special to ViewThe Chase is a Jack Nicklaus signature design golf course located at Coyote Springs, 3100 State Route 168. Shown is hole No. 11.
special to ViewThe Chase is a Jack Nicklaus signature design golf course located at Coyote Springs, 3100 State Route 168. Shown is hole No. 11.
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Some golfers will go to any length to play a round. I remember in my early days of golf in Southern California's San Fernando Valley, when budget woes ruled and gas was 79 cents a gallon, we were frequent players of Sepulveda Golf Course. Good course, great prices and fairly easy to get a tee time.
Living in the San Fernando Valley, we often ventured to other courses when time allowed, just to play another golf experience. The 45-mile trek to Elkins Ranch Golf Club was reasonable enough to save $20 on the green fees. Plus, the course had spectacular views and a tough layout. But 45 miles to play golf?
I recently had the opportunity to play the brand-new The Chase golf course out at Coyote Springs, a master-planned golf community located 60 miles northeast of Las Vegas. Set along 43,000 acres off U.S. Highway 93 on the way to Ely, the community is in its early stages of planning and infrastructure construction. When completed, it will welcome a quarter million folks. The planned town will offer commercial and retail centers, single- and multiple-family homes, resort and vacation properties, acres of parks and the ultimate Nevada lifestyle.
Recently, I read in the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the first model homes weren't expected until the first quarter of 2009. But what is out there now is the first new golf course to be built in the Las Vegas Valley in more than six years.
There is absolutely nothing on the drive to Coyote Springs. Not until you see the green of the golf course off to the right do you know that you've arrived. A half-finished rock-wall community sign was where I guessed to turn to go to the course. The pro shop and administrative offices are located in temporary trailers, and a large community nursery overflowing with trees and plants borders the property.
When we arrived, we were welcomed by the golf staff and transported out to the clubhouse -- a temporary, huge, white tent fronting the driving range. From there, you could see parts of the course and notice that there is nothing else in the community -- no houses, no stores, no roads, etc.
But the course is the star of the show here.
The Chase is a Jack Nicklaus signature design course and the first of possibly 15 courses planned for the area. The Chase is a par-72 that measures 7,471 yards from the tips and carries a 75.8 rating and a slope of 141. Challenging, yes, and add to that Nicklaus' habit for putting sand traps in primary landing zones and it all adds up to one heck of a ride.
Our day of play was windy and cold. Be assured that there will be prevailing winds on the course almost all the time, with no structures to form windbreaks. Unlike the planned community, The Chase is fully landscaped and ready to play. The course winds its way through the neighborhoods and each hole is isolated from the others, giving players the feel that they are the only ones playing the layout.
The No. 1 handicap hole is the 4th, a par-4, 444-yard tester. From an elevated tee, use a driver over the water to a dogleg right fairway, where traps guard against cutting the corner. A trap to the left of the green and a desert hazard to the right requires an accurate shot.
The signature hole is the 18th, a par-4, 463-yard visual delight. A tee shot over water that borders the entire right side of the hole needs to be kept left, while at the same time avoiding traps. The green is tucked away to the right, where an aggressive second shot might find water.
There are 11 water holes on the course, three of which are par 3s. Traps are liberally sprinkled everywhere, challenging one's skills to the fullest. The Chase has a mandatory fore caddie program to offer guidance and advice to each guest to shoot the lowest possible score. And there's good reason why this course plays so tough.
Coyote Springs will be home to a PGA Village, the first of its kind in the western United States. Only the second of its kind in the world, the other is located in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
PGA Village Coyote Springs will become the western home for PGA members. The Village will offer golfers a unique destination and provide one of the foremost learning and practice facilities in the country.
When completed, the PGA Village Coyote Springs will have a 12,000-square-foot PGA clubhouse and a 20-acre practice facility, featuring 100,000 square feet of tee area. The Village also will feature 13 target greens with laser measurement equipment for greater accuracy. Other amenities will include a PGA Learning Center, a short-game practice area and an exhibition amphitheater for demonstrations.
For the moment, however, tee times are accepted 60 days in advance, with summer fees set at $120 through Aug. 31. Until the food and beverage facilities are completed, feel free to bring your own refreshments.
There's no doubt The Chase will be a must-play for golfers living in and visiting Las Vegas. To experience it before the crowds set in, get out there now. You can say you were one of the first to challenge The Chase.
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMM...
Among the things I love about the game of golf is the mental challenge it presents. They say that Tiger's greatest attribute is his mental toughness -- to play through adversity. I've got to say it's one of my greatest weaknesses. I don't have an attention span. All that can change, however.
On June 20, Dr. Kevin J. Roby of Golf Psychology Consultants will conduct a seminar titled Mental Strategies for Great Golf at 6:30 p.m. at the UNLV Paradise Campus, room Par-107.
The 21/2-hour mental skills training class is designed to teach the psychological techniques utilized by the world's best golfers. Roby has helped the Southern Utah University golf team, and has given seminars to the Las Vegas chapter of the PGA.
He also has taught psychology classes at the College of Southern Nevada. What I find interesting, though, is that Roby has provided ongoing suicide risk assessment evaluations for Southern Nevada Mental Health Services. Seems like he has both ends of my game completely covered.
John Asay is a longtime golfer and a local freelance writer. Contact him at jasay@reviewjournal.com.
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