Arg's Travel Log

[Lobby]

On 4/16/2024 at 7:16 PM, ThinkingPlus said:

Desert Inn course?

Yeah. It was fun playing it that one time

[Argonne69]

2 hours ago, vallygolf said:

Arg, Are you going to play the new black desert course in St George?  Strong contender for best in the area, and I believe it still has public tee times available.  Even if they aren't scheduling public you may give them a call and they might let you book.

 

https://www.blackdesertresort.com/golf

 

 

Yes, it's on my list. 

[deadsolid...shank]

6 hours ago, BEND OF THE RIVER GC said:

It's "only" $150 when I am there in June. If it's in good shape I'll play it, if not I'll just play the other two!

I would too. Even the conditions were sketchy. But I’d never pay close to $375, even it were pristine. 

[Argonne69]

Lovely morning. As expected, no walking allowed, even though the course has walking paths from the teeboxes to the fairways. Go figure. Bear's Best Las Vegas today. I'm a big fan of Jack's designs, but he doesn't have a lot of memorable holes across his courses, unlike say Pete Dye. Couldn't place a single one, but it was still a good layout. There were black sand bunkers on a couple of holes, so I assume they're replicas of Hawaiian courses? The course sits in a housing development, but fortunately the homes are quite stunning. Infinity pool, anyone? While not super hilly, there are plenty of nice elevation changes. Jack is good with his bunkering, and this one was no different. Fairway and greenside were both solid. Numerous waste areas. Water on only two holes, the 1st and 18th. Only one minor sweeper, sadly. Gotta leave room for the homes I guess. 

 

Moderately tough off the tee with bunkering and a few forced carries. Rough was very low, so minor misses might be trouble, but the mounding would generally work in your favor. Big misses were a no-no, finding the desert or an infinity pool. Approaches were generally tough with carries over the deep front bunkers. There were a few holes where on could run one up. The 18th was very tough with the green tucked behind the pond and a bunker in front. The greens were a little tamer than I expected for Jack, but still plenty of tiers, contouring, and slope. Another west side course with a mountain effect. Let's say that putting was fun. Lol. Up and downs were really dependent on the miss. Had a handful of easy chips from off the front, but a number of short sided flops over the bunkers from uneven lies. 

 

Par 3s were very good with plenty of trouble. Nice mix of lengths from a gap wedge to a fairway wood. 5s were disappointing. The 2nd was reachable, but not much risk. The others were stock 3 shot holes, but still tough. Two short 4s were very good with plenty of trouble. The 10th had a split fairway with a large, deep bunker down the middle. 

 

Conditions were very good. Fairways had a few iffy patches, but generally playable. Rough was cut low. Bunkers were inconsistent. A couple were nice, but others had way too little sand. Greens were solid. Speed was a good 10. 

 

Played a Green/White combo at 6330 yds (70.6/127). One of the better rounds in recent weeks. Driver has been well behaved, and irons were solid. Putter got hot. Three birdies and five bogies. First highlight was sinking a ridiculous 60' birdie on the 12th for my third in a row. A close second was the 9 wood on the long par 4 18th. With 205 yds to the pin, I set up for a fade, but hit it thin, straight, and low. I waited for the splash, figuring it was going to nail the railroad ties at the green, but no splash. Drove up and saw the ball on the lower part of the green. 

 

6 cows here. Very nice looking course with some tough holes. Definitely needs a risk/reward par 5. The $199 weekday rate was high, but not unexpected. If you like Jack's designs, and especially his greens, you'll enjoy this one. Worth a visit. 

 

[Argonne69]

Bear's Best Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 

 

Fun opening hole from the tips. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/60185c6hpkxzqkfp26uxs/AJV2j0Fzxm7SEL-jUY2m2Aw?rlkey=01k6ot7nl3aiw4n1sphe501o3&dl=0

 

Edited April 30 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Short drive to Yard House for some Belgian goodies. Starting with their house Belgian Amber Tripel. Going to follow it up with another Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Running out of days in LV. Final round tomorrow at a local course, Rhodes Ranch. After averaging over $200 a round for the past 13 days, I needed something a little cheaper. Lol. I'll probably be back in town in November or December while I'm working my way south and east from San Jose at the end of the trip. Hopefully I can check off Shadow Creek. Almost certain I'm going to take a pass on Wynn. Pebble Beach is $625, and it's the #1 public course in the country. Not dropping $750 on a course that's ranked #66. 

