This was my second round yesterday. I had booked an 11:53 GN hot deal for $43. I arrived early and there was a big group of 20 guys lined up and ready to go to the first tee. Then a few steady groups ... Continue »

This was my second round yesterday. I had booked an 11:53 GN hot deal for $43. I arrived early and there was a big group of 20 guys lined up and ready to go to the first tee. Then a few steady groups went after that. It seemed that the starter had everything organized and he said he'd let me know when it was time for me to go. After a little while that guy completely disappeared and then nobody knew what was going on. The poor cart barn kid did his best to pair the groups up and help send people over to the first tee, but he was clearly out of his element. He put me with two other singles and sent us up there, then another couple arrived and they also had the 11:53 tee time. One of the singles was a walk-on and probably shouldn't have been paired with us. Several other groups came up to the first tee behind us, as well, as we were still waiting on the group in the fairway. It was a confusing mess, so we just decided to play as a fivesome and it worked out fine. We were always right on top of the group ahead and we finished in about 4:20.

The course was in good, not great overall shape. The tee boxes were great. The fairways were mostly good. Some soft/mushy spots here and there and some thinner areas where the overseed wasn't as lush, but generally nothing to complain about. The rough was a mixed bag with different grasses (some semi-dormant bermuda, some spot rye patches) and different cuts/coverages. You never quite knew what you'd get in the rough. Sometimes brutal, sometimes no punishment at all. The greens were soft and receptive, rolling at medium speeds. They did get a bit bumpy late in the day. Two of the three bunkers I was in had good sand. The other one was very thin and firm.

I had low expectations coming into this round and the rough service experience at the beginning didn't help. However, I found myself enjoying the course more and more as the round went on, and ultimately I left with a positive impression. The first few holes were kind of bland and then it starts to get more interesting. There were a handful of really memorable holes. It's a good mix with no two parallel holes anywhere as you work your way through a big residential community. I was happy to get a decent price. It was well worth what I paid. Otherwise, you'll want to look for some deals to play here. It's a good overall course, but like so many of the mid-range Vegas courses, it's probably not quite worth the non-resident rack rate this time of year.