I recently took a trip to Las Vegas. In fact, it was last week. It was a five day, four night golfing extravaganza, organized by yours truly. It involved golf at three great courses, Royal Links Golf Club, TPC Las Vegas Golf Course, and Rhodes Ranch Golf Course. They were all amazing, and I am going to be talking about them here, along with the other details of my trip, so the next time you book your Las Vegas Golf Vacation, you can avoid any pitfalls and problems that might be out there, and you can get a discount las vegas golf vacation, or at least play at the cheapest prices out there.
First, if you have ever been to Las Vegas, you know how expensive the courses can be, particularly if you are travelling in the winter months (September to April). The first thing you should do when planning your vacation is to try to find out when the cheapest golf course rates are for a particular day. That's right, a golf courses rates vary throughout the day, getting more expensive during peak times and getting less expensive during slower times.
So, for example, when we played Royal Links Golf Club, we looked for an off peak time. This brought a course that would regularly play in the $200 range down to $120. That is a great deal. We ended up booking a tee time for Royal Links in Las Vegas for 7:30 and 7:40 in the morning I believe. Now, that is pretty early, but we were the first off the tee box, the course was magnificent (as you'll see soon) and the price was right. What better way to start out a Vegas golf vacation?
Before we even started booking tee times, it was important to get a great price on a flight. Now, I know you might be thinking that there is no way we got a good flight to Las Vegas during March Madness weekend, but we did. They key is to look for flight specials well in advance of your trip. Months even, to catch the day that you can book your flight for super cheap. I'm from Seattle, and we just happened to catch a Southwest Airlines special to Las Vegas that was half price off a normal ticket! You just can't beat that.
I'll give you some more information in my next post. For now, on to Royal Links Golf Course in Las Vegas. For starters, this course is a Jack Nicklaus course, patterned after his favorite British Isle holes (hence the name of the course). It features holes from St. Andrews, Royal Birkdale, Royal Troon, Carnoustie, Turnberry, Royal Liverpool, Prestwick, Royal Lytham, Muirfield, and Royal Birkdale. And the holes are spot on images of what you would find in the British Isles (right down to the road hole, where you have to aim over the sign to hit the fairway). From start to finish, it is a touch of Britain in Las Vegas.
The course itself, as you might expect, was in fantastic shape. And it is actually really wide open. The fairways run out into this short, gusset type grass, making it relatively easy to hit from. That is not to say there isn't any really long grass, but to hit it you have to be pretty far off target. Once on the greens, at first they seemed a bit on the slow side. I think this was just a result of the early morning due or water they received, as they quickened up a bit throughout the day (although they were just as firm as you might expect over in Britain). Overall the Royal Links golf course was a pleasure to play.
As for the clubhouse at Royal Links in Las Vegas, all I can say is it is one piece of magnificent las vegas real estate. I don't know if it is a recreation of anything, but it was built with a European , 16th century castle feel. It has a full locker room inside, and was top notch in ever respect, including the bloody mary's. Which reminds me, if you ever play this course on your next Las Vegas golf trip, please take the time to see if Nacho is there. Nacho was the bartender at the course the day we were there, and he was a great guy. Very funny, very nice, with impeccable service. If you want to have a great time, sit and talk with Nacho a bit. He's worth your time.
In the end, I think I shot 80 for the round (my best round of the vacation), which is pretty good I think. But even better than that was the overall experience. It was the perfect beginning to a great Las Vegas golf vacation.
And one last thing, the cab ride from the strip cost about $35.00. Not too bad when splitting with 3 or 4 buddies, and the only way to travel.
Showing posts with label Las Vegas Nevada Golf Course Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Las Vegas Nevada Golf Course Reviews. Show all posts
Wednesday
Las Vegas Nevada Golf Course Review | Silverstone Golf Course
Silverstone Golf Course.Silverstone Golf Course of Las Vegas, Nevada is located about 15 minutes North of the Las Vegas strip. By cab, it takes approximately 25 minutes to get there ($25 ride).
Silverstone Golf Course Pro Shop.
