It’s easy to forget how good we’ve got it, easy to forget that less than a gas tank away from the Bay Bridge are pine trees and beaches and all-natural antidotes to toll booths and traffic jams. Easy to forget that, simply by placing The City behind us and pointing our grill north by northwest, we can feel a million miles away in three hours flat.
It would be easy to forget such things. But this is Lake Tahoe, this is Martis Camp – a place that’s anything but forgettable. And while it’s a privilege to pack up the car, load up the family and sample the occasional taste of Lake Tahoe, it’s far better to live the Tahoe lifestyle.
That’s where Martis Camp comes into the picture.
As stunning as the Tahoe area is with her waters and skies, mountains and beaches, coffee shops and art galleries, Martis Camp is equally alluring. Since its inception in 2006, more and more people have come to call Martis Camp the home of their dreams – the home in their hearts. It’s also why Forbes defined the luxury Tahoe lifestyle of Martis Camp as, “Possibly the best four-season community in the U.S.”
It all started with location. The 2,177-acre sprawling landscape of pine and meadow that Martis Camp calls home is a bike ride from Truckee and two, maybe three songs away from Tahoe. And yet, from the outset, Martis Camp has been planned in such a fashion as to present so many options and so much life to its residents and Club Members that the notion of going anywhere else is an afterthought.
At its center is a Camp Lodge architecturally fashioned around the great lodges like the Old Faithful Lodge, the Ahwahnee and Crater Lake Lodge. It’s grand and impressive yet comfortable and familiar. Within the Camp Lodge, there’s a world-class day spa, fully equipped gym, hot tubs and saline lap pool. And while dining options at the Camp Lodge are abundant, perhaps none is more prominent (literally and figuratively) than the Cliffroom, perched above the 18th green of the highly acclaimed golf course that’s the pride and joy of Tom Fazio’s impressive portfolio of courses. One of the centerpieces of Martis Camp, this 18 hole masterpiece is the subject of plaudits and praise from golfers from far and wide, including two-time US Open champion Lee Janzen who proclaimed, “I think this is without a doubt the best Fazio course I’ve ever played.” GolfWeek recently named it, “One of America’s top 50 modern golf courses.” While its relentless beauty and uncompromising attention to detail are evident at every bend of fairway, there’s one thing Camp members are grateful for time and again: this private course is all theirs and theirs alone.
Then there’s that focal point that kids of all ages are drawn to: the Family Barn. Whether it’s to indulge in a game of indoor hoops with the kids, or to catch a movie in the 44-seat theater, or to drop off the kids for a day of instruction at the artists loft, the Family Barn bustles with life. You’ll find a bowling alley, soda fountain, big screen tvs and oversized couches that are easy to succumb to, and a pool and sun deck that resonates with laughter all summer long. The grassy amphitheater encircled by tall pines is where Club members gather for concerts that have featured the likes of Huey Lewis, The Beach Boys, Creedence Clear Water and Lee Ann Rimes among others. And little more than a long cast from the Family Barn is Concert Park Lake, where you can learn to fly fish and land hefty trout that agree to pose for epic selfies on the condition that they’re returned to their home.
All of this in just over thirteen years. That’s growing up quickly. And beautifully. But there’s so much more that defines Martis Camp’s maturity.
Across Martis Camp’s vastness are touches that bring an accent to a life well lived. There are 26 miles of trails and – deep in the forest and miles from the maddening crowd – the Lost Library, with deck, hammocks, books, fireplace and kitchen. There’s a Tennis Pavilion, a Park Pavilion, sports fields and an amazing Aerial Adventure Park that lets you sample life from a bird’s eye view. In the midst of The Camp is a ribbon of green – an 18-hole Putting Park that doubles nicely as a way to ramp up the day or unwind from a week of the city life.
Outside the gates, Martis Camp features its foothold on sand and sun with The Beach Shack at Lake Tahoe – an acre of beachfront bliss not more than a cup of coffee from Camp. And when autumn hands the keys to winter, Martis Camp does anything but hibernate. Quite the contrary. Here, Club members enjoy a privilege few communities around the world are privy to. Within just a few minutes is private direct ski access via the Martis Camp high-speed quad lift to Northstar California’s 3,100 acres of skiable terrain as well as its Euro-style village with skating rink, shops and restaurants. In addition to private access, Martis Camp members also have their own private ski lodge with ski, boot and board storage, exquisite dining, south facing sun deck, rentals and ski shop.
Perhaps one of the greatest pastimes at Martis Camp is enjoying a slow walk or bike ride through the neighborhood, indulging in the sight of estates that are as at home in the forest as they are on the covers of architectural magazines. Here, architects, designers and builders bring the amazing to life. You’ll find a diverse array of style, from contemporary homes with barrel roofs that mimic the rolling landscape to rustic cabins crafted from reclaimed trestle wood to modern, eco-friendly estates. As stated in its Architecture Handbook, Martis Camp homes “benefit from the collective design wisdom gained from hundreds of years of inspired mountain architecture from around the world.” The portfolio of distinctive tastes at Martis Camp complements the work Mother Nature applies toward making this place so special.
Martis Camp has come of age. And for those who call The Camp home, the days to come, the years ahead, the moments spent at the Family Barn, on the slopes of Northstar California, or tapping in on the 18th of one of America’s great golf courses will be cornerstones for memories not easily forgotten.
By Scott Mortimore
