Jack Nicklaus designed Montreux, which opened in 1997 in the forested foothills east of Reno, and the course quickly established itself as one of the most demanding and visually striking layouts in Nevada. Nicklaus routed the course through stands of ponderosa pine and Sierra Nevada terrain at roughly 5,000 feet of elevation, creating a mountain golf experience that feels genuinely remote despite sitting just minutes from the city. For years it hosted the Reno-Tahoe Open on the PGA Tour, giving the course a competitive pedigree that few clubs in the region can match.
Montreux is a private club, and its design reflects that exclusivity — wide, dramatic elevation changes, forced carries, and greens that reward precision over power. The mountain setting means afternoon thunderstorms are a real possibility in summer, and the thin air affects ball flight in ways that can surprise first-time visitors.
Reno sits at the edge of the Great Basin, but Montreux belongs spiritually to the Sierra Nevada — a golf course that plays harder than you expect and stays in your memory longer than most.
