Las Vegas Golf Course Recommendation

[jsgolfer]

Leaving for Vegas on Saturday, can't wait.

[GolfLug]

Leaving for Vegas on Saturday, can't wait.

Wow, have fun! Let us know how it goes. Also, curious if the ball does travel 10-15% further in the air compared to east coast.

[jsgolfer]

Wow, have fun! Let us know how it goes. Also, curious if the ball does travel 10-15% further in the air compared to east coast.

Will know Monday when I play Wolf Creek.

[k-troop]

Primm Valley is about 25 miles west of Mccarron on I15. 36 excellent holes, excellent facilities and reasonably priced (under $100 for visitors).

[jsgolfer]

I found a tee time on TPC Las Vegas for 75. Seems too cheap.

[jsgolfer]

And if you could play one of the Angel Park courses which one would you play?

[Scotsclaff]

I played Painted desert and Pailute Wolf course a couple of weeks ago,both very enjoyable and around 100 bucks each.

Watch out for Rattlers on the Wolf.

[Mac62]

Primm Valley is about 25 miles west of Mccarron on I15. 36 excellent holes, excellent facilities and reasonably priced (under $100 for visitors).

Seconded.  Both courses are very nice and they keep them in pristine condition, staff is very friendly and helpful - and they also make a very good spicy Bloody Mary at the clubhouse restaurant.  The Lakes Course has more trees and water, and is the (slightly) more challenging of the two.  The greens have lots of undulations and you'll definitely face some tricky putts.  The Desert course is more open (and also more exposed to the wind if it's a windy day), with desert waste areas bordering many of the holes (you'll end up with a playable lie out of them much of the time though).  The greens are flatter and more predictable than the Lakes Course and there's virtually no OB.  The Lakes course has OB on a few holes, mostly the ones bordering the perimeter fence to the west of I-15.  Both of the courses are challenging enough to make you think and they offer risk/reward shots for those who want to "go for it", but both are easily playable (and enjoyable) by any ability level.  They're a bit off the beaten path (about 40 miles south of the Strip on I-15), but well worth the trip IMO.  Green fees are reasonable (compared to most of the other Las Vegas area courses) and they're usually not anywhere near as crowded.  According to their website, current green fees for the Lakes Course is $83, Desert Course $66; after 11:00 am it goes to $49 and $40, respectively.

[jsgolfer]

Here are my thoughts on the 6 courses I played.

Angel Park – Mountain (39-40-79 – 69.3/129)

Pretty decent public golf course.  Pace of play was extremely slow (over 4 hours to play 16 holes, had to quit as we ran out of time).  Layout was nice, greens had just been punched.  Paid $50 to play wouldn’t have been worth any more than that to play it.  Staff was nice, not sure what the ranger on the course was doing, as there was one group that was really slow and I didn’t see him say anything to them.

Angel Park – Palm (39-38-77 – 67.1/115)

Another decent course.  A shorter course than the Mountain, some very nice scenic holes.  Layout was good, conditions other than the greens was fine.  Pace of play was much better; we played in just under 4 hours.  Got this on GolfNow for $40 which was just about the right price.

Desert Pines (39-37-76 – 67.6/120)

I’m usually not a fan of Pete Dye course, but this is one of the better ones I’ve enjoyed, not as tricked up as some of his other ones I’ve played.  This was the Big Break II golf course.  Very short course, you don’t need to hit driver on every hole, although I did and played very well, I had lots of wedges all day into the greens.

Wolf Creek (40-43-83 – 71.8/144)

All I can say about this course is Wow!  This course is a must play, unbelievable holes and views.  Conditions were immaculate.  Starting with the Par 5 first hole and finishing on the short par 4 – 18, this course was enjoyable all day.  The Par 3 8 ^th was a beast into the wind.  The drive on number 2 over the canyon was equally impressive.  There wasn’t a hole that I didn’t like on the course.  It was a little windy in the afternoon, but what an experience.  We never had anyone ahead of us or behind us.

