Spring golf in Nevada

By Steve Gordon

(photos by Steve Gordon)

It was a whirlwind trip with 8 rounds of golf in 7 days. It went too fast...and it didn't. I mean it was up and out for golf everyday and the week flew by, but by the time it came to pack up and head to the airport this 73-year-old body was feeling it and was ready to go home. I won't miss the comfortable daily 70 degree weather however.

It hadn't rained for almost 4 months in the Las Vegas area where we spent most of our time but on the day of our departure the TV weather people were calling for heavy rains and flash flooding. How good was that timing? Then the COVID-19 situation gradually worsened while we were there and the timing of getting out of town was pretty good timing there as well.

From the eight different courses we played there was a clear cut number one in everyone's book.

1. SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS - This is an exclusive private community with a Robert Trent Jones, Sr. golf course. It was the best conditioned having its own aquafer for water for starters. But the design and layout of golf holes didn't disappoint from the views to the challenge and playability of it.

Southern Highlands clubhouse playing up the double fairway par 5 18th hole.

I birdied the first two holes playing the opening par 4 from the 352 yard Green tees and the second par 3 from 132 yards. Normally a birdie on the first hole is a kiss of death, but when it happens on the first two holes...that is unknown territory for me. However it all worked out nicely as my 14 handicap kicked in and I ended up carding an 85. Playing all but three holes from the Green tees it turned out to be a great day on a very good golf course. If you get an invite it's a must play.

The Green tees play 6200 yards and the Gold tees are set at 5711 yards. Depending on your game the course can play anywhere from there or back to the Black 7573 yard tees which carries a slope of 145. In between are the Blues (7008), Blue/Whites (6821) and Whites (6696).

In additions to the lush fairways, equally lush rough (bordering on US Open standards) and fast greens, it was a walk in the park with man made waterfalls around the property to compliment the trees, green grass and of course the golf course.

Our caddie said there are some members who walk the course, but from what I saw that would be a workout. Our group was in carts with a forecaddie. Mark was very good and without his knowledge and guidance I have no doubt that my putt total would have been more than 33. With greens running at around 13 on downhill putts, breathing on a 10-15 footer was all you could do then watch it roll past the hole without slowing down unless it fell into darkness.

What was my favorite hole you ask? That is a tough call but if pressed I have to say the par 5 ninth hole. It's a true three shot hole even from the shorter 526 yard Green tee. The tee shot is slightly uphill then the hole turns downhill to the left around a penalty area and two breathtaking waterfalls. The layup puts you in position to hit to a green with a severe false front and a narrow opening. It's a great design and a wonderful part of the walk in the park. FYI - I parred it.


2. CONESTOGA GOLF CLUB - About 80 miles out of Las Vegas on I-15 is Mesquite where I had my first experience with desert golf. Having never played golf away from the US east coast I was looking forward to this. Without any extra adjectives I will simply say WOW. The combination of that wow factor and the golf course itself put this facility where it is on my list. Starting out with a three putt bogey, par and a birdie on the first three holes gave me a good vibe from this course.

Par 4 first hole at Conestoga GC.

The front nine is routed up, down, around and through the rough desert terrain with a nice mix of challenging holes. The fairways are generous but there is little forgiveness if your ball strays too far from the green stuff.

On the outward half there were two holes (4 and 6) that require
particular attention. They are the kind of holes that need to be seen more than once to understand how to play them, and there are two ways it can be done to mesh with your game. 

The fourth hole requires a layup of about 180 yards to the end of the fairway at the top of a cliff or a long drive over it to the bottom fairway. Number six calls for carries over three ditches and it's up to the player to decide how much he or she wants to take on.

Moving to the back nine you get a more traditional look playing through housing around the course. However, many of those homes are so far out of play you hardly notice them. The course was in great shape giving good lies on the fairways and providing smooth moderately fast green surfaces to put on.

Depending on your game the options were playing the tips a 7232 yards or the front Jade tees set at 5017 yards. There is a nice mix of holes going right and left to hold your attention. I liked the par 5 ninth hole that offers a big fairway off the tee before it forces you to make a decision on the second shot. For most it is a layup to avoid water left and bunkers right but if you get off a good drive it makes you think "did I come here to layup?"

3. BALI HAI GOLF CLUB - What would you say if asked to go play a course that bordered the Las Vegas strip and it's McCarran International Airport? Well that is Bali Hai, but what a nice surprise it was, even if there were a couple of times I had to back off as an Airbus  roared overhead.

Bali Hai long par 4 eighth hole.

It starts you off with a nice easy short par 4 of 290 yards on the 6156 yard Silver tees. It is a bit deceiving look of what is to come when you look at the scorecard that shows the back Black tees on this par 71 yard track at 7002 yards.

The course is a work or art with how it is routed within it's tight boundaries. Large dunes are used to separate holes that takes away a cramped feeling of holes close together. A nice look is the white sand on the dunes making it look like snow (if you are from northern regions) and it blends and contrasts the green fairways with dormant rough and the smooth greens.

I think the par 3 sixth hole (pictured right) was a good one shot hole. It plays from 168 down to 108 yards with a kidney shaped green. There is a ridge in the middle of the green that separates the lower left and upper right of it. If the pin is tucked right the play is to go for it and challenge the water or play safe to the center or left side of the green and take your chances with the putter.

