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Opened in 1964, and located just 15 minutes from Las Vegas Boulevard,
Desert Rose Golf Course offers a good old-fashioned round of golf and
prices to match. It's a Clark County course run by the friendly folks
of American Golf, who last season flip-flopped the front and back nines
to smooth the pace of play. Though carts are available, everyone is
welcome to walk. Those wanting the exercise will appreciate that the
Bermuda greens and fairways are kept slightly longer (and therefore are
softer). There's also some shade from the many pine trees that stand
staggered along most of the fairways. Pines also frame the teeing
areas, where players can take aim at the generous landing areas.
The entire course is built around a wash that runs alongside virtually
every hole. The wash along the front nine is usually dry, but the
back-nine wash often flows with a 6-foot-wide stream of cool water.
Other hazards include one fairway bunker, on No. 16,and strategic sand
bunkering on most of the greens. Here's the beauty of Desert Rose's
design: For every player-friendly feature, there's also an element of
challenge. Though three of the four par 5s are mouthwatering short, one
No.4 plays 607 yards from the back tees.
The signature hole is No. 2, a 411-yard, slight dogleg-right par 4. The
tee shot must carry at least 100 yards to clear a deep ditch and reach
a fairway whose right side is protected by a small lake that stretches
all the way from the tee-shot landing area to the green. The water also
wraps most of the way around the green, which bottlenecks where the
fairway ends. To come out smelling like a rose, aim the second shot to
the left front of the green, regardless of the flag position.
The 9th hole is a 156-yard par 3. A large bunker yawns in front of the
green, and four pot bunkers lie behind it. No. 16, a short par 4 of
just 340 yards, tempts many to swing away with the driver. But a long
drive will bring a fairway bunker left into play, and another bunker
front left guards the slightly elevated green. Trees right can also
punish an overaggressive drive.
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