Las Vegas' Best Par-4's
Won't Play Second Fiddle

By Shane Sharp,
TravelGolf.com Contributing Writer

LAS VEGAS, NV (Nov. 30, 2001) - Par-3’s have dramatic settings and scenery. Par-5’s have challenge and risk/reward opportunities.

So where does that leave par-4’s, the most frequently appearing golf holes on a golf course?

How about stuck with the unenviable task of becoming meaningful and memorable amid their sexier cousins.

Las Vegas Golf Course Tom Fazio, arguably the world’s greatest living golf course architect, produces some of the best par-4’s on the market today. Ask Fazio why he adores two-shotters and he’ll tell you that they actually offer course designers the most latitude when it comes to routing.

In practice, par-4’s range start at approximately 280 yards from the forward tees, and can measure all the way up to 470 yards from the back tees. Par-3’s and par-5’s are much more limited in scope, and Fazio relishes the chance to mix and match his par-4 lengths to create the overall feel of his golf courses.

•Best Par 3's in Vegas
• Best Par 5's in Vegas
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Because of their prevalence on golf courses, the popularity deck is naturally stacked against par-4’s. Quick … name some of the most famous holes in golf: The 17th at TPC Sawgrass (par-3), the 12th at August (par-3), the 13th at Augusta (par-5), and the 16th at the TPC of Scottsdale’s Stadium Course (par-3, think Tiger Woods hole in one).

Par-3’s and fives come up faster than a high number on a tough golf hole.

Las Vegas is home to some of the world’s most breathtaking, challenging golf courses, and likewise, some of the best par-4’s you’ll ever run up against. Play some of these holes and you might just have visions of par-4’s dancing in your head.

Here is a sampling of some of Sin City’s best two-shot offerings.

Dragon Ridge Golf and Country Club, Par-4, 441-yard 7th hole: Flirting with the high-end of the aforementioned par-4 range, the 7th at Dragon Ridge weighs in at 441-yards. Designers Jay Morrish and Dave Druzisky have thrown in a lake to the right and out of bounds to the left, just for good measure. Morrish and Druzisky have also ensured that big hitters don’t take advantage of their length to take the trouble out of play. The fairway narrows as it approaches the green, and precision is of the essence with a driver or 3-wood. Take an iron off the tee and you have essentially raised the white flag. In addition to the challenge it offers, this hole is also one of the most scenic par-4’s in Vegas.
Phone: 1-866-457-0062(702-577-2220)

Rio Secco Golf Club, Par-4, 417-yard 7th hole: You say you want drama? How about rising cliffs on either side of the hole, a green carved out of a canyon that is as hard to hit as a Randy Johnson slider, and a tee shot that requires a carry over the desert below. Oh, and did we mention that if you do hit the green, you have to negotiate three tiers just to get down? Or that staff typically keeps the greens of this Rees Jones designed gem rolling between 10 and 12 on the stimp? All this you’ll find at the 7th hole at the Rio Secco Golf Club.
Phone: 1-866-457-0062(702-577-2220)

Siena Golf Club, Par-4, 420-yard 9th hole This incredible two-shotter features an elevated tee box cascading down to a thinning fairway with water along the left side. There are two bunkers on right side, so the only place to go is down the middle. From there, a couple of fluffy white bunkers frame the left side of the three-tiered green. Simply one of the most spectacular views in Vegas from the tee box. Brian Curley and Lee Schmidt designed this up-and-coming track, which is poised to become one of the top five daily fee facilities in Las Vegas.
Phone: 1-866-457-0062(702-577-2220)

Black Mountain Golf and Country Club, Par-4, 413-yard 9th hole:The ninth provides options off the tee for every skill level. This treeless, sweeping dogleg right flows downhill, making the green seem almost in reach for the long hitter with the breeze at his back. Those who take an aggressive line to the target, however, bring into play hidden moguls laden with penal rye rough, surrounded by pot bunkering, and bordered by the driving range. Shorter hitters and conservative players should play well left off the tee, then attempt a lengthy approach into a wide, deep putting surface.
Phone: 1-866-457-0062(702-577-2220)

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.