If you have lived anywhere outside of the US southwest, then you need to put Mesquite, Nevada on your golf bucket list.
Tony knows, as you will see in this latest episode of the Traveling Golfer, as he relaxes in the desert Southwest not far from Las Vegas.
Trust me. I know too.
My wife Teri and I lived in Las Vegas for 20 years from 1990 until 2010. Needless to say, we loved living and golfing in the Las Vegas area. But we always took vacations to Mesquite — for many reasons.
First, Mesquite has many beautiful and challenging golf courses. I would say some of the best in the country. These courses are designed by some of the best — like Arnie and Jack.
Second, the golf courses use the incredible terrain. The desert area in northeastern Nevada and heading into Utah are stunning red rock, which is really a bright orange. This creates some of the best backdrops where you will stand on the tee box and gaze for a while. Now this desert terrain also makes some of these courses somewhat tricky. There’s not much rough. The rough here is really sand and dirt with rocks and some desert trees; not easy pitch-outs. To save on water, the fairways are fairly tight and the bunkers are strategically placed. The greens are pristine and quick as Tony shows you sinking a long putt after a long approach shot.
Drive Like Tiger
Third, you might feel like you are a long drive champion when you play here. That’s because Mesquite is at 1600 foot elevation which means the air is thin and your ball will fly as if you’re Tiger in his 20s. That type of distance requires some precise ball striking. To get a good indication, you may want to head up to the area in May 2024 to watch two back to back LPGA events and see how they handle it. Despite the different terrain and atmosphere, the majority of the courses in the Mesquite area are friendly to all golfers.
Fourth, the weather is incredible. Granted, it is dry and if you are coming from the more humid East Coast you will definitely want to hydrate a lot. But what you will notice is the sunshine. This region traditionally has anywhere from 300 to 325 days a year of sunshine.
Fifth, mesquite has more than golf courses. The region has a wide range of luxury resorts and spas with the world-class dining and entertainment. You can stay at the Eureka hotel and casino. If you love a great round of golf with friends and then the chance to relax with them at the end of the day, then Mesquite is definitely your place.
Hiking And The Bard
And there are a variety of non-golf nearby attractions. You can visit Lake Mead, the valley of fire State Park, and you can travel a little further north into Utah to see Zion national park which is right near some of the other courses that Tony will be showing you below. If you just want to hike and see nature, this is a golf trip that will provide you that as well.
Now, if you are a golfer who loves Shakespeare, like me, you may want to head an hour and a half north to cedar city Utah to the Utah Shakespeare Festival for their summer-long schedule of live plays with professional actors.
Before you do that, the Bard of the Traveling golfer — Tony — gets insight from a number of experts in the area.
He talks to Josh Miller, Marketing Director for Golf Mesquite Nevada. He introduces us to the iconic Oasis Golf Course and its companion, The Canyon course, both in Mesquite that are 36 holes of Arnold Palmer designs.
Josh fills you in on the Conestoga Golf Course built into the mountains and canyons and also Coyote Springs, a course on your drive from Las Vegas.
You’ll meet John Horton, Head Pro at Copper Rock Golf Club in Hurricane, Utah. This is the course I mentioned earlier that will have the Epson Tour and the LPGA Senior Championship in May 2024 on back-to-back weekends.
You also want to keep an eye on Copper Rock because they are about to build a hotel at the golf course. More stay and plays mean this this region is growing.
The area has also attracted one of the great golf architects, Ed Shearon, who has moved to Mesquite and gives Tony his insights.
All this will spur you to look at a golf journey to Mesquite and its nearby Desert delights.
John Daly is the Real John Daly, not the PGA Golfer Long John Daly. He is a TV Host, TV Show Producer, and an author. He is a member of the Nevada Broadcasters Hall of Fame after six years as the lead male anchor at KTNV-TV 13. He later went on to host Real TV and then later played on the Celebrity Players Tour. He now lives in Shallotte, NC and produces for The Carolina Buzz show and The Golf Director website both through Wingding Media.