Incline Village (Championship) - Nevada - USA

Great test of golf. Make it a 36 hole day with the sister Mountain course.

I have played Incline Village a few times over the years and there's a clear demarcation between what was present to what you see today. The Robert Trent Jones, Sr., course started to show its age and the layout reflected a 1960s style simply a bit dated and tired.

Kyle Phillips was called upon to spruce things up and the layout that's present today looks fresher and, at the same time, still keeps the RTJ motif without doing any heavy headed impositions.

The layout has numerous dog-leg holes -- no less than nine. And despite a quality effort by Phillips the sum total of the holes rests on functionality -- think of basic vanilla ice cream that's what you find.

The holes work through the stately pines and when the sun is usually shining the ambiance is one to truly relish.

The shot demands are not strenuous but more about being able to control any desire to slug away with impunity.

The bunkers you see today have a cleaner more refreshed look and the juxtaposition of the white sand against the forest green trees is certainly noteworthy.

The golf options in and around the broader Tahoe area have clearly expanded since the days when Incline Village was the top ticket place. It's still worth a round but, as I mentioned earlier, don't be looking for something more than what you're getting.

M. James Ward