Wolf Creek Golf Club - Holes 4 to 6

Hole 4 Par 4

383 | 307 | 279 | 202 | 202 yards

The 4th is a short dogleg right par 4 that defends its lack of length by a phalanx of bunkering that stretches over 100 yards from the front of the green. From the tee, the fairway seems visually pinched by the desert and the traps looming on the right.  The green is hidden from view.

Pick a target distance to play from off the tee.  The fairway plays uphill from the tee, before the routing descends to the green.

A conservative shot off the tee leaves a shot that must carry the heart of the bunkering to reach the green.

A longer drive to the heart of the fairway leads to a completely different vantage to the green.  This approach is much easier as it takes a lot of the sand out of play.

 At the end of the fairway, the hole does descend towards the green.   A large hill behind the green makes for a very tricky shot back to the green.  Those who are too cautious on the approach in order to avoid the bunkers short can easily find their ball hanging on the hill.

You can see, from this view to the left of the green, how close the sand comes to the green; as well as how far back down the hole it stretches.

This green is fairly flat, but is relatively shallow from front to back.

From the 5th tee you have a nice vantage point of the 4th hole.

Hole 5 Par 5

490 | 469 | 453 | 363 | 327 yards

Get your camera out this is another hole you will want to remember!

Rising above the 4th hole the tee box on the par 5 5th offers another stunning view.  This may be the coolest looking hole out here.  Again we are well above the hole and on this hole you can see the entire hole stretched out in the desert as it doglegs left.

If you look to the right you have a great view of the 6th, 7th, and 8th holes.

Turning back to the task at hand, this hole presents an immediate test to your drive.  Not only must you avoid the ever constant desert framing the hole, but you also must carry a stream that crosses the hole before the fairway starts.  While this looks daunting from the tee, the stream is only 230 yards to carry from the tips.  The first bunker across the fairway is actually just over 300 yards.  

Running the ball through the fairway should not be a problem.  The fairway does slope right to left and a slope on the far side of the fairway also aids in keeping your ball in play as long as you hit the grass.

For those afraid of that stream, there is room short, however it is not fairway here.

On your second shot you have a straight ahead uphill shot.  The primary danger here lies in the sets of bunkers on either side of the fairway.  The first pair sits around 100 yards out and the second pair fronts either side of the green.

I had hit a good drive and had only 190 yards in.  I smothered a 4 into the second of the right hand bunkers.  Ugh.

On a typical third shot you must play uphill to the green with those 2 large bunkers awaiting anything hit short to either side.  The green is long- nearly 40 yards with a big upper tier in the back half (left).  The green is canted from the fairway so a shot from the right edge of the fairway offers the most exposed angle to the depth of this green.

Hole 6 Par 4

447 | 415 | 414 | 381 | 365 yards

This is a longer par 4 made more difficult by the stream bisecting the hole and causing one to perhaps select a club other than driver to avoid this.

The tees are elevated and the fairway drops all the way to the stream.  At this point the hole turns to the right and plays uphill to the green.

Trying to cut the corner is possible but a trio of bunkers is hidden over the rocks on the right.  Also, beyond the stream another trio waits closer to the green.

Looking back down the hole from the left side of the green.  You can see the bunkers hidden from off the tee.  In the background is the 5th running off to the left.  You can also see how the hole rises from the creek.

A large bunker hugs the left side of the green.  Slopes to the right and behind the green can funnel balls back to the putting surface.

The green is a large triangular shape with an elevated back tier.  This view from behind the green shows the layout of the hole well.

Wolf Creek Hole Introduction
Wolf Creek Hole 1-3
Wolf Creek Hole 7-9
Wolf Creek Hole 10-12
Wolf Creek Hole 13-15
Wolf Creek Hole 16-18

Wolf Creek Golf Club - Holes 1 to 3

Hole 1 Par 5

579 | 504 | 467 | 457 | 396 yards

The opening hole is the first of many breathtaking tee shots you will face during your round.  From elevated tees you hit down down to a generous fairway that does feature a couple of bunkers left within the landing zone.  However, a good drive can clear these a land you in the widest part of the fairway.

