Why Sacramento Will Love the Barracuda Championship Golf Tournament In Reno
What are the reasons to fall in love with a professional PGA TOUR golf tournament? Turns out, if it’s the 20th annual Barracuda Championship (August 2 – 5), there are quite a lot. In addition to watching some of the best golfers in the world display their craft, attending the CudaChamp provides days of fun, food and wine, music and more while generating over $4 million for charities. Sure, watching a 70-yard approach shot hit the green and spin backwards like a muscle car will make your eyes pop, but like millions of previous spectators, you’ll learn that you don’t have to play golf to have a blast and fall in love with Reno’s longest running major league sporting event.
The Barracuda Championship is designed to be one of the most unusual but exciting events on the PGA TOUR. It’s the only tournament that uses the Modified Stableford scoring system, so every single hole contains “risk and reward.” Add to that the challenge of playing on the gorgeous Jack Nicklaus–designed 7,472-yard Montrêux Golf & Country Club course, the only mountain course on the regular PGA TOUR calendar. This course has hosted an abundance of notable golfers including; Jason Day, Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia, JJ Henry (2012 & 2015 winner), and Jon Rahm. The tournament provides one of the last opportunities for players “on the bubble” to break into the top 125 rankings and qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs. This potential make-or-break to their season raises the excitement level even higher, as every putt represents a “Game 7” free-throw situation
While the golfer in the family will love watching the pros compete, others might feel like experiencing something else—and they’ll find plenty. At its core, CudaChamp is a Reno-Tahoe community event that contributes to and benefits a great deal from the local community. Hundreds of volunteers demonstrate Barracuda’s community spirit throughout the course of the tournament, from the Official Wednesday Pro-Am sponsored by Microsoft event to the presentation of the championship trophy on Sunday. The over 700 volunteers, many of whom have never even hit a golf ball, consider the tournament an annual social event that offers an important opportunity to give back to the greater Reno-Tahoe community. This battalion of volunteers makes it possible for the tournament to donate so much to more than 100 charities, including the Barracuda Championship’s own Birdies for Charity fundraising program.
Of course, whether volunteering or attending as a paying spectator, with tickets starting at just $25, you’re in for a very good time. Many guests arrive at the Patio on 18 and never leave. That’s because The Patio represents one of the premier locations to indulge in the combination of the best food and the best times with the best golf. The recently expanded Patio features delicious BBQ, a Jim Beam Bar, outdoor entertainment, and, naturally, fabulous views of the 18th green and fairway. The Patio on 18 is considered the “Tastiest Stop on Tour” and the convivial energy there has few peers among the other 46 PGA TOUR events.
The William Hill Wine Walk offers a mellower but equally tasty respite for the 21-or-over spectator. Even the Lexus Chalet, a VIP skybox on the 18th with complimentary food and drink, fits most weekend holiday budgets. Tito’s Terrace off the 9th green is another great spot to set up camp while enjoying two complimentary adult beverages. If this sounds more like a ballgame than what you think of as the old scene, you’ve got it right. No golf whispers here, there’s even a DJ and bar games to pump up the gallery.
If you’re plotting a weekend escape from the midsummer Sacramento heat, rooms in the Reno-Tahoe area are usually abundant and very reasonable this time of year. Don’t know where to stay? Make sure you check out the tournament’s official host hotel: THE ROW – Eldorado Resort Casino, which boasts themselves as Reno’s ultimate destination! And a night out in “The Biggest Little City in the World” complements a day at the mountain course perfectly. Continue the party at the piano lounge inside Eldorado/Silver Legacy or one of several downtown nightclubs. There are sports bars and brewpubs for breaking down the day’s scores, live music venues for swinging the night away.
There is much more to golf and the PGA TOUR than many spectators realize. Watching golf live offers an excuse to spend a few days in the clear mountain air and see professionals in this challenging sport hit shots we can’t imagine making ourselves. Add to the spectacle the spectator energy, perhaps a volunteer opportunity, hanging out with friends, and making new ones, and it’s easy to understand why we love the CudaChamp, which is entering its third decade as Reno-Tahoe’s premier sporting event.
For more information and ticket prices, please visit Barracuda Championship.
The Barracuda Championship is also proud to offer complimentary tickets for all military members, veterans and first responders along with a covered VIP Skybox on the 9th green
For more information on hotels, restaurants and what to do in Reno-Tahoe, please visit Discover Lake Tahoe and Reno.