Tee time: 10:30 AM on 3/1. Played from the Blue tees. Let’s get this out of the way — the course? Stunning. The pace of play? Absolutely brutal. We got wedged behind a wall of four bachelor party foursomes. It took 35 minutes just to clear the 1st tee, and the round crept beyond five hours. Hard to stay in rhythm with that kind of crawl, but the course itself is well designed and a great time.
Driver was feeling much better today — I adjusted to a +2 neutral setting, and it made a real difference. Ball flight straightened out, and contact was way more reliable. Started hot: 1-under through the first 3 holes, feeling sharp and confident. Unfortunately, all the standing around started to mess with tempo.
Course conditions:
Fairways: Firm, fast, and fair. Well-kept with plenty roll-out to reward solid drives.
Greens: Quick, I often over putted my first strike by 5-8 ft. Held well on good approach shots. Some multi-tiered and tricky pin placements made for creative putting.
Rough: Basically desert scrub. If you miss wide, you're punching out or re-teeing.
Scenery: Unreal. Mountain backdrops, canyon drops, and elevated tee boxes all day.
Standout holes:
Hole 2 – Par 3: Deceptively simple on the card, but don’t sleep on this one. 180yd par 3 with a guarded green that punishes anything long or left. I stuck an 7iron to the rear pin position away with an easy par, but I saw how quickly this hole can turn into bogey if you don’t respect the pin location. My playing partner took a 6 (bunker, bunker, 3 putt) Pure iron shot here is key — don’t overthink it, just hit your number.
Hole 5 – Par 5: This one kicks off what might be the most scenic stretch in Mesquite. Standing on an elevated tee box that drops more than 100 feet into a narrow canyon fairway, it’s hard not to pause and soak it in. The view is wild, but so is the risk. I focused on hitting the slot — miss left or right, and you’re flirting with desert walls. The fairway, it opens up a chance to go for the green in two, but you’ve got to be bold. I played it smart with a layup and left myself a comfortable wedge. This hole rewards commitment — but it punishes hesitation.
Hole 10 – Par 4: Looks gettable on the card, but it’s a trap. All uphill to a shallow, well-defended green. I hit a smooth iron off the tee but couldn’t stick the approach — hard to judge distance with that elevation. One of those “feel” holes that can bite if you’re off even a little.
My round: That first stretch had me feeling locked in. 1-under through 3, and the new driver setting gave me way more control. After that, the waiting around started to creep into my swing — lost momentum, lost tempo. Still managed a 90, but I know I had 85 in the tank if the pace didn’t grind everything down. Short game was reliable, putting was solid, and the course fit my eye.
Bottom line: The Palmer Course is a top-tier desert golf experience. It’s dramatic, strategic, and absolutely fair if you’re smart about your targets. The layout rewards bold play — but only if you execute. I’d play it again in a heartbeat, just hopefully not behind a bachelor party convoy. Give me 4 hours and a clean rhythm, and I’d be chasing 80 out here.
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