60 (Public) Cascata Golf Club

March 16, 2014

Arriving in Las Vegas a day early for my business trip allowed me to experience Cascata Golf Club. People have told me it is the second best golf course in Sin City so I wanted to judge for myself. It is priced like one of the top courses, with only Shadow Creek Golf Course and the Wynn Golf Course charging more for their green fees. Rates at Cascata Golf Club vary, depending on the time of year, from $150 to $395. That fee does not include gratuity for the required caddie.

Upon arrival, you are greeted by a pair of closed gates, and a box with a button to push. Once you state your business, the gates open and you take the two mile drive up into the hills.

The entrance gate to Cascata Golf Club

Pulling up to the clubhouse, a 37,000-square-foot, Tuscan-style clubhouse, I was greeted by the valet by name. He took charge of my clubs, and then advised he would park the car. As I approached the large, wooden, double doors, I was greeted by another staff member. He escorted me to the proshop so I could pay for my round and be properly introduced to the course.

Stock photo of the back of the clubhouse.

Cascata, Italian for "waterfall," is aptly named. A 418-foot waterfall from the steep mountainside towering above the driving range, meandering through the practice facilities, cascading into a river that roars through the clubhouse, eventually culminating in a tranquil stream.

The location where the waterfall enters the clubhouse.

A view looking into the pro shop from the foyer.

After chatting with the pro shop staff member for a bit, and getting checked in, he advised me that my locker was ready and available and directed me to the gentlemen's locker room.

A look into one of several of the wood-paneled locker rooms.

One of the nice little touches at Cascata is they make you feel very welcome by considering you a "member for a day." This is reflected through their service, as well as the custom name plate assigned to a locker in the locker room. It is metal and magnetic and it really does add a neat little experience that I am starting to expect from courses ranked in the top 100.

My name on a locker!

After changing shoes and dousing myself in the complimentary sunscreen, I made my way back to the pro shop where I was directed downstairs. On the bottom floor is where the golf carts are housed. Double doors on either end automatically open when approached to within 10 feet.

The inside marshaling area for the carts.

Upon exiting the clubhouse, you are greeted with a magnificent view of the driving range. In the back is the tall waterfall, that flows down the right side of the range and into the clubhouse.

A view of the driving range from the cart path just outside the clubhouse.

The range is tended to with the same quality care as the rest of the course, a good sign for any top notch course. Range balls are complimentary with your green fee.  One thing I noticed was how quiet and peaceful this course was. From their website, Cascata advises, "The air is pure, the silence beyond description." I have to agree. The only noise I heard was the waterfall. When we were away from the waterfall and on the course, it was the quietest I have experienced since driving across Wyoming and Montana on my trip from Atlanta to Seattle. The quiet was simply put - amazing!

A look down the driving range from the cart path.

One thing I noticed on the practice putting green was how firm and fast the green was. This is also where I met my awesome caddie, Chad. He explained that the balls hit towards the valley would pick up speed, while the balls hit away from the valley would slow down noticeably. He also advised some greens offered optical illusions, and where it looked like a ball would break left, it actually broke right. I experienced this at least seven times during the round. Luckily, Chad has wont he last two caddie tournaments at Cascata and was a tremendous when helping me read greens.

The practice green.

The waterfall continuing to run along the right side of the range.

There couldn't have been a more perfect, picturesque day for golf. Upon arrival, it was 55 degrees and sunny, with pure blue skies and an occasional light breeze. Within the first hour, it quickly warmed up past 60 and I shed my mock turtleneck.

Looking down the fairway from the #1 tee box.

Six of the first nine holes run uphill. This makes for a very challenging round. The first hole is a par 4 that plays 367 yards from the tips.

A look towards #1 green from mid-fairway.

One thing that stood out during the entire round was looking back down the fairway from where we had come from. Many times we were afforded spectacular views of the course and surrounding desert.

A look back down the #1 fairway from the edge of the green.

A bonus was that most greens had a slope behind them to ease an errant shot hit too far past the pin. However, if a fair amount of spin was placed on the ball, most greens will wave at the ball as it rolls back down the fairway.

A look at the #1 green from 40 yards out.

After a fairly short par 4 at one, made longer by the uphill slope, the course really starts to let you know how tough of a day it is going to be. The second hole is a par 4, 427 yard hole from the tips.

A look down the fairway from the #2 tee box.

Being located in desert, we were warned there were all kinds of hazards in the rough, from cacti to snakes and tarantulas. Luckily, it was still a little early in the year for snakes. However, the cacti were abundant.

