Lakes at Red Hawk Golf and Resort

Red Hawk Golf and Resort sits in the high desert terrain of Sparks, just east of Reno, where the landscape transitions from the Truckee Meadows toward the arid valleys of northern Nevada. Robert Trent Jones, Jr. designed the Lakes Course as part of this daily-fee facility, working with the natural elevation changes and incorporating water features into a setting that otherwise reflects the region's characteristic sagebrush and sparse vegetation. The course takes advantage of views toward the surrounding mountains while navigating terrain that offers more movement than the flat valley floor.

Jones's design emphasizes strategic shot-making around the water hazards that give the course its name, with lakes and ponds coming into play on multiple holes. The routing moves through rolling ground with fairways that typically require careful placement off the tee to set up approach shots to greens protected by both water and bunkering. The high desert climate means firm conditions are common, and the elevation—around 4,500 feet—affects ball flight in ways that golfers from lower altitudes need to account for.

Red Hawk serves the Reno-Sparks area as an accessible public facility, drawing both locals and visitors who come to northern Nevada for gaming and recreation. The resort setting includes lodging and dining amenities alongside the golf courses. The Lakes Course represents Jones's approach to desert golf design in a region where water features provide both visual contrast and strategic challenge against the natural aridity of the Great Basin landscape.