 COURSE
REVIEW
Cloud Nine a lark, but
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LAS VEGAS (Aug. 29, 2005) - Everyone knows Las Vegas comes alive at night. If it's not officially the city that never sleeps, it's assuredly the city that almost always sleeps in.
You'll find early bird special regulars from Wisconsin arising at noon after a few nights. And forget about all the casino employees and the havoc their irregular schedules wreak on sleep patterns.
With this in mind, and considering Vegas' well-earned reputation for over-the-top golf innovations, you'd think there would be some type of compelling night golf in Sin City. Some executive course with challenging par 4s under ballpark worthy stadium lights, night golf's version of Shadow Creek, if you will. Dramatic waterfalls included.
Instead, you're left with Cloud Nine at Angel Park Golf Club, a 12-hole replica par-3 course that lights up nine of its holes (you can play 12 holes during the day). It would be a great pitch and putt, but its longest hole measures 146 yards. Cloud Nine will have anyone itching for a serious golf experience backing up behind the back tees and hitting off the edge of the grass in a desperate attempt to get any type of decent shot length look.
Once the sun sets on one of Vegas' 110-degree summer days, you'll find a number of duffers engaging in this curious ritual. In fact, there's almost more wear and tear behind Cloud Nine's back tees than in the tee box center itself.
"You can turn No. 9 (a 126-yarder) into almost an 140-yard tee shot uphill," regular Vegas golfer Marvin Tsang explained.
Did we mention Las Vegas tends to attract the night golf types?
When
the heat gets particularly brutal, you will see large groups of guys
showing up at Angel Park after sundown. Call them the golf zombies.
There are your share of guys who've obviously had a few pops pre-round,
but for the most part this is a serious bunch of hackers. Guys who are
looking for more than they can find at Cloud Nine.
"We can put a probe on Mars, but we can't get put a few regular-sized golf holes under lights in Las Vegas?" asked vacationing golfer Chad Reynolds. "Just move some of that neon over here. I'd be good."
Cloud Nine can provide some moments of amusement. Playing ping pong in the pot bunkers, watching your ball sail over a true postage stamp-sized green and into its second sand landing, on the Royal Troon would-be night No. 4, isn't without its thrills.
In a Crash Test Dummy sort of way.
This harks back to the basic problem with using Cloud Nine as a night tool to keep your game sharp. Everything is so shrunk to model-scale here, it essentially makes it a completely different game.
In theory, having a replica of TPC Sawgrass' famed 17th island green on a par-3 course is a good one. In practice here, with the island less than 100 yards from the back tees, it's about as satisfying as trying to recreate Sawgrass' magic in your bathtub.
The verdict
Night golf has not advanced much over years and there's
no cause for vampires to celebrate here. The lighting's not great, the
night No. 9 is particularly shrouded, but with these sawed-off par 3s
it's still almost impossible to lose your ball.
Bob Cupp - touted as the "1992 Golf Architect of the Year" in Angel Park's advertising - did what he could with the space, but there's a reason even par 3s aren't built in a phone booth. You do get a few forced carries, slight elevation changes and plenty of rabbits curious why anyone's out here in spikes after sundown.
"It's pretty fun, especially for night," Vegas golfer Chico Delossento said. "It's better than losing all your money in a casino."
Well, there's that.
Cloud Nine's all about the attitude you take in. Take it for what it is and you'll leave with a smile off a few challengingly putted greens. It's just not the night golf people expect from Las Vegas.
Dining out
Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill is one of the more reasonable, consistently high-quality name chef restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip. Located inside the main floor of MGM Grand, it delivers tasty pastas and a nice people-watching view of the casino floor.
Stay and play
The JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa ((702) 869-7777) is literally right down the street and it's harder to find a better Las Vegas base if golf is the real purpose of your visit.
The hotel provides free shuttle to a dozen courses in the area. This isn't The Strip, but the JW's standard rooms will make you feel like a high roller. Space is your friend here.
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.
