Reno & Tahoe Golf Courses & Tee Times in California

Who runs public golf in Reno & Tahoe

Washoe County runs two public 18s: Washoe Golf in Reno and Sierra Sage in Stead, both par 72. Wildcreek in Sparks is now owned by First Tee Northern Nevada, which broke ground in January 2025 on a rebuilt par-3 nine and a new nine-hole course. At the lake, the Incline Village General Improvement District runs a par-72 Robert Trent Jones Sr. course and a par-58 Mountain Course, the highest course in Nevada. Residents with an IVGID Picture Pass get lower rates: in summer 2026, prime time on the big course was $113 to $124 for pass holders and $180 to $196 for everyone else, cart included. The Tahoe City Public Utility District runs a 9-hole, par-33 course in downtown Tahoe City. In South Lake Tahoe, Lake Tahoe Golf Course sits on state land in the Lake Valley State Recreation Area.

Public courses worth knowing in Reno & Tahoe

• Washoe County Golf Club: Reno's oldest course, par 72 near downtown. Finished by WPA crews in 1936 on the old Reno airfield. Ben Hogan won here; its first pro event was in 1946.
• Incline Village Golf Course - Championship: Robert Trent Jones Sr. design, fully renovated in 2003. #17 in the U.S. and #3 in Nevada on GolfPass's 2022 Golfers' Choice list.
• Incline Village Golf Course - Mountain: Par 58 and the highest-elevation course in Nevada and the Tahoe Basin. A quick 18 at about three and a half hours.
• Edgewood Tahoe: George Fazio, 1968, later renovated by Tom Fazio. 1980 U.S. Public Links, 1985 U.S. Senior Open, and the American Century celebrity event every July. Public tee times open 60 days out.
• Lake Tahoe Golf Course: William Bell Jr. design from 1959 along the Upper Truckee River in a state recreation area. Washoe Meadows State Park was created in 1984 to stop it expanding across the river.
• Wildcreek Golf Course: Sparks course now owned by First Tee Northern Nevada, under a rebuild that started in January 2025.
• Tahoe City Golf Course: Nine holes, par 33, about 2,700 yards, run by the local utility district in downtown Tahoe City. Usually playable April through November.

Booking tee times in Reno & Tahoe: the local rules

Lake courses run on a short season. For 2026, Incline's Championship Course was set for May 8 to October 18 and Edgewood closes October 17. Incline opens tee times two weeks out for free; booking earlier costs $15 a golfer on the big course and $10 on the Mountain Course, and Picture Pass holders skip the fee. Cancel at least 72 hours out or you pay. Edgewood opens public tee times 60 days ahead, and hotel guests with a room confirmation can book preferred times right away. Summer rates at Edgewood run $275 in May up to $450 in July and August, cart included.

Why tee times in Reno & Tahoe are hard to get

With golf weather most of the year in Reno & Tahoe, the pressure never really lets up. Weekend mornings book up in every month.

Most public courses open their tee sheet a set number of days ahead, often 7 to 14, and many municipal courses give residents or card holders an earlier window. The best weekend-morning times usually go the day they're released. Leagues and outings take blocks of the sheet before the public ever sees them.

When tee time cancellations happen

Booked-up doesn't mean gone. Plans change: groups cancel ahead of the course's cancellation deadline (often 24 to 48 hours out), players drop when the forecast turns, and a group that shrinks leaves an open spot. Those times quietly come back on the booking page, usually for minutes, not hours.

How to get a tee time in Reno & Tahoe

Doing it by hand? Here's what works.

1. Know the booking window. Find out how many days ahead each course releases times, and whether residents get an earlier window. Be ready the morning it opens.
2. Look again 24 to 48 hours out. That's when most cancellation deadlines pass and spots come back.
3. Be flexible on group size. Singles and twosomes fit into gaps a foursome can't.
4. Try twilight and weekday afternoons. They're the last to fill and often cheaper.
5. Keep a quicker course in your back pocket. Nine-hole and executive courses are easier to get on and play faster. Around here that includes Tahoe Paradise Golf Course.

Read the full guide to getting a tee time when everything's booked