Standing on the tee with the entire hole and Job’s Peak reflected in the pond that runs 240 yards along the left side. What a way to end a round. Great golf, great views and a feeling that you’re a small speck in a special place.
It’s 449 yards from the tips and 441 from the Championship tees with the back tee providing a bit more elevation that’s worth the extra yards. The shot needs to carry about 190 – 200 yards to the fairway which then doglegs left to a right to left sloping green. A conservative tee shot toward safety and the first fairway and it’s too long a second shot for a realistic shot at par, let alone birdie. Pull it or hook it and it’s time to re-load from the tee while you’re cursing yourself for blowing a great finishing hole – especially if you have an “Aloha” on the line. (Double or nothing on every bet.)
Carp are slapping the water with every leap – a reminder you certainly don’t need of what can happen to an errant shot. Take it toward the top of the peak and if you have the wherewithal to bring it back left you’re a better man than me. That left side falls away quickly toward the pond.
A sign of relief for a safe landing is soon followed by trepidation over club selection on the second shot. A late afternoon valley breeze means one more club and you know the ball will follow the terrain move left after touching down. A back right pin makes it tough to get close, but anything within 15-feet is good, plus the putt will be uphill. A way-to-quick swing has the ball going left into the bunker along the length of the green and a long carry comes up 20 feet short.
The glory, cheers and adulation of the imaginary gallery dissipate as the par putt skirts the hole to the right and reality sets back in. Time for a cold one or three from the sports bar in the clubhouse overlooking No. 18 and the course. Tomorrow’s chase will soon be here…
Golfing the Divine Nine? Here’s more ways to play in Carson City or Carson Valley.
The wild flowers are bursting with color and the snow capped Sierra Nevada are framing the Divine Nine golf courses’ lush greens in all their glory. Summer is the key time to play the Divine Nine … but what’s a discerning golfer to do before or after hitting the course? Here’s the low down on some local favorites for getting into the swing things in the area:
Happenin’ events like car shows, ghost tours, farmers markets, wine walks and more:
Get your culture on with diverse dining and area museums:
Carson City is home to the Nevada State Museum, the state Capitol Building, and the Stewart Indian School Museum (and that’s just a few of the many museums and galleries around here). There’s more history in this area than you can swing a nine iron at, including spectacular exhibits on cultural heritage, geology and Nevada’s rugged history.
Sink your teeth into regional specialties at JT Basque Restaurant in Gardnerville, or something exotic at The Basil Thai Restaurant. We think diversity tastes pretty darn good! A stop by historic Genoa to visit the state’s oldest thirst parlor and nearby Tahoe Ridge Winery for a taste of local wines is also worth the trip.
Tame the Wild West, or explore it at your own pace with unique outdoor adventures:
·White Water Rafting and exploration paddling on the Carson River with Great Basin Sports.
The Divine Nine are strikingly scenic and affordable Lake Tahoe / Reno area golf courses, where you may just find heaven on earth. Forgiving fairways, tight approaches, strategic water hazards, large greens… These Nevada golf courses are sure to please, offering great views and variety. The Divine 9 golf courses offer 171 holes of championship golf, spread across 70,000 yards of scenic Nevada terrain that can encourage beginners and challenge the pros.
For our latest video, we sought out a name as big as the likes of Divine Nine course architects Palmer, Miller and Jacobson and a personality as grand as the surrounding Sierra Nevada. Ben Wright, noted golf broadcast legend of CBS TV for 23 years, EMMY® award winner and editor at large gives you a glimpse of the Divine Nine. Wright’s wit, humor and nostalgia for his native Scotland make you wish you were playing the courses with this celebrated personality.
Wright, who recently visited remarked, “…it would be shameful if you missed out on such a great area.”
CV Steakhas opened at the Carson Valley Inn (Divine 9 Lodging Property) providing guests with a Nevada-style steakhouse experience in a comfortable setting with a touch of formality and a heavy dose of value!
