COURSE REVIEW

On the Road with Golf Chick: Mesquite's Wolf Creek G.C. scenic, not perfect - Part I

By Kristen "Golf Chick" Williams,
Special Contributor

Before Dennis and Jon Rider filled it with their architecture, the area in Mesquite, Nev., where the Wolf Creek Golf Club lives and breathes was probably pretty nice to look at. Now, it's so beautiful, it's a distraction to the golfers trying to play there. I could practically hear it mocking me.

There's no question that Wolf Creek is one of the most gorgeous courses I've ever played. I expected it to be and it didn't let me down.

Read Golf Chick's blog Golf destination: Las Vegas Golf Nevada's High Sierras

I have always had a soft spot for the types of rock formations and terrain found in that region, and to combine that with my green addiction, well, I started drooling in anticipation before we even turned onto "Paradise Parkway." What did let me down was my game.

Tee Selection

Okay, it's a difficult course - I'll give it that. However, I should still be able to break 100 when "playing a realistic set of tees for my ability," as it recommends on the score card. I guess the trouble is my "ability" still changes from round to round. There are five sets of tees from which to select, which is nice.

For men, they even have recommended handicaps for each set. I highly recommend following those recommendations, especially if you're just visiting and only get to experience this course one time. You'll want a fond memory, not a day of struggles.

A manly course

I don't think this course was necessarily designed for men. I mean, there are five sets of tees, like I mentioned. I do think that it is definitely managed for men. When they put the tee selections on the card, they decided to only show two sets on the ladies side and those are the only two with ratings for women.

They also don't show the recommended handicaps for them like they do for the men. And while the yardage book is a very slick piece, it gives nicely worded tips for landing areas and club selections ... from the "men's" tees.

Math is not among my strengths. Also, the rocks with the directional arrows to guide you up stairs and whatnot to find your tees were occasionally mis-marked for the tees I chose. Hike up one set of stairs with one or two clubs only to see my tees on an entirely different cliff across the way. Hike back and recalculate!

I hereby offer my services as a consultant to Wolf Creek. I'd be happy to have them bring me out for a week or two to write a female friendly yardage book and make recommendations for changes to the card and the markings to help attract more female players.

Read Part II of the review

July 14, 2006

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.