Canyon Gate Country
Club is Class of Las Vegas

By Ray Brewer,
Staff Writer

LAS VEGAS, NV-- I have to be honest.

It’s not too hard of a job to impress me in terms of golf. Whenever I go out to a course, there are several factors I take into consideration before recommending the course to others.

With this in mind, the Canyon Gate Country Club in Las Vegas is something all tourists to the city that never sleeps should make part of their vacation. This exclusive community – owned by ClubCorp (the course designer of Pinehurst) - sits 15 minutes west of the Las Vegas Strip.

There are several adjectives that are appropriate when talking about this par-72, 6,742-yard course. Let’s just say the course is perfectly manicured as golfers have the opportunity to play in a relaxing and classy environment.

There is more to golf than the actual course.

And Canyon Gate has plenty of extras to offer.

This is the first course that I have ever been on with wildlife. While walking out to the first hole and in from the last, there is a pond that sits in front of the clubhouse. Inside this pond on white geese – which I observed for minutes sticking their heads under water in an attempt for food.

Another entity that I found attractive at the course was their clubhouse and surrounding facilities.

The amenities include a dining room, a grill room – both of which overlook southern Nevada’s romantic Red Rock Canyon – and five outdoor tennis courts. In addition, there are two swimming pools and locker rooms equipped with Jacuzzi.

By the way, there still is golf – and this is a fun course with a variety of hole layouts and several different opportunities for a challenging shot.

Two holes at this course gave me some troubles.

Hole No. 6 is a deceptive par-three that gave my scorecard a black eye. This hole has a big pond to the left of the fairway and the green is surrounded by three sand bunker. Trust me, this hole will give you an opportunity to use more than one ball in your golf bag.

The next hole that gave me trouble was No. 10, a par-5 523-yard hole that has two sand hazards at another pond to deal with. I ended up carding an eight on this hole mainly because I let the elements get into my head. I found myself so worried about landing in the water or in the sand that I over compensated at was all over the fairway.

All in all, I found that Canyon Gate to be a superior experience. For more in formation on the course, call 702-363-0481.

Other ClubCorp courses include: Mission Hills Country Club in Racnho Mirage, Calif., (home of the PGA’s Nabisco Dinah Classic, Firestone Country Club in Arkon, Ohio (home of the PGA’s NEC Invitational) and the prestigous Metropolitan Club by the Sears Tower in Chicago.

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.