Northgate Golf Club, CLOSED 2009

Northgate Golf Club, is a Public, 18 hole golf course located in Reno, Nevada.

Northgate Golf Club first opened for play in 1988.The course was designed by Brad Benz and Mike Poellot.

Golf Magazine named Northgate one of 1989's best new courses in the country. The northwest Reno course was also honored to host the 1991 and 1992 Ben Hogan Reno Open and U.S. Open qualifying tournaments. This course ambles through the natural countours of canyons and arroyos, which means each shot tests your strategic and shot-making skills. At Northgate, accurate hitters have a distinct advantage over long ball artists.

Par for the course is 72. From the back tees the course plays to 6966 yards. From the forward tees the course measures 5521 yards. The longest hole on the course is # 18, a par-5 that plays to 553 yards. The shortest hole on the course is # 8, a par-3 that plays to 184 yards from the back tees.

Watch out for # 5, a 410 yard par-4 challenge and the #1 handicap hole on the course. The easiest hole is # 7, a 531 yard par-5.

Facilities include: Clubhouse, The Last Putt Restaurant & Sports Lounge, full pro shop, driving range, putting and chipping greens, and a teaching pro available 7 days a week.

Driving Directions: Take I-80 west to W. McCarran Blvd. exig. Turn right on W. McCarron Blvd. Turn left on Mae Anne Ave. Go west 2 miles and turn right on Avenida de Landa. Turn left on Beaumont Parkway. Turn left on Clubhouse Drive.

Northgate Golf Club closed in 2009.

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Paul Nelson, Channel 2 News

More than 2 years after Northgate Golf Course closed, the area is now on the way to becoming an open space park.

Residents were faced with a decision - team up with the City of Reno and Washoe County to make it a park, or let a developer buy it.

Many of the residents were worried that a developer would move in and build houses or condos, which they thought would hurt their views and home values.

So, after a petition, the residents along the golf course agreed to pay half of the $2.4 million to keep that from happening. "I've tried to tell them from the very start. This is going to be more like Rancho San Rafael. It's going to be a 20 or 30 year project so there's no plans right now for what's going to happen. It's let's buy the property first, then we'll start working on what it's going to be," says Reno city councilman Dave Aiazzi.

Not all residents were on board to purchase the 220-acre property though. Some said they didn't want to pay half the price for a park that belongs to the city.

But in the end, 68% of the 131 residents signed the petition giving them more than the two-thirds needed to keep the land vacant.

For the short term, the cart paths can be used for walking and biking, but no motorized vehicles are allowed.

Washoe County will also pay $400,000 thanks to a 2002 parks bond. And the City of Reno will pay another $400,000.

Residents that oppose the plan asked how the government is able to help pay for this, when they are already struggling to pay their own employees. "We're not using any general fund money for this so it's not money that I could use for firefighters or police or anything else. It's all park fund money that has to be used for that by state law."

If all goes as planned, they tell us they hope to close escrow by the end of October.

Residents with houses along the property will have to pay anywhere from $133 to $766 annually, depending on their property value.