ChugMulligan

I've played both the Wolf and Sun Mountain at Paiute and enjoyed both tremendously. Wolf is probably a tad more difficult and slightly better layout (especially in the windy conditions I played in), but for roughly $100 or less, you can' t beat the value, conditions, or layout. For my money Paiute & Royal Links are the best affordable tracks in Vegas, and throw in Wolf Creek if you want to drive the hour.

But highly recommend Paiute facility overall, and the Wolf course is the pick of the litter.

Course is fun to play and has some beautiful views. That being said, I don't think it is worth the hour drive from the Vegas strip. Course is literally in the middle of nowhere, at least 30 to 40 miles from the nearest gas station. We played on a cold day in Feb apparently after some rain, because the greens were soft and very chewed up. The starter asked us to please repair all ball marks, a request that was clearly ignored by most players, as the greens were in poor condition...bumpy and loaded with ball and spike marks. In addition, the greens are loaded with undulation, which didn't bother me too much, although my playing partner hated them and thought they were circus, mini-golf type contours. Overall I enjoyed the course, but not enough to drive an hour to play it again. There are better options closer to Vegas, and if you do want to drive an hour from the strip to play golf, go to Wolf Creek. Much better experience.

Despite positive reviews, I was a little skeptical of a Scottish "replica" course in the Vegas desert. However Royal Links is anything but gimmicky. Course conditions are terrific, layout is challenging yet fun, staff is incredibly friendly, and the pace of play was excellent (just over 4 hours on a Sunday afternoon...and saw the marshal at least 3 times). Can't say enough good things about Royal Links...really enjoyed the round and will definitely be back!

Full disclosure...I am a biased member, but the Banks course at Forsgate is one of my favorite tracks. The Banks boasts some of the most interesting and challenging green complexes you'll ever encounter and four of the best par 3's you'll find in the Northeast (each featuring a different classic design...Eden, Reverse Redan, Short, & Biarritz). Course conditions are always fantastic (even in Feb) and pace of play is always brisk. One of my favorite courses!

I was excited about my first round at Rio Secco...I had heard a lot about the course, particularly as it is the home to Butch Harmon. While the course is in great shape, there were enough cons to make me think twice before playing here again:

Pros:

- Fun course, challenging layout
- Excellent conditions
- Friendly staff

Cons:

- There was no sand in any of the bunkers whatsoever. Staff said all bunkers (and greens) will be redone in upcoming renovation. But there is no excuse for a course that charges $120 at twilight to have bunkers filled with nothing but pebbles

- Pace of play was poor. 5 hour round on a Thursday afternoon is simply not acceptable, and there was not a marshal in sight

- Practice facilities are sub-par. For a high-end public course w/ $100+ greens fees, having to hit off a mat was disappointing, not to mention the lack of a dedicated short-game area / practice bunker.

I wanted to like Rio Secco, but the poor pace of play, abysmal condition of the bunkers, and below average practice area would make it hard for me to justify teeing it up here again in the future.

Wonderful Pete Dye course, lots of fun with an absolutely gorgeous back 9 winding through the mountains. $129 twilight rate I paid on a Saturday was very reasonable, and course was in great shape, especially considering heavy flooding the area experienced in the fall. Only two drawbacks...yardages are not marked particularly well, and there is no drinking water out on the course (which is why I gave only two stars for food and beverage...I actually hear food at the courses snack shack is very good)

One of the most unpleasant golf experiences I've ever had. There is no excuse for a 5+ hour round on a Weds afternoon with a 12:30pm tee time with carts on a resort course. Tee times were stacked too close together, starter could have cared less, and while there seemed to be plenty of marshals hanging out chit chatting at the clubhouse, none were to be found on the course, even after we called the pro shop when there were 4 groups backed up on the SECOND hole. I will never play this course again.