Overall the fairways are not extra wide freeways but they are fair and they don't pinch in too tight except on the fourth hole where driver is not recommended. It's the shortest par 4 with a stream on the right and a fairway slightly tilted toward it. In general the holes are designed that a slightly wayward tee shot can be guided back toward the fairway. The palm trees give a very tropical look to the course but they really are not in play except for very off line shots.

I found this a fun course to end the week with.

4. OASIS GOLF CLUB, PALMER COURSE - Mesquite offers a variety of courses from dramatic desert settings like Conestoga addressed above or nearby Wolf Creek (which I did not play). The Palmer gave up a little of both.

Palmer Course par 4 6th hole.

The course was well conditioned with views and elevation changes and glimpses of desert golf and a golf community with the golf course weaving around and through the houses. If you lived there this would be a course to enjoy multiple rounds on for it's challenges, views and playability. 

It only plays 6360 yards from the tips but that doesn't mean it is a pushover even from the White or Gold tees at 6042 and 5832 yards respectively.

While dramatic, I found a couple of the elevated tees uncomfortable. It's great fun to hit off a cliff but standing there looking 100 feet down at the fairway laid out between the desert hills, it looked very confining and tight even if it wasn't. The par 5 eighth hole (pictured right) got into my head but a good bounce off the rocks onto the fairway was a members bounce for sure. Having found the fairway the hole played just fine.

I found the 17th hole (pictured left) intriguing. It plays from an elevated to from 369 to 270 yards to a narrow fairway that is tilted towards water left. Driver isn't required so you have to place the tee ball in a position that is comfortable to play into a green set hard against the water. Eighteen is a medium length par 4 that requires some thought to avoid water right and another green tucked out into water. Nice finishing holes for sure.

If you are in the area I'd recommend teeing it up there. The Oasis also has another 18 in the Canyons Course.

5. (tie) PALM VALLEY GOLF CLUB and HIGHLAND FALLS at Summerlin - These are sister courses weaving in and around the Summerlin area a few miles away from Las Vegas and I found them basically interchangeable. 

Memorable holes come in two forms - good and bad. Palm Valley had both for me. I found the par 5 eighteenth hole on the plus side and the short par 5 eighth hole on the negative side. 

At 499 yards from the Gold tees I played, 18 challenges you with water on the drive and approach so it is very much a position hole. The 8th hole is potentially a reachable par 5 but I didn't play it right even as I hit two very good solid shots. That said, I didn't like how it was set up for a layup with a severe slope funneling anything within 50-70 yards of the green into a water penalty area. 

Palm Valley did offer up a great vista of the Las Vegas strip in the

distance (pictured left) and as the sun was setting, a stunning showing of the mountains looking almost white over the 18th green (pictured right) as we finished late in the day.

Highland Falls came off to me as one of those courses that after a few holes you feel a little like "didn't I just play this hole." Neither course was in very good condition with a slight edge to Palm Valley in that area. Highland Falls plays to 6404 yards from the back tees while Palm Valley stretches a little longer to 6706 yards.

Mountain visible playing up holes 4, 5 and 6 at Highland Falls

7. FALCON RIDGE - Here we had a classic Jeckle and Hyde golf course out in Mesquite. The starter said enjoy the front nine but you won't have any friends on the back nine. It was a curious statement but it became clear what he meant when we got to the 10th tee.

Par 4 sixth hole at Falcon Ridge

The front nine was enjoyable and the course was well conditions. Like the nearby Oasis Palmer Course it gave a mix of desert golf and golf holes wound through houses. Unfortunately there was a back nine and after we started our trek from the 10th tee I was looking for some dynamite in the saddle bag of my trusty steed. The problem was that I was in a golf cart with golf clubs, not riding the range.

There were four consecutive holes that were just not good golf holes. The 12th was a picturesque par 5 from the tee (pictured right) but as a golf hole I heard a comment from a traveled and experienced person who works in the golf business that said, "It is the worst par 5 hole I have ever seen." No argument from me. Briefly it is a forced layup off the tee then two forced carries to play your layup and approach shots (or try to hit a long hero shot to the green 100% over water).

Each of those holes on their own are managable but didn't seem to fit on a resort course where most players wouldn't play multiple rounds. At your local muni you would learn how to play them but that still wouldn't make them good holes. That said, those four holes destroyed all the good things we liked about the opening nine. It's a matter of personal opinion of course. The remainder of the back nine was OK except for one player hitting a drive stripped down the middle on 16 that we didn't find.

I like to photograph new places I play so one redeeming value at this course was the photo below taken down the 18th hole at sunset as we finished play.

18th hole at sunset at Falcon Ridge

8. THE CLUB AT SUNRISE (formerly Desert Rose) - This was the first round of the week as a place to loosen up before meeting the group for our predetermined schedule of courses.

View of clubhouse and distant mountain over 17th green at Sunrise

It was a classic local public course, almost links like with holes running out then back on a strip of land that was dissected by a concrete run off area I nicknamed the "Sunrise River." It was on the right side of every hole and sadly filled with a lot of trash. A local playing partner said the trash washes down from upstream where a lot of homeless people live.

Only two holes play over it in 9 and 10 but otherwise it sat out there as a target and for slicers. After a well positioned tee shot on nine you face a daunting medium long shot over the "river" to the green. There was plenty of area to come up short and be safe but straight is necessary. Ten gives you a forced layup off the tee and led to two holes that played around a retention lake before heading back to the "river."

The left side of the holes was bordered by residential areas guarded by fencing. The course measures 6503 yards from the back tee but could play as short as 4981 from the forward tees. It was a fun course to play and it did test you because of the "river" running through it.

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 😉