 

Bought tickets for Cirque du Soleil "O" at the Bellagio tomorrow. Big fan of their shows, having seen a couple in Las Vegas, three in Chicago, and a handful on Blu-ray. "O" has been running for over 25 years now, but since it's a water-based show, I don't believe it's ever traveled outside LV. 

 

Booked three of my four rounds in Mesquite. Oasis Palmer on Friday morning. Couldn't get an early morning tee time on Saturday or Sunday, so it'll be a late start at Falcon Ridge and Oasis Canyons. Hopefully there'll be an early morning cancelation. 

 

I do love Wolf Creek, but not sure I want to drop $260 for a round next Monday morning. We'll see. Looking at Palms as an alternative. 

 

Edited April 30 by Argonne69

[imkirby34]

1 minute ago, Argonne69 said:

Running out of days in LV. Final round tomorrow at a local course, Rhodes Ranch. After averaging over $200 a round for the past 13 days, I needed something a little cheaper. Lol. I'll probably be back in town in November or December while I'm working my way south and east from San Jose at the end of the trip. 

 

Bought tickets for Cirque du Soleil "O" at the Bellagio tomorrow. Big fan of their shows, having seen a couple in Las Vegas, three in Chicago, and a handful on Blu-ray. "O" has been running for over 25 years now, but since it's a water-based show, I don't believe it's ever traveled outside LV. 

 

Booked three of my four rounds for Mesquite. Oasis Palmer on Friday morning. Couldn't get an early morning tee time on Saturday or Sunday, so it'll be a late start at Falcon Ridge and Oasis Canyons. Hopefully there'll be an early morning cancelation. 

 

I do love Wolf Creek, but not sure I want to drop $260 for a round next Monday morning. We'll see. 

 

 

Very much looking forward to your Mesquite reviews (food & beverage, too).  We're going there for our annual group golf trip (~28 golfers this year) the weekend after Memorial Day.  Already slated to play Wolf Creek, Oasis (Palmer), Conestoga, and Falcon Ridge.

[Mullenboy]

"while I'm working my way south and east from San Jose at the end of the trip. "

San Jose, CA?  Again?

If so... give some advance warning and some private clubs shall be yours... if interested.

 

BTW I saw "O" 15 years or so ago.... not typically my cup of tea but I enjoyed it.  

[Argonne69]

7 minutes ago, Mullenboy said:

"while I'm working my way south and east from San Jose at the end of the trip. "

San Jose, CA?  Again?

If so... give some advance warning and some private clubs shall be yours... if interested.

 

BTW I saw "O" 15 years or so ago.... not typically my cup of tea but I enjoyed it.  

 

I'll finish the trip in San Jose after hitting Lake Tahoe, Sacramento, Napa Valley, and Oakland/San Francisco. 

 

I'll be in touch. 

 

[Mullenboy]

11 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

 

I'll finish the trip in San Jose after hitting Lake Tahoe, Sacramento, Napa Valley, and Oakland/San Francisco. 

 

I'll be in touch. 

 

LOTS of possibilities there.  😉

[Dancin]

Hawaii courses don't have black sand in bunkers. There is a Nicklaus course in Montana (Old Works) that has black slag sand bunkers though.

[aloha b.]

5 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Running out of days in LV. Final round tomorrow at a local course, Rhodes Ranch. After averaging over $200 a round for the past 13 days, I needed something a little cheaper. Lol. I'll probably be back in town in November or December while I'm working my way south and east from San Jose at the end of the trip. Hopefully I can check off Shadow Creek. Almost certain I'm going to take a pass on Wynn. Pebble Beach is $625, and it's the #1 public course in the country. Not dropping $750 on a course that's ranked #66. 

 

Bought tickets for Cirque du Soleil "O" at the Bellagio tomorrow. Big fan of their shows, having seen a couple in Las Vegas, three in Chicago, and a handful on Blu-ray. "O" has been running for over 25 years now, but since it's a water-based show, I don't believe it's ever traveled outside LV. 

 

Booked three of my four rounds in Mesquite. Oasis Palmer on Friday morning. Couldn't get an early morning tee time on Saturday or Sunday, so it'll be a late start at Falcon Ridge and Oasis Canyons. Hopefully there'll be an early morning cancelation. 

