Find pleasure in the desert on the Sun Mountain Course at Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort

LAS VEGAS -- The Sun Mountain Course has been branded the easiest of the three Pete Dye courses at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort.

That's like saying a 25-kilometer run is easier than a marathon.

It may be easiest, but it's not a walk in the park. At 7,116 yards, Sun Mountain (which opened in 1996) is the shortest and generally the most manicured of the Paiute golf courses. Golf Digest ranked it No. 12 on its list of the top 25 golf courses in Las Vegas in 2011.

"A lot of people say it is the less difficult," said Chad Gunier, general manager at Paiute. "When you talk to members and the staff, most will say it is their favorite."

With less water and wide fairways, it's harder to lose a ball on the Sun Mountain. Two ponds do add drama to three holes, especially at the par-4 18th hole. The bunkers lined with railroad ties on the sixth hole are quintessential Dye.

Robert Goldstein, who was visiting from Los Angeles, called the panoramic views of the desert and the Spring and Sheep Mountain ranges "incredible."

"Each hole has its own qualities," Goldstein said. "It's unique compared to the other courses I've played in Palm Springs. It's definitely a return [to play again] course.