Good morning, everyone! It’s good to be back after taking a week away for a desert trip with friends. There was golf, food, cards, a little gambling, and plenty of blazing heat. The Pete Dye Mountain Course was one of the highlights.
My first round on the Pete Dye Mountain Course
The course delivers the kind of desert golf scenery that makes you stop and look around. Pete Dye’s design uses elevation changes, strategically placed bunkers, undulating greens, and the surrounding rugged landscape to create a round that is both picturesque and challenging.
What stood out most to me was how valuable prior knowledge of the layout would have been. Playing it for the first time, I often didn’t know where the safe miss was—or where I absolutely couldn’t afford to miss. That uncertainty made the course more difficult than the scorecard alone might suggest.
The greens were the weak point during my visit. They could have been in much better condition. That was disappointing because the setting and the design gave the course so much potential.
What I’d do differently next time
If I played it again, I’d spend more time studying the layout before the round. Knowing the landing areas and the safer sides of the greens would make a real difference. This is a course where local knowledge—or at least a good preview—can save shots.
Even with the questionable greens, the views, elevation changes, and challenge made the round memorable. Golfers who enjoy desert courses and strategic layouts should find plenty to like, but first-time visitors should arrive prepared.
This wasn’t our only golf trip. I also wrote about a Mesquite and Las Vegas golf trip and another visit to Palm Springs.
The trip also included some comedy away from the course: I’m hardly a gambler, but my wife won the largest jackpot of her life after putting about $20 into a machine. Her friend returned to the casino the next morning and won a jackpot too. Apparently, I was traveling with the lucky people.
Have a good Wednesday!