A cacti hazard located two yards off the fairway.

A look uphill towards the #2 green.

The #2 green is tucked in behind the sand trap on the right. It is very tough to see the flag from the middle of the fairway and this is where your caddie earns his money. Chad told us exactly where to hit our shot and he was right on the mark.

A look at the #2 green from the cart path.

After climbing the course for the first two holes, you are rewarded with a terrific view at the #3 tee box. It's a Par 5, playing 561 yards from the tips. The fairway rolls down and the left towards the green. It is a 150-200 foot elevation change from tee box to fairway on #3.

A look down the fairway from the #3 tee box.

 Once in the fairway, it is a straight, downhill look right to the green. The downhill slope makes it possible to find a really long drive and approach shot and possibly being on the green under GIR.

A look into the #3 green from the fairway.

This is another green where, if your shot goes long, the slope of the green and hill behind it are going to help keep your ball in play. It has a sand trap on the front right.  I was a bit disappointed there wasn't much sand in most of the traps but there was enough to stop your ball from rolling through it completely.

A closer look into the #3 green.

The 4th hole is the first par 3 on the course.  It plays 216 yards from the tips and plays neither up or down hill. There is a large pond on the front left, and if you catch the left side of the green, your ball stands a chance of rolling back into it. There is also a large sand trap on the right to take note of.

A look into the #4 green from the tee box. 

One thing I learned from our caddie, Chad, was that if you hit a hole-in-one while playing Cascata, you are greeted with a red carpet welcome when you arrive back at the clubhouse. A complimentary bottle of Dom Pérignon is opened for all to celebrate. A course flag is awarded to the player and the club mails a framed, large photo of the hole to the player to commemorate the achievement. That is outstanding customer service!

After a brief relief, it is back to uphill golf. Hole #5 is a Par 5, that plays 523 yards from the tips. It has a dogleg left at around 260 yards, that continues uphill.

A look down the fairway from the #5 tee box.

After the turn of the dogleg, the green can be seen towards the top of the hill, and there are three sand traps that guard the front of it.

A look towards #5 green after the turn of the dogleg.

A look back down the #5 fairway from the edge of the green.

Once you clear the sand traps, you have a relatively flat green that is sloped in the back to keep shots hit too far in play.

A look at the #5 green from the cart path. 

Hole #6 is a relatively short par 4, playing 379 yards from the tips. However, the uphill slope adds length to the hole.

A look down the fairway from the #6 tee box.

There are some large sand traps that run down the right side of the #6 fairway. If you find yourself in one of those, your shot to the green is going to mostly be a blind shot. The hill on the right also slopes left into the green.

A look into the #6 green from 120 yards out.

Care should be taken when shooting into the green. If you are too far left of the hole, you can easily find yourself rolling off the green and back down the fairway.

A look at the #6 green.

Hole #7 is one of my favorite on the course. It is the second par 3 on the front 9. It has the waterfall flowing down the mountain on the left, across the front of the green, and down another hill into a pond. There is a large hill halfway down and on the left that can create havoc with the wind. The breeze had picked up here from the start of the round. I noticed the palm trees on the right waving in the wind while the palm trees on the left were completely still.

A look into the green from the #7 tee box.

There is also a large, horseshoe shaped sand trap in front of the green, as well as a smaller sand trap that runs along the right side and back of the green. They are positioned to perfectly catch a ball that is knocked down by the wind.

A closer look at the #7 green.

Hole 8 is a 408 yard, par 4 that runs downhill and funnels right into the green. It is tough not to put a shot towards the green on this hole as it seems it was designed to keep the ball flowing that way, regardless of which side of the fairway you drive to.

A look down the fairway from the #8 tee box. 

A look into the #8 green from 150 yards out.

You finish the front 9 out with a downhill hole. It is a par 4 that plays 451 yards. It affords a great view of the desert and mountains in the distance. 

A look down the fairway from the #9 tee box.

Once clearing the wasteland, you can see the green is guarded by three, sizable sand traps. It is sloped in the back to keep your ball from rolling forever down hill.

A look into the #9 green from 100 yards out.

In my opinion, Holes 9 and 10 are very similar. They are both downhill with a drive across wasteland. They both have a green that sit to the right side of the fairway. And they both are guarded by three sand traps.

A look down the fairway from the #10 tee box.

 The one difference between #9 and #10 are the sand traps at #10 are much deeper. As firm as the greens were playing, it is nearly impossible to get the ball to stop close to the point you are aiming for.

A look into the #10 green from 175 yards out.

