Sun Mountain at Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort

February winds made conditions nearly unplayable, but the course was in great shape. The greens roll fast and there is a lot of undulation. Fairway grass and even the rough was green and well manicured.. I would recommend playing this course anytime with the exception of when the mountains are pushing a storm front in because the winds kick up to 40 to 50 mph..

Great course, excellent condition, good service! Will come back again.

Paiute never disappoints. This has to be just as good or better than any facility in Las Vegas. The courses are always in impeccable condition and this trip was no different. Really nice to hit off of real grass on the range too.. Tees, fairways and greens are all in excellent condition. Play any one of the three courses when you get a chance. You will be happy you made the trip.

This place is as pure as it gets

This course and it's two sister courses is freaking awesome. Everything form the clubhouse, reception area, practice facility and putting greens, to the actual course itself is outstanding. Stunning green fairways and greens set against a red backdrop of the mountains and desert areas. Has a great mix of forced carry's (though not too extreme) and exceptional placement shots that keep you on your toes the entire round. Greens were super receptive and truly rewarded good shots accordingly. Absolutely wortth the 25 minute drive from the strip to get out here to play, without a doubt

Paiute Sun Mountain Golf Course, created over desert sands in North Las Vegas, has a cohesive look distinguished by its gently rolling terrain, by fairways often girded by mounding and desert wash, and by a consistent asymmetry to the holes. What this layout does not have is much of the meanness that often characterized Pete Dye’s earlier, iconic designs. This is toned-down Dye: not unrelentingly tough, but with plenty of “hazardous material” to keep golfers honest throughout the eighteen.

From Tee to Green

The most pervasive hazards at Sun Mountain aren’t water features but the desert itself—trees and native grasses, shrubs and bushes, sand and rocks. These elements lie beyond the vast majority of the fairway and greenside roughs; in other cases, they function as waste areas—broad and exposed, like stretches of a dried-out sea—that must be crossed to reach fairway zones. Water comes into play on a few tee shots and approaches. By comparison to a layout like TPC at Sawgrass, such appearances seem almost minimal.

From tee to green, as long as your driver is behaving, the land seems open and forgiving, though the sand waits. It is sometimes fully in view, yet often partly beneath the surface of things. Dye has disguised some of the fairway bunkers from the tee, often to appear closer than they are. Most of the course’s eighty-six sand pits are of the familiar American sort, and many can be lethal. Varying widely in size, most bunkers have an amorphous look, and many appear in clusters. Now and then, a pot bunker appears—small and unwilling to compromise. Railroad ties show up intermittently, accenting the walls of some of the largest bunkers, and they fit the ground well.

What deepens the design’s complexity is the wide diversity of fairway forms. They do not always conform to predictable models of straightaway holes and simple doglegs; added instead are serpentine corridors, split and offset fairways, and more than one peninsular landing area. Holes three and nine feature tightening bottlenecks, while seven is a double dogleg. As if they have a will of their own, fairway lines bend, twist, and skitter across the landscape, adding another strategic layer to play.

The Green Complexes

Unfortunately, three-putting can be a snap here. Modest in size and often firm, the greens run unusually fast. They are also appreciably sloped—some moderately, others more subtly. The ground contours in the greenside roughs, however, vary far more widely in slope and intensity. Miss a green in regulation and recovery becomes a matter of touch and judgment, as many chips and pitches must be played carefully onto firm surfaces whose contours sometimes seem like muscles wound tight. A pitch shot may be straightforward at times; at others, near-perfect execution is required. Watch for greens, too, that are set at angles to the line of play–they will favor certain angles of approach or, when necessary, an approach that is drawn or faded.

Two Notable Holes

For my money, the best holes here are not the virtual templates Dye has long favored (such as the Cape-styled eighteenth or the daunting fourth, a par-3 over water), but instead several of the more “conventional” ones. For example, the rugged and steely ninth, a dogleg par-4, lurches 445 yards uphill. Lying in wait off the tee are a pair of pinch point bunkers, and further on are large traps, which often snag underpowered approaches. A slender green, not only hard to hit, has exactly the kind of contouring that discourages an easy read. Three, a long par-5, has a weaving fairway menaced by six bunkers. It begins with an open driving zone but turns hard-edged on the second shot, and its green complex can be a minefield of trouble for the unwary.

Some Conclusions

–Sometimes intimidating, but mostly engaging, compelling, and challenging—never over- the-top. A solid all-around test of any golfer’s game.

–There is no single “key to success” here. Instead, firm competence in every aspect of one’s skills is required. Strategy, too, is vital.

– Enjoyed the day on this well-conditioned course (although the greens were a bit too firm and often difficult to hold), and I appreciated the company of my three interesting playing partners.

Only problem . The guy in the office below pro shop , where you take the receipts was an issue. But everyone else first class. Course is amazing and can't waite to take another shot at it!!

First time playing sun mountain , now played all 3 and they are all amazing shape and fun layouts!! Great staff all around as well as great value and a great test!!! Can’t wait to play again!!!

It’s been several years since I golfed in LV but have played Paiute many times in the past. It was just as I remembered, very well maintained and the staff is excellent!

I liked everything about this but the heavy winds. It was a pretty good deal so I can’t complain, but if you’re not used to playing in the wind, just know that it affects you on every hole here and playing with locals like a dad. It’s a pretty common Issue. So next time I’ll look for an early morning teatime.

We played Paiute Sun Mountain. It was in great condition. This is a beautiful golf course. The greens and fairways couldn’t have been in better shape. I highly recommend it. The contrast between the lush green course and the desert with the mountains in the background give you great views on every hole.