Arg's Travel Log

[aloha b.]

23 hours ago, aloha b. said:

Jessie Rae's is really good, there's also Fox Smokehousse BBQ in Boulder City and Rollin Smoke BBQ

I forgot to add John Mull's Meats & Road Kill Grill in Vegas

[stevopagolf]

16 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Dallas, Houston, central South Carolina, and central North Carolina are the leading candidates at this point.

 

In central-ish SC I have heard good things about Greenville might we worth a check on the golf.  Nice small city had a friend who raved about it.  Not too far from Clemson and a far enough from Atlanta.

[Bonneville85308]

On 4/16/2024 at 4:14 PM, Argonne69 said:

 

I didn't realize that Primm Valley is more than an hour from Vegas on the way from Barstow. Are either of the two courses worth the $129? For the past year or so I've avoided playing rounds on travel days, but the course is literally next to I-15. Their parking lot doesn't look all that big, but the tee sheet looks fairly open on Thursday, so parking Bessie might not be a problem. 

 

 

The trick with Primm Valley is to check golfnow and teeoff, if you catch the timing right they often have "pay now and save" or "hot deals" available on any open tee time for $50-$70. 

[Argonne69]

Torturous 1 mile drive to the Thousand Trails Las Vegas RV park on Boulder Highway this morning. Lol. Settled in watching the Chevron. 

 

Small RV park with tight, gravel spots. I have a feeling my Honda is going to be wedged in when someone grabs the site to my right. 

 

 

Booked a 5 night stay in Mesquite for early May. After that it's a short drive to St George for another 5 nights. 

 

Long day tomorrow with 2 rounds at Paiute. Probably going to head out at 6:30 am, and I don't expect to be back until 6 pm. 

 

Booked rounds at Angel Park Mountain on Thursday, and TPC Las Vegas on Saturday. With five rounds in four days upcoming, I'm probably going to take a day off on Friday and Sunday before closing out the stay with three rounds next week. 

 

[Argonne69]

I was browsing through my course database, and it appears that I've actually played golf in Vegas on two trips. Seems I played 2 rounds back in '05. The first was at DragonRidge, and the 2nd was at Badlands (Diablo/Outlaw). It appears that DR went private, and Badlands closed in 2016 after 20 years in operation.

 

Edited April 22 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Enjoyable morning at Las Vegas Paiute. A nice breeze kept the warm temperatures in check. It's going to a scorcher this afternoon, though. Played the Wolf course this morning. Nice looking desert layout with great views of the mountains. The course didn't quite float my boat, though. It ranks #10 on GolfWeek's best in state list. Just don't see it. The scorecard states that it's a Pete Dye design, but other than the island green I just didn't see a lot of his signature elements. Minor elevation changes helped it from being a snoozer, but there were too many flat holes that needed elevated teeboxes to get a good view of the hole. The mounding did provide some uneven lies at times. Bunkering was a bit light, but there were several holes with nice waste areas. Greenside bunkering was moderate. Water in play on three holes, including the par 3 15th with its island green that was modeled after Sawgrass' 17th. Only 3 holes with left/right movement, but with no trees they didn't require precision off the tee. 

 

Easy off the tee with generous fairways. Obviously the tips added a lot more trouble. Minor misses would catch the thick rough or a waste area. The rough was thick enough to be penal. Big misses were generally lost in the desert, although you could get lucky. Mostly rocks, so getting a decent lie was unlikely. Approaches were fairly straightforward with decent sized greens. Greens had a nice amount of contouring and slope, so putting required a little effort. Up and downs were fairly tough with the thick rough and more than a few uneven lies. 

 

Par 3s were mixed. The pair on the front were meh, but the back pair had forced carries over the water. 5s were disappointing. A couple were reachable, but little risk. Short 4s were benign. 

 

Conditions were excellent. Fairways were lush. Rough was thick. Bunkers had plenty of groomed sand, but I did find a couple that were compacted. Greens looked and rolled great. At least 10 on the stimp. 

 

Played a Yellow/White combo at 6230 yds (69.5/125). Mediocre day off the tee with a few too many pushes. Irons were decent, but wedges were off. One birdie, seven bogies, and a double. Highlight of the round was my three young playing partners from LA. Solid players and they put up with my ragged play. Lol. 

