Old Greenwood Golf Course - Lake Tahoe/Reno

Old Greenwood Golf Course is 7,518 yards of Jack Nicklaus. But it's not 7,518 yards of a Nicklaus determined to make regular hackers scream for mercy. The golf course is set in the woods just outside downtown Truckee, Calif., an eccentric town of quaint shops and cutting-edge restaurants in Lake Tahoe's shadow. The towering trees serve as nice backdrops, but unlike with some nearby golf courses, Nicklaus does not have golfers hitting out of them all day long.

In fact, Old Greenwood is downright forgiving in parts. Nicklaus made six trips to Truckee to see that his vision was put in right, and the holes he crafted around water are the stars of the show. The par-5 sixth and its journey around a jutting lake is particularly memorable.