 

I do love Wolf Creek, but not sure I want to drop $260 for a round next Monday morning. We'll see. Looking at Palms as an alternative. 

 

My wife and I usually stay at Bellagio when in Vegas and we've seen O by Cirque du Soleil a few times and have never been disappointed. Are you eating at any of the Bellagio restaurants before the show?

[mci711]

9 minutes ago, aloha b. said:

My wife and I usually stay at Bellagio when in Vegas and we've seen O by Cirque du Soleil a few times and have never been disappointed. Are you eating at any of the Bellagio restaurants before the show?

 

Bellagio is one of my favorite places on earth 😂. I feel the same about O. It's my favorite Cirque show, it is no Absinthe, but it is stunning and "art". 

 

Arg, it may not be your thing, but I'd walk through the conservatory, the spring setup is pretty impressive, it smells great, is free, and only takes a couple of minutes. 

[deadsolid...shank]

6 hours ago, imkirby34 said:

 

Very much looking forward to your Mesquite reviews (food & beverage, too).  We're going there for our annual group golf trip (~28 golfers this year) the weekend after Memorial Day.  Already slated to play Wolf Creek, Oasis (Palmer), Conestoga, and Falcon Ridge.

It took a couple of plays, but Falcon Ridge has become my favorite in Mesquite.  

[aloha b.]

14 hours ago, mci711 said:

 

Bellagio is one of my favorite places on earth 😂. I feel the same about O. It's my favorite Cirque show, it is no Absinthe, but it is stunning and "art". 

 

Arg, it may not be your thing, but I'd walk through the conservatory, the spring setup is pretty impressive, it smells great, is free, and only takes a couple of minutes. 

The setup in the conservatory is always amazing. My wife and I stayed at Bellagio after New Years this year and had a great time.

Arg, if you like Princess Diana there's an exhibition called Princess Diana and the Royals located at  The Shops At Crystals not far from Bellagio. 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 1 by aloha b.

[Argonne69]

9 hours ago, aloha b. said:

My wife and I usually stay at Bellagio when in Vegas and we've seen O by Cirque du Soleil a few times and have never been disappointed. Are you eating at any of the Bellagio restaurants before the show?

 

Not sure about dinner. I'll probably get there early and hit the casino before the show.

 

[Argonne69]

Final day in Sin City. Gorgeous day with sunny skies again. The wind picked up late. Played two clubs longer. Went "cheap" today with a round at Rhodes Ranch. Better than average housing development layout with very nice mounding and plenty of palm and pine trees. The course is mandatory cart, but once again I cheated and walked in from my ball in the fairway, and hiked green to tee on most holes. Better than nothing. Water in play on five holes, with a couple of decorative waterfalls. Only one slight sweeper. Boo. Fairway and greenside bunkering was halfway decent. 

 

There were a couple of short forced carries off the tee, but it was generally pretty easy otherwise. Rough was fairly wide, so minor misses were no problem. Big misses wouid be OB in a backyard. Approaches were moderately difficult with good bunkering on many holes, and a few odd shaped greens that demanded precision. For a housing development layout, the greens were quite good. Nice amount of contouring and slope. Putting wasn't stressful, but one had to focus. Up and downs were rather tricky, as uneven lies were the norm around the greens. 

 

Par 3s were very good. The long 16th was the best of the bunch with a forced carry over a pond that was fed by a stream/waterfall left. Could have used a short one, though. The three 5s were meh. Nothing reachable, and not a lot of trouble. Short 4s were mixed. The (possibly driveable) 11th was the best with the green tucked right behind a pond. It was playing downwind, so two of my playing partners had a go. One scared the flagstick before winding up on the back fringe, and the other came up short and wet. 

 

Other than the bunkers, conditions were excellent. Fairways were fine. Rough was consistent, and cut to a good height. Bunkers were hit or miss. A couple needed a truckload of sand. Greens were rolling very nicely at 10. 

 

Played a Black/Blue combo at 6360 yds on the par 71 layout (69.5/126). Driver has been a good boy, and irons continue to be solid. Had quite a few decent looks at birdie, but overread most of them. Two birdies and five bogies. The 21' birdie on the 15th was nice, but the highlight of the round was the long 17th playing into the wind. Solid drive left me 195 to a back pin, and I crushed a 7 wood that rolled past the pin to the back fringe. Felt like an easy par, but it was work. Lol. My three playing partners were fantastic. One was a solid young player from Philly who picked up the game just two years ago. Another was from Hawaii, and coming back to the game after several years. My cart partner was a great young player from Mexico City. Always enjoyable to play 4 ball in 3.5 hours with nice people. 