 

Going with 5 cows here. I really expected more. Nice looking, and well conditioned, but too many forgettable holes. Needs a couple of risk/reward 5s, and tougher short 4s. The Golfapalooza package includes two rounds and lunch for $354, which puts the round at roughly $160. Can't say it's way overpriced, but I'd rather spend a little more and get a better design. 

 

Edited April 22 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort, Wolf Course, Las Vegas, NV 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/j015k7lvnzxnujz7ksxk1/AA6T5YskZwr1psFknaHpEI8?rlkey=mtvk29obzpfbuclwv5lxdmjc0&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

That's enough golf for one day. Very hot out there. The winds picked up, but rather than having a cooling effect it felt more like a convection oven. Lol. I played 14 holes before calling it quits. My two playing partners bailed at the turn, another case of Vegas Fever, so I was out there solo on a busy course. I felt a twing in my back on my teeshot on the 14th, and with a round booked at Cascata tomorrow, I didn't want to push it. 

 

The Snow Mountain course was Pete Dye's original course at the three course resort. This one ranks #14 on GolfWeek's best in state list. A little more Pete in the design with railroad ties above many bunkers, but it's still not one of his best. The front was fairly ho hum, but the back was much better. The terrain on the back sloped away from the clubhouse, so there were very nice views of the valley in front of the two mountains. The par 3 16th and par 4 18th had water in play, and looked tough. Similar mounding and elevation changes to the Wolf course, but a lot more variety in the holes with nine holes having left/right movement, and water in play on six holes. Fairway bunkering was decent on a few holes, but otherwise on the light side. Resort golf I guess. Greenside was decent. 

 

A couple of tough driving holes, but otherwise it was very generous off the tee. Rough was wide enough to catch minor misses, but thick enough to be penal. Big misses were off in the desert. Approaches were a little tougher than Wolf. Seemed like more tucked pins. Greens were similar to Wolf with gentle contours and slope. Yawn. Plenty of closely mown areas around them, so opportunities to get creative with a missed GIR. A handful of greens were elevated, so there was still the possibility of a crummy, uneven lie. 

 

Par 3s were decent. The 4th and 16th both had forced carries over water. 5s were good. The 3rd was a good risk/reward hole with the green tucked behind a pond. The 17th was reachable, but not a lot of risk from my vantage point buzzing along the right side cart path. The two short par 4s were both very good. Driveable for a long hitter, and plenty of bunkers. 

 

Conditions were once again excellent. Greens may have been a hair faster at 11. 

 

Played a Championship/Regular (Yellow/White) combo at 6340 yds (68.8/118). Much better off the tee, but with the winds up, tee shots into the wind were going nowhere. Couldn't make a putt as I kept over reading the breaks. Five bogies in 14 holes. 

 

Going with 6 cows on this one. If you like sweeping vistas, and not a home in sight, this is the course for you. I'd like to see a little more trouble off the tee, and another risk/reward 5. Can't say either course is a must play, but Snow is worth a visit. Can't really say the same about Wolf. Curious how Sun Mountain stacks up. 

 

[Argonne69]

Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort, Snow Mountain Course, Las Vegas, NV 

 

 

 

 

 

Tough drive on the 10th 

 

 

 

 

Par 3 16th 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/99o0rez22rdapuuagou3z/AH5JgIAS4cc3iwA5rDAoQkU?rlkey=z6za9ucg2dk36mvj46cfg9wym&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Refreshing. Hop Nuts Brewing has 20 taps with a decent selection. No stouts, but the golden ale and dubbel are very good. 

 

 

[Double Mocha Man]

9 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

My two playing partners bailed at the turn, another case of Vegas Fever

 

Does that mean they were longing to be in the cool air-conditioned confines of a casino?

[Argonne69]

1 minute ago, Double Mocha Man said:

 

Does that mean they were longing to be in the cool air-conditioned confines of a casino?

 

Lol. That for sure, but I think it was a long night of gambling and drinks. 

 

[Argonne69]

I'm 5 miles from the RV park. 20 minutes estimated drive time. Oy. Might order another golden. Lol. 

 

[Double Mocha Man]

14 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Lol. That for sure, but I think it was a long night of gambling and drinks. 

 

 

That makes sense.

[Argonne69]

Impressive range at Cascata. 

 

 

 

I usually don't visit the range, but I arrived early hoping to get early, but since the course requires a forecaddie, they wouldn't send me out as a single in one of the two open 4-slots. Killing time hitting balls, and messing around with my grip. I've always used an overlapping grip, but I decided to try an interlocking grip. Wow. Seems to help tame the lefts. Going to try it out on the course. 

