Detailed description of Desert Pines Golf Club
Desert Pines Golf Club is a Public 18 hole golf course located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Desert Pines is extremely convenient, located less than 10 minutes from downtown and less than 15 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip.
The Desert Pines Golf Club Golf Course first opened for play in 1996. The course was designed by Perry Dye.
Nearly 4,000 mature pine trees, imported white sand and abundant water features make Desert Pines feel like a course cut right out of the Carolinas. The Dye Designs layout plays 6,810 yards from the back tees. Pine trees shade the roughs on virtually every fairway, water comes into play on half the holes and more than 60 bunkers -- many framed with Pete Dye's trademark railroad ties -- really tighten up the course. Greens are further protected by their smaller size and severe greenside undulations.
The layout is reasonably wide open off the tee, but has a lot of sand and water, and narrow approaches to the greens complexes. Bunkers (more than 60 as well as desert outcroppings), water (four ponds and streams bring water into play on nine holes) and trees (thousands of pines line the fairways) provide challenges from start to finish. However, Desert Pines is also a fair course -- whether you're a beginner or a scratch player -- with many scoring chances. The scoring chances start with the opening tee shot on each nine. #1 and #10 both play less than 375 yards and are straightaway par 4s, so par and birdie chances are there.
#9 and #18 are two of Vegas' better closing holes. Both are very long par 4s (467 yards on the ninth and 466 yards on the 18th) with water lapping up to the greens (to the right on the ninth and the left on the 18th). Drives on both holes need to avoid perfectly placed fairway bunkers to give players long-to-mid irons into a pair of large greens. Two putts are not a given, so par on both is a good score.
The four par 3's measure 156 to 252 yards. The green on the 180-yard eighth hole is half surrounded by a lake right and bunkers front and left; so there's little room for bailout. The three par 5's are not lengthy, but they're all tight. The 535-yard third hole plays slightly downhill, so it's reachable in two; but there's a white sand waste area all along the left side on the drive, and from 150 yards out, a pond on the right stretches all the way to the green, where a bunker left can swallow bailouts.
The par-4 holes offer the full gamut of tee shot options. Three of the par 4's measure 341 yards or less, while six play more than 425 yards. The closing holes on each nine are ranked as the course's toughest.
Par for the course is 71. From the back tees the course plays to 6,810 yards. From the forward tees the course measures 5,873 yards. The longest hole on the course is # 3, a par-5 that plays to 535 yards. The shortest hole on the course is # 11, a par-3 that plays to 156 yards from the back tee.
Watch out for # 9, the 467 yard par-4 challenge and the #1 handicap hole on the course. The easiest hole at Desert Pines Golf Club is # 14, a 324 yard par-4.
Back tees: par-71, 6,810 yards, 70.6 / 125
Middle tees: par-71, 6,494 yards, 67.9 / 118
Forward tees: par-71, 5,873 yards, 69.4 / 116
$31 (cart included), played on Monday, December 2012 at 10am
Great staff and the best practice facility in the Southern Nevada region.
$76 (cart included), played on Monday, March 2012 at 8am
I'm glad I played this course. It has narrow rolling fairways with tough greens. Accuracy matters big time. The starter told us that any putt longer that 3 feet would break. He was right. Very fast greens. We got a price of $99 for golf, cart and rental clubs (Callaway Razr) from a golf show promotion. The staff was friendly to the point of being overly friendly. I'm a tourist, I don't need to answer "Where are you from" a dozen times. From the guy getting my rental clubs, to the guy taking my reservation, to the guy checking me in, to the person setting up the carts, to the cart girl, ENOUGH! I'm a tourist! Where are you from? ENOUGH! I think they are trying too hard to be nice. BUT.... enough! I give A+ for the staff at Desert Pines. Friendly, nice, free range balls, willing to make my round a good round. Good people. I 'm glad I played it, but see below why I won't play again. NEGATIVE: NOISE== NOISE==TRAFFIC NOISE! UNBEARABLE!! One hole has the freeway, and a stoplight next to the tee. Signs say that you are responsible for damage for balls hit outside the course onto the Street. NOISE = NOISE= I want to play this course again, but won't because the traffic noise. is Unbearable. It's next to a freeway and a busy street, CLUBHOUSE: Friendly staff, Good food, We got free range balls with our round. Afterward, Untimate Nachos were great.
$76 (cart included), played on Friday, February 2006 at noon
First off, when I called Desert Pines on the day I was to play and spoke with a "Resveration Agent", I was quoted $199. Way too much to play here. I told the reservation person "forget it" and he said he would discount by half. I told him I could play Paiute for $89, and he said he would match that green fee. So if you are going to play Desert Pines, Royal Links, or Bali Hai (their other properities) I suggest try negotiating green fees when calling for tee time.
Overall. I enjoyed the course and really liked the layout and ambiance. Lots of mature trees, shrubs, and water, and you don't feel like you're on a desert track. The course was in really good shape, although a couple greens were a little beat up in spots. Not a real long course, think around 6400 yards from the middle tees, but a lot of holes really force you to hit precision shots. I've heard people complain about the freeway noise, but personally didn't think it was an issue.
I started on the back 9 and the pace of play was not bad. However, on the front 9, there was 2 groups of 6 and a group of 5 in front of me that were holding things up. One of the proshop employees told me they will let groups of 5 and 6 out in the afternoons. Another course employee led me to the 5th hole and told me to play holes 1-4 after hole 9 to avoid the backup.
All in all, fun course in great condition and would definately play again at rate I paid. But beware, if they're letting out 5 and 6'sums, could play very slow.
$126 (cart included), played on Friday, May 2010 at 6am
Nice course. Desert style and well maintained. Downside is the noise of the freeway next to a good portion of the course. If not for the noise, I would rate this course higher. It's not too long of a cab ride from the strip if staying there.
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$76 (cart included), played on Friday, January 2015 at 8:30 AM
Nice course, very convenient to strip. Very Dye, plenty of mounds.