Pictures of Shadow Creek

[Scott_Burroughs]

A post from another thread tipped me off to these in an indirect way, but these pics are more than I've ever seen before:

#4:


#5:


#7:


#8:


#9:


#15:


#17:


#18:


Where did these come from?  Well, Shadow Creek actually has a web site now:

http://www.shadowcreek.com

[Joel_Stewart]

I've played there a couple of times, always enjoyable to see pictures.  #4 and #15 are similar, 17 is not as great as it looks.  I like 18 and there is a par 3 which is either 13 or 14 that is very good.

I'm going to Las Vegas in April and plan to go over to the new course at the Desert Inn which is now under construction by the Wynn-Fazio team.  Its my understanding they are going to sod the entire course in the spring and it will be playable by the end of the year.  Supposdly Wynn dug a deep ravine to begin #1 which should be interesting.

[CharlieM]

Shadow Creek has had a website since MGM bought the place some years back. Why not? Its a money making entity for them.

[RJ_Daley]

I only saw the joint the first year it opened.  But those trees sure did get thick.  I say a generous use of color enhancement by the photographer. She or he must have wore out the green toner

[grandwazo]

RJ, played here on a relatively regular basis over the years and it's one of the "greenest" places I've ever been, especially in relation to everything you look at on the drive over.  MGM has done a pretty decent job upholding Wynn's fanaticsm to making this a part of the "ultimate" Vegas experience.  Going back the end of this month, playing Shadow, SouthShore, Southern Highlands and The Falls....wishing it was tomorrow looking out my window at 12" of snow that looks like it's going to be on the ground through April.

p.s. Joel, 17's pretty amazing when you consider what must have gone into creating it from the existing topography and with a couple of $'s on the line it can definitely get interesting.

[Tom_Doak]

Dick:

I think you're wrong about the photos.  Most of those look like they are taken with only a polarizing filter ... which every photographer uses for golf courses.

The polarizing filter deepens the colors (especially blues and greens) when shooting at or near 90 degrees to the sun.  You'll notice that's how most of the photos are aligned.  That's because most of the holes at Shadow Creek run north and south, partly because those are the best backgrounds on the site, and partly because Steve Wynn didn't want any holes going into the sun.

No one ever really uses a green filter because it would tint the bunkers and the sky.  Certainly, there is a lot of Photoshop used in modern digital photography, but I don't think that's the case here.  I could be wrong.

[David_Madison]

I played the course this past fall and then purchased a book that they sold in the pro shop. These photos are all in that book. They are slightly different in that the posted photos appear to have been cropped slightly differently to show slightly wider views, but the angles, clouds, color saturation, etc. were identical.

[A_Clay_Man]

A ton of credit should go to the GM / head-pro, Mark Brenneman. His attention to detail is amazing and it may not show in these pictures, but when one experiences Shadow Creek, every moment spent on the property is under his protection and he takes it very seriously.

Dick- I tried to guess how much water was put down, nightly. I was only half right.

Perhaps we could discuss some of the architecture?

I want to know others reaction to the bunker near the water adjacent to the fairway, on Hole #4. As I recall my initial reaction was  hmmm?

[RJ_Daley]

Tom D., I'm sure you are right about a filter.  I really don't think the skies are that blue or fairways that green without some help, filter or whatever...

Adam, does your hmmm concerning a bunker fronting a water hazard indicate slight criticism?  Is it a slight flaw or major faux paux?  

I think Shadow Creek in a construction sense set the bar much higher in the business in terms of artificial water course construction techniques.  They really did a spectacular job and it seems to have matured very nicely.  A more rugged example of similar good work is the water course through Barona Creek.

Another subject I'd like to hear discussed from botonists or arborists is what has been learned by the Shadow Creek experience about transplantation of such a huge number of trees to such a climate.  Does anyone know who is in charge of the health of the trees and bushes on the course?

[Doug_Feeney]

An interesting picture to put the property in perspective.



When playing the course, do the mountains appear to be as deceptively close as they do in the photos?

[A_Clay_Man]

Rj-The hmm was two-fold. The tree and the feeling that the bunker was placed for containment purposes.

Doug-Great pic ! One of the funnier stories the caddy had for us that day was how an asian visitor was very impressed with Mr. Wynns placement of that mountain.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Doug,

That is an interesting shot that shows the "Oasis-like" nature of the place.  Some don't realize how close to the interestate (15) SC is, as the surrounding built-up border topped with trees is in plain view from I-15.

This is the aerial I showed 2 years ago as AOTD #2:



Not quite all of the holes are in a N-S general direction, but most, and those two in the lower right are on the front nine.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Doub Feeney,

What'a amazing about your picture, and the barren area surrounding Shadow Creek is that it is now full of industrial buildings.  It shows the foresight that Wynn had to screen surrounding views by mounding the entire site, creating an oasis in the desert that is now an oasis in an industrial complex.

Mounds can, and are very functional architectural features and in this case, once again, Wynn was clearly ahead of his time, and development in the desert.

[Scott_Burroughs]

redanman,

Is The Coniferator for hire?  I'd imagine he'd do it for free even....

[Patrick_Mucci]

Redanman,

My guess would be as follows.

When the golf course was first built there was an immediate need to buffer the course from its surroundings, hence the plantings provided that mature buffer.

Today, after years of growth, it's overkill.
I would suspect, that if Wynn were still running things, he would thin the trees, because that course was his baby, his personal pride and joy, and when your heart, soul and mind is into a project you continue to do whatever is necessary to fine tune and improve the golf course.

[Keith Durrant]

What are the current green fees? I seem to remember that you needed to win on the tables to play there !

[Scott_Burroughs]

Rott,

$500 + a night at an MGM/Mirage resort/casino is all it takes now.

[Patrick_Mucci]

rottcodd,

$ 500 for hotel guests.