Truckee Golf And Ski Communities For Second Homes
June 25, 2026
June 25, 2026
If you are shopping for a second home in Truckee, one question tends to shape everything else: do you want your getaway to live more like a ski retreat, a golf club, or a four-season basecamp? That choice matters because Truckee’s golf and ski communities are not all built the same. Some center on private club living, some on resort convenience, and some on a broad mix of family recreation. This guide will help you compare the main options in Truckee and the Martis Valley corridor so you can narrow your search with more confidence. Let’s dive in.
In Truckee, the biggest differences usually come down to ski access, golf access, and ownership structure. Tahoe Donner is association-based, Martis Camp and Lahontan operate as private clubs, Schaffer's Mill uses a right-to-use club structure, Tahoe Mountain Club connects Old Greenwood and Gray's Crossing through a membership layer, and Northstar is primarily a resort-village product.
That may sound technical at first, but it has a real impact on how you use your second home. Your day-to-day experience can feel very different depending on whether you want a private lift, a shuttle-to-ski model, a walkable village setting, or a neighborhood with a wide menu of year-round amenities.
Martis Camp is often the first stop for buyers who want the strongest private ski and golf experience in the Truckee area. The community offers private ski access to Northstar through the Martis Camp Express chairlift, along with Tom Fazio championship golf, 26 miles of private trails, and a private ski lodge with valet ski service.
The amenity package goes far beyond winter access. Residents also have the Camp Lodge, spa, fitness center, hot tub, saline pool, dining, and the Family Barn, which includes pools, bowling, a movie theater, kids camps, and event space.
If your goal is a highly integrated private retreat that works in every season, Martis Camp stands out. It tends to fit buyers who want privacy, club lifestyle, and direct ski convenience in one place.
Tahoe Donner has one of the broadest recreation mixes in Truckee and a more accessible ownership profile than the ultra-private clubs. The community includes a public or semi-private golf course, a downhill ski resort that markets itself as family-friendly and beginner-oriented, and a cross-country network with more than 100 kilometers of trails.
It also includes more than 70 miles of hiking, biking, and riding trails, plus the Northwoods Clubhouse, Trout Creek Recreation Center, and the private Beach Club Marina on Donner Lake. That wide amenity stack is a big reason many second-home buyers see Tahoe Donner as a practical four-season choice.
If you want a home base where different age groups and interests can all find something to do, Tahoe Donner deserves a close look. It is especially appealing when your second home needs to support summer, winter, and shoulder-season use without relying on a private club format.
Schaffer's Mill is a private mountain community positioned between Truckee and Lake Tahoe, and it reads as golf-first with strong winter convenience. Its par-71 golf course stretches more than 7,000 yards and was recognized by Golfweek as the No. 1 new private club in California when it debuted, along with a top-10 national new club ranking.
For ski season, members have access to a shuttle to Northstar and Base Camp at Northstar. The club describes that setup as a ski-in/ski-out-like experience, which makes it attractive for buyers who want easy winter days without living directly in a resort village.
The clubhouse village helps round out the experience with a resort-style pool, hot tubs, steam room, fitness, tennis, pickleball, kids programming, and social events. Schaffer's Mill often fits buyers who want a club-centered lifestyle with a family-forward feel and practical access to both Truckee and Northstar.
Lahontan is one of the quieter private-club options in the Truckee area and has a strong golf identity. The community centers on a Tom Weiskopf-designed 18-hole championship course plus a nine-hole par-3 course, with the Lodge serving as the social hub.
Membership also includes spa and fitness, Camp Lahontan, and racquet sports. Camp Lahontan adds pools, courts, a playground, and nearby trails, which gives the community meaningful four-season value even though it is more golf-centric than ski-centric.
For winter use, Lahontan’s value is proximity. The club is about 2 miles from Northstar, so the appeal is convenience to skiing rather than a private lift or direct on-mountain connection.
Old Greenwood and Gray's Crossing are connected through Tahoe Mountain Club, which creates a more networked membership model. Members unlock golf access at both communities, with 45-day advance tee times, preferred rates, and organized leagues. Old Greenwood is a Jack Nicklaus Signature course, while Gray's Crossing is a Peter Jacobsen and Jim Hardy design.
Winter benefits are a major part of the appeal. Tahoe Mountain Club includes two Northstar locations, ski valet, seasonal gear storage, an Alpine Club in Northstar Village, and a shuttle between Northstar Resort and the Old Greenwood neighborhood. The club also operates Schaffer's Camp, a ski-in/ski-out lodge off Tahoe Zephyr Express.
Gray's Crossing adds a pool and fitness building, spas, steam rooms, more than 500 acres of open space, and bike trails that connect into Truckee. If you want strong golf, modern amenities, and a flexible route into the Northstar ski network, this pairing is worth serious attention.
Northstar is the clear resort-village option in this group. The village sits at the base of the Big Springs Gondola, and the resort offers lift-served skiing and riding along with lodging that includes ski-in/ski-out condos and short-shuttle options.
Summer is just as active. Northstar highlights its Meadow Nine and Mountain Nine par-72 golf course, plus mountain biking, hiking, scenic chairlift rides, dining, shopping, and the village skate rink.
If you want immediate access to resort energy and a walkable environment, Northstar is often the most natural fit. It tends to work best for buyers who value convenience and atmosphere over private club seclusion.
If winter is your main driver, start by deciding what kind of ski access you actually want. The answers are not the same from one community to the next.
This step usually narrows the field quickly. Buyers who picture private lift access often end up focusing on Martis Camp, while buyers who want village energy may lean toward Northstar.
If golf shapes your second-home lifestyle more than skiing, several communities rise to the top. There is no single best answer, but there are clear golf leaders.
In many cases, golf buyers are also weighing club culture and privacy level. That is why Lahontan, Schaffer's Mill, Martis Camp, and Tahoe Mountain Club often appeal to slightly different buyer personalities even though all have strong golf credentials.
Some second-home buyers are not trying to optimize for one sport. They want a place where everyone can stay active all year.
Tahoe Donner often stands out as the broadest active-family option thanks to its downhill skiing, cross-country network, trails, recreation facilities, and Donner Lake beach club access. Martis Camp also offers a deep four-season amenity package, while Schaffer's Mill brings a strong balance of golf, ski convenience, and club-centered family programming.
If your household includes a mix of skiers, golfers, trail users, and people who simply want a relaxing mountain setting, this broader-lifestyle lens can be more useful than focusing on one headline amenity.
Atmosphere matters just as much as amenities. Some buyers want a lively resort setting, while others want a quieter private-club rhythm.
For a more private and traditional club feel, Martis Camp and Lahontan are often the leading choices. For a social but still club-centered setting, Schaffer's Mill and Tahoe Mountain Club offer a different balance. If you prefer a walkable base-area environment with dining and activity nearby, Northstar usually leads that category.
Before you tour homes, it helps to rank your priorities in order. A second home in Truckee tends to make the most sense when the community matches how you will actually use it.
Ask yourself these questions:
Once you answer those questions, the search becomes much clearer. Instead of comparing every home to every home, you can focus on the communities that fit your lifestyle first and then evaluate the best properties within them.
Truckee offers an unusually wide range of second-home experiences, from private ski-and-golf retreat living to broad family recreation communities to resort-village convenience. The right choice depends less on which name is most famous and more on which setting fits the way you want to spend your time in the mountains. If you want help narrowing the options and matching your goals to the right Truckee community, JB Benna can guide you with local insight and a concierge-level approach.
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