Reflection Bay 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. 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.
The Reflection Bay Course has been named as one of the "Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play" by Golf
Magazine and the resort was honored with a # 28 ranking in Golf Digest's "Top 75 Golf Resorts in America"..
The layout varies as it meanders through and around desert canyons, then plays along 320 acre Lake Las
Vegas, providing 5 beautiful water holes along a mile and a half of pristine shoreline. Five tee settings allow
golfers to choose from distances of 7261, 6862, 6391, 5891, and 5166 yards, with the slope ranging from 138 to
124. The white (mid tees) are very playable for the average golfer, as many of the longer holes feature elevation
changes and doglegs that can be reduced in length. There is only 1 par four of 400 + yards from the white tees.
Our webmaster, who is female, remarked as to how playable the course was for ladies and those playing from the forward tees, as the forced carries from these tee areas were negligible.
The opening hole features a wide fairway and bends left into the prevailing wind. Avoid the deep green-side
bunker on the left, and this is a score-able hole. The par 4 second also bends slightly left, with a desert area on
that side encouraging approaches from the middle of the fairway. Long hitters will love number three. If you can
catch the down slope which begins about 280 yards from the green, you may get quite an advantageous roll, and
a lie that may tempt you to go for the green in two. If you must error, the right side does have a bit of bail out room
. Aim for the wide (left) side of the green on number 4. A deep bunker short right will dissuade anyone from
aiming at the flag if the pin is placed on that side. The par five 5th plays extremely tightly, as desert looms on
both sides of the fairway. The approach is tight and uphill, towards a gorgeous green complex with a cascading
stream along the right side. A narrow, rolling fairway confronts you off the tee on six. Accuracy on the approach is
also at a premium, as the putting complex is well guarded by bunkers. A 180 - 200 yard lay up is called for on
seven - as a creek cuts across the fairway about 160 yards out. There is a huge bunker behind the green and in
front of the lake - that may help keep you ball in play if your approach is long. The eighth is a gorgeous par three
that runs between Lake Las Vegas and the Loews Resort property. If the wind is up, this hole can be treacherous
. Number nine also runs along the water, but some distance can be cut here, with a tee shot that bends right to
left over the edge of the last fairway bunker. A good tee shot may leave an easy wedge to a two tiered green - and a possible birdie to end the front.
The back side opens with a dangerous tee shot to a stretch of fairway guarded by water on 3 sides. Distance is
needed here, as the approach is all carry over another water hazard. Although this is only the number 10
handicap, we found it to be one of the toughest holes on the course. A tight fairway on 11 is flanked by a desert
ravine along the right. You need 1 club extra to reach this elevated green, with bunkers on 3 sides. After a simple
par three and the number 16 handicap, you confront the easiest hole on the back side, a mid range par four with
an incredibly generous fairway. There is a bit of bailout room right, as you approach the green. Number 14 is the
# 2 handicap, and the longest par four on the course (457 from the tips, 406 from the white tees. The left side of
the fairway is best here, for an approach to a putting surface that is surrounding by grass mounding. A deep
ravine must be navigated off the tee on 15. This is a gorgeous and demanding golf hole. The fairway here is
wider than it seems from the tee areas. Grip it and rip it, as the approach must carry another ravine (that is about
180 out) and avoid a set of formidable sand traps before it reaches the green. The wide fairway on 16 slopes
gently left to right, and an approach from the right side is best here - to avoid having to deal with a humungous
green side trap on the left. There is quite a bit of room here. A beautiful par three over water awaits on 17.
Bunkers left and the water hazard right make this one of the most demanding iron shots of the round. Anything
long is gone! Short left is best, as long as you miss the sand...The finishing hole features a row of bunkers on the
right side - which just may keep your ball in play if it is angling towards the lake. The water hazard is in play all the
way to the green, and is especially tough to deal with on the approach. This is a well earned par!
Reflection Bay at Lake Las Vegas Resort is without question one of the top few courses in the Vegas Valley -
and worthy of consideration as NUMBER ONE. It has something for everyone - demanding distance for those
who choose the tips, tightness for those looking for shot values, water holes, elaborate bunkering, a diverse
layout, and outstanding views of the lake, desert areas and surrounding mountains. The classy Loews and Ritz
Carlton Resorts actually add color and beautiful backdrops to the layout, while blending in with the natural
environment. At $235 weekdays and $260 weekends during prime season, it is a top dollar golf course for the
area...but it is also like few other courses you will ever get a chance to play. With the type of conditioning, service
and quality that are found here, the Two Guys Who Golf can only tell you that you are getting your money's worth.
If you are worth it - Reflection Bay is like a great night out - a treat to the senses, and a round you will remember.
Check out the rates at the Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort (see our page for them online on our resort section of
our Vegas area golf vacation destination site) and Ritz Carlton for a 1 or 2 night stay and play package (which has great benefits!) - 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 the Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort from our Resorts listing section of our
Vegas golf vacation destination site.
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