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No. 12 |
Siena Golf Club:
One of Las Vegas' Best Bets
By Diana Rowe Martinez,
Regional Staff Writer
LAS VEGAS - Nestled in a valley with backdrop provided by mountain
ridges, a short fifteen minute drive west of the Las Vegas strip
will net you the quiet, scenic Siena Golf Club, part of the Siena
Village development.
Course architects are Schmdit-Curley, the same architects developing Bialy Hi, the new golf course that Billy Walters is developing on the strip next to Mandalay Bay. Siena's website at http://www.sienavillage.com is under construction, but check back soon for updates. Siena is a new course to Vegas, having recently opened January 24th of this year. The course offers nine holes, with their back nine premiering June 1, for an ultimate golfing 18-hole experience. For warm-up, there is a well-kept driving green and a putting green, just off of the first hole. At present, the pro shop is operated out of a temporary building, but don't let that stop you. The temporary building is complete and as nice as some of the better courses I've been at. Ultimately, the pro shop will move to a larger clubhouse, offering more yardages and more products. Siena Grill is housed at the temp building, and offers an excellent menu. Personally, I love these desert courses. You'll always get good play, with bunkers testing your accuracy, and the mountains gifting you with a great view. There's not many out of play areas, but the sand traps are deep and evident at most every hole along the fairway and protecting the green. The course is in good shape and well taken care of. Since the course is new, carts are to be kept on the cart paths, so you'll get a little exercise whether you walk or ride. For this review, I golfed the front nine and toured the new back nine still under construction. The entire course ranges from 6,816 yards at the gold tees to 4,941 yards at the blue, with five tees offered for the various range of player skills. I'll offer you a played review of the front nine, and then give you some details of the back nine.
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No. 5 |
The first hole starts off with a fairly straight par 4, water to the left and the bunkers short to the right of the fairway testing the short driver and the sand protecting the green will test the long driver. Another par 4 follows. A rocky area sits just in front of the tee box, and bunkers protect the left fairway and the right is a rocky field. Again, bunkers are in front of the green, left this time. Hole 3 is a beautiful par 5, 562 yards, with bunkers threatening the short drive both right and left, followed by a straight par 4 with bunkers to the front of the green, both right and left. Too much of a drive here will put you in the trouble with another bunker hidden behind the green to the right. The par 3 at hole 5 is refreshing with the tee box in front of a small lake. You're 159 yard drive is over the water and must be accurate to the green with bunkers short on both the right and left and too much will find you in the roughened field. Hole 6 is another par 4, fairly straight, with bunkers again coming into play scattered along the fairway and in the front and right of the green. Hole 7 is a fairly easy par 3, 194 yards, again with accuracy being the key.
Hole 8 is a gorgeous desert long par 5 at 563, straight shot, but those deep bunkers all along the fairway causing a constant threat. The last hole presents trouble with the lake edging along the entire left side and behind the green. There is a slight incline toward the water, so a safe play is along the right of the fairway, although you'll need to beware those ever present bunkers. Too far right and you're on a steep incline that leads up to housing. My tour of the back nine revealed a totally different course. Where the front is mostly straight and flat, the back has more doglegs and hills that come into play, as well as a few more water holes. The same deep bunkers are ever present. This is a course that you'll either play accurate, or you'll become proficient at getting out of the sand. Hole 10 is a slightly undulating hill, but a reachable 425-yard par 4. Alex Isaac, a Siena representative, relates that several of the back nine holes are risk rewards holes, with the player playing it safe or taking a risk with an adventurous shot. Hole 11's par 4 is such a hole. A hilly open fairway is the next par 5 hole 12 at 509, but again, those pesky bunkers sit along the fairway to test your sanity. Hole 13's par 4 is a deceiving 414 yards bunker filled fairway.
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No. 9 |
Alex relates that the par 3 Hole 14's playing factor will be the wind. Bunkers are placed right with an elevated green. The par 5 514 yards up next doglegs right and water is placed to the right of tee. Although Hole 16 is a short 323-yard par 4, bunkers are again testing your accuracy. Hole 17 is a 138 yards, par 3, long elevated tee to a down hill green that is well bunkered to the tune of 8 bunkers! Hole 18 will take your breath way. Its fairway is slightly elevated, undulating hills that doglegs right. The long driver will do best playing right, but must beware the bunker to the right on the fairway. The driving range is out of bounds on the right, as well as water. This is a great end to the back 9. Summer green rates are discounted for Homeowners and offering twilight rates for all players. Advance reservations can be made by calling 1-888-689-6469, or locally 702-341-9200. This is a great course. Although the front nine is mostly straight, don't let that deceive you. The bunkers will give enough challenge as well as the yardage. The back nine offers a different game with doglegs and some blind shots and those ever present bunkers. Siena Golf Club
10575 Siena Monte Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89135
(702) 341-9200
(888) 689-6469 |