As you can see from the picture, the Silverstone Pro Shop is a gorgeous building erected at the foot of the mountains. When you walk in you will immediately feel like a VIP. The clubhouse is very well put together, is very clean, and is a perfect beginning to a great golf experience.
The pro shop, like the entirety of the clubhouse, is well put together and inspires great feelings for a great round. The pro shop staff is courteous and friendly, and the gear is relatively good, though like most pro shops, a little overpriced. Golf on a Friday afternoon in season was $180, about par for the course (pun intended) for a course of this caliber at this time of year.
Practice Facility.
Like most Las Vegas golf courses, Silverstone Golf Course has a very nice practice facility. As I mentioned before, I like my Las Vegas golf course practice facilities to have natural grass, and this one does. It is well put together, is big enough to handle the maximum load the course can throw at it, and it functioned well. I have no complaints about the practice facilities.
Silverstone Golf Course Review.
This is a course I'll remember for quite some time. Made up of 27 holes (actually 28, which I'll talk about in a minute), a Desert, Mountain, and Valley nine holes, Silverstone provides a great golfing experience. As the Silverstone scorecard shows, length is abundant here if you want it, the slope rating is primed for challenging golf, and the desert is abundant.
The greens, the part of a golf course that can make it or break it from my perspective, are very well maintained, and nice and speedy (like I like them). They are firm but fair, and the approaches into them can be precarious if you don't approach them from the right angle.
My favorite hole on the course is the valley #2 (pictured here). As you can see, it is a relatively short par 3, but there is trouble everywhere. This is exactly the type of hole I like - there are no bail-out areas, there is water, and it's picturesque. And I'm pretty sure I parred this hole!Overall I'd rate this course a 9 out of 10. It has everything I like in a golf course: great facilities; great practice facilities; great aesthetics; fast greens; and challenging holes. I'd definitely recommend you give it a go the next time you're in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas Nevada - Silverstone Golf Course Review
Monday
Las Vegas Nevada Golf Course Review | Desert Pines Golf Course
Desert Pines Golf Course
Desert Pines Golf Course is located in beautiful sunny Las Vegas Nevada, approximately 9 miles from the famed Strip. By cab, from the strip, it takes about 20 minutes to get there.
Desert Pines Golf Course Club House/Pro Shop
When you first come upon Desert Pines Golf Course, it is rather unassuming. The Clubhouse is nice but not extravagant, and its tucked away in an unassuming part of Las Vegas (a McDonald's sits kittycorner to it across the street). If you have a morning tee time, make sure to go to the dining room and get their world famous breakfast sandwich and bloody mary.
The pro shop is well put together, but wasn't overly impressive. The golf pros were very cordial and willing to help us in any way needed. Cost for the round was about $169, which is competitive for this time of year and for a weekend. The price also included a range ticket, which is a must see.
Desert Pines Golf Course Practice Facility
One of Desert Pines Golf Course's crown jewels (aside from the course itself) is their new practice facility. Sitting two stories high, and boasting an automatic loading system, it is definitely something worth checking out. The only downfall I'd give the driving range is that it doesn't have real grass. I'm a big fan of real grass driving ranges on Las Vegas golf courses.
Desert Pines Golf Course Review
Now to Desert Pines Golf Course itself. As you can see from the Scorecard, the course is not extremely long. And true to its word, none of the holes felt difficult to approach. The fairways can be slightly narrow at times, and outside the rough is a very fine, rocky pebble desert, so don't forget to bring a club you can nick up. As far as golf courses go, I'd say Desert Pines Golf Course was very well put together. It was an enjoyable round overall, and I'd say I'd go back again.
Regarding the golf course itself, there is only one hangup - the greens. Although the were in great shape, overall they seemed very slow. Fast greens always seem to make a golf course more enjoyable and challenging, and the speed on the greens at Desert Pines Golf Course were a little disappointing. Other than that, there is really nothing to complain about.
Overall, 7 out of 10. The slow greens really hurt this courses ratings. Otherwise would have probably been a 9. Would recommend it for no other reason than my buddy said the last time he was in the clubhouse he saw Willie Nelson about to go out for a round.
