Golf Resorts in Indian Country

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Golf Resorts in Indian Country In Part VI, the final installment of our series about golf courses in Indian Country, golf managers and pros from across the nation talk about the facilities they

Black Mesa Golf Club Santa Claran Casino - Espanola, NM Tom Velarde Course Pro (PGA) www.blackmesagolfclub.com Year Built: 2002 Designer: Baxter Spann Yardage: 7,307 Rating: 73.

1 Golf Resorts in Indian Country In Part VI, the final installment of our series about golf courses in Indian Country, golf managers and pros from across the nation talk about the facilities they offer, the design and playability of their courses, and the level of service that helps make their properties stand out. Black Mesa Golf Club Santa Claran Casino - Espanola, NM Tom Velarde Course Pro (PGA) Year Built: 2002 Designer: Baxter Spann Yardage: 7,307 Rating: 73.9 Slope: 141 Yardage: 6,719 Rating: 70.5 Slope: 136 Yardage: 6,277 Rating: 68.6 Green Tees - Yardage: 5,876 Rating: 66.9 Gold Tees - Yardage: 5,157 Black Mesa Golf Club is a minimalist design fitting into the natural terrain. Baxter Spann relies on the mesas and valleys to route the course over and through a most interesting and varied piece of Southwestern landscape. Voted by Golf Digest as the Best New Design in America in 2002, Black Mesa Golf Club has been a consistent Top 100 golf course as rated by Golf Digest, Golf Magazine and Golf Week. A true links course, Black Mesa Golf Club is two loops that each take the player on a journey that will have the player feel the breezes from all directions. Without being held to developer s constraints, the course offers the player solitude and peace as they play. This unique design rewards a player who can harmonize with the setting, rather than attempt to overpower this awesome track. Unlocking this intricate design to find the line of charm will provide enjoyment round after round, season after season. It is the kind of course that will raise any golfer s game to a new appreciation of the possibilities of this great sport. The design of the course has yardages for less experienced players taken into consideration and using different angles into the fairways allow players of all skill levels to experience the same challenge while playing from totally different tees. Players are encouraged to ask the staff for help choosing the correct tees to play from. The staff also helps in finding other activities for guests while they re spending time at the course. Black Mesa is operated and staffed by lifelong golfers who know how to put the player and the game first. Authentic hospitality in the true Southwestern tradition awaits guests. 44 Indian Gaming July 2010

Del Norte Golf Course Elk Valley Casino - Crescent City, CA Stacy McClaflin General Manager www.delnortegolf.com Year Built: 1956 Designer: Bill Speer Holes: 9 Yardage: 3,121 Rating: 33.

0 Slope: 120 Owned and operated by the Elk Valley Rancheria, California, Del Norte Golf Course is uniquely situated in the heart of the redwoods overlooking Redwood National and State Parks and the

Del Norte Golf Course is the best kept secret along America s Wild Rivers Coast.

2 Del Norte Golf Course Elk Valley Casino - Crescent City, CA Stacy McClaflin General Manager Year Built: 1956 Designer: Bill Speer Holes: 9 Yardage: 3,121 Rating: 33.8 Yardage: 2,996 Rating: 35.0 Yardage: 2,797 Rating: 36.0 Yardage: 2,603 Rating: 35.0 Slope: 120 Owned and operated by the Elk Valley Rancheria, California, Del Norte Golf Course is uniquely situated in the heart of the redwoods overlooking Redwood National and State Parks and the majestic Smith River. This small, historic lumber and fishing community is known the world over for its steelhead and salmon fishing and the tallest trees on the planet. Del Norte Golf Course is the best kept secret along America s Wild Rivers Coast. This nine-hole course, situated just 10 minutes from the Del Norte County Airport and the Pacific Coast Highway, is a natural departure point to some of the world s greatest natural treasures. With four sets of tees, Del Norte Golf offers skilled golfers and beginners a wide variety of play. Traditional tree lined fairways open onto challenging greens that are slightly elevated and that present new and exhilarating aspects of the course around every corner. Magnificent drifts of fog rolling through the trees create eye popping features and the angular fairways contrast with the harmonious natural backdrop of the area. Due to the gradual elevation changes throughout the property, the course offers every kind of shot imaginable. Often seen as offering a more traditional style of play, the club s sand traps, water features, winding creeks and natural wildlife, such as Roosevelt elk, black bear and black-tail deer make for an absolute afternoon treat. Carts are available for those who would rather not walk. The quaint, turn-of-the-century clubhouse offers visitors to the course an enjoyable area to relax and the club s full cocktail bar offers a full service lunch menu. The club s all-grass driving range, complementary big wheeled pull carts and friendly, helpful staff give every visitor an unsurpassed customer experience in the region. Del Norte Golf Course might just be one of the best nine hole layouts in America. The use of multiple strategically placed tees offers the golfer an excellent challenge for eighteen holes and is very relaxing and enjoyable to play. Moreover, the rates and membership packages are priced attractively. July 2010 Indian Gaming 45

Lac Vieux Desert Golf Course Lac Vieux Desert Casino - Watersmeet, MI Robert Meyers Course Manager www.lvdcasino.

