Painted Desert Golf Club - $$$
5555 Painted Mirage Way • Las Vegas, NV 89129 • (702) 645-2568
Map/Satellite Image · Driving Directions
5555 Painted Mirage Way • Las Vegas, NV 89129 • (702) 645-2568
Map/Satellite Image · Driving Directions
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 Surveyor Report: 7/1/2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As one of the original "modern upscale" style courses in the Las Vegas area, Jay Morrish's Painted Desert Golf Club is one of the more recognizable names in Southern Nevada golf. While the facility is starting to look a bit aged in comparison to newer competition in the area, there are many things that haven't changed from the course that many golfers have no doubt played and enjoyed over the years. If you consider just the golf course itself - that is, solely what's within the boundaries of each hole - Painted Desert is an excellent golf course. It's challenging and strategic with a decent assortment of ponds, bunkers, and desert areas that you'd expect from a course like this. The 7th and 14th holes both stand out as excellent short par 4s with the 14th being the more dangerous of the two. The course takes a few holes to get warmed up, and I don't believe the course really starts to get good until the 4th hole. Once it does, however, it continues to build on that momentum (for the most part) and carries it through the back nine culminating in the picturesque 18th. With little doubt in my mind, I can say that the back nine is the better of the two halves: it features two excellent short holes (14 and 16) as well as the sternest two-shotter on the property, the 12th. Painted Desert is not a target golf course, and for this most will be thankful. There are few forced carries and the course will be enjoyable for most levels of players. The elite long hitters may dislike the fact that the longest set of tees is not quite 6800 yards, though I didn't find this at all problematic. Conditions are understandably average right now as the 110+ degree sun beating down all day long isn't by any definition a greenkeeper's ideal, but there is still room for improvement based on what I saw. The tee boxes and bunkers were both excellent with the rough and fairways not far behind. In fact, the bunkers deserve individual praise here - For a dry desert course, they were remarkably nice - soft and fluffy without being dusty. Far too often sand conditions are overlooked, especially in harsh climates. These I am happy to say are well cared for. The greens, though still somewhat true, were probably the weakest aspect of PDGC's conditioning - they were grown out and slow…disappointingly so. Based on what I saw, this is easily fixed with one good mow as the surfaces are actually quite healthy and lush, so perhaps it’s a conscious choice given the extreme weather. While I'm sure we can all understand and appreciate the need for sustainable maintanence practices, if you ask me to report objectively on the quality of the greens on the day of my play alone, I maintain that they were a bit long for most player's tastes. I qualified my statement about "solely within the boundaries" with regard to PDGC in reference to the fact that the setting, to be entirely honest, leaves a bit to be desired. The architect did some great work with the mostly flat property to create a good deal of interest, but part of what this course has going for it is the beautiful mountain views around the property. Sadly, in some places they are obstructed by housing and surrounding development. There is no feeling of remoteness here, as you are more likely to encounter a backyard barbecue than you would a tumbleweed or jackrabbit. Still, some would argue that a golf course should be judged based on design and conditions alone (and that surroundings and setting are merely window dressing) and for those people, you'll find a lot here to like. The course gives you ample opportunities at birdie (or better) but also challenges you with demanding shots and well-placed hazards. As I mentioned earlier, there are certainly newer and more upscale options in the Las Vegas area, but Painted Desert holds its own with a combination of a solid golf course, a less daunting and more understated facility, and an extremely friendly staff (particularly the gentlemen in charge of the carts) who really made me feel at ease before, during, and after my round. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
