Las Vegas or Los Angeles???

[Yukari]

So I have friends from Asian country visiting in late April/early May for golf.  They are deciding between Los Angeles area and Las Vegas area for golf.  Which city would you pick?

I know the LA area has Torrey Pines, Pelican Hills GC, etc., but the traffic can be bad.  Plus they are quite a distance apart.

Vegas has Mesquite golf like Wolf Creek and Falcon Crest.

We will likely play 36 holes everyday for the week.  Any suggestions on which area you would take???

Thanks for your input.

[Patch]

I play both locations on a regular basis. Mostly the Southern Nevada area.

Due to traffic concerns, length of drives to courses, where I live, and crowded courses, my first preference is Vegas. It just has a lot of quality courses available for less of a hassle. 

Both areas have quality courses available. Depending on where you are in the LA area, Palm Springs courses might be an option. Very nice course there. One of my favorite golf destinations.

In the Vegas area, you have several quality courses with in an hour, or so drive. The OP mentioned Mesquite to the north. To the far south are the (I-15) Primm Valley courses. 90+ miles south in the Laughlin area there is the Mojave Golf Club at the Avi Resort. To the far NW would be the Piute Courses. SE has the two Bouldet City courses. In betwern those areas are way too many to count. 

Another plus for the Vegas area, is that there is always a (slim) chance of winning your green fees back after a full day of golf.The casinos do occasionally let folks win. 

[Yukari]

Thanks @Patch I think I will take them to LV for golf.  I agree regarding Sol. Cal.'s traffic and distances between courses makes it not as attractive.

Also, having - albeit a slim chance - an opportunity to win back your green fees or your losses at the course is always a plus/

[Yukari]

Anyone from Nevada know the condition os Coyote Springs?

The last time I played (~5-7 years ago, it was not in good condition.  The club house was a temporary mobile home, and the fairways/greens were not in good shape.

Has anyone played there lately???

I am thinking of playing there in late April and would love to hear from someone who has played there recently.

[Patch]

I played Coyote Springs 6, or 7 months ago. At that time it was in reasonsble good shape, although the bunkers could have used more sand added, and maintained a little better. The wind blows a lot out there.

Imo, it was not in the kind of shape for what they charged to play it.

That said they did let us park our RV there overnight and gave us access to a 20 amp plug in. 

I have some good memories of that course, as I worked on it, and the surrounding area where the homes were supposed to be built. Played it a few times before they opened it.

I was actually in a couple of onsite meetings that Nicklaus attended. He's a pretty tough business man. I was the EPA compliance guy for the area. He didn't care for me much. Had a dry handshake though as iirc. 

[Yukari]

Thanks @Patch I am not sure why this is ranked so high on the list.  When I played, some of the fairways and greens were not in good shape, but when I do internet searches, it always comes up as one of the top courses.  I just don't get it.

[Patch]

3 hours ago, Yukari said:

Thanks @Patch I am not sure why this is ranked so high on the list.  When I played, some of the fairways and greens were not in good shape, but when I do internet searches, it always comes up as one of the top courses.  I just don't get it.

Most likely because it's a "Jack Nicklaus" course. The guy still has alot of clout in the golfing community. It's my opinion that the golf community is very close knit with each other. I think if a well known golf pro could put his/her name on Devils Golf Course in Death Valley, with a feasible slope/rating,  it would show up on someone's top 100 list. 

The local area highschools use the Coyote Springs course for their golf teams. (Moapa Valley).

You might be better off staying on I-15 north for another 40, or so miles and go to Mesquite. Wolf Creek will throw up a formidable defense, while Casa Blanca will show you a decent test of your group's abilities.

Casa Blanca is still one of my favorite courses in the area. It's what I call a "real" golf course. No tricks, or quirks. Just forced carries,  fairways, bunkers, and greens

If you are looking for a high dollar course to play, check out Cascata near Boulder City. It's got all the whistles, and bells that semi private club offers. Boulder Creek in Boulder City is a pretty decent course. I play there at least once a month. 

[Yukari]

How about Falcon Ridge and Reflection Bay?  Have you played these two courses?

So far we have booked at the following:

Casacata; Wolf Creek; Paiute - the Wolf Course; and Arroyo.

I need a couple of more courses to play.

Thanks!

[Patch]

Falcon Ridge I played a few decades ago. Had a bad expirience due to some of the locals being jerks. They thought it was their own private course. It probably ohas changed for the better by now. What I remember about it was elevated tees, and some canyon fairways iirc. 

Reflection Bay I know nothing about other than where it is located. 

For a couple more, give a look at Royal Links, and Rio Seeco. 

Royal Links has copied  some the holes used in The Open rotation. However, last I heard this course was going to be turned into housing track. Check it out. It might still be there. 

Rio Secco is a pretty nice course. I use to play it on a regular basis,  when We lived on it. Tiger Woods use to play there when he was under Butch's instruction. Harmon School of Golf is part of the course, or at least it was. . 

[Yukari]

Thanks for the recommendations @Patch

[RandallT]

Wealth of info, @Patch . Cool story about meeting Jack!!

[Cobrawl]

On 2/7/2019 at 7:42 PM, Patch said:

I play both locations on a regular basis. Mostly the Southern Nevada area. I also like to play on the website when I'm too lazy to go and play golf.

Due to traffic concerns, length of drives to courses, where I live, and crowded courses, my first preference is Vegas. It just has a lot of quality courses available for less of a hassle. 

Both areas have quality courses available. Depending on where you are in the LA area, Palm Springs courses might be an option. Very nice course there. One of my favorite golf destinations.

In the Vegas area, you have several quality courses with in an hour, or so drive. The OP mentioned Mesquite to the north. To the far south are the (I-15) Primm Valley courses. 90+ miles south in the Laughlin area there is the Mojave Golf Club at the Avi Resort. To the far NW would be the Piute Courses. SE has the two Bouldet City courses. In betwern those areas are way too many to count. 

Another plus for the Vegas area, is that there is always a (slim) chance of winning your green fees back after a full day of golf.The casinos do occasionally let folks win. 

If you're willing to venture a bit further from the Strip, you can also explore the Wynn Golf Club and Cascata, both of which have received top ratings. For those looking for a unique experience, the Bali Hai Golf Club offers a championship golf course right on the Las Vegas Strip.

[Maroon88]

I live in Texas and have traveled to both cities.  For me, the choice is not even close!  My choice would be Las Vegas especially with all the night life.

I loved Bali Hai and would definitely recommend it.  I'll likely play there again the next time I'm in LV.

Bear's Best was not as enjoyable but I got paired with a single (member) who left after 9 holes.  We were behind a slow 4-some that wouldn't let us through.  After he left, they still didn't let me through. I tried to join the 3-some behind us, but they just said "go ahead" so I played the back 9 by myself stuck behind a 4-some. The greens were also very firm (didn't hold any of my approach shots which I normally stop after first bounce).  The sand was different on many holes: some with lots of sand, some with hard pan just under the surface, and some with black volcano sand.

I heard Rio Secco is nice, and more reasonably priced.

[jsgolfer]

On 11/4/2023 at 8:09 AM, Cobrawl said:

If you're willing to venture a bit further from the Strip, you can also explore the Wynn Golf Club and Cascata, both of which have received top ratings. For those looking for a unique experience, the Bali Hai Golf Club offers a championship golf course right on the Las Vegas Strip.

Not sure Patch will respond, since this is a post from 5 years ago.

[Katler]

When - time of year? If in summer, it is best to avoid DV. But detouring to Death Valley on the way to LA will add 3-4 hours to your drive time plus stops.

Edited April 25 by Katler