Desert Pines Golf Course - Las Vegas Nevada
On a personal side note, and because I like you, I played really terrible the day I played here. It could have been the lack of sleep and Las Vegas nightlife, but I think it had something more to do with the fact that my golf swing was all out of whack. As I was on the course I began wondering if I even knew how to golf swing, if I had ever learned it, or if I'd lost all my mojo. When this happens to me I just try to get back to basics, back to the fundamentals, hit the range a little before my next round, and focus on hitting good crisp shots. Just thought I'd offer this tidbit in case you find yourself in the same spot on a golfing vacation.
Desert Pines Golf Course is located in beautiful sunny Las Vegas Nevada, approximately 9 miles from the famed Strip. By cab, from the strip, it takes about 20 minutes to get there.Desert Pines Golf Course Club House/Pro Shop
When you first come upon Desert Pines Golf Course, it is rather unassuming. The Clubhouse is nice but not extravagant, and its tucked away in an unassuming part of Las Vegas (a McDonald's sits kittycorner to it across the street). If you have a morning tee time, make sure to go to the dining room and get their world famous breakfast sandwich and bloody mary.
The pro shop is well put together, but wasn't overly impressive. The golf pros were very cordial and willing to help us in any way needed. Cost for the round was about $169, which is competitive for this time of year and for a weekend. The price also included a range ticket, which is a must see.
Desert Pines Golf Course Practice Facility
One of Desert Pines Golf Course's crown jewels (aside from the course itself) is their new practice facility. Sitting two stories high, and boasting an automatic loading system, it is definitely something worth checking out. The only downfall I'd give the driving range is that it doesn't have real grass. I'm a big fan of real grass driving ranges on Las Vegas golf courses.
Desert Pines Golf Course Review
Now to Desert Pines Golf Course itself. As you can see from the Scorecard, the course is not extremely long. And true to its word, none of the holes felt difficult to approach. The fairways can be slightly narrow at times, and outside the rough is a very fine, rocky pebble desert, so don't forget to bring a club you can nick up. As far as golf courses go, I'd say Desert Pines Golf Course was very well put together. It was an enjoyable round overall, and I'd say I'd go back again.
Regarding the golf course itself, there is only one hangup - the greens. Although the were in great shape, overall they seemed very slow. Fast greens always seem to make a golf course more enjoyable and challenging, and the speed on the greens at Desert Pines Golf Course were a little disappointing. Other than that, there is really nothing to complain about.
Overall, 7 out of 10. The slow greens really hurt this courses ratings. Otherwise would have probably been a 9. Would recommend it for no other reason than my buddy said the last time he was in the clubhouse he saw Willie Nelson about to go out for a round.
Desert Pines Golf Course - Las Vegas Nevada
On a personal side note, and because I like you, I played really terrible the day I played here. It could have been the lack of sleep and Las Vegas nightlife, but I think it had something more to do with the fact that my golf swing was all out of whack. As I was on the course I began wondering if I even knew how to golf swing, if I had ever learned it, or if I'd lost all my mojo. When this happens to me I just try to get back to basics, back to the fundamentals, hit the range a little before my next round, and focus on hitting good crisp shots. Just thought I'd offer this tidbit in case you find yourself in the same spot on a golfing vacation.
Las Vegas Nevada Golf Course Review | Paiute Golf Resort | Snow Mountain Course
Overview of Pauite Golf Course - Snow Mountain Course
Paiute golf resort is a Pete Dye designed course located approximately 25 minutes outside of Las Vegas (the cab ride from the Las Vegas Strip was about 40 minutes - a $60 cab ride), Nevada on the historic Pauite Indian Reservation. Nestled in the Spring Mountains, Paiute is guaranteed to provide a great Las Vegas golf course experience.
Unlike Desert Pines Golf Course, Sliverstone Golf Course, and even Wolf Creek Golf Links, Pauite golf course provides a golfer to experience three distinct golfing adventures. When I played, I tackled the ominous Snow Mountain Course. Snow Mountain is Paiute’s original course, measures 7,164 total yards, has wide rye grass fairways, has seven holes with water hazards, and features a progressive layout —meaning there are no parallel fairways. Featuring traditional Dye railroad tie-decorated bunkers and dogleg finishing holes – some golfers still feel the original is the best of the three.
