COURSE REVIEW

Las Vegas' Siena
will send you to an
Italian beach often

By Tim McDonald,
Contributor

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Sept. 30, 2004) - Siena Golf Club's theme is all things Italian.

I never realized there was so much sand in Italy.

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A popular course with locals, partly because of the discounts it offers, the layout throws 97 sand bunkers at you, no matter which of the five sets of tee boxes you shoot from.

It trickles through a retirement neighborhood within the master-planned Summerlin community, and with few natural desert features, architects Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley of Scottsdale decided all the bunkers were needed to give the course some variety and challenge.

The community is laid out nicely, however, with palm trees blending in with the earth-colored houses, and like most Vegas courses, mesas and mountains loom around you, with views of Red Rock Mountain and the Spring Mountains.

Owned and operated by the Sunrise Colony Co., the upscale, daily-fee course opened in June 2000 about 20 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip on the southwest edge of the Las Vegas Valley. In 2003 it was voted the "best value" by readers of Vegas Golfer Magazine.

The relatively flat layout means there are no forced carries or significant elevation changes like many desert courses, so the bunkers and water on six holes are really the only hazards to be avoided. Nor is it long at 6,816 yards. Keep it in the fairway here and you can score well.

Then again, if you push or slice, you'll almost certainly end up in a bunker. The big bunkers and narrowing fairways are balanced by the huge, undulating, sometimes three-tiered greens.

The bent grass greens are fast, rolling between nine and 10 on the stimpmeter, according to assistant pro Jesse Grutz. And they all have another common characteristic.

"All the greens slope toward the Strip, so if you just look for the Stratosphere, you'll be all right," said regular Bob Hess, referring to the giant, nearly always visible landmark on The Strip.

"There always seem to be some tricky putts out there," Grutz said. "Hitting the right ball is crucial. If you hit it above the hole, you might have a tricky putt. Hitting it above the hole allows you to score better."

No. 9 can be a tough hole, especially with the prevailing wind in your face.

"It generally does blow, and it changes directions with the seasons," Grutz said. "It's a long, uphill par-4, requiring a big tee shot. There aren't any fairway bunkers for a change, so you can use your driver, but at the same time the driver brings water and the far bunkers into play."

The pond is to the left, and you should use an extra club to reach the elevated green.

The par-3 fifth hole is over water and can also be tricky from any of the tee boxes. Depending on the wind, use anything from a 5-iron to a pitching wedge, to hit the green, which has water on three sides.

"It's deceptively hard to hit," Grutz said. "Don't hit too long left. It's difficult putting on the undulating green."

No. 11 has more than its share on bunkers, even for this course, and a steep slope in front of the green. No. 18 is a good finishing hole, a 400-yard par-4 that asks for a precision shot off the tee, since the right side of the fairway is heavily bunkered. It's a dogleg, but cutting it can be perilous because of yet more bunkers. The pin placement here can also be vexing.

The verdict

The course's popularity can work to its disadvantage. With upwards of 200 rounds some days, Siena can get pretty beaten up by the heavy traffic.

Also, it has the feel of a course whose design was dictated by the surrounding housing community, even though the community is pleasant enough.

The service is excellent, with unlimited practice balls and ice chests on every cart. A nice touch is seeing your name on the cart.

Rates are $145 weekdays, $175 weekends, and the club offers twilight and super twilight rates for nine holes. There are more challenging courses in Vegas at this price, but this is still a course you'll enjoy playing after you've played the others.

Places to stay

For reasonable rates and good proximity to The Strip, try the La Quinta on Paradise. It has a good Continental breakfast, with sausage, and you can walk to the Strip or take a shuttle. Several good restaurants are within walking distance.

Places to eat

Siena Bistro, overlooking Siena Lake, has a private patio with fireplace and a casual patio with view of Lake Siena and Las Vegas.

Not surprisingly, it serves Italian dishes like pomodorino conception, calzone, golden tomato primavera and other specialties, like firecracker prawns and ahi tuna wrap.

Or, for something not as high-falutin', try Jerry's Nugget Casino where the locals go for the 24-hour buffet (702) 399-3000.

Fast fact

Siena's two sister courses, the Arroyo and the Mountain Course, were both designed by Arnold Palmer.

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.