Boy do I hate this. Not the pictures, they're fantastic. But there's one good thing about a monstrosity like this: it is possible to almost completely hide the cart paths in the rock outcroppings.

Ulrich

It is nice photography isn't it!

I've played it and there a handful of good holes.  Most holes either play uphill or downhill.  It may be the only course I have played which would be impossible to walk.

The 3rd photo is an example of the scale, looking at the desert it seems like it goes out 100 miles.  The wind can howl.

The one photo with Casacata spelled out in hedges shows the range with the waterfall (man made) coming down the back of the range.  The water then makes a river along the left side of the range and ends up running through the clubhouse.

Only 1 or 2 pople know how much this entire complex cost, not even Rees Jones.   MGM built the course and then sold it when they aquired Mirage and Shadow Creek.  My guess it was in excess of $50 million.

You guys are BOZOS.

I know a number of golfers who played the golf course and thoroughly enjoyed it.   Golfers who belong to and appreciate Donald Ross and William Flynn golf courses.

Were they suffering from heat exhaustion, dehydration or both ?

The site isn't exactly ideal, let alone malleable.

So tell me, on a picture by picture analysis, what's wrong with the golf course, the play of the golf course and the architecture as it relates to the play of the golf course and the inherent underlying site ?

Tommy,

You're not going to find NGLA and Friar's Head in Las Vegas.

You will however, find more hookers than slicers

Tommy... Great minds think alike I could not help but chuckle... and was going to remark that it seems to play and appears to be VERY similar to Quintero Funny thing about Quintero is that I think it would be a fantastic course played in reverse (pull of a Eugene CC at Quintero and you have a Desert Classic... other than the the 3's

I have not played it but it looks like fun to me.  It certainly is over groomed but I could probably force myself to hit off perfect lies and putt on pure greens.  I am amazed that pretty much anything Rees Jones designs is castigated.   I think I would like to see how it plays before judging it too harshly.

Patrick/Tommy;

While understanding your point about Rees not getting a fair chance in here, I would point out what I think is a fair criticism;

The fact is, I've played this Rees Jones course this year, only I played it in Pennsylvania...and in Florida...

In fact, the fair criticism is that his courses largely reflect nothing in the way of natural originality or creative use of the unique features of a particular site, but instead are superimposed on the landscape as if dropped in from Jupiter.

That may be understandable in Las Vegas...even in Florida...but when it happens on rolling Pennsylvania countryside, then ya gotta wonder.

Rees Jones -1974



Rees Jones - 2005



Rees Jones -1974



Rees Jones - 2005


Rees Jones - 1974



Rees Jones - 2005





Can you give style points for consistency?

I dont know how it plays, but it looks like an amazing and beautiful technical achievment.

Jimbo,

Not to mitigate technical achievement, but what's the old saw about giving me enough time, enough money, and enough resources and anything being possible?

Perhaps it's a jaded perspective, but I'm pretty sure we could build a course on the moon with enough of the above.

Mike, I hear what you are saying.  I said the same thing after I played Bulle Rock: "I played this course in Florida, Indiana etc."
Does it take away from the quality?  

Mike, I hear what you are saying.  I said the same thing after I played Bulle Rock: "I played this course in Florida, Indiana etc."
Does it take away from the quality?  

Tommy,

I agree.   I played Bulle Rock about 2 months after I played Blackwolf Run River and I had the inescapable feeling that I'd seen it all before, only done better.   But, over his career, I think Pete Dye has morphed a couple of times...from Harbortowne, to The Golf Club, to Teeth of the Dog, to TPC Sawgrass, to Blackwolf Run, to The Ocean Course at Kiawah, to Whistling Straits, to more low key attempts like the one at Disney to kitschy things like the one at Indianapolis raceway, to some really over the top, almost caricature of his style courses like the Irish Course, or his course at Barefoot Landing in SC.

Back to Rees, who seems more locked into a particular style.  I'm not sure it takes away from the quality, but what it does clearly do in my mind is take away from the individuality of each course, and each unique property, which is a fundamental quality nearly all clearly great courses have in spades.  

That could be why it might be fairly said that after almost 40 years in the business, Rees has only a very small handful of original courses that are generally considered "great".

Mike Cirba,

Aerial photos don't reflect what the golfer sees.

You know that and you know that showing aerial photos and making judgements about how the golf course plays on the ground is disengenuous.

As long as you and others are bashing Rees for his work in the context of consistancy, why don't you bash MacDonald, Raynor and Banks for their repetitive work and "consistancy".

At least Wayne Morrisson has been consistant in his objections to repetitive work irrespective of the architect.

The fact is that CBM-SR-CB produced some wonderful golf courses that were very similar.

And, you haven't played Cascata .... in Pennsylvania or in Nevada, until you've played Cascata in Nevada.

After you play it, bash away all you want, but, to bash it in the context of aerial photos from other courses isn't being objective or fair.

some excellent points Patrick

I think Cascata is at least a Doak 6

I dont see any containment mounding.

oh I get it the scrub.

ha ha