Lake Tahoe a nice diversion

Whether you see Lake Tahoe from the air or from the twisting roads that lead here, it's one of the world's most awesome sights. Tahoe escapes the glitz and glamour commonly found in America's gaming capital to offer golfers a more scenic, off the beaten path golf stronghold.

"It's a lot smaller, homier here," says Edgewood Resort Assistant Pro Casey Lund. "There are only four casinos. Other than that you aren't around much gaming. Instead there are water sports, hiking and other outdoor activities."

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Unlike Vegas, Lund says the casino's merely serve as a complement to the area. The scenery is breathtaking and the area's atmosphere, set in the Sierra Nevada Mountains is much more relaxed compared to the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas.

The Edgewood resort in Tahoe is also the only course located on the famous lake itself. Several holes on the course front this natural wonder. The Resort at Squaw Creek is located off the north shore of Lake Tahoe. This course resides in the shadows of 1960 Winter Olympic host Squaw Valley. Just north of Tahoe in Truckee, Calif., Northstar at Tahoe weaves in and out of tall pines and out into the plains.

Lake Tahoe is set on the Nevada/California border and Tahoe is a short drive from other Nevada hubs Carson City and Reno. You can catch a quick flight into the area using the Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

When summer heat scorches up the fairways in the southern cities of Laughlin, Henderson and Las Vegas, Tahoe is in its prime. While not open for golf year-round, as skiing highlights the winter months here, Tahoe is an unparalleled exclusive golf getaway.

Las Vegas - Tahoe