 

[mci711]

1 hour ago, Argonne69 said:

Impressive range at Cascata. 

 

 

 

I usually don't visit the range, but I arrived early hoping to get early, but since the course requires a forecaddie, they wouldn't send me out as a single in one of the two open 4-slots. Killing time hitting balls, and messing around with my grip. I've always used an overlapping grip, but I decided to try an interlocking grip. Wow. Seems to help tame the lefts. Going to try it out on the course. 

 

 

Golfers....Plays 300+ rounds a year, and decides "F it, making a massive change to the grip I've used to swing 20,000 times the past year"  minutes before teeing off 😂.

 

Can't say I haven't done similar!! I guess when you play as much as you do though there isn't really anywhere to practice a change other than on the course. 

[Gdane]

1 hour ago, mci711 said:

 

Golfers....Plays 300+ rounds a year, and decides "F it, making a massive change to the grip I've used to swing 20,000 times the past year"  minutes before teeing off 😂.

 

Can't say I haven't done similar!! I guess when you play as much as you do though there isn't really anywhere to practice a change other than on the course. 

 

At a $500+ bucket list type course no less! Arg, let's keep the swing changes to those 3 cow pastures.

[HulaGolfMom]

On 4/19/2024 at 8:24 PM, aloha b. said:

Jessie Rae's is really good, there's also Fox Smokehousse BBQ in Boulder City and Rollin Smoke BBQ

We ate at Fox last week, it was average at best.

[Argonne69]

Gorgeous day, and a gorgeous course. The wind was brisk, but thankfully the downhill holes played into it. A Rees Jones design, Cascata ranks #61 on Golf Digest's Top 100 public list, and #2 on GolfWeek's best in state list. I can see that. Stunning course that plays up and down the mountain. I guess it's a desert layout, but there's a whole lotta green between the desert on either side of the fairways. Now, I'm a sucker for elevated tees, but it does get monotonous at times. The closing holes break up the back and forth, but the front nine especially could use a little left/right movement. Plenty of nice mounding that helps keep drives in play. Bunkering was good, but could be better, including greenside. Water in play on six holes, including two that have rocky lateral streams. Five holes with left/right movement, all on the back. 

 

Fairly easy off the tee with generous fairways. Don't be fooled by the short forced carries from the elevated tees. They're short. No real white knuckle moments. Rough was fairly generous, so minor misses were no problem. Big misses would be long gone in the thick desert, but there are opportunities for "Cascata Bounces" off the steep slopes on some holes that will reward you with a ball in the fairway. Took advantage of that twice. Lol. 

 

Approaches were moderately difficult with a couple of tucked pins and numerous uneven lies. Greens didn't have a lot of contouring, but boy, they sure had slope. Putts from above the hole were very dicey. Plenty of closely mown areas, so options around the greens. Still plenty of uneven lies with fairly thick rough, though. 

 

Par 3s were very good. Two were very short, but had water in play. The other two were mid iron holes. Definitely needs a long one. Par 5s were very good with three being reachable, and two of those risk/reward. The dogleg 16th could be reached in two with a risky drive over the rocks on the inside corner. The Z shaped 18th played the same off the tee, put also threw in a green tucked behind a pond. The three short 4s were meh. 

 

Conditions were very good, but unfortunately they aerated the greens yesterday. They used very small tines, but the pinholes were still affecting the roll. Fairways were lush. Rough was consistent, thick, and cut to a good height. Bunkers had plenty of groomed sand, but a few too many small rocks, and once again needed the compacted sand broken up. Tip of the hat for having plenty of bottled water in the cart coolers. 

 

Played the White tees at 6168 yds (71.0/133). Considered a longer combo, but with the wind and the rating at 71, I thought White was plenty. It was. Grip change worked well, but needs fine tuning. Actually, it's my aim that needs adjusting. Don't recall hitting that many straight balls in recent years. Takes courage to aim straight down the middle when you're used to hitting a big draw. Irons were also better with the new grip. Unfortunately the greens ate my lunch. Seven bogies and a double. Highlight of the round was the par on the 450 yd par 4 17th. Granted, it was downhill, but it was also into the wind. Found the right rough 210 yds out, but had a nice lie. Lasered a 7 wood up the chute to 12 feet. Didn't make the birdie, but I don't reach many 450 yd holes in two these days. 