 

Borderline six here, but going with a solid 5 cows. Better than your typical housing development layout, but the homes are still annoying. Not quite Bear's Best. Needs a risk/reward par 5 and a good short par 3. The $133 weekday rate wasn't crazy, but it's still double what it should be. Locals pay $83, which is definitely more like it. Definitely not a must play, but if you're looking to fill out your schedule, and are tired of paying $200+, it won't disappoint. 

 

[Argonne69]

Rhodes Ranch GC, Las Vegas, NV 

 

 

 

 

 

Short par 4 11th 

 

 

 

 

Par 3 16th 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/nib1dhxlctqiqsunbfm9q/AOK2NUwxR4ie897uMRNEFJ4?rlkey=85k95p2p0uidcae9skhrgi634&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Lol. Last day in "civilization" for a few weeks. Not sure when I'll run across a good Belgian, so it's back to Yard House for a house Belgian Golden and an Ommegang Three Philosophers Belgian Quad. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Spring is in the air at the Bellagio 

 

 

 

 

 

Just sat down for dinner at Lago. I bet the view of the fountains is nice after sunset. 

 

 

 

Edited May 2 by Argonne69

[aloha b.]

2 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Spring is in the air at the Bellagio 

 

 

 

 

 

Just sat down for dinner at Lago. I bet the view of the fountains is nice after sunset. 

 

 

 

The conservatory always has an incredible setup. Lago food is pretty good. Here's a view of the Fountains from Prime Steakhouse after sunset that I took after the New Year. One other picture from a couple of years ago from our room.

 

Edited May 2 by aloha b.

[Argonne69]

Ordered the rigatoni and bread at Lago. Very tasty, but once again I'm just not a foodie. $400 for a round of golf is not a problem, but $35 for meatless pasta? Lol. At least the bread was only $7 this time. After spending $25 on a glass of chianti, I had to take a pass on the $18 tiramisu. 

 

 

After the show I'll take a stroll out to Las Vegas Blvd to watch the fountains before heading back to the RV park. 

 

[Argonne69]

By the way, what happened to free parking at the Vegas casinos? You drop $100 for dinner, $250 for a show, and a few hundred in the casino, and you'd think they'd offer free parking. Lol. 

 

[mci711]

5 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

By the way, what happened to free parking at the Vegas casinos? You drop $100 for dinner, $250 for a show, and a few hundred in the casino, and you'd think they'd offer free parking. Lol. 

 

 

Your situation is different, obviously, but you couldn't pay to drive anywhere near the strip. Between the traffic, parking, and break-ins it isn't worth it. Treasure Island offers free parking still, but not much else.  

[aloha b.]

6 minutes ago, mci711 said:

 

Your situation is different, obviously, but you couldn't pay to drive anywhere near the strip. Between the traffic, parking, and break-ins it isn't worth it. Treasure Island offers free parking still, but not much else.  

You can get complimentary parking at MGM Resorts for self parking if you're an MGM Rewards Member with a current level of Pearl, Gold, Platinum, NOIR. We use Bellagio car service since we always fly to Vegas. 

Arg, have a great time at the show!

Edited May 2 by aloha b.

[Argonne69]

A few pieces of fine art in the lobby of the "O" theater before heading in. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Enjoyable show. I've yet to be disappointed with Cirque du Soleil. Nice mix of water and aerial acts. The stage production is outstanding with the pool and it's rising platforms that create temporary stages. No photos allowed inside, unfortunately. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Argonne69]

After 2 weeks in Las Vegas, I'm packing up and heading to Mesquite. Should be a two hour drive with a stop for gas. 

 

Enjoyed my stay in LV. Very nice courses, but oh so pricey. Averaged close to $200 a round for the 12 rounds. Granted, I hit most of the top ranked ones, so there are certainly cheaper people options. Many courses appear to offer discounted rates to residents, so relocating here might not be too bad if you can stand the summer heat. Tee times seem to be a little easier to get than Phoenix. 

 

Have to book an RV park near Bryce Canyon for my visit to the national park. 

 

Edited May 2 by Argonne69

[eboettne]

I may have missed it but no luck getting on Shadow Creek?