The Falls Golf Club at Lake Las Vegas Resort
Las Vegas Golf Course Review 2/28/03 - Photos updated May, 2006
The Lake Las Vegas Resort now features 3 championship golf courses - two of which are open to the public,
plus two world-class hotel resorts. The Jack Nicklaus designed Reflection Bay Golf Club, former host to the PGA
Tour's Wendy's Three-Tour Challenge, was joined in September, 2002 by the new Falls Course at Lake Las
Vegas. These 36 holes of 4 1/2 star caliber golf are complimented by upscale accommodations and amenities
that are available at the Loews and Ritz Carlton - both of which are adjacent to the golf properties. Lake Las Vegas Resort was recently named one of America's top ten golf resorts by USA Today.
Those looking for luxurious comfort combined with the best golfing experiences available in the Vegas Valley will
be happy to discover that stay and play packages can be booked at both the Loews and Ritz Carlton Hotels. You
will find everything you need at your fingertips, including luxurious rooms, swimming pools, spas, fine dining,
casinos and a wide range of activities - all supplied with world-class service. Play one or both courses, with
special rates and considerations for hotel guests being a major draw. Free shuttle service is provided back and forth to both courses, from either resort.
The golf at Lake Las Vegas is phenomenal, and in the opinions of this website - unmatched in theVegas area for
quality of design, variety, course conditioning, service and for sheer beauty. Reflection Bay is now a mature
track, with extensive experience hosting PGA events. Everything from the clubhouse to the practice facilities are
top notch. The putting green is encased in an island of palms, and an adjacent short game area features room
for chipping and for bunker practice. The grass range with target areas is expansive, and its use is
complimentary for guests of either Reflection Bay or the Falls. Those playing on the Falls can take advantage of
a free shuttle over to the Reflection Bay range for complientary practice. The Reflection Bay Golf & Beach
Clubhouse is ultra modern and beautifully appointed with a full service pro shop plus The Players Club Lounge,
an outdoor snack bar and locker facilities for men and women that include showers and changing areas. We had
the opportunity to dine at Mira Lago, a waterside restaurant, and found the food and service to be exquisite. The
Falls Golf Club also features a beautiful clubhouse with pro shop and dining for lunch available, and a
comfortable indoor lounge and outdoor patio with spectacular views of the course. Two distinctive layouts are
combined into this championship design - the lowlands features a fairly level terrain while the highlands traverses
through desert mountain scenery and provides unparalleled vistas. These are two incredible golf experiences!
Both courses feature the Kirby marking system, with yardage plaques every 25 yards from 200 in. Sprinkler
heads are measured to the center of the green, and the pin placement sheet on each cart indicates the day's
hole location. Yardage plates are also posted on each tee box, so there is no guessing involved...Carts at both
courses feature ice chests and water coolers. The greens are of PGA quality - meaning well conditioned, quick
(about an 11 when we played) and with mild undulations - an absolute joy to putt on. The rough is firm but
playable, and the bunkers are consistent - filled with soft white sand, making recoveries quite possible. Rangers
and golf course personnel are eager to provide friendly service, and are sure to supply each player a useful yardage booklet/course guide.
Designed by Tom Weiskopf, the Falls incorporates a diverse variety of holes through the naturally rugged desert
terrain. The front nine plays along the desert floor, with natural arroyos and desert canyons, and the back side
ventures over and around mountainous terrain featuring dramatic elevation changes of more than 300 feet.
Breathtaking views include cascading waterfalls and glimpses of the Las Vegas Strip in the distance. Five sets
of tees measure 7250, 6872, 6336, 5634, and 5021 yards - providing ample choices for golfers of all abilities.
Be sure to pay attention to the yardage booklet that is complimentary with your paid green fee. It is quite helpful
with diagrams, tips and measured yardages. On our trip in late February 2003, we were surprised to learn that
the course had just opened in September - as the Falls was in great condition from tee to green!
The opening hole requires a carry over a desert area to a fairway that is wider than it seems. Aim towards the
center bunker and you should be in good shape. Caution: there is another desert swale about 60 yards out. Long
hitters can reach the ravine (200 yards from the green) on number two. Play it cautious and be sure not to be
long on the approach, as trouble lurks past the green. The third demands a desert carry but there is plenty of
grass short of the green. Water on the right should not be much of a hindrance. Avoid the desert area left on
number 4, which plays uphill into the prevailing wind. This is a tough par! The long par four 5th also plays into the
wind, with a generous fairway as the trade off. The water hazard on the left is in play from 150 yards in. Another
wide fairway greets you on the 6th tee, but a desert ravine crosses about 180 from the green, placing an
emphasis on distance management here. Approach from the right to avoid the retaining wall on the left side of
the putting complex. The fairway on 7 is extremely tight, wedged between desert foothills on either side. It will
take two excellent and long shots to set up for a reasonable approach to a green over a narrow ravine, again
with a retaining wall, this time running the length of the putting surface. It is entirely possible that you may be
approaching this green with your fourth shot - hopefully a little wedge. Par is a great score here! Number 8 is a
downwind, downhill par three with a beautiful mountain/waterfall backdrop, and is followed by a par four going in.
Pay attention to the yardage booklet here. Aim between the fairway bunkers and a simple approach is yours.
The back nine begins innocently enough, with a straight away par four with plenty of room off the tee. The uphill
approach narrows. Eleven is an all-carry par three, with some bail out room short right. The fun starts on 12, as
an uphill tee shot is followed by a blind second to a fairway that narrows near the top of the hill. From there it
bend left, downhill towards the abyss... The green complex is a beautiful one, with the Las Vegas Strip far below
in the background. Check out the tee box from the tips on 13 - then drive down to your correct tee area - as the
next hole is difficult enough. A good drive will reach the upper tier of the 3-tiered fairway, leaving a reasonable
approach to a green tucked into a canyon amphitheatre. From anywhere on the lower level, this is an incredibly
difficult approach, as it doglegs 90 degrees right. From another elevated tee on 14 - one can drive the green
quite easily. Get it close (short is good) and an easy par and possible birdie is there for the taking. You must
favor the left center of the fairway on 15, as anything bending right will end up in the desert wash. The approach
to a well bunkered green is a tight one. The par 3 sixteenth plays into the prevailing wind, but anything hit towards
the bunkers right will funnel back towards the center of the green. With water left, this is the safe play. A lay up of
about 180 yards off the tee is a good precautionary move on 17. Straight hitters can go long left and make this
an easy par hole. Short is not an option on the approach. On number 18, there is a lake right off the tee, and
another left on the approach. The right center of the fairway creates the best angle of approach on this beautiful par five finishing hole.
The Falls is one of the best upscale rounds available in the Vegas Valley. Together with the Reflection Bay
Course, this is a wonderful one-two punch of resort golf. At $235 weekdays and $260 weekends during prime
season, the prices are also upscale. You get what you pay for - which at the Falls means quality, service and one
incredible and memorable round of golf. Holes 7, 12, 13 and 14 are four of the most unique and beautiful golf
holes available anywhere. Check out the packages available at the Loews) and Ritz Carlton - which provide a
good deal of incentive to stay and play here. Book a tee time at the Falls and treat yourself thoroughly. Highly recommended!
Check out these links for more information:
View the Two Guys Who Golf Detailed Listing Page for this course with a link to its website (if available): click here
Click here for a informational page for Lowes Lake Las Vegas Resort from our Resorts listing section of our
Vegas golf vacation destination site
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