The dam, considered one of the seven manmade wonders of the world, offers tours of its electricity-producing system, which was completed in 1935. Tours begin at the Visitors Center which offers fabulous views of the dam from the observation level.
Lake Mead is the largest manmade lake in the Western Hemisphere. Both it and Lake Mohave to the south are part of the Lake Mead National Recreational Area, which is operated by the National Park Service. The recreational area offers five developed beaches and marinas, campgrounds, and other services. Boat and Jet Ski rentals are available at several points on the lake, and sightseeing boats, including the Desert Princess sternwheeler, also ply its waters. On the northeast side of Lake Mead, about 55 miles from Las Vegas, a State Scenic Byway leads travelers through the Valley of Fire State Park. Valley of Fire earned its name because of its bright red sandstone mountains and valleys. In places, the wind has sculpted the sandstone into hauntingly beautiful shapes that seem to mutate with the changing light of day. The park also has several fine examples of prehistoric Indian petro glyphs.
The nearby Lost City Museum at Overton is a storehouse of artifacts from the Anasazi or “Ancient Ones”, a prehistoric tribe that lived in the area thousands of years ago. The exhibits include a full-size replica of the type of adobe dwelling inhabited by those ancient people.
Mesquite, located north-east of Las Vegas on the Virgin River, is a rapidly developing resort town with golf and spa packages, horseback riding, trap shooting and all the indoor activities for which Nevada is famous. Mesquite is conveniently located for side trips to nearby Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks.
Approaching the Nevada state line from Southern California, drivers are greeted by the bright lights of Primm and Jean. Once lonely highway outposts, the towns are now major resort areas with golf, a designer outlet mall and unique hotel-casinos that boast several amusement rides, including The Desperado, one of the tallest roller coasters in the world.
In the extreme southern tip of Nevada on the Colorado River is the community of Laughlin. In 1966, Laughlin consisted of a small motel and restaurant that catered to local fishermen. While the fishing remains great, Laughlin has been transformed into a lively resort town of world-class hotels offering big-name entertainment and first-class accommodations. Right on the river, visitors can water-ski, swim, boat or relax on the many beaches. A popular attraction is the water taxis, taking passengers from Arizona to Nevada and back.
Halfway between Laughlin and Las Vegas is the former mining town of Searchlight. Visitors will find a fine, small museum as well as picturesque mining head-frames on the hills around the town.
From the neon lights and fabulous hotel resorts of the Las Vegas Strip to the peaceful hiking trails of Mount Charleston and Valley of Fire, the Las Vegas Territory offers an endless supply of fun and excitement.

Las Vegas, part one

There’s no place on earth like Las Vegas. The city thrives on superlatives – biggest, brightest, longest, and tallest – so it’s no surprise that the “Entertainment Capital of the World” is home to 18 of the 20 largest hotels in the country. Visitors will find an unlimited variety of entertainment, sightseeing, special events, shopping and dining, among many other activities. Las Vegas boasts more neon and light than any other city, and themed megaresorts that conjure nearly any fantasy imaginable. On the famed Las Vegas Strip, visitors can view a spirited pirate ship battle, an exploding volcano, or a spectacular laser light water show. They can visit resorts that capture the essence of ancient Egypt, an Arthurian kingdom, Rome, Venice, New York, Monte Carlo, Paris, and a host of various tropical paradises.
They can enjoy the excitement of 24-hour gaming, gourmet restaurants operated by the world’s most famous chefs, and star-studded entertainment. And if that’s not enough, downtown Las Vegas is enclosed by a massive canopy of lights that covers five blocks. Called the Freemont Street Experience, the canopy comes alive every evening with senses-pounding light and sound shows that add to the excitement of a place often known as Glitter Gulch.
For those venturing outside of the casinos, Las Vegas offers shoppers an amazing array of options including mega-malls, unique boutiques, upscale stores, and sprawling outlet malls filled with shops selling designer name goods, fine clothing, jewelry, and other items. Perhaps less well-known is that Las Vegas is a veritable jackpot of history and art. Visitors will find a number of quality art museums featuring changing exhibits of national and regional contemporary artists as well as permanent collections. The city’s historic museums range from archaeological and anthropological exhibits of the original Native Americans to the memorabilia of the legendary entertainer Liberace.
For the adventurous, there are amusement parks and theme rides that offer thrill for the kid in everyone. Recreation enthusiasts will find a multitude of activities to choose from including golf, boating, hiking, bicycling, rock climbing, car racing, and even snow skiing.
Long before the glass pyramids and manmade volcanoes, nature created her own landmarks in Southern Nevada. The Las Vegas Territory is a region with startlingly diverse mountain and desert landscapes that can produce as much admiration as the biggest and brightest neon sign.
For instance, just 20 miles west of downtown Las Vegas is the magnificent Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Wildlife, including bighorn sheep and wild burros, abounds in this region. Whether you hike, bike or rock climb internationally known rock faces, this geologic wonderland is worth the visit. Nearby is Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, once owned by billionaire Howard Hughes. Now a shady retreat, visitors can enjoy outdoor concerts and performances in the summertime.
About a half hour north of Las Vegas is Mount Charleston. At nearly 12.000 feet, Mount Charleston has been described as “a garden island in a sea of desert”. In the summer, it is the place in Southern Nevada where visitors can stay cool without air conditioning. In the winter, it’s the only place in Southern Nevada for skiing and other snow sports. There are campgrounds, picnic areas and hiking trails.

