Vol. 4, No. 6, June 2008
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Select golf holes around Las Vegas
It’s no secret that Las Vegas has become a hot spot for golfers. Eight months out of the year the weather is great for golfing, and the other four months courses typically offer discounts to golfers willing to brave the heat.
There are many great golf courses in Las Vegas. They aren’t the typical playable but not-so-special municipal courses that dominate the Midwest; these are beautifully designed courses that are kept in excellent condition year round.
Among the great courses in Las Vegas, there are some holes that stand out from the rest—whether a breathtaking view from the tee box or green area, or the challenge of trying to carry a water hazard and reach in two.
While we’ve rounded up some of the most select holes in Las Vegas, this list is by no means all-inclusive. One could easily put together 18 or even 36 really exceptional holes from around Las Vegas. But for now, we’re focused on the following nine that shine.
Royal Links
Hole 8
Distance: 153 yards
Par: 3
Handicap: 15
“Postage Stamp”
Fitting for the course name, the eighth hole at Royal Links brings a little bit of the United Kingdom to Las Vegas. This par 3 is patterned after and takes its nickname from the eighth hole at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland—perhaps the most famous par 3 in the world.
It’s a short hole at only 153 yards, but what it lacks in distance it also lacks in size. The green is not only small—like a postage stamp—but it is elevated and surrounded by five bunkers, one short and two guarding both the left and right side.
The best way to play this hole is simple: stay out of the bunkers. If you can’t stick it on the green, aim to play over instead of leaving it short.
Revere Golf Club Concord Course
Hole 5
Distance: 184 yards
Par: 3
Handicap: 15
“Reconnaissance”
Hole five on the Concord Course at the Revere Golf Club is a 184-yard par 3. It is nicknamed “Reconnaissance” because, well, you might feel like you’re on a recon mission playing this one.
This is a downhill hole with hazards both short and long. Catch the ball fat and you’ll end up in the drink; carry too long and you’re in the sand; hook it left and you’re battling a cart path or rugged desert lie.
BALI HAI
Hole 16
Distance: 141 yards
Par: 3
Handicap: 16
“Pacific rim”
This 141-yard par 3 is the signature hole at the Bali Hai gold course. The island green on the 16th hole, nicknamed “Pacific Rim,” provides some additional pressure besides the hazards.
After you block out the water surrounding the green and the right front and left rear bunkers, you need to block out the onlookers from the clubhouse patio, which overlooks the hole.
Pin placement determines how best to play this hole, because the green has the most severe elevation change of any on the course. When the pin is in the back of the green, only a good shot that lands softly in the smallest section of the green will play.
Lake Las Vegas Reflection Bay
Hole 7
Distance: 452 yards
Par: 4
Handicap: 3
A flowing stream set into a canyon at the tees bisects this hole at the landing area, crossing at an angle from right to left until it empties into Lake Las Vegas left of the green.
Jack Nicklaus felt that the green with water behind it provided an opportunity to do the spectacular.
Drawing on his playing experience at St. Andrews, he saw the potential to do a similar green site to “The Road Hole” No. 17, with the lake and bunkers equaling the road and having a portion of the front of the green actually feed the ball into a deep pot bunker.
Rio Secco
Hole 11
Distance: 478 yards
Par: 4
Handicap: 2
The view from this tee box offers a view of the entire city of Las Vegas, and the fairway invites you to gamble with your drive.
It’s downhill and doglegs to the right, making it tempting to try to cut the corner. But if your drive doesn’t carry, you’ll end up in the desert.
A good tee shot that stays clear of the fairway bunkers leaves a long iron approach to the narrow and deep green. It is suggested that the approach shot target the left side of the green, using the slot of the hill all the way to the hole.
Lake Las Vegas The Falls
Hole 13
Distance: 388 yards
Par: 4
Handicap: 4
Views abound on this major league, downhill short par 4. The tees sit among the rugged rock outcroppings more than 100 feet above the fairway below.
Playing the hole is only half the fun—the cart path ride delivers its own brand of thrills as you make your way down the mountain face.
Drives played to left will provide the best angle to attack this green, which is hidden above the landing area in a canyon and protected by a large rock outcropping.
The green sits in a large bowl and could provide many birdie opportunities if the approach is judged correctly.
Badlands Golf Club Outlaw Course
Hole 9
Distance: 515 yards
Par: 5
Handicap: 1
“Waterin’ hole”
The ninth hole on the Outlaw Course at the Badlands Golf Club is the toughest hole on the course. It is reachable in two, but only for those who can drive the ball long and straight.
That’s the challenge in this 515-yard par 5: is it worth it to try to carry the water to reach the green in two, or better to lay up and play for par?
Most players opt to lay up about 100 to 150 yards out, which essentially takes the water hazard out of play. If you hook or slice your drive, this is really your only option.
Hit a perfect tee shot, however, and it is decision time. Do you want to find out the reasons behind the nickname “Waterin’ Hole?”
Revere Golf Club Lexington Course
Hole 7
Distance: 489 yards
Par: 5
Handicap: 5
“King’s chapel”
With tees perched along canyon walls overlooking the fairway, the tee box for the seventh hole on the Lexington Course at the Revere Golf Club offers golfers a dramatic view of the Las Vegas Valley, as well as a challenging par 5 in front of them.
The elevated tee box makes it look like the 489-yard “King’s Chapel” can be reached in two, but the second shot is uphill and the green is surrounded by trouble.
The small two-tiered green sits before a three-level waterfall that flows down a small cliff, making perhaps the most dramatic and beautiful green area in the city.
Desert Pines
Hole 7
Distance: 517 yards
Par: 5
Handicap: 5
“Sidewinder”
Hole seven at Desert Pines is the perfect example of risk vs. reward. With a decent drive, thegreen can be reached in two. Great, right?
Well, the green is surrounded on three sides—front, right and back—by water.
Oh, yeah. The fairway is also pretty narrow and lined with bunkers, putting a little more pressure on the perfect drive.
The smart play is to slow down and play to reach in three. From the tee box, play a shorter wood and leave the ball short of the bunker on the left. From there, you can lay up about 100 yards out, where you will have a much better chance of sticking the green.
