COURSE REVIEW

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

By Kristen "Golf Chick" Williams,
Special Contributor

Golf writer and blogger Golf Chick recently took her clubs on the road and played a few of the top courses in the U.S. and wrote about them in her own entertaining style. Here is Part Two of her review of Wolf Creek Golf Club in Mesquite, Nev.

A lot has been said about the design and beauty of Wolf Creek Golf Club and it's all true. The scenery is breathtaking, and notwithstanding the stunning views from the higher-up holes and dramatic par 5s, the par-3, 8th hole is probably my favorite.

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There's a creek on this hole that snakes around in front of and behind the green that epitomizes the use of the natural landscape in the smart architecture of the entire course.

There is a drive-through snack shack for your convenience once you're out in the middle of the course. It was my first drive-through in a golf cart, which I thought was cool all by itself. In addition to that, there are chipmunks and a family of birds (they're called chuckers) that come around and get fed by the snack-shack attendant.

They even have their own wading pool behind the shack. Sure, the plastic kiddie pool looks out of place, but come on, it gets hot up there!

The pro-shop and the clubhouse are really nice, too. They certainly didn't forget anything in their branding campaign. Even the dinner plates are emblazoned with the Wolf Creek logo. The food was good, the wine list is comprehensive, and there's even something on the dessert menu called a "spider shake." I didn't go there - anything to do with spiders, count me out.

The professionals were ... professional. The service was efficient and, in cases, ultra-friendly. Charlie, one of the starters, was particularly likable and open. I'll end this with a quote from him, which, rather than being indicative of the predominance of men there, sums up the beauty and challenge of the course: "Don't come here to score."

Every rose has its thorns

First, choose your tee spot carefully. Due to the nature of the terrain, the tee areas aren't always flat. You don't want to give yourself a side-hill lie for a tee-shot.

Secondly, the greens are hammered. There was damage from un-repaired ball marks everywhere. I asked about this after the round, and apparently they have a lot of foreign tourists come through who are accustomed to caddies following them around and cleaning up after them.

Consequently, the marks don't get repaired and the damage has been done. They said they have hired a new greens-repair service to fix them up and keep them maintained.

Finally, the practice range is irons-only. Hmm, I guess this is more of an opinion than a factual flaw. I don't mind irons-only on a course I play frequently or even one I don't that isn't so difficult, but for me, I want a few swings to get my driver in shape before tackling a course like this.

Read Part I 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.