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I play here at 3-5 times per week and as of 12.22.18 I've not seen the course in much better condition than it is now. Theres a newish greenskeeper( less than a year on the job I believe), and he is top notch. the previous regime let some things get away from them that have been addressed.

I have introduced several visitors to this place and they've enjoyed it each time. Its sort of a hidden gem in the city. The staff is always friendly and accommodating. This is a moderately challenging course that winds thru sun city Aliante and I have honestly never played more than 4.5 hr rounds with most averaging about 4.0.

Great practice facility , with all grass all the time range, chipping and pitching area, and big practice green.

Its not a course that is a high profile Vegas destination spot but it is without a doubt one of the best value courses in the city.
12 Likes.
Played 3.8.18 with a 930 tee time as a foursome. The drive from vegas was a little less than an hour. Arriving at the course we were met with exceptional service by the staff. Genuinely nice people from the bag drop to the starter and the marshall all seemed to be very appreciative that we chose to play and spend money at their place and it was refreshing .

The course was in fantastic shape, the fairways lush , the rough was consistent height and the greens were medium speed and putts rolled true .

Several times during the round we had to remind ourselves we were playing golf in the desert! The Lakes course very much has the feel a sense of courses in Myrtle Beach or the RTJ golf trail, with fairways lined with pine trees, and oak trees it definitely did not feel like a desert course at al.

My only complaint on the day was there was no refreshment cart on the course, no place to get a drink or a light snack or anything while out there. They did provide water in the cart coolers but after that was gone we were like lost soldiers on a deserted island out there.

My advice pack your golf bag with some snack, book a time and go play this place.
15 Likes.
Teed off at 9:30 with our weekly group of about 16 players. Having now played all 3 of the "golf summerlin" courses Its clear as to why Highland falls is the jewel of the bunch.

The course was in great shape , save a few chopped up tee boxes here and there. Off the tee the course is not overly challenging, with wide fairways not too many forced carries and some holes short enough that laying up short of the bunkers was the smart play anyhow.

The back 9 of this course is almost like a different course than the front. With elevated tee boxes, dog legs and forced carries over water. It sort of lulls you to sleep on the front 9 and if you don't wake up by 12 you'll be in trouble. Its not a long track and long hitters will find that 3-5 irons off many tees will leave you pw to 7 irons in. The greens are the most formidable defense here and today...... well see below:

My only complaints:
1: I love a challenge but the pin placements on the greens today were mind boggling! some pins were literally cut right on top of slopes, others were cut 3-4 paces from the edge. Normally I don't complain much but we really experienced some cartoonish type putts that were almost impossible to even get close to some pins. As we made our way into the 19th hole there were groups of golfers who played before us (who seemed to be the senior member / resident types ) actually officially complaining about the tee placements. My main problem is that it dramatically slowed pace of play it was 4.75 hrs! on a course that should have taken us 3.5 - 4 hrs to play.

2: Many of the tee boxes were uneven which wouldn't be a problem unless you actually placed the tee box stones on the uneven part of the box! On 5 occasions we had actual hook or fade lies on the tee! just not well thought out.

With all that being said I will play here again for sure $35 including cart is as fine a deal as can be found, as a visitor I would rank this as one of those gems not on many radar screens.
11 Likes.
Played 1.27.18 with a 9 am tee time. The course is in great shape now. The greens in particular were rolling really nicely.

This course winds thru a retirement type community, where many of the residents are members with their own carts etc. I say this because It seems as tho the course employs / deploys many of the senior residents as greeters, starters, attendants, and marshals. I played as part of a group that rotates the game to many of the courses in the area weekly and we get the most attendance when Palm Valley is on the schedule.

Coming off the 9th green we were greeted by a marshal who asked how we found the course conditions to that point. He seemed to genuinely want our input and we found that refreshing.

You would be hard pressed to find a course that gives you more value for your green fees. $40 resident fee includes range balls and a discount at the 19th hole. All the staff we encountered were warm and welcoming.

On the course the highlights for me were definitely the greens! they were...... beautiful ? That seems to be the best description. The fairways were lush with not many bare spots or unprepared divots, except on a few holes like 9, 13, 14, 18. These holes are designed such that most golfers find themselves in pretty much the same place in the fairway with their tee shots.
The sand in the bunkers was fluffy and only 1 bunker was messy and out of sorts with the others ( the front bunker on 14 which seemed to be a popular catch spot for long drives and short approach shots ).

