Genoa Lakes
Golf Club & Resort -
Lakes Course
Review

By Doug Saunders, golf writer

The small town of Genoa, Nevada was founded in 1851, making it the oldest permanent settlement in the state of Nevada. Formerly know as Mormon Station, its location in the fertile Carson Valley transformed the outpost into an important agricultural and trading center, which lead to its selection as the county seat in the fledgling Utah Territory. But the discovery of silver in the nearby Comstock and the establishment of statehood in 1861 diminished the prominence to a sleepy farming town.

While visitors still came to see the old buildings and tip a spirit in the oldest bar in Nevada it was the development of Genoa Lakes Golf Course in 1993 that not only tripled the population of the town but created an even better reason to visit this historic spot.

The Lakes Course at Genoa Lakes Resort is the initial layout of this ambitious development and is the handiwork of two of the premier golf course designers today, John Harbottle and PGA Tour star Peter Jacobsen. This is a layout that features ample length, numerous water hazards, quick greens, and more accolades than any other course in the Northern Nevada.

Genoa Lakes Golf Club is one of John Harbottle's earliest works on his own after serving many years as a design assistant under Pete Dye. The Dye influence is evident in Harbottle's use of high, flashy bunker faces, and clever use of directional bunkers. Genoa Lakes also shows that distinctive Harbottle touch of providing a challenging route to the pins as well as a defined bailout area for the weak of heart.

John Harbottle collaborated with Jacobsen at Genoa and has continued to work with Tour players such as Fuzzy Zoeller and Johnny Miller. He has the unique ability of having his courses tournament tough while still making them enjoyable for the average golfer.

This design philosophy is evident throughout this 7,263-yard long course. The Lakes Course features four tees and with numerous carries over the Carson River choosing the right tees is paramount to a more enjoyable day.

A good example of this philosophy is the 341-yard, par 4 fourth hole. Players need to determine the distance to a drainage ditch that angles through the fairway about 220 yards out. The second shot can either be fired to the elevated green by carrying several gaping greenside bunkers or safely to the right side of the green, leaving a long birdie putt. Think about the drive, you're the approach, and the putt. That's what Harbottle demands throughout the round.

Water comes into play on 13 of 18 holes so accuracy and distance off of the tees are a premium. This is a golf course with a collection of beefy holes. Consider No. 7t, a wide-open 445 yarder that gradually climbs a hill. The second shot will be a 200-yard uphill play to an elevated green with steep drop-offs protecting the left side. To add feeling to this awesome hole, the fairway is 50 yards wide with an overwhelming view of Jake's Peak in the distance.

Harbottle continues to put the driver at a premium on the 544 yard 9th hole and the 652 yard 13th hole. And there is no letup in the par 3s where the 14th hole plays 213 yards into a narrow green that framed by huge cottonwoods.

Great golf courses have a strong finishing stretch and Genoa Lakes doesn't disappoint. The 400-yard 16th hole demands a carry over wetlands to reach the fairway and the green. The 480-yard par 5, No. 17 is short but a minefield of bunkers must be navigated to reach the heavily undulated green.

Finally, the 441-yard 18th hole presents the ultimate test. The massive clubhouse and the Sierra Nevada Range loom large across a large lake. Distance can be cut playing left over the lake but the carry is deceptive and balls tend to roll left toward a watery grave. Then the deep green can make a two-club difference depending on pin placement. This green is notorious for a fast and slippery putt to complete a round.

THINGS I LIKE - This course has the best mixture of holes, terrain, and settings in the Carson Valley and is worth every penny and should be on everyone's must play list.

THINGS I DON'T LIKE - It is a nasty little secret that the wind can kick up around 1 pm so try to play in the morning.