Hole #11 is one of the few holes on the back nine that is uphill. It is only a 346 yard par 4 but the uphill slope makes it play much longer. Compare that with Hole 10 above that plays downhill and is a 466 yard, par 4.

A look down the fairway from the #11 tee box.

As mentioned earlier, there are cacti that create a unique hazard. Sometimes they grow in large groups as shown in the photo below. They are also just off the fairway and an unlucky bounce or an erarnt tee shot can lead to an unplayable lie fairly easily.

A large group of cacti to present a unique hazard.

The 11th green is surrounded by quite a few sand traps. It is also a very hilly green that can lead the ball to run off either side of it, as well as back down onto the fairway.

A look into the 11th green from 150 yards out.

There is also creek created by the waterfall that runs in front of the green. It can't be seen from the fairway below. I took a photo from the top of the hill above the green to try to show where the creek actually runs.

A look at the 11th green from the top of the hill.

The 12th hole is the first par 3 on the back nine, playing 165 yards from the tips. There is a creek that runs the entire length of the fairway, fed by a waterfall on the hill behind and to the right of the green. One thing to note is that the green slopes from right to left, making a careful shot a necessity to keep the ball dry.

A look at the 12th green from the tee box.

The 13th hole is another long par 4, due to its long downhill run. It plays 469 yards from the tips and has a slight dogleg to the left. The drive you are looking for is right of center so the ball will roll down and to the left towards the green.

A look down the fairway from the 13th tee box.

 After passing the dogleg, the green comes into view. It is guarded by wasteland to the right and a large sand trap to the left. It does afford great views of the desert and mountains down in the valley.

A look into the 13th green from 140 yards out.

The 14th hole is the most picturesque and beautiful hole on the course. It has a lake to the left of the tee boxes, surrounded by palm trees. The lake feeds a creek that crosses the fairway and runs down the entire length of the right side, ending in a lake in front of the green.

A stunning view from the 13th green looking down the 14th fairway.

The 14th fairway starts left and then doglegs right towards the hole. There is a large landing area to the left that will allow a long drive to feed towards the green.

A view down the fairway from the 14th tee box.

After passing the dogleg, the green comes into view. The creek feeds into a lake that protects the entrie front of the green. Numerous sand traps guard the back side of the green, making for the most stunning hole on the course.

A look into the 14th green from 130 yards out.

The 15th hole is the last Par 3 on the course.  It plays 212 yards from the tips and is guarded on both sides by sand traps. The green slopes back towards the fairway making a precise shot a must.

A look into the 15th green from the tee box.

The 16th hole is a long par 5, playing 508 yards. It is an S-shaped hole, first turning right and then back left towards the hole.

A look down the fairway from the #16 tee box.

A view towards the green at the second turn.

After clearing both turns, the fairway continues to slope uphill. The green slopes from right to left, leading an errant shot to run down into the left green side sand trap.

A look into the 16th green from 120 yards out.

A look at the 16th green from 30 yards out.

A look down the fairway from the 17th tee box.

The 17th hole is a very long, 489 yard par 4. After the turn of the dogleg, it is a straight shot into the green. A solid drive will take you into the 280 yard turn of the dogleg and let the ball run downhill.

A look into the 17th green from 150 yards out.

The 18th hole is a long, 559 yard par 5. It has a dogleg left at around 260 yards. You want to stay right on the drive as a creek follows the left side of the fairway.

A look down the fairway from the 18th the box.

At the turn of the dogleg, you see the creek running down the left of the fairway, cross the fairway and flow into a lake guarding the front of the green.

A look into the 18th green from 280 yards out.

The final shot into the 18th green is a fairly easy one. However, you should place the shot to the center or left side of the green. The right side of the green has a severe slope that can make an errant placed ball roll right into the water.

A look at the 18th green and the lake that guards the front.

I thoroughly enjoyed my round at Cascata. I think it is probably ranked too low at #58, and should be ranked above such courses as Longaberger and Dancing Rabbit. It is a complete experience from the professionalism and very friendly staff, the exceptionally knowledgable caddies, the little touches such as the locker and the hole-in-one treatment, and a top-notch manicured and maintained golf course.

If you have some time and extra spending money while in Las Vegas, I highly recommend this course. The several hundred dollars you will likely lose on the tables or slots back in town is better spent creating a life-long memory at Cascata. I have yet to play the Wynn Golf Club or Shadow Creek. While they may be better courses or more have a more grandiose reputation, they will be hardpressed to match the fun the course at Cascata provided.