Tuesday, December 22, 2015

#66 (Public) - Wolf Creek Golf Club



March 15, 2015

Everything you have heard or read about Wolf Creek being an incredible experience is true.  The previous three days before playing Wolf Creek, I had played Coyote Springs, Conestoga, Falcon Ridge, and Canyons at Oasis. All were great courses and my first time playing true desert courses. But none compared to my experience at Wolf Creek. It was head and shoulders above any of those other courses. To add to the awesome course, I had the first tee time of a perfect weather golf day and played as a single with the entire course empty!

The entrance sign to Wolf Creek Golf Club.
 Wolf Creek has five sets of tees.  From back to front, they are Black or Challenger (154/75.4), Purple or Champion (138/70.9), White or Masters (134/68.2), Yellow or Signature (125/65.7), and Classics or Red (106/61).  At the suggestion of the Club 's Golf Pro, I opted to play from the Champions tees that totaled 6309 yards.


The first hole is a par 5 that plays 504 yards downhill across a wide valley. You want to make sure you are careful on the drive as the right bunker is very reachable due to the elevation change. The tiered green slopes from back to front so you want to pay particular attention to the pin placement.
A look down the fairway from the 1st tee box.
A look onto the 1st green from 50 yards out.
A look back down the first hole from behind the green.

The second hole is a par 4 that plays to 429 yards.  Due to the severe dogleg left, you want to hit the driver to the right side of the fairway.  If you are a long hitter, you may want to consider a 3 wood as you could easily run out of the fairway and into the trap. The approach shot plays slightly uphill so make sure to take an extra club than you think you might need.

A look down the fairway from the 2nd tee box.
A closer look at the fairway just past the dunes.
A look into the 2nd green from 100 yards out.
A look onto the 2nd green from behind the left trap.
A closer look at the 2nd green.
A look back down the 2nd hole from behind the green.

The third hole is a very difficult par 3 that plays to 175 yards. The green is almost completely obscured as you have to hit uphill towards it.  This hole played much longer than 175 for me, as my first shot fell woefully short. Make sure to take an extra club as the landing area in front of the green also slopes back towards the canyon.

A look towards the green from the 3rd tee box.
A look back down the 3rd hole from behind the green.
Another view of the look back down the 3rd hole.

The fourth hole is a par 4 that plays to 307 yards. You may be tempted to drive the green if you can hit it that far. However, there are nine bunkers that sit between the fairway and the green. Any drive shorter than 300 yards will likely end up in a poor position for the second shot. The best tee shot is likely to the fairway on the left and then follow up with a shot back towards the green.

A look down the fairway from the 4th tee box.
A look into the 4th green from 100 yards out.
A look back down the 4th hole from behind the green.

The fifth hole is a par 5 that plays to 469 yards. There is a stream that crosses the fairway around the 220 yard mark. Luckily, the elevated tee should aid in clearing it with ease. After clearing the stream, the fairway turns back left and uphill to an elevated green. This is a long green with a severe tier and it is better to go long than short.

A look down the fairway from the 5th tee box.
A closer look at the turn in the fairway near the stream.
A look up towards the 5th green from about 225 yards out.
A closer look at the 5th green.
A look back down the 5th hole from behind the green.

The sixth  hole, a 415 yard par 4, presents and interesting challenge. Looking down the fairway from the elevated tee, you get the urge to rip a driver and hit the ball a mile. However, driver may not be the best choice as you can easily find the creek that crosses the fairway at around 270 yards. It's also better to miss right off the tee than it is left, as the water pools into a small collection area on the left. The creek is also at the bottom of the canyon so you will need to take enough club on the approach shot to hit back uphill to the elevated green.

A look down the fairway from the 6th tee box.
A look up to the 6th green from just behind the creek that crosses the fairway.
A closer look at the 6th green from the left side.
A look back down the 6th hole from behind the green.

The seventh hole is a short par 4, playing to only 281 yards. As tempting as it is to try to drive the green, there is a large stream that protects the entire front of the green and the surrounding landing area. Best to hit a 3 wood short and leave a good look to the green on your approach shot. There is no room to the right of the green, so if you are going for it on the tee shot, aim left of the green.

A look down the fairway from the 7th tee box.
A closer look down the 7th fairway.
A look back down the 7th hole from behind the green.


The eight hole is a fantastic par 3 that plays down hill 217 yards. The green is located in a small valley with a creek that runs around three sides of the green. When your tee shot lands close to the flag on this hole, it is almost the perfect golf feeling! There is a bail out area on the right that can't be seen from the tee and is the only place a mishit will land safely.