 

I think this one ekes out 8 cows. Definitely deserves a spot in the Top 100. If you love great views from elevated tees, this one shines. Could use a little more variety, though. Needs a long par 3, and more danger on the short 4s. A few more fairway bunkers wouldn't hurt. Now, the price does make me hesitate to say it's a must play. The standard weekday rate is $479 plus the mandatory forecaddie. Weekend rate is $550. Ouch. Sorry, but don't think it's a $500 course. $300 would be more like it. That said, if you have the money to burn, it's not going to disappoint. 

 

Edited April 23 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Cascata, Boulder City, NV 

 

Not many clubhouses with a waterfall/stream running through it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go or no-go on the par 5 18th 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/gbhxhf649sjhp1a2zehmt/AEOj1m7Uzch8uwcwnODA-Co?rlkey=vsvt9wltpld97tpcp3cb97wjr&dl=0

 

Edited April 23 by Argonne69

[Glock917]

Curious if you have played wolf creek out in Mesquite?

 

Very comparable with numerous elevated tees but definitely not as nice as cascata even tho they both charge an arm and a leg for their green fees.

[Argonne69]

1 hour ago, Glock917 said:

Curious if you have played wolf creek out in Mesquite?

 

Very comparable with numerous elevated tees but definitely not as nice as cascata even tho they both charge an arm and a leg for their green fees.

 

Yes, I played Wolf Creek back in 2017. Plenty of elevated tees and eye candy. I had a blast. Thought it had a little more variety in the holes. Not sure what they're charging these days, but I'm sure it's not cheap.

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/qu09kldcc7rd68a1oy0da/AB528bVL8MLA1USpHdu-xpM?rlkey=7p8qk7dphr3uwh6znsbo748cz&dl=0

 

 

Edited April 23 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Spent some time this afternoon looking ahead to the next few weeks. Mesquite and St George look pretty solid with plenty of decent golf courses. 

 

However, after that it's slim pickings as I travel to Bryce Canyon City and Moab to visit the national parks, Bryce Canyon, Arches, and Canyonlands. With the travel days, it's going to be fairly light on the golf. 

 

The plan is to hit Grand Junction, CO after that. There are at least four decent courses there. 

 

The trip to Salt Lake City from Grand Junction is going to be lengthy. Probably going to stop midpoint. 

 

[Murphy76]

5 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Cascata, Boulder City, NV 

 

Not many clubhouses with a waterfall/stream running through it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go or no-go on the par 5 18th 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/gbhxhf649sjhp1a2zehmt/AEOj1m7Uzch8uwcwnODA-Co?rlkey=vsvt9wltpld97tpcp3cb97wjr&dl=0

 

 

These are some of your most beautiful pictures yet.  

 

Comparing your photos from Florida to this?  I will never darken the door of Florida again.

 

Coming from someone who lives in central Illinois  (our largest ski-hill tops out at 45.8 feet.  Its' a black-diamond), I love the mountains in the background.

Edited April 24 by Murphy76

[cassel191919]

14 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Gorgeous day, and a gorgeous course. The wind was brisk, but thankfully the downhill holes played into it. A Rees Jones design, Cascata ranks #61 on Golf Digest's Top 100 public list, and #2 on GolfWeek's best in state list. I can see that. Stunning course that plays up and down the mountain. I guess it's a desert layout, but there's a whole lotta green between the desert on either side of the fairways. Now, I'm a sucker for elevated tees, but it does get monotonous at times. The closing holes break up the back and forth, but the front nine especially could use a little left/right movement. Plenty of nice mounding that helps keep drives in play. Bunkering was good, but could be better, including greenside. Water in play on six holes, including two that have rocky lateral streams. Five holes with left/right movement, all on the back. 

 

Fairly easy off the tee with generous fairways. Don't be fooled by the short forced carries from the elevated tees. They're short. No real white knuckle moments. Rough was fairly generous, so minor misses were no problem. Big misses would be long gone in the thick desert, but there are opportunities for "Cascata Bounces" off the steep slopes on some holes that will reward you with a ball in the fairway. Took advantage of that twice. Lol. 

 

Approaches were moderately difficult with a couple of tucked pins and numerous uneven lies. Greens didn't have a lot of contouring, but boy, they sure had slope. Putts from above the hole were very dicey. Plenty of closely mown areas, so options around the greens. Still plenty of uneven lies with fairly thick rough, though. 