The course is not a difficult one but the set up provides for a fast POP and a fun time. Birdies can be made on this fun track .
8 Likes.
Played 1..5.18. This course is pretty much always in very good shape and this round was no exception.

The course seems to attract as many resident golfers as tourists looking for a great course at a decent rate. Full disclosure - I am a member here and play the course weekly. The staff here is usually very helpful and professional. From the player assistants that meet you in the parking lot to the starter crew they all seem to recognize you could be paying to play at a nearby competitors course.

My only gripe - The range - the courses nearby all have grass only ranges which makes the old worn out Mats here feel like a cheap way out. Then to top it all off , the range balls here are actually the worse I've ever seen. honestly the balls must be at least 20 years old. I got a small bucket ( 30 balls or so) and at least 8 balls were broken , cut, or without any dimples. For the amount of play and range guests they get on a daily basis thats bad business.

The course looks tighter from the tee boxes than it actually is. The fairways are actually generous and it is a well designed track, in that it makes you focus on every shot. I'll post playing tips soon , but don't be intimidated by the view from the tees , once you hit you will realize you had plenty room.

The greens sometimes can get fast and that can make for a tough day as you need to be on the correct tier to have a chance on many holes. Out of position approach shots can pay a steep penalty even if your chipping and pitching is the strength of your game. The rough was ok , some patchy areas but this time of year the grass is dormant and hasn't held up so well. the green side bunkers have recently been addressed by the staff and were in very good shape. the fairway bunkers were thin and gravelly.

Overall this course for the price you can get even as a non resident is a great value for those looking for a challenge from a course that is also very playable . I would recommend adding this to your list of mid level Vegas courses to play.
7 Likes.
Played 1.6.18. This is basically like playing golf in a community park. For those familiar with the course design style of William Bell, this track reminds of you pretty much every other Bell designed course. A "casual" players course for sure.

The good: For those looking for a no stress round of golf this will do the trick. The fairways are wide and although there are lots of trees on the course they're not really in your way on many holes. In some cases it felt like you actually had to try to miss the fairway.
The greens were SOFT and held even the hottest thinnest hit approach shots. They were slow which allowed you to be as aggressive with your putt as you desired. Its a flat course , which makes for an easy walk and more importantly no matter where you hit your ball you never loose sight of it as there are no undulating fairways or blind shots or slopes to cause you any distress at all.

The Bad: It is not the prettiest course , and as such it isn't a course you would add to your list of courses you'd like to play while visiting Vegas. The staff / starter was a nice enough fella but managing the groups to allow for a more enjoyable round was not his cup of tea. I checked in at 11 am for my 1145 tee time. I was paired with another single and we were behind a 5some, and there was a 4 some in front of them that had never played golf on an actual course before. behind us was 3 players. I can think of several ways those groups could have been organized for all to enjoy the day. The new golfers were being yelled at by the 5some and I only know this because basically we were playing as if we were an 11 some! No Marshall to be found. One of the slowest most aggravating rounds of golf I've ever had.....ever.
The maintenance of the course was ok but on a few holes you couldn't take a step without stepping in goose dung. The 1 bunker I was in was not just bad it was awful! I would estimate there was maybe a 1/2 inch of top sand on top of what felt like was cement. On at least 4 holes my approach into the green plugged down to about half the ball, you could see evidence that this had happened to quite a few others as the greens had some pretty bad ball marks that were not repaired.

In summation : If you are an avid golfer , this is a good enough place to get some work in however there are quite a few other courses nearby that would give you a little more enjoyable experience. If you are brand new to the game you'll probably enjoy it immensely. value ? Well sometimes you get what you pay for . it was $20.00 cart included , which probably is a fair price.
7 Likes.
Played here a few times. Most recently 11.16.17. with a tee time of 930 am. I like the course design , I'd call it vacationers golf. wide open fairways , the pins were accessible and the course was well maintained for the most part. The greens were ,,,, inconsistent is the word I would use.some were definitely faster than others but the overall experience was nice. We played behind a group that rented their clubs from the course and I was expecting a long day. The design of the course I think helps with the speed of play.
7 Likes.
First of all this is a short course , real short in fact. Therefore it is gonna confuse some when I say Its one of the funnest rounds of golf you can play. Its got its challenges and there are definitely some holes that seemed like they squeezed in a hole on some extra land they discovered at the end of making a golf course but it really is fun!

