It took a perfect storm of situations for me to finally play Wynn. First was the knowledge that the course was likely closing later this year (sometime in December based on what I was told by people t... Continue »

It took a perfect storm of situations for me to finally play Wynn. First was the knowledge that the course was likely closing later this year (sometime in December based on what I was told by people there) and I wanted to play it while I still could. Second was it was my birthday, and I was more willing to "splurge" while on this trip. Third was that it was summer and they do have the "discounted" offseason rate of $350 compared to the usual $500. Fourth was I am just about out of public courses to play in Vegas (after this trip, Shadow is the only one left on my list). So, I went for it and booked a 7:00 tee time for Tuesday morning. They really don't provide much advice or instruction on check-in (as in where to park, where the pro shop is in relation to the casino/hotel, etc.). I went up to the valet first and they didn't really give me a clear answer, so I just ended up self parking. I then carried my clubs from the parking garage through the casino and ultimately to the pro shop. Oh, and they just started charging for parking this week ($12) like most other Strip casinos do now, and there is no validation or credit from the course. For a supposedly really high-end golf club/resort, I would have expected a better arrival process and service in general. I guess I coulda/shoulda used the valet, and maybe I would have if anyone had provided any sort of helpfulness before arrival or when I got there. My caddie was nice enough to put my clubs on a bell cart and take them all the way back to my car at the end of the round. I was already a bit agitated before I even got to the course and the people there were just kind of dismissive about everything when I questioned the arrival process (or later when I complained about course conditions). I got the sense they are all kind of bitter the place is closing in a few months and they don't give a crap. Everything felt kind of half-hearted compared to a service experience at a similarly priced club such as Cascata. I will say the one bright spot was my forecaddie, Charlie, who has worked at the club since day one and was a pleasure to play with. We got along well from the start and he quickly figured out what I liked and didn't like. He was more of a personal caddie in this case because they didn't have me paired with anyone. In fact, barely anyone was on the tee sheet that day. I teed off right as the clock struck 7:00. I tried to take my time, taking pictures and enjoying a more relaxed pace than normal for me. For this price, I didn't want to zip around at my usual break-neck speed. I still finished in about 2:45. I didn't expect pristine conditions in mid-summer. I understand that's partly why they offer a lower rate this time of year. However, I am going to be more nitpicky when paying this much for golf. It was really disappointing. They really overwater this place trying to hold onto the rye as long as possible when it should have transitioned fully to bermuda by now. My caddie mentioned that in about a month, it will have fully transitioned and it will be much nicer. Then, it's good for a few weeks before they close down again for the overseed. Strange practice for sure. Everything was very soggy. The tee boxes were fine. The fairways were pretty good for the most part. No roll-out on drives and some thin spots scattered throughout. Definitely not the lushness or consistency you'd expect at a course of this caliber. The rough was a mess. There were many big dead/bare patches and coverage was inconsistent to say the least. The good areas were good, and the bad areas were really bad. The greens were soft and pretty well-kept. However, they had just put down some light topdressing of sand/fertilizer that definitely affected putts. Between that and the wetness, each putt would end up with a ring of schmutz around it. The best part of the course was actually the bunkers. They had good sand that was well-maintained. It was not the typical terrible Vegas sand with rocks in it, so I will give them some props on that. Fortunately, my caddie forced me to play lift clean and place and basically had me play any of the bare rough areas as GUR, so I always had good lies. Still, that shouldn't have to be the practice when you are paying this much for a round of golf. Even if I was comped the round as a high-roller, I would have certain expectations of conditions, service, etc. that were definitely not met at Wynn. It's a real shame because the course layout is a gem. It has the typical Fazio styling, challenge and charm, with some beautiful landscaping. Then, it has the added cool-factor of being on the strip with the hotels and buildings in view. Fortunately, Trump's building is rarely seen from the course : ). I came in knowing it was going to cost more than it was worth, but I figured the experience would be more enjoyable overall. It was a real let-down on most levels. I got the impression it will be in better shape later this summer and after the overseed, though I am not sure how much effort/money they will put into the conditioning knowing it will likely shut down at the end of the year.