Th left side bunker can come into play off the tee.  Clear this and you are left with close to 200 yards in.

A good drive here can leave a very good possibility to reach the green on your second shot.  The hole plays uphill towards the green.  If you can clear the cart path that bisects the fairway you will have inside of 130 yards to reach the green.  The bunkering becomes more prevalent on your approach with several flanking the fairways and another set sitting on either side of the green.

The approach to the green is dominated by the cliffs that surround the back and left sides of the green.  There are 3 tiers on this green from front to back, the back being the highest point.

Looking back down the hole from the green gives you a good indication of the elevation changes on this hole, and what you can expect a lot of.

This is a view from the 1st green of the adjacent 9th hole 

Another view looking back at the 1st green and  fairway taken from atop the second tee.

Hole 2 Par 4

445 | 429 | 385 | 234 | 213 yards

After the first hole you climb aboard your cart and take a climb uphill.  From there you have to walk up a flight of stairs before you come to the second tee, an absolutely jaw dropping rise that sits high above the course.  I am not sure if this is the highest point on the course, but the views here are unbelievable and give you a great view of what lies ahead.  

Looking back you can see the 1st and 9th holes. Further left is the 17th and 18th, set among the canyons.

As you turn around to the 2nd hole you are about to play, you realize you must strike a good tee shot here.

Your drive has to clear over the rock ridge that runs straight across the hole.  Beyond the ridge line the fairway sits far below you as it turns left and then rises as it approached the green.

A large bunker sits in the right corner of this hole.  To the left of this bunker a series of mounds act as a hopeful backstop to funnel balls back to the fairway.  Beyond the bunker and mounds, the hole drops of severely into desert scrub.  

You can choose how aggressive you want to be on this hole.  A shot hit successfully down the left offers a short wedge to the green. However, if you miss left you will be into the rocks.  A hit too far right can find either the bunker or reach the edge of the grass and the desert behind.  It is also important to judge for the elevated tee and how much more that can add to your tee shot.

After you tee shot it is a very steep descent down off the cliff and into the canyon to actually play the hole.  Heed your speed on this course.  There are several rollover accidents annually here and the waiver you sign before the round is no joke!

Your second shot will require missing the large collection of bunkers on either side of this green.  Shots are uphill and likely require an extra club.

If you can avoid the sand, this green is large and should be easy to hit.  There are some undulations however, and its size means being on in regulation offers no guarantees.  When we played the pin was in the back left. This is a very tough spot, as it is on an elevated shelf making it nearly impossible to land the ball close to the hole.

A view from behind the second green looking back down the hole

And another view back down the 2nd taken from atop the 3rd tee

Hole 3 Par 3

227 | 175 | 175 | 173 | 79 yards

Like the second hole, another climb is required to reach the 3rd tee.  A good view of the 2nd hole you just played is offered from this tee box.  Again turning around you are faced with another difficult looking tee shot.  Unlike the 2nd, this shot plays significantly uphill.  On this longer par 3, the elevation makes the hole play even longer.

Ignore the rocks ahead of you and the hundreds of balls you can see lodged in them.  Your tee shot is sure to be much better, right?

The green is essentially hidden from view.  All you can see is that tiny flag stick sitting way up there.

 A trio of bunkers sit on either side of the green, mostly hidden from view off the tee.  Coming up short is a possibility but will lead to a severe uphill line within the undulating grass depressions there.

The green itself is a large oval nearly 40 yards deep.  A spine does run across the green dividing it nearly in half, front to back.  Missing long here is not too bad with a large apron of grass behind the green.

Wolf Creek Hole Introduction
Wolf Creek Hole 4-6
Wolf Creek Hole 7-9
Wolf Creek Hole 10-12
Wolf Creek Hole 13-15
Wolf Creek Hole 16-18

Wolf Creek Golf Club - Introduction

I had a chance to head down to sin city for an extended weekend with my wife.  I have never golfed around Las Vegas before but I had done some research on Mesquite, a town near Vegas with a reputation for great golf without some of the higher prices you might find near Vegas.  I had planned to take my father there for a birthday trip a few years back but those plans fell through.  Back when I was researching Mesquite, the one course that was at the top of my list, and pretty much everyone else's is Wolf Creek.

