From tee to green with ‘green’ carts Pro schedules
Paiute course puts environment first
Green is the color golfers are thinking about this week, with the possible exception of Tiger Woods’ Sunday red.
The green jacket is up for grabs at the Masters starting on Thursday, but locally the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort has gone “green” by putting in play 265 environmentally friendly EZ-GO golf carts. The resort also recently earned prestigious recognition from golfers.
The Paiute is home to three Pete Dye signature golf courses and each finished at the top of 2017 Golfadvisor. com reader-review Nevada rankings. The Wolf was first, Sun Mountain second and Snow Mountain third, after more than 2,800 reviews were tabulated. The Wolf was also ranked 34th nationally.
“Our mission is to offer the ultimate guest experience and it is as simple as that,” general manager Jeff Reid said. “Our team continually looks at each area of our facility and we ask ‘What can we do better?’ and it is always with our valued guests in mind.
“To be at the top of the review rankings out of thousands of reviews and compared PGA Tour
What: The Masters
Where: Augusta (Georgia) National GC (7,435 yards, par 72) When: Thursday-friday, noon-4:30 p.m. (ESPN); Saturday, noon-4 p.m. (KLAS-8); Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (KLAS-8)
Purse: TBA ($11 million in 2017); winners share TBA ($1,980,000 in 2017)
Defending champion: Sergio Garcia
LPGA Tour
Last week: Pernilla Lindberg won the ANA Inspiration
Next week: Lotte Championship in Hawaii
Race to the CME Globe: Jin Young Ko
PGA Tour Champions
Last tournament: Steve Stricker won the Rapiscan Systems Classic, March 23-25
Next week: Mitsubishi Electric Classic on April 13-15
Schwab Cup leader: Steve Stricker to other high-quality and world-class Nevada golf courses is humbling.”
The rest of the Nevada top 10 Golfadvisor.com rankings were TPC Las Vegas, Shadow Creek, Cascata, Conestoga, Mountain Falls, Boulder Creek and Reflection Bay.
Topgolf Shots heard ’round Golf Channel
“Shotmakers,” which debuts Monday on the Golf Channel, was anchored at Topgolf Las Vegas. The show will feature head-to-head competitions that test precision, distance and control. It will air Monday and Tuesdays at 6 p.m. through April 30.
Nine two-player teams are made up of a male and female competitor and include a former PGA Tour player, mini-tour professional golfers, an Olympian, former collegiate athletes, a trick-shot artist, decorated military veterans and champions from the Topgolf Tour.
MGM Grand is sponsoring team Lightning, featuring Kenzie O’ Connell, 26, a teaching instructor from Denver and a Women with Drive ambassador; and amputee Chad Pfeifer, 36, a professional golfer and decorated retired U.S. Army corporal from Caldwell, Idaho, who credits golf for saving his life.
Weekly deal
A Southern Nevada Golf Association Social Series event is April 16 at the private Dragonridge Country Club. The day will feature food, drink and other surprises for $90 at SNGA.ORG.
Stars on, off course
LPGA Tour player Natalie Gulbis enjoyed the spring showing of the Bellago Gardens last week and worked on her swing at the Butch Harmon School of Golf at Rio Secco.
The golf notebook appears Wednesdays. Freelance writer Brian Hurlburt is a two-time author who has covered golf in Las Vegas for more than two decades. He can be reached at bhurlburt5@gmail.com or @Lvgolfinsider.