4 Slope: 133 Yardage: 6,355 Yardage: 5,934 Rating: 69.6 Slope: 127 Yardage: 5,151 Rating: 71.

Located steps away from the Lac Vieux Desert Casino, a challenging nine holes were added in 2009 to provide 18 holes that will appeal to the more experienced golfer as well as golfers just starting

3 Lac Vieux Desert Golf Course Lac Vieux Desert Casino - Watersmeet, MI Robert Meyers Course Manager Year Built: 1996 Designer: Mattingly and Kuehn Golf Design and Lohmann Golf Design Season: April October Gold Tees - Yardage: 6,642 Rating: 71.4 Slope: 133 Yardage: 6,355 Yardage: 5,934 Rating: 69.6 Slope: 127 Yardage: 5,151 Rating: 71.0 Slope: 128 Located in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the heart of the great Northwoods on 200 acres of the Ottawa National Forest, is the Lac Vieux Desert Golf Course. Located steps away from the Lac Vieux Desert Casino, a challenging nine holes were added in 2009 to provide 18 holes that will appeal to the more experienced golfer as well as golfers just starting out, making the Lac Vieux Desert Casino/Resort a true destination. The course was constructed with USGA greens that are spacious with gentle slope and contour allowing for a variety of pin placements. Fairways are planted in a rich variety of blue grasses cut to just above a half inch in length and are generously wide at the landing zones offering a tight lie for the best shots. The roughs require skill and discipline to overcome their length and density. The back nine requires more precision with tighter landing zones and greens with increased undulations. The course has one of the more sophisticated irrigation systems with in-ground sprinklers designed for maximum effectiveness with minimal inconvenience to the golfer. This system provides for plush playing conditions all season long. Enjoy a beverage and try your luck on the slots in the Clubhouse bar adjacent to our Pro Shop, which carries quality, brand-name golf equipment and apparel. Players will enjoy unique surroundings with five ponds spread throughout the course, two of which are involved with area restocking programs for trout and walleye. There is also a seasonal creek system running through four of the fairways. These ponds and streams add beauty and challenge for the pleasure of the golfer. With the woodlands throughout and surrounding the course, there is always the possibility of animal visitors, which can include birds, squirrels, fox, wolves, deer, and bear reminding the golfer they are in the heart of the Northwoods. 46 Indian Gaming July 2010

Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort Snow Mountain Smoke Shop - Las Vegas, NV Greg Brockelman Head Golf Professional (PGA) www.lvpaiutegolf.

3 Yardage: 6,645 Slope: 120 Yardage: 6,035 Rating: 68.6 Slope: 112 Yardage: 5,341 Rating: 70.4 Wolf Green Tees - Yardage: 7,604 Rating: 76.3 Slope: 149 Yardage: 7,009 Rating: 73.

4 Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort Snow Mountain Smoke Shop - Las Vegas, NV Greg Brockelman Head Golf Professional (PGA) Snow Mountain, Year Built: 1995 Sun Mountain, Year Built: 1996 Wolf, Year Built: 2001 Designer: Pete Dye (all three) Holes: 54 (Three 18-hole) Snow Mountain Yardage: 7,146 Rating: 73.3 Yardage: 6,645 Slope: 120 Yardage: 6,035 Rating: 68.6 Slope: 112 Yardage: 5,341 Rating: 70.4 Wolf Green Tees - Yardage: 7,604 Rating: 76.3 Slope: 149 Yardage: 7,009 Rating: 73.5 Slope: 134 Yardage: 6,483 Rating: 71.4 Sun Mountain Yardage: 7,112 Rating: 73.3 Yardage: 6,631 Rating: 70.9 Slope: 124 Yardage: 6,074 Rating: 68.8 Slope: 116 Yardage: 5,465 Rating: 71.0 Slope: 123 Yardage: 5,910 Rating (Men): 68.1 Slope (Men): 119 Rating (Women): 76.5 Slope (Women): 125 Yardage: 5,130 Rating: 68.5 Slope: 116 This international golf destination, nestled within the Sheep and Spring Mountain ranges of the southern Nevada desert, marries 54 unique holes with 360-degree views flanked with sky-scraping mountains, clear blue skies, crystal clear lakes and stunning greens that intertwine within the natural rolling terrain and indigenous landscape. With such a variety, literally a golfer can play all day and never have the same hole twice. Snow Mountain, Paiute s original course, is ranked at 4-1/2 stars by Golf Digest. At 7,164 total yards, it has wide rye grass fairways, seven holes with water hazards, and a progressive layout meaning there are no parallel fairways. Featuring traditional Dye railroad tiedecorated bunkers and dogleg finishing holes some golfers still feel the original is the best of the three. Sun Mountain, the second of the trio, is also ranked at 4-1/2 stars by Golf Digest. At 7,112 total yards, it is considered a kinder, gentler Dye design, depending on the golfer. Depicted by natural rolling terrain and enchanting scenery, many golfers hail the Sun as their favorite because they feel like they are on the edge of nature due to the location of the course being completely removed from the resort's interior. The monstrous mountain backdrop, indigenous desert landscape, and sweeping slope changes will advise a player to think before swinging. Wolf, the newest and most difficult layout, is ranked at 4-1/2 stars by Golf Digest. At 7,604 total yards, it is the longest course in Nevada. Golfers will be stunned by the signature island green on the fifteenth hole, repeating the same mystique of TPC Sawgrass, and by the par-3 8th, which offers a true "aim to the left or else" experience. Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb officially opened the course by competing in Shell s Wonderful World of Golf and shot 65 and 64 respectively. Variety is a main benefit when playing at Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort. The courses are all over 7,000 yards, thereby appealing to the very seasoned player. But golfers of all skill levels can temper the challenge of that length with the four tee options on Snow Mountain and Sun Mountain and the five options on Wolf. For beginning players, training programs are provided on a seasonal basis and private golf instruction is available from the PGA professional staff. New premium AP2 Titleist rental clubs are available for the most advanced players. Service is as important as ensuring the course is green. Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort was voted as one of the 10 Best Bets for customer service from 10best.com and based upon the personal attention and the high level of service built into every detail, the facility and its staff live up to that award. July 2010 Indian Gaming 47