Mesquite is a town of around 15,000 about 80 miles north east of Vegas.  A straight shot on interstate 15,  There are some pretty mountain views along the way but not much else to look at as you drive through the desert.

In order to get both rounds in I had to book an 8am tee time at Wolf Creek. That meant a pre-sunrise wake up call in Vegas to let me make the drive up to Mesquite.  A good thing this was my first day in Vegas and my body was still on Central time, so the early wake up really wasn't so early.

Wolf Creek opened in 2000.  While not the first course in the area, it was the one that really put Mesquite on the map as a golf destination.  There are now something like 16 courses in the area of Mesquite and nearby St George, Utah, just a little further up the road.  Everything I have heard about all of the courses are highly touted.  It would be very easy to spend a week in this area and be difficult to get around to all the courses.  For my day trip I wanted to make sure I hit Wolf Creek, and then chose Conestoga as my second round of the day.

Wolf Creek course was designed by Dennis and Jon Rider.  It is in the upper third of the 100 best public courses in America from Golf Digest.  And it ranks in the top few spots in Nevada behind some of the $500+ courses in Vegas.  The course offers 5 sets of tees, from the tips it plays at 6,939 yards down to 4,101 yards at the forward tees.  Here are the specifics of the tees:

Tees	Yards	Rating	Slope
Challenger (Black)	6,939	154	75.4
Champions (Blue)	6,309	138	70.9
Masters (White)	5,798	134	68.2
Signature (Yellow)	5,064	125	65.7
Classics (Red)	4,101	106	61.0

One thing that surprised me is that Wolf Creek is it is essentially right in town.  From the looks of the course I always thought it was off into the desert.  The course is largely house free, though a couple are creeping near, like on the second hole.

Pulling into the parking lot, the club house is just a few steps from the bag drop. The club house features a small but nicely stocked pro shop and a large dining/bar area.

The facilities are not opulent, but they are nice.  From the clubhouse front door, to the left is the first tee.

Back to the right, across the lot is the driving range.  The range is an irons only setup that I used briefly just to get in the groove and get the 90 minute car ride out of my system.

The wall in the distance is maybe 220 yards max from the teeing area.  I mostly focused hitting mid irons to get ready.

You can see the front edge of the range was pretty heavily worn but they have a deep hitting area so recovery shouldn't be a problem.  I was the only one on the range for the 20 minutes I was there.

Heading back passed the clubhouse you round the corner and get your first glimpse of the fantasy playground that will be your host for the next few hours.  The first tee is elevated above the opening par 5.  The view here is tremendous but just one of the first that you will have during your round.  Make sure your batteries are charged for your camera/phone as you are going to need it.  I ended up taking over 300 pictures during my round, there are just so many beautiful vistas.

I do believe that this is the first golf course that I have played that is also featured in the Tiger Woods golfing video game series.  I can see why, because this place is just amazing.  As I climbed atop many of the tees and looked out at the emerald fairways nestled into the white and red cliffs I constantly kept thinking of the game Candyland.  You see that is what Wolf Creek is.  It is the the golfing equivalent of Candyland.

Wolf Creek- the Candyland of Golf.  

From left to right: The 17th green, 18th fairway, 9th hole, and back up the 1st hole.

Everything here is over the top.  The views, the verdant grass in the middle of the desert, the water features, it all boggles the mind.  I hear talk that courses like this offend golf purists.  As if all courses need to be wind whipped links hanging on for dear life so they aren't swallowed by the raging North Sea. I know I ran into that sentiment in Ireland after telling people I played Old Head.  Typical responses were something like: "Old Head?  That is not a golf course!"

