PAIUTE GOLF CLUB - SNOW MOUNTAIN GOLF COURSE
Las Vegas Golf Course Review 7/18/03 - photos updated April, 2006
Snow Mountain is a Pete Dye 7,158 yard championship design, and one of 3 top quality layouts at Las Vegas
Paiute Resort. Rated 4 1/2 stars by Golf Digest Places to Play, Snow Mountain is the inaugural course at this
sprawling resort, and is named after the nearby 11,900 foot Mount Charleston. The course features impeccable
conditioning and great vistas of the surrounding desert and mountains, with 7 water hazards and no parallel
fairways. With this type of seclusion and a great golfing environment, located just 25 minutes north of the Strip, Paiute is the perfect place to "get away from it all".
Paiute Resort has won 4 of the inaugural Fairway Awards from the readers of Vegas Golfer Magazine. These
include: Best Course Priced Between $100-$200 - The Wolf; Best Clubhouse; Best 19th Hole; Best Overall Golf
Experience. The expansive 50,000 square foot clubhouse includes a spacious dining area and lounge featuring
incredible views though a huge picture window - the perfect place for a pre or post game meal or beverage. The
pro shop also rates high on our scale, with a great selection of men's and women's apparel and a full line of golf
accessories. A fireplace area for relaxing, outdoor patio, tobacco room where players can enjoy a fine cigar,
and beautifully appointed locker rooms with changing areas and showers are additional amenities (there is even
sunscreen in the men's and women's lavatories). Banquets, weddings, tournaments and special events can be hosted comfortably in Paiute's luxurious facilities.
Practice facilities include a huge driving range with target areas, a spacious putting green and a chipping area -
all complimentary for paying guests (unlimited range balls). Lessons for any skill level are available from PGA
staffed professionals. Rates vary seasonally, with fees with cart during prime time topping out at $165 for Snow
and Sun Mountain, and $195 for the recently added Wolf. You are paying for a high quality golfing experience,
and wonderfully friendly service from a staff that seems to truly love their jobs. Pro Link GPS is also standard on
all carts, and Callaway rental clubs are available. In time, visitors will also be able to enjoy a full service resort
with various forms of accommodations, a spa and casino, plus amenities often found at top Vegas area properties. Ground breaking for this project will begin in late 2003.
The wide ryegrass fairways and fescue rough undulating through the native desert, bunkers accentuated by
Dye's trademark railroad ties, and large ponds add beauty and challenge to a course that is considered player
friendly. Four sets of tees provide golfers with the choice of playing from 7146 yards (125 slope), 6645 yards
(120 slope), 6035 yards (112 slope) and 5341 yards (117 slope). From the regular tees (6035) there are no par
fours over 401 yards, and the par threes can all be reached with mid to short irons. Keep in mind when playing at
Paiute, that wind is generally a factor (as little as 1 and as much as a 3 club difference), more so than at
properties closer to and south of Vegas. Factor that in when choosing your tee area. Sprinkler heads throughout
the course are measured to the center of the green, and the Kirby marking system, with yardage blocks every 25
yards from 200-75 (250 on par fives). With the highly accurate Pro Link GPS, you will seldom need this assistance.
Snow Mountain begins with an easy opener, inviting one to grip it and rip it to the plentiful fairway. The mid-range
par four second plays uphill and into the prevailing wind, but a drive over the left fairway trap will leave a fairly
easy approach. Both of these holes are dogleg lefts. There is room off the tee on the par 5 third, but the
approach is a tough one. Most golfers will lay up to just past the 100 yard marker on this narrow landing area,
and go for the green in 3. Water along the right from about 110 in make this a target shot. There is bail out room
short left on the par three 4th, which is very playable from the regular tees, but quite challenging - 180 yards into
the wind and all carry over a pond, from the tips. A tee shot aimed over the right edge of the 3 left fairway
bunkers creates advantageous positioning on 5, which plays uphill on the approach. A shot to the right side will
take the green-side mounding out of play. This is the # 1 handicap. The sixth, at 479 yards from the regular tees,
is a score-able par five bending left to right. Wind is a factor off the tee on 7, which invites a long drive over the
3rd fairway trap. Gamblers clearing this bunker complex on this short but extremely uphill tee shot will be left with
a easy pitch and a great birdie opportunity. A safe play is to lay up left of the traps and approach with a short iron
. After a simple par 3 with a short desert carry, the front side closes with a beautiful and challenging par four that
winds around a pond towards the clubhouse. Right of the last bunker on the left side is the place to be off the tee
, as this placement minimizes the effect of the water hazard. A shot to the right side shortens the hole, but leaves an approach over water.
Another beauty awaits on ten. This short par four invites a tee shot over the waterside trap, leaving an easy
wedge to the green - very score-able from the regular tees (343) but challenging (418 ) from the tips. Short
hitters can lay up right of the bunker, and still find a very playable lie. The par 5 eleventh, at 611 yards, is tough to
reach in two. Those attempting to cut some distance along the left with have to deal with a desert area that
creeps towards the fairway on this dogleg left. Plan to reach in three and it becomes much more playable.
Players on the regular tees again get quite a break in distance on 12, which begins a 3-hole stretch that is the
easiest on the course. Number 13 is a short par four that bends 90 degrees left near the 100 yards marker. Lay
up and take an extra club or two for the uphill, into the wind approach. Enter the green from the left side on 14, as
bunkers right do a nice job of protecting the green on this 18th handicapped par three. The 15th is the most
wide open hole on Snow Mountain, but will require some distance to reach in regulation (456 total yards).This
precedes a beautiful par three, featuring a carry over a water hazard with bail out room right. The 17th features
Pete Dye's signature railroad tie bunkers, and is a short par five that bends slightly left - very score-able.
Hopefully you will have put together a nice string of holes, as the 6th handicapped 18th, depending on the
strength of the wind, can be the course's toughest hole. This dogleg left is extremely difficult to reach in regulation
. Most golfers will lay up on their second shot, to the area along the right about 80 yards out. This will effectively
take the water out of play, and afford an opportunity for a reasonable up and down par - which is a great score!
Snow Mountain is a beautiful and very playable golf course - the easiest of the 3 layouts at Paiute. The greens
are quite flat compared to those on many of the courses in the Vegas area, but reading them requires a bit of
experience. Plumb-bobbing is tough in the wind, and subtle undulations are difficult to read. Good shots here are
usually rewarded with good lies and ample scoring opportunities, however. It is no accident that the Paiute
courses are held in such high esteem by locals and tourists alike. This is a great golf facility, with a warm and
friendly staff. Come early and enjoy the complimentary practice facilities, and stay late to experience lunch or
beverages in the beautiful restaurant/lounge with a gorgeous picture window. The food is GREAT! Pages for each of the Paiute courses are featured in our Greater Vegas golf course section.
View the Two Guys Who Golf Detailed Listing Page for this course with a link to its website (if available): click here
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