Paiute Golf Course Clubhouse/Pro Shop Review
As the picture shows, the Clubhouse at Pauite is very big and very nice. When you arrive at the course, golf club attendants are eagerly waiting to take your clubs and get you set up for the round. When you get inside you are greeted with a clean, inviting atmosphere. The clubhouse makes you feel like you are about to play on a great golf course.
One word of advice. Get to the golf course about an hour early, particularly if you have a morning tee time. They have a breakfast buffet, complete with omelet station (they have a chef make the omelets), sausages, french toast, fresh fruit, bacon, and hash browns, for $10.00. It's a great deal, the food is great, so you might as well take advantage of it.
The pro shop is decent in size and had a relatively good selection of golf gear. I should know, because I was scouring the place for a cheap sweater, jacket, or anything else that could warm me up. While the temperature on the Las Vegas Strip was about 75 degrees when we left, at Pauite, which is located at the base of the Spring Mountains, the temperature was a balmy 50 degrees, with a 20 mile per hour wind. It did warm up eventually, but bring a jacket just in case.
The pro shop personnel, while generally helpful, were a little snooty. We traveled with five and wanted to see if playing five would be possible (by the way, my group is all relatively good golfers - mid 70s to low 80s). The course was packed and pace of play did not warrant turning down a fivesome. The response we received was "there are two things we don't do at Pauite - jeans and fivesomes." Not the friendly response I was looking for.
Paiute Golf Course Practice Facility.
The practice facility was nice but not spectacular. There are two driving ranges available, depending on what course you were playing, as well as two putting clocks. The range balls are complementary, and overall I was happy with it.
One piece of advice - hit some putts on the putting clocks. I'm not sure what the greens were running speed-wise that day, but they were considerably faster than the course we'd previously played, and it took some getting used to. The greens were the favorite part of this golf course for me.
Paiute Golf Course - Snow Mountain Course Revieww.
18 holes with a cart on a Saturday ran about $179.00. Not too bad for what I believe were still winter rates. For the course, it is a very good rate.
Taking a look at the Scorecard, you can see there is a diverse mix of holes to be played on the course. We played from the yellow tees, and with the wind the way it was, we were more than challenged. What made this course enjoyable was the opportunity to decide whether to go big for a low score or play it safe and make par. There were at least 3 holes that could be cut off and gone for off the tee (par 4s). I made one and missed two, but even having the opportunity was fun.
Pauite Golf Course - Snow Mountain Course - My Favorite Hole.
My Score and Overall Rating.
Overall, I'd give the Pauite Golf Course Snow Mountain an 8 out of 10. I'd recommend it for everyone.
Paiute golf resort is a Pete Dye designed course located approximately 25 minutes outside of Las Vegas (the cab ride from the Las Vegas Strip was about 40 minutes - a $60 cab ride), Nevada on the historic Pauite Indian Reservation. Nestled in the Spring Mountains, Paiute is guaranteed to provide a great Las Vegas golf course experience.
Unlike Desert Pines Golf Course, Sliverstone Golf Course, and even Wolf Creek Golf Links, Pauite golf course provides a golfer to experience three distinct golfing adventures. When I played, I tackled the ominous Snow Mountain Course. Snow Mountain is Paiute’s original course, measures 7,164 total yards, has wide rye grass fairways, has seven holes with water hazards, and features a progressive layout —meaning there are no parallel fairways. Featuring traditional Dye railroad tie-decorated bunkers and dogleg finishing holes – some golfers still feel the original is the best of the three.
Paiute Golf Course Clubhouse/Pro Shop ReviewAs the picture shows, the Clubhouse at Pauite is very big and very nice. When you arrive at the course, golf club attendants are eagerly waiting to take your clubs and get you set up for the round. When you get inside you are greeted with a clean, inviting atmosphere. The clubhouse makes you feel like you are about to play on a great golf course.
