Second nine at Hale Irwin's Private Hills Course is now complete

SPARKS - It's taken just over four years, but the Red Hawk Golf Club at Wingfield Springs has finally finished it's private Hills Course, and can now be considered Northern Nevada's most complete golf destination.

Hale Irwin, a three-time U.S. Open winner and designer of the Hills Course, introduced his latest masterpiece on Tuesday morning. And grouped with the Lakes Course, which was designed by renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones II, Red Hawk now has 36 holes of championship golf and a lifestyle unmatched by most golf clubs in the region.

Besides having two 18-hole courses, each having unique identities, Red Hawk offers state of the art practice facilities, including the golf learning center, the most complete practice and learning center in the entire Reno-Tahoe golf region.

Irwin's par-71 Hills Course is nestled up against the hills just south of the sprawling housing development north of Sparks, known as Wingfield Springs. It's been a work in progress. Nine of the 18 holes were completed over a year ago and the other nine holes took more time to complete because of the terrain involved. Now, the course is ready to be experienced.

"The last nine holes were particularly challenging because of the terrain changes, which makes for some interesting golf holes." said Irwin, who's designed dozens of courses nation-wide. "Our desire is to make golf fun. To have a course with challenges to keep you on your toes and rewards to keep you coming back."

Irwin has certainly done that.

The course is fair, with no surprises. There are manageable uphill holes and delightful downhill holes, with elevated tee boxes. When the entire course is able to mature and come into its own, it should be one of Irwin's better layouts.

The Lakes Course, which has hosted Reno-Tahoe Open qualifying the past two years, will stay public, continuing to offer competitive green fees.

Red Hawk's private Hills Course offers membership opportunities unlike any other Northern Nevada private club. There are no cart fees, no food and beverage and pro shop minimums, and exclusive use of all 'Members Only, facilities. Also, there are controlled monthly dues.

The current deposit to join is $22,500 for non-residents of Wingfield Springs and $20,000 for residents. This deposit is fully refundable when you leave the club.

The current monthly dues for residents is $225 per individual and $275 for the family. Non-property owners of Wingfield Springs pay an extra $25 per category.

There's also the 15,000 square-foot Special Events Center, which cost more than $3 million to build. It's purpose is to serve dinner parties and can hold up to 250 guests or can host small trade shows. The Swim and Fitness Center cost more than $1 million and is currently only open to Wingfield Springs property owners.

For more information, call 626-4599.