Story by Bill Bowman
Golf is a numbers game and Aliante Golf Club is a perfect example of that fact.
Start with a course that comes in at just over 7,000 yards from the tips, add in more than 50 bunkers, utilize an arroyo that comes into play on 14 of the holes, top it off with two water hazards, and those numbers add up to one great challenge.
Aliante, owned by the City of North Las Vegas, is managed by Elite Golf Management and winds seamlessly through a residential community. The course offers a variety of tee choices and is playable for everyone. “It’s just a great facility,” says Bill Rowden, general manager. “Our turf has come in as good as it can so it’s really lush. The greens are a consistent 10 on the stimp-meter, which is a good roll when you look at the undulations. The course just has a lot of personality.”
Aliante was designed by Gary Panks and is located in northeast Las Vegas. It’s a course that follows Panks’ top priorities when it comes to world-class layouts.
“I want my courses to be enjoyed by players of all levels, from the pros right on down to the beginners,” Panks says in an article. “So we build appealing golf holes that will test a golfer’s game—most are shot making courses—and still allow the bogey golfer to play without having to challenge the hazards.” At Aliante, he got the message across loud and clear.
While bunkers, water and arroyo definitely challenge players from the tips, the further forward players tee it up, the less those hazards come into play, making for a more enjoyable round for higher handicappers. On the course, players will find their share of risk/reward shots and holes along the way, probably none more notable than the par-5 14th. At 540 yards from the tips, it’s got plenty of bite when it comes to distance. It also forces players to think their way through the hole. If players are looking to get home in two, the first step is avoiding three bunkers off the tee. They come into play on the left and the right, narrowing down the landing area.
If players do find the fairway they now face that time-tested dilemma on par 5s: Do I go for the green in two? Adding to that test is the fact that players must carry an arroyo which is just in front of the green. Come up short and you’re hitting out of that arroyo with a bunker-like shot to a narrow green. If players miss the green left or right, more bunkers come into play.
While par 5s give players more options off the tee, the par 3s here require just as much thought…and accuracy. Aliante’s par-3 holes are challenging for several reasons. First, they are impressively designed. Picking the right club on these holes can be tough, as wind speed and direction along with elevation changes must be factored in.
And second, the par 3s range from less than 100 yards to right around 250 yards, depending on the tees, so there’s plenty of variety. Add to the tests mounding around the greens, about a dozen bunkers between them and multi-tier greens, and hitting a pinpoint tee shot to varying distances.
“No. 4 is super fair and plays from 100 to 155 yards,” Rowden says of the four par 3s. “It’s one of the shorter holes. The next one, No. 6, is very well guarded and has a wide, but shallow, green. No. 13 is one of the longest in town (listed at 233 yards, but can play around 250) and then you go to No. 15 which is one of the shortest but it’s well-guarded.” Laughing, Rowden added, “You’ve got small, medium, large and extra-large.”
In fact, one of our favorite holes on the course is the 15th. Playing anywhere from 81 yards (forward tees) to 135 yards (the tips), this hole looks fairly tame. But looks can be deceiving as five bunkers surround most of this green. Miss anywhere and you’re likely in the sand. “It may be the shortest hole on the course but it’s still very demanding,” Rowden says. “It’s the most elevated hole and the bunkers have four-to-five-foot lips. It’s just a sand wedge, pitching wedge or a nine-iron, but it’s a very good test for players.”
After the round, the Aliante clubhouse, the 3100 Club, is the perfect spot to wind down. Or, a great place to fuel up before players hit the course. Breakfast options vary and include omelets, French toast, breakfast burritos, and more. For the lunch crowd, check out burgers and chicken finger options. Or, for upscale choices, try the grilled chicken Caesar wrap, the battered cod or a shrimp po’ boy.
In the end, Rowden says Aliante is one of those courses that players just need to check out. “It’s been rated as one of the two or three best courses to play in Las Vegas under $100,” he says. “Whatever tees players choose, they will face a super-strong—but fair—course. The price is right, the golf is great and there’s great food.”
Aliante Golf Club
3100 West Elkhorn, Las Vegas
702-399-4888
www.AlianteGolf.com
