Painted Desert Golf Club is located in the northwest part of the Las Vegas Valley. This golf course was opened in 1987 and designed by Jay Morrish. Since it opened Painted Desert has been a favorite of locals. This golf course gives the player a taste of desert golf but is built inside of a housing development.

You may find your self feeling crowded by the surrounding homes, but in general, this golf course is very well designed and the homes will not play as a major distraction to your game. Hitting the ball straight is the way to score well on Painted Desert.

The second hole is a medium length par-4 that has out of bounds on the left and the right. There is some room to spray the ball a little, keep in mind however, that heavily mounded roughs are consistent throughout the golf course. If you happen to hit your ball into the rough don't expect to find a flat lie, the rough is fairly thick and grabs your club as you hit the ball. Your approach shot to this green is fairly simple just take notice of where the pin is located on the green.

Painted Desert tends to be in great shape no matter what time of year you are playing. As with most golf courses during the summer months, the greens are slightly slower than the winter. Painted Desert has Poa Annua grass on the greens. This is a good surface to putt on but the grass tends to grow at different speeds which causes subtle obstacles that could knock your ball off line.

The fourth hole is one of the best holes on the front nine. This long par-3 is guarded by water on the left and a deep bunker on the right. Hitting this green is a job well done. This green offers a large slope that cuts across the length of the green. It is important to be on the right side of the slope in order to have a good chance at a birdie.

Every golf course should have a short, drivable par-4 and the 7th hole at Painted Desert offers just that. In the times that I have played the 7th hole, I've never pulled out the driver due to the green being fronted by a pond on the left side. There is very little room on the right side because the homes encroach on the green. Typically you should take a long to mid iron off the tee to keep the ball in play.

The back nine is where this golf course gets tough. The par-3 11th hole is 233 yards from the back tee. The saving grace of this hole is that the green is extremely large. This can be a blessing since it is easier to hit the green, but curse if you happen to be on the front of the green and the pin is in the back. This will leave you a putt of over 100 ft up a slope that runs through the middle of the green.

The 11-13th holes are the toughest on the golf course. The 12th hole is a long par-4 that requires a good drive just to reach the fairway. Once again the player is faced with a hole that has trouble on both the right and left sides. There is really no bail out area on this hole. If you manage to find grass there is still a second shot that can be over 200 yards to the green .

The 13th hole is not as severe as the other two but it is a fairly long, narrow par-5. Three good shots will make this hole playable. Don't try to do to much on this 570 yard hole. Be satisfied with three shots.

Painted Desert is one of those golf courses that has several sets of tees. Choose the set of tees that best suits your playing abilities. Keep in mind that although this golf course is not long, running at 6800 yards, it does require accurate shots. The desert style of this golf course means that at some point during the round you might have to use a "Rock Club" and keep in mind that "The desert doesn't respect any clubs no matter who the manufacture is."

There is a bar in the clubhouse where your group can have a few beers, tally up scores or just relax in. Take a chance to cool off after your round of golf before heading back to the Las Vegas Strip. Painted Desert Golf Club is a great golf course for all skill levels. You will have a good time.

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