Mojave Resort Golf Club Avi Resort & Casino - Laughlin, NV Chris Stewart General Manager/ Director of Golf (PGA) www.mojaveresortgolfclub.

9 Slope: 121 Yardage: 5,520 Rating: 72.2 Slope: 124 Nestled quietly amidst the natural bosque of the Colorado River in Southern Nevada lies a true golfing adventure.

In fact, the course defines the tri-state area. (California-Arizona-Nevada) The course opened with rave reviews in the fall of 1997. Accolades accumulated instantly upon opening.

5 Mojave Resort Golf Club Avi Resort & Casino - Laughlin, NV Chris Stewart General Manager/ Director of Golf (PGA) Year Built: 1997 Designer: Brian Curley & Lee Schmidt Yardage: 6,939 Rating: 73.6 Slope: 136 Yardage: 6,435 Rating: 70.6 Slope: 128 Yardage: 5,959 Rating: 68.9 Slope: 121 Yardage: 5,520 Rating: 72.2 Slope: 124 Nestled quietly amidst the natural bosque of the Colorado River in Southern Nevada lies a true golfing adventure. The Mojave Resort Golf Club combines natural desert terrain with a thoughtful design by famed architects Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley. The course is located 12 miles south of Laughlin, Nevada. In fact, the course defines the tri-state area. (California-Arizona-Nevada) The course opened with rave reviews in the fall of Accolades accumulated instantly upon opening. Golf Digest has rated the course 4 stars and expresses the highest regard for the layout, routing, and overall sensibility of the design. The course measures 7,000 yards from the black tees and boasts a rating of 73.6 and a slope of 136. Four sets of separate tees boxes enable golfers of all skill levels to pick their challenge. The Fort Mojave Indian Tribe is the proud owner and operator of the par 72 facility. What sets the course apart from most others is the number of irrigated acreage maintained by the very able maintenance staff. The staff diligently cares for over 162 acres of the turf grass. The course has grass in areas where a golf ball never sees, but the players eyes do and golf is such a visual game it seems to calm the nerves. The course features 87 bunkers, numerous waste areas and natural water features on nine of the holes. The golf course is a pleasure to experience regardless of how a golfer is playing on any particular day. A true testament of a fine course is how many holes a golfer can remember upon completion of their first round. No two holes resemble each other providing for a wonderful golfing experience. A full-service bar & grille is easily located in the middle of the clubhouse facility. The double-ended practice facility is outstanding from one end to the other. A putting clock and separate chipping and sand area provide an excellent opportunity to improve golfing skills. A full-service golf shop provides for all the latest golf apparel and newest equipment available. The staff of 40 has years of experience and employs three PGA professionals and a GCGS Certified Course Superintendant. Consistency is the key to the success of any business. If the course is in nice condition, the staff pleasant and the speed of play swift, golfers will return year after year. 48 Indian Gaming July 2010

NEMACOLIN GOLF. A majestic round every time. Expect the Unexpected

NEMACOLIN GOLF. A majestic round every time. Expect the Unexpected NEMACOLIN GOLF A majestic round every time. Expect the Unexpected 1 WE REALIZE IT S HARD TO KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN WITH VIEWS LIKE THIS. At Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, you ll find championship golf along