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 Opened in 1964, and located just 15 minutes from Las Vegas Boulevard, Desert Rose Golf Course offers a
good old-fashioned round of golf and prices to match. It's a Clark County course run by the friendly folks of American Golf, who last season flip-flopped the front
and back nines to smooth the pace of play. Though carts are available, everyone is welcome to walk. Those
wanting the exercise will appreciate that the Bermuda greens and fairways are kept slightly longer (and therefore are softer). There's also some shade from the many pine trees that
stand staggered along most of the fairways. Pines also frame the teeing areas, where players can take aim at the generous landing areas.
The entire course is built around a wash that runs alongside virtually every hole. The wash along the front nine is usually dry, but the back-nine wash often flows with a 6-foot-wide
stream of cool water. Other hazards include one fairway bunker, on No. 16,and strategic sand bunkering on most of the greens. Here's the beauty of Desert Rose's design: For every
player-friendly feature, there's also an element of challenge. Though three of the four par 5s are mouthwatering short, one No.4 plays 607 yards from the back tees.
The signature hole is No. 2, a 411-yard, slight dogleg-right par 4. The tee shot must carry at
least 100 yards to clear a deep ditch and reach a fairway whose right side is protected by a small lake that stretches all the way from the tee-shot landing area to the green. The water
also wraps most of the way around the green, which bottlenecks where the fairway ends. To come out smelling like a rose, aim the second shot to the left front of the green, regardless of
the flag position.
The 9th hole is a 156-yard par 3. A large bunker yawns in front of the green, and four pot
bunkers lie behind it. No. 16, a short par 4 of just 340 yards, tempts many to swing away with the driver. But a long drive will bring a fairway bunker left into play, and another bunker
front left guards the slightly elevated green. Trees right can also punish an overaggressive drive.
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