12 replies to this topic

[Woogie]

A couple friends and I are planning a trip to Vegas.  We each get to pick a course to play.  From what I have found on this site, Paiute seems to be among the favorite courses in Vegas.  My question is what are the differences between the courses: Wolf, Snow Mountain, and Sun Mountain?  How would your rank them in length, difficulty, and enjoyability?  We are not looking to break any course records as we all vary in handicaps.  We are just looking for a great course, which isn't too difficult with some scenic appeal to enjoy golf and each others company.  

We did this last year, and we played Bali Hai and Desert Pines.  While we had a blast and I enjoyed Bali Hai, I was not a fan of Desert Pines and look to upgrade on our course selections this year.  

On a side note, my friends are looking at selecting between Revere, Arroyo, and Badlands.  Feel free to throw in currents conditions of these courses as well if you would like.

Thanks in advance,

[Golfinnova]

I'm a member there so here is my personal observations:

1.  First of all, you can't go wrong with any of the 3.  They are in great shape all the time, the layout is good which appeals to any handicap.  Wolf is IMHO the "harder" of the 3 just because of the lack of forgiveness should you miss a green but 15 is a true gem being the signature hole.  I played it on Friday and the greens were lightning fast,  you won't find the railroad ties in the bunkers on Wolf as you would on Sun and Snow.

2.  I would go Wolf, Sun, Snow on personal choices.

3.  As to the other courses mentioned, they are good but people have mixed opinions on them especially Badlands.  The rule of thumb is to bring an extra ball for each stroke of handicap there but I always have played well there as a 18 handicap.  Badlands is the true definition of target golf so it could be frustrating to a higher handicap player.

[duffer987]

To echo Golfinnova you cannot make a bad choice at Paiute. We played 36 one day (Snow/Wolf) and had we not known Wolf is supposed to be the 'best' of the three we wouldn't have been able to tell. It was a quiet May morning and we flew around in 3 hours and then had a 4.5 hour round after lunch. Windy as a bastxxx, but wholly enjoyable! Will always look to play at least one round there when returning to Vegas.

As far Badlands is concerned, I am one of those who doesn't like it. It's not a course you rock up at play once and go home having had a satisfying day out. it's too tricked up off the tee for that. There are some nice approach shots to be had, but as a course to visit I'd give it a miss. Unless absolutely nothing else neat was available. Blind shots and pockets for landing areas are fine if they occur naturally as part of the routing of a golf course but at Bandlands it's contrived and suffers for it.

[thaar]

I visited Paiute for the first time last week and played Wolf.  Course was in great shape and the greens were pretty fast.  After talking with a bunch of the staff, Snow seems to be a favorite among them, though they all said all three are great courses and you can't go wrong.

[thaar]

Oh and another thing to note, if you book on one of the discount websites as a local, they likely won't check.  I was golfing with two family members that live in LV, but they didn't check any of our ID's.

[kg92lefty]

Snow is my favorite.  Minus the 15th hole Wolf is nothing special compared to the other two.

[Woogie]

Thanks for all the replies. Is it roughly 30 miles from the Strip?

[duffer987]

^Surely if you were able to create an account and post on here you can figure out how Google maps works?
https://maps.google....t=h&mra=ls&z=11

[geoangus]

Woogie, on 07 November 2012 - 07:48 AM, said:

Thanks for all the replies. Is it roughly 30 miles from the Strip?

That sounds about right.  I played Wolf last year, and while it can be demanding, I found it to be a very fair course.  Course conditions were outstanding.  And yes, the wind does blow.  If I get back out to Vegas again, Paiute would definitely be on the list.

[Woogie]

duffer987, on 07 November 2012 - 09:10 AM, said:

^Surely if you were able to create an account and post on here you can figure out how Google maps works?
https://maps.google....mra=ls&z=11

I guess I was thinking--or typing out loud. More than anything I was just thinking about the best way to get out there, as we usually do not rent a car.

[duffer987]

^Sure, completely understandable
Renting a car in Vegas is the way to go. They are cheap, parking at the hotels/casinos is free, and it saves the hassle of getting a cab to/from the airport.

[Johnny4379]

Yes definitely don't let them suck you into the 120 each way they are trying to charge for car service! Rent a car for the day and spend the rest with the cart girl

[gambit]

Paiute is great. I played Wolf and Snow. I liked Snow better, but not by much. Also, if you've never played in the desert before like me at the time, bring extra balls. That ball is hard to find once it gets into a desert area and Paiute is expensive on the balls. I was running a little low for the second 18 so I was going to get 2 sleeves of Bridgestone B330S. $36!!! I asked how much for the dozen, $72. Resort prices I was told. Also, on the way there there's a tobacco shop with a decent cigar selection just before you get to Paiute, like literally just before you get there. Check to see if they have the Golfapalooza. Play 36 and get a $20 lunch credit for just over the price of 1 round. And as others have stated, rent a car.