City: Dayton, NV

Category: Golf

Telephone: (775) 246-7888, (800) 644-3822

Address: 51 Palmer Drive

Description: This is a magnificent Arnold Palmer–designed course located 11 miles east of Carson City in the high desert. The course has been open since 1991, and it ranks among Golf Today’s list of top 20 daily-fee courses in northern California and Nevada, which means it is in the same company as Pebble Beach, Spyglass, and Spanish Bay. Palmer designed a beautiful layout that combines the natural beauty of the high desert with rolling fairways sculpted in a links style. Rolling hills are dotted with sand traps that surround the fairways that must be mastered before reaching the huge, sloping greens. The course has few trees, but strategically placed water hazards come into play on 12 holes. The course is superbly maintained and is known for its plush, velvetlike fairways and immaculate greens. The first par 3 on the front nine is dubbed the “Moon Crater” because the green sits below the tee box in a small glade surrounded by steep hills and sand traps, giving the hole a surreal feel. The number-one handicapped hole is the par 4 No. 9, which requires you to hit over and around two water hazards. After a good tee shot (more than 230 yards), you still have at least 160 yards, all over water, to carry the green. As with the No. 6, a par on this hole is an accomplishment. Yardage: 5,897 Par: 72 USGA rating: 68.2 Slope: 128 Greens fees: $35 to $105 Reservations: 2 weeks in advance