A look into the green from the 8th tee box.
A closer look from the tee box.
A closer look into the 8th green.

The front nine finishes with a spectacular hole that has bunkers framing the green from behind. It is a short par 4 playing to 303 yards (390 from the tips). It is a fairly simple and straight hole. However, errant shots left or right will likely find the water.

A look down the fairway from the 9th tee box.
A look towards the 9th green from 150 yards out.
A look back down the 9th hole from behind the green.

The tenth hole is a par 4 that plays to 446 yards. The fairway is slightly obscured due to the slope from right to left.  There is more landing area than what is visible, so as long as you are within 30 yards of center, you should have a good lie for your second shot. The green is fairly large and flat, so if you aim for the center, you should be in great shape.

A look down the fairway from the 10th tee box.
A look at the 10th green from the cart path on the right.

The eleventh hole is a 193 yard par 3 that plays from elevated tees. The green sits perfectly in the valley below, leading to a great view to watch the ball fly.  There are a coupl eof sand traps on teh left so better to miss right.

A look onto the green from the 11th tee box.

The twelfth hole is a par 5 that plays to 544 yards.  There is so much room, that even a ripped shot hit off line should land on short grass.  It felt good to just rip and grip the tee shot on this hole, especially as you will get another 75 extra yards fro,m the roll down hill.  If you like playing safe, keep it to the right side of the fairway and play it as a three-shot hole.   The green on this hole is huge so aim for the pin.
A look down the fairway from the 12th tee box.
A look into the 12th green from 110 yards out.
A closer look at the 12th green.
A look back down the 12th hole from behind the green.

The thirteenth hole, a 341 yard par 4, is a really interesting hole.  You want to aim to the right side of the bunkers off the tee. After hitting the landing area on the fairway , look 90 degrees right and you will see the green. The green slopes severely from back to front, however, you want to play the ball below the hole.
A look down the fairway from the 13th tee box.
A closer look at the 13th fairway.
A look towards the 13th green from 130 yards out.
A closer look at the 13th green.

The fourteenth hole is a 370 yard par 4 with sweeping views of most of the course. In my opinion, this was the hole with the best views anywhere at Wolf Creek. Since the hole is almost completely down hill, it plays shorter than the listed yardage. You definitely want to stay on the right side of the fairway. Bunkers and a deep valley are both death to your scorecard.

A look down the fairway from the 14th tee box.
A look into the 14th green from 80 yards out.
A look back down the 14th hole from behind the green.

The scenic par 3 15th hole plays to 116 yards.  Considering you are hitting down to the green from an elevated tee, you won't need much club at all. You get another great view of the mountains and desert in the background here.
A look into the green from the 15th tee box.

The sixteenth is a par 4 that plays to 377 yards. This is another hole where you can feel free to just rip it as far as you can. The drive over a deep valley to a very wide fairway just makes this an awesome golf hole to drive from. The green is much smaller than most at Wolf Creek, and is guarded on teh front and right side by sand traps, so aim for the middle.

A look down the fairway from the 16th tee box.
A look onto the 16th green from 80 yards out.

The seventeenth hole, my favorite on the course, is a par 5 that plays to 527 yards.  The tees are on top of the hill and you hit down into a valley towards a green surrounds on three sides by the stream that meanders through the course. The creek that feeds the stream crosses the fairway around the 330 yard mark so your drive is likely in no danger of finding it. If you are a longer hitter, the green can easily be reached in two. However, for the rest of us, there is a large lay up area just past the creek, that will allow you a 60-70 yard approach shot into the green.

A look down the fairway from the 17th tee box.
A look onto the green from 75 yards out.
A look onto the 17th green from the cart path.
A look back down the 17th hole from the top of the hill behind the green.

The course finishes with a 295 yard, par 4, that plays uphill the entire way. The landing area is much wider than what you can see from the tee box.  On the approach into the green, you want to avoid the right front bunker and use the backstop left and long of the green for a good finish.

A look down the fairway from the 18th tee box.
A look into the 18th green from 80 yards out.
A look back down the 18th from behind the green.
Overall, this was my second favorite course I played in all of 2015, just behind Olympic. This course should be ranked much higher than 66, likely in the top 20 of public courses. When I finished, I was offered a replay round for $40 which is a phenomenal deal. I had a business meeting to get to, unfortunately, so had to decline. However, my next trip to Wolf Creek, I will plan an entire day and 54 holes.  The course is just that good.  And now that I am living in Nevada, I suspect my next trip there will be sooner rather than later. If you are in the Las Vegas area and have an extra day, do yourself a favor, and take the hour drive to Mesquite and add Wolf Creek to your golf memories. You won't be disappointed.

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