Public Play · Las Vegas
Painted Desert Golf ClubNorthwest Las Vegas
A 1987 desert-golf original by Jay Morrish.
Par
72
Yardage
6,752
Rating · Slope
72.1 · 135
Holes
18
Green Fee
$79–$139
The Course
About Painted Desert Golf Club
Painted Desert is a desert-golf original. Jay Morrish's 1987 routing threads tight fairways through natural desert, with soft, true-rolling greens that consistently surprise first-time visitors. The course plays 6,752 yards to a par 72 (72.1 rating / 135 slope) and has matured over nearly four decades into a well-conditioned and genuinely demanding test.
History
Painted Desert Golf Club — History
Painted Desert Golf Club opened in 1987 as one of the first true desert-style -- 'target golf' -- layouts in Las Vegas, designed by Jay Morrish. It helped pioneer the desert-golf aesthetic of emerald fairways routed as islands through untouched native desert, a template much of the Las Vegas market would later follow.
Design
Painted Desert Golf Club — Design
Morrish's design is foundational desert-target golf -- defined turf corridors surrounded by native desert, where the carry off the tee and the line into the green matter far more than raw length.
What Sets It Apart
Why Play Painted Desert Golf Club
As one of Las Vegas's first desert-style courses (1987), Painted Desert is a piece of the city's golf history -- the desert-target template that defined the modern Las Vegas market.
The Round
The Journey at Painted Desert Golf Club
I.
The Opening
Painted Desert starts with two par 4s just under 400 yards, the 392-yard 1st and the 399-yard 2nd, before the 538-yard 3rd brings the first par 5. Then comes the oddity of the card: the No. 1 handicap hole is not a long par 4 but the 189-yard par-3 4th. The 367-yard 5th and the 511-yard par-5 6th, rated the 15th-hardest hole, give some of it back.
II.
The Middle
The 326-yard 7th is the shortest par 4 on the front nine and rated 17th. The 194-yard par-3 8th and the 420-yard 9th, the No. 3 handicap, close a 3,336-yard front. After the 390-yard 10th, the back nine gets long quickly: the 11th is a 227-yard par 3, the longest one-shotter on the course, and the 464-yard 12th is the longest par 4.
III.
The Finish
The 555-yard 13th is the longest hole at Painted Desert, followed by the 294-yard 14th, the shortest par 4. The 403-yard 15th carries the No. 2 handicap, and the 147-yard 16th is rated the easiest hole on the card. The 533-yard par-5 17th, rated 14th, comes before a 403-yard par-4 18th rated sixth-hardest.
How to Play It
Painted Desert Golf Club — Playing Strategy
Beginner / High Handicap
Five of the six hardest holes by handicap are par 4s of 399 yards or more: the 2nd, 9th, 12th, 15th and 18th. Plan those as three-shot holes and keep the ball out of the native desert that frames the fairways. The holes rated easiest, the 326-yard 7th, 294-yard 14th and 147-yard 16th, are where pars are most likely.
Intermediate / Mid Handicap
The par 3s decide a lot here. The 189-yard 4th is the No. 1 handicap and the 11th stretches to 227 yards, so take enough club to reach the middle of those greens rather than chasing the flag. Of the four par 5s, the 6th and 17th are rated among the easier holes on the card, and they are the best places to get a shot back.
Advanced / Low Handicap
Morrish's design rewards the line off the tee more than length, and the back nine is 80 yards longer than the front. The decisions come on the short par 4s, the 294-yard 14th and the 326-yard 7th, where club choice off the tee sets the angle. Save the best long irons for the 464-yard 12th and the 403-yard 15th, the No. 2 handicap.
Signature Holes
Painted Desert Golf Club — Signature Holes
The Card
Painted Desert Golf Club Scorecard
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| Yards | 392 | 399 | 538 | 189 | 367 | 511 | 326 | 194 | 420 | 3,336 | 390 | 227 | 464 | 555 | 294 | 403 | 147 | 533 | 403 | 3,416 | 6,752 |
| Handicap | 7 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 9 | 3 | — | 8 | 10 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 2 | 18 | 14 | 6 | — | — |
Facilities
Painted Desert Golf Club — Amenities
- Pro Shop
- Driving Range
- Putting Green
- Chipping Green
- Practice Bunkers
- Restaurant
- Snack Bar
Good to Know
Painted Desert Golf Club — questions answered
- How do I book a tee time at Painted Desert Golf Club?
- Painted Desert Golf Club accepts online tee-time bookings. Golf in LV links the exact booking page on this course's listing.
- How much does it cost to play Painted Desert Golf Club?
- Green fees at Painted Desert Golf Club are typically $79 to $139, varying by season, day of week and time. Confirm current rates when you book.
- Who designed Painted Desert Golf Club?
- Painted Desert Golf Club was designed by Jay Morrish and opened in 1987.
- What is the par and yardage at Painted Desert Golf Club?
- Painted Desert Golf Club plays to a par of 72 over 6,752 yards from the championship tees, with a course rating of 72.1 and a slope of 135.
- Is Painted Desert Golf Club public or private?
- Painted Desert Golf Club is open to public play. Tee times can be reserved in advance.
- Where is Painted Desert Golf Club located?
- Painted Desert Golf Club is located at 5555 Painted Mirage Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89149, in the Las Vegas area of Southern Nevada.
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How to Play It
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