Go Play Marvelous Mesquite

Nevada destination is a golf orgy.

Chris Duthie

Coyote Springs Golf Club

With Colorado’s high country signaling winter’s onset with broad-stroke splashes of green, gold and ochre, it’s time to start planning a snowbird golf retreat to Mesquite, Nevada.

Located 670 miles southwest of Denver and 80 miles north of Las Vegas, the high desert destination is popular for its casino gaming, first-class accommodations, premier events and high-caliber golf. Here is an eight-point list of why to go this winter:

1. First-class service, immaculate conditioning and exciting shot values are de rigueur at daily-fee Conestoga Golf Club in Mesquite. Fully managed by Troon Golf, the 7,232-yard Gary Panks design further rewards players with a neoclassic layout that serpentines through colored canyons surrounded by sky-piercing mountain ranges. Small wonder locals have voted it the best in Mesquite.

2. Double down on a sure-bet vacation at the CasaBlanca Hotel & Casino. Celebrated for its pink exterior and lagoon-style pool, the resort offers 500 newly remodeled guest rooms, fine and casual dining, spa services, gaming, live entertainment, complimentary guest valet and the Palms and CasaBlanca golf clubs—this year’s hosts of the Nevada Open (Nov. 9-12).

3. Pining for a little slapstick entertainment? Get tickets to the hit comedy Martin & Lewis Tribute Show (Oct. 23 at the CasaBlanca Hotel & Casino), starring Tom Stevens and Tony Lewis.

4. Mesquite hit America’s radar in 1995 with the opening of Oasis Golf Club. Its Palmer and Canyons courses introduced the region’s awe-inspiring “moonscape” surrounds to scores of avid golfers. The courses, which comprise Mesquite’s only 36-hole golf complex, remain pulse-quickening must-plays.

5. A big, bold desert necessitates a life-enriching oasis. In Mesquite, it’s the Eureka Casino Resort, a 60-acre respite of lush landscaping, luxurious guest rooms, gaming, top-rated dining, spa services, cabana-appointed swimming and nearby golf at the Palms Golf Club (above) and exclusive tee-time access to Wolf Creek Golf Club.

6. Pure eye candy will be your first reaction to Falcon Ridge Golf Course. The 6,569-yard daily fee—crafted by Kelby Hughes and Cresent Hardy—plays among plunging canyons and ravines, ball-collecting mounding, strategic bunkering and superb turf conditioning.

7. Fifty-seven miles west is highly regarded Coyote Springs Golf Club. The 7,471-yard, Jack Nicklaus-designed daily fee is complemented by a 19-acre practice facility and breathtaking views of Delamar, Arrow and Meadow Valley mountains.

8. And of course, there's Wolf Creek Golf Club, ranked by Golf Digest the 37th best public course in America. The 6,939-yard stunner features sandstone canyons and plunging narrow ravines, most of which was orchestrated by amateur architects Dennis and John Rider.

Visit golfmesquitenevada.com for one-stop vacation planning and assistance including golf packages at Mesquite’s more popular courses (including Coral Canyon and Sand Hollow in nearby St. George, Utah. For more about Mesquite, see visitmesquite.com.

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Chris Duthie is a contributor to Colorado AvidGolfer, the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com.