Why the Love for Shadow Creek ?

[Joel_Stewart]

I played SC earlier this week and wanted to weigh in.   This is the 4th time I've played it but the first time in 15 years.  I wanted to see the changes Tom Fazio did which I believe is now almost 5 years ago.


Personally I don't see it as a top 100 course anymore.  It's repetitive nature and lack of variety killed it for me.  Nearly every hole sit in pushed up valleys and greens with moundings, trees and oleanders bushes pushed up behind.  To me it reeks as 1980s architecture.





My caddie was excited about the new contour of the greens?  I don't remember the old greens being that boring but the new greens aren't much better.  Only the short par 4 11th hole had any real movement.


Fazio did remove a few hundred trees, moved a few greens, sand capped the course (of course), as well as repositioned a few tees and added a few more for length.  The course now has bermuda fairways and bent greens.  I would grade the conditioning as above average but not like it was when Steve Wynn had control.  The Quarry at La Quinta is much better conditioned for a desert golf course. 


The story I was told was during construction they left the gates open and coyotes entered the property.  The result is the birds are now gone.

[William_G]

it's always good to have negative opinions to further any valuable discussion

it remains my favorite Fazio   

[John Kavanaugh]

I've never played Shadow but when Wynn dumps a property it becomes a dump. Logic follows...

[Rob Clisdell]

I've played SC once, around 10 years ago. There was a group on the 2nd green so they had us tee off on 10 (lest we catch up to another group) so my memory of the hole numbers is somewhat jumbled. My overall recollection is the round was an absolute blast (that's the golf itself, not the overall experience, which was also first class btw). Lots of indecision in club selection and thought process required in deciding which line or route to take off the tee and on approach shots. I wish I could comment more meaningfully on the architecture but a lot fades in 10 years, plus it was before my interest in GCA really got going, so I didn't really know what I was looking for, or at. I just know I had a ball. I'd like to make a return visit to see if my view has changed at all. I suspect it may, but I REALLY hope I have as much fun on the 2nd visit as I did on the 1st.

[Anthony_Nysse]

The course was renovated in 2008 in which $15m+ was spent. Greens all have sub air (some with heating/cooler in coils) and are bentgrass, along with the approaches and tees being bentgrass. The rest of the course is bermuda (as it always was) and they have been regrassing several fairways a year for the past several years-overseeding can be really hard on turf for purity and health.
  Considering that it's June, the conditioning would be suspect because of overseed transition. When I played there 5 years ago, I thought it was conditioned as well as any ultra private club.
  Of the Fazio courses I have played, it's a close 2nd to Wade Hampton.

[Rob Clisdell]

A few more pics for those interested.

[Joel_Stewart]

The course was renovated in 2008 in which $15m+ was spent. Greens all have sub air (some with heating/cooler in coils) and are bentgrass, along with the approaches and tees being bentgrass.

I'm not sure what cooling coils do but nearly every green had a huge fan blowing.  Granted it's Las Vegas in the summer and the temperature was approaching 110 in the afternoon.


John:  The Wynn has given notice to all golf employees the course will be permanently closing.  Despite the water crisis Steve Wynn wants to build a lake and beach resort on the back of the property.

[Anthony_Nysse]

The course was renovated in 2008 in which $15m+ was spent. Greens all have sub air (some with heating/cooler in coils) and are bentgrass, along with the approaches and tees being bentgrass.

I'm not sure what cooling coils do but nearly every green had a huge fan blowing.  Granted it's Las Vegas in the summer and the temperature was approaching 110 in the afternoon.


John:  The Wynn has given notice to all golf employees the course will be permanently closing.  Despite the water crisis Steve Wynn wants to build a lake and beach resort on the back of the property.

Heating/Cooling coils warm the soil, allowing the grass to have a small advantage. The same system that is under #12 at ANGC or all the surfaces at LACC. Green Bay Packers have it under their field. It still wouldn't cool the surface like a fan does.
 I cannot confirm 100% that SC has coils, just something that I have heard along the way.