Nevada, Lake Tahoe / Reno Area Golf Course Reviews
Coyote Moon Golf Course Review
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Coyote Moon Golf Course Overview: This tree-lined golf course is located in the hills above Truckee, California, off highway 80, about 30 minutes north of Lake Tahoe and 30 minutes west of Reno. Both nines use elevation changes to add intrigue, although the front nine does this in a more subtle manner, while the back nine requires some guess-work (or multiple rounds under one's belt) to negotiate distances. Overall, it is a good challenge and the course is very enjoyable. The most memorable golf holes are reviewed below:
Coyote Moon Hole 1: The first hole of the day is a straightaway par 5 with a large tree and boulder in the middle of the fairway. There are ample views of the surrounding area to the right of the hole and plenty of other trees on both sides of the fairway along the way. The green is protected by a large bunker short and left.
Coyote Moon Hole 4: From the elevated tee, the golfer must shape the drive to match the contours of the dogleg left par four. Anything too far left will be in forest, and a shot to the right will leave a longer shot to the elevated and shallow green, and still may find forest if too far right.
Coyote Moon Hole 5: The second of four consecutive dogleg lefts on the front nine, this one features a good driving option. A fairway wood can easily find the wide part of the fairway, but that will leave a significantly uphill approach to the green with a very deep bunker to its right. A driver can possibly cut the corner if hit well, but if pushed or pulled, forest awaits.
Coyote Moon Hole 7: The last dogleg left on the front nine features a lake than can easily be cleared and a landing area that is fairly wide. The hole turns left and goes slighly uphill to a green with a very large boulder guarding it to the front and the right. Even more sinister is the steep drop off and deep rough just behind the putting surface that will greet the golfer who is over-zealous on the approach.
Coyote Moon Hole 10: The back nine starts with the first dogleg right of the day (of which there are 5 on the back nine). The second shot is the important one as there is a huge bunker to the right side of the green than makes any back-right pin placement especially nasty. Of course, there is also a bunker short-left and another behind the green that can't be ignored either.
Coyote Moon Hole 12: By far the most friendly par five hole on the course, this short par five has a wide fairway and then turns right and strongly uphill to the green, which can be reached in two by relatively long hitters. However, this green complex is unique given the backdrop of granite boulders and the bunkers that were cut into the surrounding hillside. Going long is not a good option under any circumstance.
Coyote Moon Hole 13 (right): The signature par 3 is way downhill and features an angled green fit between bunkers and hillside long and a deep creek to the front. Club choice is difficult and is key to success.
Coyote Moon Hole 14 (below): This short par four is very tough for a player who only hits a draw as the fairway is angled left to right with heavy trees to the right and creek to the left, leaving a small landing area for the tee shot, unless it is hit with a left to right spin and rolls with the fairway flow. Either way, the green is very shallow and very wide and on the other side of a very unforgiving creek with a steep hill behind it leaving very nasty chips for the golfer going long.
Coyote Moon Hole 14 (below): This short par four is very tough for a player who only hits a draw as the fairway is angled left to right with heavy trees to the right and creek to the left, leaving a small landing area for the tee shot, unless it is hit with a left to right spin and rolls with the fairway flow. Either way, the green is very shallow and very wide and on the other side of a very unforgiving creek with a steep hill behind it leaving very nasty chips for the golfer going long.
Coyote Moon Hole 15 (above): The last par five of the day has a benign drive, but the second shot is far from that. The creek that crosses the hole is placed perfectly to require an approach to the green from at least 160 yards for the golfer who chooses to lay up. However, the hole is long enough that crossing the creek to leave a wedge is no easy feat as the landing area over the hazard is very narrow and requires the first two shots on the hole to have a combined distance of over 450 yards from the back tees.
Coyote Moon Hole 17 (left): This dogleg right must fly over a lake. The short hitter can choose to fly the short lake to the left but mustn't go too far left in the hazard or too far right in the other lake. The longer hitter can fly the longer lake to the right but must not go too far left in the hazard or too far right in the trees. If the drive can be mastered, the green is fairly open to hitting it close.
Coyote Moon Hole 17 (left): This dogleg right must fly over a lake. The short hitter can choose to fly the short lake to the left but mustn't go too far left in the hazard or too far right in the other lake. The longer hitter can fly the longer lake to the right but must not go too far left in the hazard or too far right in the trees. If the drive can be mastered, the green is fairly open to hitting it close.