 

Par 3s were very good. Two were very short, but had water in play. The other two were mid iron holes. Definitely needs a long one. Par 5s were very good with three being reachable, and two of those risk/reward. The dogleg 16th could be reached in two with a risky drive over the rocks on the inside corner. The Z shaped 18th played the same off the tee, put also threw in a green tucked behind a pond. The three short 4s were meh. 

 

Conditions were very good, but unfortunately they aerated the greens yesterday. They used very small tines, but the pinholes were still affecting the roll. Fairways were lush. Rough was consistent, thick, and cut to a good height. Bunkers had plenty of groomed sand, but a few too many small rocks, and once again needed the compacted sand broken up. Tip of the hat for having plenty of bottled water in the cart coolers. 

 

Played the White tees at 6168 yds (71.0/133). Considered a longer combo, but with the wind and the rating at 71, I thought White was plenty. It was. Grip change worked well, but needs fine tuning. Actually, it's my aim that needs adjusting. Don't recall hitting that many straight balls in recent years. Takes courage to aim straight down the middle when you're used to hitting a big draw. Irons were also better with the new grip. Unfortunately the greens ate my lunch. Seven bogies and a double. Highlight of the round was the par on the 450 yd par 4 17th. Granted, it was downhill, but it was also into the wind. Found the right rough 210 yds out, but had a nice lie. Lasered a 7 wood up the chute to 12 feet. Didn't make the birdie, but I don't reach many 450 yd holes in two these days. 

 

I think this one ekes out 8 cows. Definitely deserves a spot in the Top 100. If you love great views from elevated tees, this one shines. Could use a little more variety, though. Needs a long par 3, and more danger on the short 4s. A few more fairway bunkers wouldn't hurt. Now, the price does make me hesitate to say it's a must play. The standard weekday rate is $479 plus the mandatory forecaddie. Weekend rate is $550. Ouch. Sorry, but don't think it's a $500 course. $300 would be more like it. That said, if you have the money to burn, it's not going to disappoint. 

 

That course is really $500, that makes Sawgrass seem reasonable. Just crazy good courses are getting into this price bracket.

[mci711]

10 hours ago, Murphy76 said:

 

These are some of your most beautiful pictures yet.  

 

Comparing your photos from Florida to this?  I will never darken the door of Florida again.

 

Coming from someone who lives in central Illinois  (our largest ski-hill tops out at 45.8 feet.  Its' a black-diamond), I love the mountains in the background.

 

You think this is a more beautiful course than what you find in Florida? You must have missed Arg's review of Crystal River GC.. A true gem. Not sure how you can look at this picture and think FL isn't superior. 

 

Edited April 24 by mci711

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

Redlands Mesa GC in Grand Junction was really good when I played it 5 years ago. Further South from Grand Junction is Devil's Thumb GC which was pretty cool too. We also played Moab GC in 107 degree temps (in a cart), it was "ok", with the exception of a few holes.

Edited April 24 by BEND OF THE RIVER GC

[Dancin]

Definitely make the 45 minute drive down to play Devil's Thumb when you are in Grand Junction for something unique.

[srs06d]

1 hour ago, mci711 said:

 

You think this is a more beautiful course than what you find in Florida? You must have missed Arg's review of Crystal River GC.. A true gem. Not sure how you can look at this picture and think FL isn't superior. 

 

What a comparison...a nearly defunct course located in a fishing village with a $50 green fee (which should be much less) to a Top 100 course located 30-minutes from a major US tourist destination with a $479 green fee. In addition to the fact that one sits at 4' elevation and one sits at 3,200'. Florida golf has it downsides but this comparison is the equivalent of hanging my 4 year old's art work next to the Mona Lisa.  

 

But please continue the Florida hate. Shout it from the Cascata mountaintops. Share it with all your friends. Spread it across the nation Arg. We're full. 

[Glock917]

16 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Yes, I played Wolf Creek back in 2017. Plenty of elevated tees and eye candy. I had a blast. Thought it had a little more variety in the holes. Not sure what they're charging these days, but I'm sure it's not cheap.

 

Agree. I went last year and it was around $400 and had to tip the starter another $100 so we can get an earlier tee time. 

 

One question is did you actually walk that course? That would be insane! You know a course is hilly when they only have gas carts lol.

 

See that you are hitting up St george. In that same trip I did wolf creek I also played Sand hollow. Not the dramatic elevated tees as wolf but was a more enjoyable round. Obviously it's well-known holes 11-15 are quite a gem.