Wolf Creek is not a traditional course, by any means. What it is, is shear unadulterated fun.  Playing here you will have views like nowhere else.  Have to hit shots that seem ill advised, and you will do it smiling and snapping pictures all the while.

A surreal masterpiece.

One thing to note about Wolf Creek.  It is strictly a riding course.  Not taking carts here would seem to me to be impossible.  I love to walk courses and riding is not my preferred operandi, but with all of the constant elevation changes- climbs to tees perched atop the cliffs, and steep descents down into the lush valleys; anything but a cart would be far too impractical.

Lets get onto the course!


Wolf Creek Hole 1-3
Wolf Creek Hole 4-6
Wolf Creek Hole 7-9
Wolf Creek Hole 10-12
Wolf Creek Hole 13-15
Wolf Creek Hole 16-18

First round of the year!

This week is the first sustained warm weather of the spring.  I had a chance to get out today at The Links at Northfork.  It was a beautiful day though the winds were howling up at The Links.  This was my first chance to try out my new Game Golf Live unit.

I thought using it during the round proved to be very seamless.  I did have one hole where the somehow it tagged my gap wedge in the middle of the fairway before I even got to my ball and introduced an extra stroke on the hole.  That was easy enough to fix on my phone.  It did kill my phone's battery though,  I barely made it through the round with me just using my phone to check the shot tracking at the end of each hole.  Anyways a really great product impression after its first use.

My first solid strike of the day was my tee shot on 4 that I hit in close.  Missed the bird though.

With the wind howling my driving was a bit up and down.  Into the wind I was hitting 230 yard drives, and one I wasn't into the teeth of it I gained a another 50-60 yards.  So my club averages were all over the place today.  Not that one round is enough of a sample size for that anyways.

Downwind, I got onto the 10th hole in 2.  I just missed the eagle putt with the ball burning the high side of the hole.  A tap in bird though.

Despite sketchy ball striking I managed to score really well.  Base primarily on some close approaches and a solid chipping day.  I ended up with only 26 putts for the day!

My tee shot on 17 landed 2 feet short of the pin with a baby draw.  I made this one for my third bird on the back.

My final score was a 76.  That included 3 birdies on the back, on 10, 11, and 17.  On the front I had a single bogey and the rest all pars, mostly by smoke and mirrors.

You can check out the full round on the Game Golf site.  I think that the round tracking is one of the best things about this app.
http://www.gamegolf.com/player/kristazio/round/827281

Game Golf Live Unboxing

Here is a quick video of the Game Golf Live system I purchased.  Spring finally arrived in Minneapolis and with 70 degree days forecasted I am going to give this an inaugural spin on Friday.

The new Bridgestone B330S balls for 2016

Waiting for golf season to arrive always drives me a little stir crazy.  I end up thinking about golf a lot and then thinking about spending money on what toys to buy for the impending season.

Cases in point, the recent purchases of the Game Golf Live system, my new rain gear, my new Golf Pride MMC Plus 4 grips, and now a couple of boxes of the new 2016 Bridgestone B330S golf balls.

I have been using these balls pretty exclusively since around 2012 when I had my complete bag fitting at Totally Driven.  Since then I had a supplemental ball fitting by Bridgestone reps who demonstrated that last year's model provided around an extra 5 yards compared to the previous generation ball.

This year the ball gets some new features.  A lot of marketing is involved but the highlights are:

1. A larger core with a sharper change in hardness of the core to allow less spin off the driver.
2. A new cover material called SlipRes.  This is supposed to allow for higher spin on wedges, lower spin on drivers and some kind of miracle "self-repairing" cover.  No idea what that means but if this ball actually cleans itself I am sold!
3. A seamless cover design.  Without having any seem the dimple pattern supposedly makes for more consistent flight.

Like I said heavy on the marketing-speak.  I do know I love the feel of the B330s.  I think they compare just as favorably to any ball out there, including the Pro V.  With deals to be had they are significantly cheaper too.  I scored these for around $35 a dozen making them about $10 less that a box of Pro Vs

The new 2016 model is on the left.  last years model is on the right.