Hole No. 2

No. 4

Paiute – Wolf (39-40-79 – 70.7/126)

Another great course, very enjoyable and a little more playable than Wolf Creek.  Impressive place out in the middle of nowhere.  Par 3- 15 ^th island green was awesome (made a par).  Course was in great shape, pace of play was great, 4 hours.

No. 15

TPC Las Vegas (40-39-79 – 71.0/128)

Another gem in Summerlin.  I might have actually liked this one better than Paiute.  My only gripe was that we got there within a few days of punching the greens.  But outside that, course was in great shape, very playable, but the desert could eat up your golf balls of you weren’t careful.  I also found it funny to see the red stakes for the areas that used to have water, saved me on a couple of holes though.

[k-troop]

I'm playing 36 at Primm Valley tomorrow. It's going to be hot. If I don't post again, it's been nice knowing all of you!!

[k-troop]

I'm playing 36 at Primm Valley tomorrow. It's going to be hot. If I don't post again, it's been nice knowing all of you!!

Managed a full 36 at Primm; Desert course in the AM and a replay on the Lakes course starting at noon.  The afternoon round only took 2:40, otherwise I might not have made it.

The courses were in pretty good condition considering they're in the middle of the Mojave Desert in July and I only paid $60 for 36 holes on two different courses!!  The fairways and greens were lush and green.  The rough was thick in places.  Only complaint about the conditions was that they have been using a lot of water so I had mudballs more often than not in the fairways (I played lift-clean-place on fairways where I had clumps sticking to my ball), and the greens were a tad slow.

As it was I had a great day tee-to-green.  I hit 25/36 greens playing both courses from the tips.  I only had 1 birdie all day (ouch--putts weren't falling) but only 6 bogies as well.  Oh, and I nearly died on the fourth nine.  It was hot.

[baw1]

I played Las Vegas National last week while on a trip there. Its a challenging course and given another chance to play it, I would score better. If your natural shot is a draw, you will like this course as most fairways dog leg to the left.

Pros:

- The course was in really great shape. Fairways very green and lush. Kinda surprising.

- Super close to strip. Short cab ride.

- Not too busy and got around in good time.

Cons:

- Homes along most of the fairways. I don't like courses with homes everywhere.

- Bunkers (which there are many of) didn't have enough sand. Sorta hard with just a thin fluffy layer on top.

[No Mulligans]

On 5/31/2015 at 5:57 PM, Scotsclaff said:

I played Painted desert and Pailute Wolf course a couple of weeks ago,both very enjoyable and around 100 bucks each.

Watch out for Rattlers on the Wolf.

Yes, watch out for rattle snakes but I think those two in the picture are Pacific Gopher Snakes and are not dangerous.  They have some behaviors that mimic rattle snakes.  Best to be safe and not mess with either.

[GolfingInHawaiiSpoiledMe]

Aloha just back from a 10 day golf no march madness Vegas trip. Played 6 courses, my take on these 6. 

  First up was Mountain falls in Pahrump, NV. They don't overseed so it's green all year. Price was $56 with cart and range balls. Very interesting course with dual greens on a few holes. Local rule pick a green and play it.  Useally there a small creek or a thin waste bunker will separate them. Fairways are sidewalk narrow, rough is thick. See pic of dual green. 

[GolfingInHawaiiSpoiledMe]

Ugh. Have to be two part post. Work got in the way. 

 

 Next up was angel park. We tee'd off at 9:30 to avoid there notoriously overbooking they do. Nope 5:30. Finished at 3pm. Never again. I will go back for there 18 hole mini golf and beer. That was a blast. 

  Up next was Reflection bay. This is the way you are supposed to be treated for $160 like your the owner of the course. From the lot guy to the guys pulling weeds you where waved at said hello to. As for the course.  PERFECT I couldn't find a weed or out of place blade of grass. The last three holes where prolly the best finishing holes I have played. This is a must play even over the next course. 

  Wolf creek. We all know about wolf creek. No need to beat the horse. You must play this once.  This course gave me my best shot all week. #3 the 197 uphill par 3. #4 wood to 3ft.  It's a blind shot. Btw you are responsible for your cart. You roll it you buy it. Lol. 

