Is Black Mountain still in bad shape?

Thanks for the wise remark... I was hoping for maybe a few details about the course, perhaps condition, why you like it so much, rates, etc

I'll throw my two cents worth in.

Paiute gives you a good test of golf on three well conditioned Pete Dye courses. Throw in a beautiful clubhouse and a staff that provides excellent service and that's the Paiute. It sits in the middle of the desert, so if you plan on hitting any houses, do it before you get there! Seriously, it is fantastic.

Good Luck!
Ric at Joes

Rates are as easy as going to the website. I always suggest people look up current rates because rates are variable. Conditioning? As I've suggested many times here, that's a tough one because golf courses are living breathing things, and it can change almost literally overnight. In my years of playing at Paiute, however, they've never given me reason to question their skills or dedication in that regard, which is one of the reasons why I rate it so high. If you haven't picked up the book, check out my website where I am slowly reprising some of the content, and you also should use the search function here because a number of us have chatted up LVP many many times.

Thanks so much this info. I know I can go to their website but I wanted some opinions from people here. I will definitely go check out the course. Thanks again for giving some input and not telling me to go search for it or go check other sites.

I played the Wolf Course @ Paiute the day before Xmas Eve (Xmas Eve Eve?), and I thought that it was in good shape. Now if lush green vs. slightly brown is a big issue for you, perhaps you wouldn't agree with that assessment. I don't really concern myself with the color of grass in the winter though. A combination of wind, rental clubs, and rust contibuted to a 96 (I generally shoot low to mid 80s), but conditioning didn't cause any of my issues. I suspect it may have been mostly lack of talent, but I'll keep clinging to the other excuses to make myself feel better.

I'm just back from five days in Scottsdale. All that green in the Sonoran Desert still strikes me, no matter how many times I tee it up over there. Same goes for Vegas and the Palm Springs area. Golf needs to go green by going less green, which thankfully is happening. But what really needs to change is players' expectations. There a big difference between being fast and dry and bad maintenance. I love all the coastal courses switching to paspalum.

I've really warmed to Wolf over the years. It's a great option to Sun/Snow.

I always loved seeing the pristine conditions you'd find in Vegas when maintenance budgets were seemingly unlimited. It doesn't have to be that way though. Here in the Seattle area we play mostly munis and public access courses that don't have massive budgets. One of our favorites is Jefferson Park where Fred Couples learned to play. It has four or five holes that no matter what time of year it is, you'll find brown areas. It's no big deal. What bothers you is finding bare spots on a consistant basis that are obviously a matter of neglect. The grass doesn't always have to be green, but it's nice to have some be it brown or green.

Good Luck!
Ric at Joes

It's weird. I've played out there probably 7 or 8 times, but have yet to play Sun Mountain. I intended to last summer, but it was out of the rotation the day I was there. Then in Dec I found a $40 online rate for Wolf (not local) so I couldn't really pass that up. Perhaps this summer I'll finally play the Sun.

Each course, though on the same piece of land, has its own personality, yet all are integrated. That's what ultimately makes LV Paiute so great.

I like when courses have 3 nines to rotate playing. It keeps the course interesting and fun longer.