The CV Steak menu features a selection of appetizers and a generous range of entrees including pasta dishes, seafood, chicken and, of course, a number of featured steaks and chops. Most entrees are in the $16 to $24 price range and each entree comes with salad and, except for the hearty pasta dishes, vegetable and your choice of potato - baked, au gratin or a one pound, twice-baked potato.
With rustic dark-wood floors, ambient lighting for a feeling of intimacy and a large panoramic painting of a Sierra sheepherder, CV Steak’s eye-catching centerpiece is a wine rack that graces the center back wall. Recessed areas above each booth showcase black and white photos that recount the history of Minden and Gardnerville and were hand-selected for their historic significance by architect and designer Larry Henry. The entire setting is a perfect complement to the Arts and Crafts motif that ties all elements of the new Carson Valley Inn together.
CV Steakoffers 25 different wines plus four reds and four whites by-the-glass. The perfect finish is one of six desserts offered nightly. CV Steak is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. and the CV Steak Bar opens daily at noon. For reservations, call 775-783-6650.
The Carson Valley Inn’s Annual Spring Stag Golf Outing is a popular kick-off for the golf season in our area – a great opportunity to enjoy three nights of food and fun plus two rounds of golf on the two courses at the Golf Club at Genoa Lakes.
The fun starts on Thursday, April 22nd with an optional early bird round at Eagle Valley Golf Course’s Championship West course.After a Thursday-night reception, there is golf on Friday at Genoa Lakes Golf Resort and Saturday at the Genoa Lakes – Lakes Course.The weekend wraps up on Saturday evening with a cocktail party and banquet.All the details are at www.cvinn.com/stag-golf.Just give me a call and I’ll be glad to tell you all about it!
We have many great hotel properties within Divine 9 Golf, but I’d like to share my enthusiasm for what’s happening at my property, the Carson Valley Inn on Highway 395 in Minden. Our new owner Mike Pegram and his partners took over January 4 of this year and started a $10 million remodeling project the same day. In two short months of 24-hour activity our casino was totally refurbished! We have new air-handling equipment producing cleaner casino air, over 200 new slots and technological upgrades to 120 more, new high-comfort seating throughout the casino and a new table games area. Our Cabaret Bar area was totally rebuilt with a new state-of-the-art Sports Book, an island sports bar, a more visible and enjoyable entertainment stage with dance floor, nightly live entertainment and 28 HD televisions. The casino has new carpeting, new lighting, new wall treatments, a new Guest Services area and more.
We’re currently putting the final touches on our new restaurant, CV Steak, and this steakhouse will be opening during the last week in March.
In addition to making all of these improvements well in advance of the 2010 golf season, we’ve also lowered the prices of our group golf packages. I invite anyone with 8 or more golfers to give me a call today at (866) 284-7766, Ext. 3 or (775) 783-6624.
I feel so fortunate to work for an owner and property that is moving forward with improvements during these times when so many are treading water.
Warren Phillips a special contributor to BadGolfer.com and participant in the 2009 Divine9 Road Trip had this to say about the Divine 9’s Road Trip;
A tradition in Carson City, Nevada, the Divine 9 Road Trip is a party on wheels. Participants play nine golf courses - including Genoa Lakes Golf Club and Dayton Valley Golf & Country Club - two holes each, all over the course of 11 hours - plus share laughs, stories and spirits along the way.
“Road Trip” is Wild Time and Format in Carson City/Carson Valley, Sept. 28
(Carson City/Valley, Nev.) – The second annual Divine 9 Road Trip (www.Divine9.com), a golf outing for die-hards and misfits, will include 2 holes at 9 different courses in 10 hours – hopefully – through Carson City/Carson Valley, Monday, September 28. The Divine 9 course members, a cooperative of the area’s nine golf entities, will each designate two signature holes for the competition. Players can expect an amalgamated par 70 course of 6,500 yards with a heavy sprinkling of par 5s and 3s and a few forced carries over barrancas and water hazards to add to the fun.
Wright, who recently visited remarked, “…it would be shameful if you missed out on such a great area.”