What happens in Vegas just might encourage you to stay in Mesquite! Especially if great golf and an unhurried atmosphere are just as important to you as gambling and other diversions! No question that Sin City has some excellent courses added to the mix of glitz, glamour, and adult pursuits that has attracted throngs for years. And, as we all know, Las Vegas also publicizes its own “omerta”—code of silence—for some very understandable reasons, of course.
The “Golf Mesquite Nevada” Advantage
However, if you are looking for nine unique layouts, four first-class casinos/hotels, and superior dining, spas, and entertainment, place your money on “Golf Mesquite Nevada” and let it ride. What’s more, if you care to tell your spouse and friends about your endeavors, Mesquite wants you to shout out loud and clear for everyone to hear. Even better, bring your spouse and as many friends as you can to share the experience!
Leave the hustle, bustle, and hassle of The Strip behind as you drive northeast on I-15 for about 80 miles in just a little more than an hour, thanks to the 75 mph speed limit and the flat, straight interstate. Mesquite, located in the Virgin River Valley, is a veritable oasis for the golfer-gambler who doesn’t want to wait for tee times, table games, sports book bets, or fine dining. Enjoy the small town atmosphere with the big city amenities.
I was a guest of the “Golf Mesquite Nevada” organization and stayed at the CasaBlanca Hotel, a spacious and modern venue that specializes in personal service and luxurious surroundings. My wife and I played four of the courses and, because of their singular characteristics—totally different from what we are accustomed to in New England—can’t wait to return next year to play a few more.
A Bear’s Best and a Falcon’s View
“Golf Mesquite Nevada” has outstanding and extremely reasonable stay-and-play packages that include the hotels/casinos and nine courses from which to choose. Our first stop was Coyote Springs CC, a Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, and a treat. A short drive from Mesquite into Nevada’s hinterland, the layout sprawled throughout the desert and was extremely playable and picturesque. The greatly undulating greens were the real challenge and pushed us to putt like Jack—or to keep putting.
The next day we played Falcon Ridge, located just around the corner from the CasaBlanca and the WalMart. Its spectacular topography, with elevated tees and greens and twisting/turning ribbons of fairway on almost every hole, presents a falcon’s view of all of Mesquite and the Virgin River Valley for as far as the eye can see. A fun course that must not be missed.
A Drive and Layout to Remember
My wife’s favorite course, Coral Canyon, in St. George, Utah, furnished us with a most incredible drive. We took I-15 northeast into Arizona and then into Utah, both states in the Mountain Time Zone. I-15 became the Veterans Memorial Highway, and when we drove through the Virgin River Gorge, we marveled at the highway’s architectural plan as it followed the winding course of the river. The Gorge featured “The Narrows,” limestone cliffs that were as high as 500 feet above the road and dwarfed the cars as they passed through.
Although the drive took one hour, we didn’t begrudge a minute of it, and Coral Canyon would have made a boring drive worthwhile anyway. The layout was superb and eminently fair, and as the course spread throughout the valley, we could see in the distance the magnificent mountains of Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park. My wife said we needed to spend time at both places next year and add the nearby North Rim of the Grand Canyon as well.
Close to Home and Close to Unbelievable
The newly opened Conestoga GC, just a ten-minute ride from the CasaBlanca, was our next stop, and this golf course is an engineering marvel as well as another scenic masterpiece. Sculpted throughout canyons with dramatic changes in elevations and surrounded by the majestic Flat Top Mesa, Conestoga, which has already garnered state-wide recognition, provides both a real test of golf and a constant source of amazement. The golfer often stares in wonder at the hole he is playing and the adjacent desert and thinks, “How did the architect Gary Panks create such a memorable track?”
Cash in on a Sure Thing
Mesquite has been in the public eye with the Golf Channel’s 2007 “Big Break: Mesquite” and the annual ESPN-televised RE-MAX Long Drive Championship. As important as golf and gambling are to the area, other activities abound: horseback rides, mountain bikes, go carts, ATV rentals, kayak trips, gun range practice, and bowling. Include the elegant spas and salons, the exceptional restaurants, and the headliners and top talents on stage with the golf and gambling, and Mesquite has just about everything you could possibly want in a world-class sojourn.
Therefore, as the winter doldrums slowly but surely cast a pall over New England courses and allow swings and putts only in your dreams, examine the www.golfmesquitenevada.com website to plan your escape. If you have any questions, email Cody Law at claw@golfmesquitenevada.com.
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