Angel Park is home to two championship golf courses, a real grass 18-hole putting course, and a lighted driving range and par-3 course. This makes the facility one of the most complete golf experiences in the Las Vegas Valley. I recently had the opportunity to play the Mountain Golf Course. Both of the golf courses were designed by legendary golfer Arnold Palmer. Palmer has designed several courses here in Las Vegas and these rank among the best.

Of the two courses, the Mountain Golf Course has historically been a tougher layout. The Mountain Course tends to be narrower and longer than the Palm Course. I always have a great time when I play this golf course. The first hole on the Mountain course is a medium length par-4. The difficult second shot is what you need to pay close attention to. After avoiding the bunkers to the right you will be hitting a medium to short iron into this elevated green. The greens on the Mountain Course are fast and you don't want to get above the hole. This green slopes from back to front and increases the need to be below the hole.

I had not played this golf course in a while and was pleasantly surprised to see that they had started their turf reduction program. Many of the golf courses in Las Vegas are taking out unnecessary grass in order to conserve water. This will not only improve the look but the playability of the golf course as well. By taking out some of the excess grass it further defines the target areas and makes it easier to aim at a target. Although there is construction around the golf course right now it doesn't effect your round in a meaningful way. There was only one tee that was moved forward to accommodate the workers.

I thought the golf course was in good shape. The tees and fairways had lots of grass on them and I never had a bad lie in the fairway. The greens, it appeared, had recently been aerated which made the greens slightly slower than they normally would be. There were still a few holes on the greens from the process. Considering the hot temperatures, these greens were healing nicely.

Although this golf course is fairly straight-forward, there are a few holes that can come up and bite you. The ninth hole is one such hole. This 425-yard par-4 has a blind tee shot over a lake. The whole left side of the fairway is guarded by a series of ponds the hole shares with the 18th. To compound the problem there is a bunker on the right-hand side of the fairway. The best line is over the reeds on the left-hand side of the hole.

Once you get your ball into the fairway you will have a short to mid iron into a sloping green. There is water on the left side of the green and the green slopes from back to front. Par on this hole is a good score.

The back nine starts out with a medium length par-4. The safe shot is to hit the ball to the left side of the fairway. The right side has a bunker and desert area that are an unforgiving combination. The oval-shaped green on this hole is shallow but wide. This is a tough green to hit in regulation. On the front of the green there is a bunker and a severe slope that will catch any balls not hit solidly. Aim for the left side of the green.

There are not many difficult holes on the back nine but don't let your guard down. If you stay focused you will be able to turn in a good score. Often-times when a hole appears easy we let up, but we should maintain our focus and play the hole as if it were more challenging.

Angel Park is one of the gems in the Las Vegas Valley. The course may not be the most difficult or longest but the staff is very friendly and willing to help you out with anything. We saw the beverage cart many times during our round as well as the course marshal. I am always impressed by the customer service at this busy facility. The staff does a great job and needs to be complimented.

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