STATELINE, Nev. – The immaculate greens of Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course have been home to the American Century Championship for over 30 years, and although its prime location, nestled between towering pines and panoramic views of Lake Tahoe, play a part in the tournament’s setting, the golf course’s conditions have ranked it among the best – not just in Nevada, but throughout the country. 

Time, effort and consistency behind the scenes from the grounds crews at Edgewood Tahoe are to thank for its success as a premier golf destination. 

“As soon as the snow melts, we’re out here working on the golf course,” said Brad Wunderlich, director of grounds and agronomy at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. “We treat every day like a tournament. I like to think we keep the course in tournament condition all year round.” 

Before the sun even touches the horizon, ground crews are putting in work during the tournament, mowing the entire golf course, double-cutting the greens and hand irrigating.  

“Our crews are here at 4:30 in the morning every day this week,” said Wunderlich. “As soon as play is over at the end of the day, the team goes back out and we work until dark every night, making sure everything is perfect.”

While ropes are used to prevent crowds from entering each hole’s turf, the amount of pedestrian traffic poses weeks-long repair and recovery once the tournament is finished. 

“Typically, inside the ropes, everything’s in really good shape. It’s outside the ropes where all the fans and structures are that get pretty beat up,” Wunderlich said. “It takes about two weeks to get all the infrastructures down, all the grand stands and tents, and probably another two weeks after that to go through and repair everything.”

Wunderlich, who has been at Edgewood for 14 years, noted that maintaining their status inside the Golf Digest’s America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses is always on their minds. Currently, the golf course is ranked 83rd in the country and ninth in the state. 

Course work continues in the spring and fall, when Wunderlich and his team can be seen reshaping the greens or rebuilding bunker complexes. Depending on how harsh the winters are, the course may take even longer to recover turf damage, yet they always find ways to overcome. Plans for the future include possibly rebuilding the 8th hole. 

The vanguard of their maintenance practices – sustainability and environmental protection. 

Wunderlich said they strive to do their part in protecting the integrity of Lake Tahoe as four of their 18 holes are located nearly on the waterfront. Streams and waterways can also be seen throughout the entire course.  

“We’re very conscious of that, and we do everything we can to protect our environment around us,” he says. 

Now working his 14th ACC tournament, Wunderlich said that despite the amount of times he’s done this, it doesn’t get easier.

“There’s a lot of work that goes into this, and it never changes. They’re always adding stuff to the tournament so that can throw a wrench into things,” he said. “It’s a challenge every year, but I’ve got a great team behind me. Most of my crew has been here over 25 years, and they’re fantastic. I couldn’t do it without them.”

Paul Bronken has worked nights at Edgewood Tahoe for years, and he said that every morning, without fail, crews go out and work extremely hard to keep the greens in tip-top shape. 

“The grounds crew is the reason this exists,” said Bronken, echoing Wunderlich’s praises to his team.