One word of advice. Get to the golf course about an hour early, particularly if you have a morning tee time. They have a breakfast buffet, complete with omelet station (they have a chef make the omelets), sausages, french toast, fresh fruit, bacon, and hash browns, for $10.00. It's a great deal, the food is great, so you might as well take advantage of it.
The pro shop is decent in size and had a relatively good selection of golf gear. I should know, because I was scouring the place for a cheap sweater, jacket, or anything else that could warm me up. While the temperature on the Las Vegas Strip was about 75 degrees when we left, at Pauite, which is located at the base of the Spring Mountains, the temperature was a balmy 50 degrees, with a 20 mile per hour wind. It did warm up eventually, but bring a jacket just in case.
The pro shop personnel, while generally helpful, were a little snooty. We traveled with five and wanted to see if playing five would be possible (by the way, my group is all relatively good golfers - mid 70s to low 80s). The course was packed and pace of play did not warrant turning down a fivesome. The response we received was "there are two things we don't do at Pauite - jeans and fivesomes." Not the friendly response I was looking for.
Paiute Golf Course Practice Facility.
The practice facility was nice but not spectacular. There are two driving ranges available, depending on what course you were playing, as well as two putting clocks. The range balls are complementary, and overall I was happy with it.
One piece of advice - hit some putts on the putting clocks. I'm not sure what the greens were running speed-wise that day, but they were considerably faster than the course we'd previously played, and it took some getting used to. The greens were the favorite part of this golf course for me.
Paiute Golf Course - Snow Mountain Course Revieww.18 holes with a cart on a Saturday ran about $179.00. Not too bad for what I believe were still winter rates. For the course, it is a very good rate.
Taking a look at the Scorecard, you can see there is a diverse mix of holes to be played on the course. We played from the yellow tees, and with the wind the way it was, we were more than challenged. What made this course enjoyable was the opportunity to decide whether to go big for a low score or play it safe and make par. There were at least 3 holes that could be cut off and gone for off the tee (par 4s). I made one and missed two, but even having the opportunity was fun.
The condition of the course was great. It is located in the desert, so outside the rough of the course it was difficult playing any shots. Boulders and desert shrubs were abundant. As I mentioned before, the greens were very fast and in great shape. The fairways and tee boxes were in wonderful condition too. Part of what makes the course so lush is a natural aquifer located underneath the reservation.
I can't say this enough - bring a jacket! The wind coming out of the mountains was very strong and considerably cooler than when actually in Las Vegas.
If you enjoy some libations out on the course, buy in bulk. The beer cart was only seen once per nine holes. If you are playing in the summer, this could result in some parched mouths. There is a bonus, though. When you pay for the course they give you coupon books with drink coupons - don't be afraid to use them.
As for scenery and aesthetic value, I couldn't have asked for more. It is still undeveloped ground out there, so its just you, the course, and the desert. The scenery was great.
I can't say this enough - bring a jacket! The wind coming out of the mountains was very strong and considerably cooler than when actually in Las Vegas.
If you enjoy some libations out on the course, buy in bulk. The beer cart was only seen once per nine holes. If you are playing in the summer, this could result in some parched mouths. There is a bonus, though. When you pay for the course they give you coupon books with drink coupons - don't be afraid to use them.
As for scenery and aesthetic value, I couldn't have asked for more. It is still undeveloped ground out there, so its just you, the course, and the desert. The scenery was great.
Pauite Golf Course - Snow Mountain Course - My Favorite Hole.My favorite hole at Paiute Snow Mountain Golf Course was #7. As I mentioned earlier, one of the things I really enjoyed about this course was the chance to go for some of the greens off the tee box. I also said I was one for three in those opportunities. This was the one. In the fairness of full disclosure, I drove the green and three putted for par.
My Score and Overall Rating.
I don't feel great about this, but I shot a 101 with a number of 6 putts and a couple of dead shanks. Although my score would disagree, I wouldn't describe the course as overly challenging. I think mixing in the Vegas nightlife with no chance to practice (I was coming out of a Kansas winter) resulted in the high score.
Overall, I'd give the Pauite Golf Course Snow Mountain an 8 out of 10. I'd recommend it for everyone.
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