The maintenance of this place is really 2nd to none , really. The staff is all great. The greens aren't fast but it actually seems like they deploy staff to fix ball marks because they are always smooth. The fairways are near perfect in my opinion and only once did I find myself in a dodgy lie just off the 3rd green.

Like many long hitters the part of my game that needs the most work is the short game , this course provides plenty of chances to work on it but enough holes to hit driver , wood or long iron that you never get bored. After my first visit I left the course thinking I'll play it again and now that I've played it 5-6 times I'm still saying "I'll play it again ".

Great value $24, I've met some good golfers out there and have had some low rounds to make the return date sooner rather than later.

Don't hate it, play it
7 Likes.
played 12.2.17. Now this was my kinda golf course ! I loved this course. Like others have said If you have never played here , you must make it part of your future plans in my opinion.

The history of the course , ( Tigers first PGA win ) , ( The rat Packs home course) , The movies that have been filmed here , all that just sorta adds to the atmosphere.

The course itself is old and in some places its age really shows , but overall it is maintained very well and the staff is great. the clubhouse is old school but very classy.

On the course the fairways were lush but many unprepared divots. In fact I drove my ball into divots in the middle of the fairway on the first 2 holes! ( A first in my golfing life) The greens didn't appear to have had many ball marks fixed in the 2-3 days prior to our round. The only bunker I was in i managed a sandy birdie so I can't complain but I would say the sand was very course and a few bunkers hadn't been raked in a while. many of the areas around the back of greens or between holes is where you can tell the age of the course, with muddy or bare patches.

With all that said, I loved this place! I love old well designed courses with tons of character. If you do too, you gotta give National a run.
11 Likes.
Played 11.29.17. first off the staff here was amazing ! from the guard at the gate who gave me playing tips to the cart staff everyone seemed to genuinely be happy that we chose to play their course, and I enjoyed them.

The course was in a great shape . I never got in a bunker so i can't speak to the sand in them . the greenside bunker on #6 has to need more sand cuz one of my playing partners needed about 5 hacks to get his ball out. :-)

I loved the layout of this place , no real goofy or gimmicky holes, but definitely some that require your full attention.

Excellent value for the price we paid, I will definitely play it more often.
8 Likes.
Played 12.6.17 8;45 am start, in a group of 12 players. The course recently re-opened after a renovation. I never played the old course previously called "Desert Rose" but several in our group had and give the new course rave reviews in comparrison.

This course in a Links Styled track, with undulating greens and tiers. There is a flood control drainage ditch which runs thru the entire course from hole 1 - 18. The "ditch" runs along the right side of every hole. off the tee, many holes appear to have quite a narrow landing area in the fairway. One of the guys in my group hit a straight as a string drive off the tee on 7 which landed in the middle of the fairway. We watched his ball roll to the right , off the fairway and down to "the ditch". Therefore the tip of all tips for this course. DO NOT GO RIGHT ! Even if your ball doesn't find the actual water , the 4 inch rough and severe slope will create an awkward lie with the ball well below or above your feet on a drastic angle. A resident golfer here told me " You have to remember they designed it as a flood control basin FIRST and golf course 2ND". Which means the entire course slopes toward the drainage ditch.

The ruff that borders the right side of the fairways is probably 3-5 inches thick in spots . Surely an effort designed to help balls stay on the course and out of "the ditch "

There are a couple of what I call 'goofy' or cartoon holes but all in all, the course was in fantastic shape. The guys in our group all said they had never seen the greens in such great shape. They were FAST ! and like many links courses, the greens were a formidable defense if you were out of position.

I'm not a huge fan of links courses but I rather enjoyed this track once i realized that a 3 iron off the tee on most holes was sufficient to leave about a 150 yard 2nd.

Great Value ! $25 round and that came with a $10 voucher for lunch afterward!
8 Likes.
Played this course on 5/6/07. The good ...the course was in good shape , save a few muddy soft spots off the fairways. The bad 5.5 hour round! Unbelievably slow. Actually slow isnt enough of a word to describe the pace. for the $ it costs to play here they really should do something to help with the pace of play.
1 Like.
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