  Lastly was Pauite-sun course. This is where I smh. For $140 I expected to be treated better. Really gotta carry my clubs to and from my car ????? Baffling. Course was in good condition, no where near r-bay or wolf creek . Even at mountain falls I was greeted in the parking lot.  CS was adequate. Except for one Marshall that gave me 3 new pro V's he found. 

 

Couple of notes.  Primm is on water restrictions and per couple of locals they won't be back till its lifted. It's spotty brown. 

Chimera and badlands are on a death watch. Looking to close them for housing development. 

 

  Next trip I'm looking at coyote hills, Boulder creek and cascata. 

 

   Hope this helps with your next trip to Vegas.   Aloha. 

Edited March 29, 2016 by GolfingInHawaiiSpoiledMe

[dove694]

I frequent Las Vegas every year, and try to get out for a round or two if time allows. GolfNow is a great ally if you are looking for good deals on last minute tee times and aren't dead set on playing a particular course. Otherwise, golf in Vegas can be quite expensive. I can recommend Las Vegas National because it is close to the strip, has a really interesting history and is generally under $100 to play. Sinatra and the Rat Pack used to frequent this course, and it is a former Tour venue. I believe it was on the rotation when Tiger won his first PGA event in Vegas back in the mid-90's. Some scenes from the movie "Casino" were filmed at The National as well. The layout is nice, but it hasn't been in the best of shape when I have played it. That being said, I have also heard of people raving about the conditioning so I guess it's hit-or-miss. It is also one of the few courses in Vegas that isn't a "desert course". All in all, Las Vegas National is a convenient and (relatively) thrifty way to get away from the tables for a few hours to swing the sticks.

Golf in Mesquite (70 miles north of the city) is also worth noting. The town itself isn't much to behold, but they have a handful of really decent golf courses and they are generally more affordable than the courses in Vegas. My favorite is the Palmer course at the Oasis Golf Club. That one is a ton of fun! Sporty, well-conditioned and incredibly dramatic! Some of the views you get there are unbelievable. It's like "Wolf Creek Lite" in the sense that you get the same (or close to the same) "wow factor" and it isn't going to take a huge bite out of your budget or your golfing ego.

Hope this helps!

[dove694]

Wow, I should have read the prior reviews because I basically echoed what had already been said a thousand times in my last post! Haha!

One course I can add to this list is The Legacy. It is a considerable distance from the strip (30 min away in Henderson) but I worked with a guy who used to be head pro there and he spoke highly of it so I figured it was worth a try. I took my dad for his 65th birthday and we ended up getting a pretty good deal - $89 including rental clubs.

I imagine in it's heyday, the entire facility was quite something because the clubhouse/pro shop is very elaborate, the practice area great and it is situated in the middle of a high-end residential community. Now, however, the golf course is in a general state of disrepair. Fairways were burnt and dry, greens were patchy and bunkers were unkempt. And this was in peak season in early March so I can only imagine how bad it gets during the summer and fall months. The design (Arthur Hills, 1989) wasn't bad but not great. I know for a fact he has better courses out there! It did have a couple of interesting holes (namely #10, the Par 3 with the famous tee boxes, but also a fantastic reachable Par 5 on the front... #3 I believe, and a few others), but generally it felt a bit cramped within the housing development that encased most of the fairways. The staff was amazing though - service was top notch! All in all, If you are going to venture this far off the strip, you can surely find a better alternative than The Legacy for a similar price. Perhaps things have changed a bit since our experience (March 2015) but judging by some of the recent reviews I read, it appears much the same. It's a shame, too, because as I said it was probably quite good in its prime.

Here is a question for some of you Vegas golf aficionados - what are the courses at The Revere like? They look incredible on the website. Reviews on GolfAdvisor have been mixed - some say "amazing", some say "not good" so I am eager to hear more. I have always wanted to try one or both of them, but would be interested to get some opinions first. Same goes for the Summerlin courses (Palm Valley, Highland Falls). They don't get much publicity, yet look pretty nice and green fees are modest by Vegas standards. I am curious to read what some of you may think. Thanks guys!