As we head into the twilight of our years it is refreshing to know that there are some golf courses that don't require you to hit 300-yard drives or make you feel like you're on a roller coaster with its elevation changes. The Palm Valley Golf Club, designed to meet the needs of a retirement community located near Summerlin, is just such a place.
Palm Valley Golf Club was designed by Billy Casper who played most of his golfing career on much kinder and gentler golf courses than the behemoths that are now being built all over the country. Don't expect to find large forced carries or intimidating desert areas on this Las Vegas golf course. Casper has returned to a time when accuracy was more important than length. This golf course has more trees than are typically found on a desert golf course and smaller greens than most modern players are used to.
Palm Valley Golf Club forces the player to shape shots and come up with some creative ways to find the green. Many of the greens are elevated and getting up and down from some of these swells can be a challenge. The short game is imperative to shooting a good round on this golf course.
For a Las Vegas golf course that caters to a retirement community, it has some of the most demanding par-3's of any golf course is Las Vegas. The shortest of these holes is 177 yards and the longest one is the 229 yards 16th hole. The 16th hole is a long, uphill par-3 that has a long, narrow green. The left side of this hole is guarded by bunkers and the right side of this green falls off down a steep slope. If you are standing at the bottom of this slope you might not be able to see the green. This tricky green, with several ridges running through it, is difficult to putt. Check where the pin is located so you can pull the right stick and hit the correct tier.
The tees and fairways at Palm Valley Golf Club are in great shape, but they keep the green speed slightly slower than lightning-fast in order to maintain a good pace of play. The 18th hole is a great risk/reward hole and gives the player a chance to make a birdie. This hole is a 534-yard dogleg right. The best tee shot on this hole is toward the bunkers on the left-hand side with a slight fade. If you are really brave you can try to fly the trees on the right but you risk hitting the ball in the water.
Although this hole is not very long, the green is elevated and not many players can hit this green in two shots. The combination of soft fairways and the dramatic dogleg leaves most players with well over 250 yards into a well-guarded green. There is a pond on the right and bunkers guard the left-hand side. This green is one of the largest on the golf course and chipping is easiest from in front of this green. Palm Valley Golf Club is located about 30 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip in Sun City Summerlin. This is a great golf club for couples and players looking to have a fun round. Better players will be able to score low and get a real ego boost and with multiple tees the higher handicapper will have a fun time as well.
