Hole #6

Getting To Know: Sun Mountain at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort

An Insightful Interview With Ayeesha McKeany

By Brian Weis

Whether you have played a course 20+ times a year or looking to play the course for the first time, insights from an insider can help enhance your golf experience. Below is an interview with Ayeesha McKeany who shares some valuable tidbits about the course, memorable holes and must eats and treats at the 19th.

Give Our Readers An Overview of the Golf Course/Property
The Sun Mountain houses expansive rolling terrain and enchanting scenery with a monstrous mountain backdrop, indigenous desert landscape, and sweeping slope changes. Considered the "tamer" of the 3 courses, don't let that fool you because it provides a challenge in itself and boasts more of Dye's bunkers than the other 2 courses as well as some of the best Par 3s on the property. The resort staff hails Sun Mountain as their favorite because of the quality conditions and natural framing. Golfers will warm to the experience of Sun Mountain with its four different tee options.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
If anyone is looking for a memorable golf experience, Paiute has it all! With 54 undisturbed golf holes situated in a desert oasis, you will feel like you're in a different world. With 3 distinct and different courses on property, each of the courses will challenge golfers of all skill levels with their 4-5 different tee options. Not to mention, the countless local and national awards such as one of Golfweek's Best Resort Courses, Golf Digest 4 1/2 stars and Best Playing Conditions from Greenskeeper.org.

What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
As the others, driving is a key! Also, keep in mind where you are putting from and where Mt. Charleston is located. Putts toward that tend to be a bit devious and on the slower side while putts away can get away from you quickly. The greens on Sun Mountain are some of the fastest on the property so speed control on the greens is big here.

Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course?
4 1/2 Stars from Golf Digest and GolfAdvisor ranks our 3 courses #1-#3 best courses in Las Vegas (#1 WOLF, #2 Sun Mountain & #3 Snow Mountain)

What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole?
#4 & #6. The Par 3 4th hole is probably the toughest par 3 on property. With water flanking the right side of the hole and a huge bunker in front of the green, club selection is key to this 2 tiered green. Add on the gorgeous mountainous backdrop and you've got one of the toughest and prettiest holes we have to offer.

#6 is often photographed because of their many Pete Dye infamous railroad tie bunkers. Not very fun to play out of, but they are definitely nice to look at!

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
#4 or #18. 18 is just another great tough Par 4 to end your round on. With water on the left and well placed bunkers, its a challenging hole to finish off a round. Hitting the fairway is a must and playing a conservative 2nd to the left side of the green is ideal. The green is fairly deep so make sure you have the correct yardage to the pin so that you have the right club.

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
A nice cold beer and some Jalapeno Cilantro Chicken Wings! Don't forget to grab one of our delicious breakfast sandwiches and a tasty Bloody Mary before you head out! You won't regret it :)

Who Holds Course Record and What Was Their Score?
Gary Wise, 64

Back Tee Stats
Par: 72
Yardage: 7112
Slope: 140
Rating: 73.4

More Information
Sun Mountain at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort
10325 Nu-Wav Kaiv Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV, 89124
702-395-1708
www.realpuregolf.com

Revised: 03/03/2015 - Article Viewed 32,055 Times

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.