Nevada

Nevada owes its birth to the Civil War, but its diapers arrived by railroad. The cross-continent span completed in 1869 was quickly augmented by a plethora of short lines that catered to the needs of the infant state. Nevada’s railroad heritage is alive today in three remnants of those lines – tourist trains that carry their passengers back to a time when the engines of commerce were powered by steam and diesel.
In Ely, the Nevada Northern Railway thunders astride its original tracks. Riders are propelled along two routes, each of which loops around the city and then out into the countryside, where the remnants of White Pine County’s copper-mining heritage occasionally poke from the sagebrush.
In Virginia City, the storied Virginia and Truckee-more familiarly known as the V&T – offers its riders a half-hour trip between Virginia City and Gold Hill. If area railroads buffs have their way, this very short line will grow considerably longer, spanning 17 miles to connect with a depot in Carson City, as it once did.
At the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City, visitors can enjoy a heady dose of Silver State railroad history as they tour one of its collection of lovingly tended locomotives – including the 1875-vintage Inyo, one of the oldest operating steam engines in North America – and beautifully restored freight cars and passenger coaches. Most of the rolling stock is from the V&T, and some of it has graced both big and small screens, called into service by Hollywood filmmakers looking for the right touch of Iron Horse authenticity.
The museum has a regular schedule of steam-ups that offer an opportunity to take a jaunt around the grounds on the rolling stock. The museum also is in the process of crafting its own passenger line in Boulder City, which would follow a 12 mile round trip through Railroad Pass to the Henderson area, where riders could observe impressive views of the Las Vegas Valley from their coaches.
There is nothing like a ride aboard an authentic steam – or diesel –powered train. A vintage train charmingly clickety-clacks along the rails, the to-and-fro sway adding the occasional touch of surfing to a stroll down the aisle of the passenger cars. Under power, it rocks and rolls like an odd hybrid of winding snake and bucking bronco, its passengers left to adapt to its antique rhythms as best they can.
On excursions such as the Nevada Northern’s Wine Train, the ride approximates the experience of a more genteel age. Wine Train passengers relax and converse over gleaming white tablecloths, sipping chardonnay or merlot as the sunset sky paints itself across the horizon. Memorable, too, is watching the Fourth of July fireworks from the Ely train.
Built in 1905, the Nevada Northern served the area’s copper empire. It also carried children from McGill and Ruth to school in Ely, transported shoppers from outlying areas, and functioned as a commuter route for the miners. An impressive stone depot and extensive railyard – both of which survive – were constructed, and the railway was a going concern until the 1980s, when Kennecott Copper left Ely and presented the intact railroad to the city.
Passion and plans are equally ambitious for the Virginia and Truckee. Built to connect the mines of Virginia City with Carson City and Reno, the V&T ran from 1870 to 1950 as one of the grandest exemplars of time and place in Nevada history. Engines like the Empire, Inyo, Reno, and Genoa rumbled and whistled through the Comstock, brightly festooned with gold leaf and shiny brass.
The railroad’s present 2.8 mile route between Virginia City attracts as many as 70.000 riders annually. The railroad has been in operation since 1976, when rail fan Robert Gray acquired a section of the V&T’s long-dormant line connecting the two towns and began running tourist trains.