One of the most photographed holes in the Mesquite area is the spectacular 541-yard 8th hole on The Palmer Course at the Oasis Golf Club. Like many courses there, the desert, mountains, and mesas form the backdrop for the water, bunkering, and green ribbons that compose the golf canvas.
With a private membership and 36-holes, the Oasis Golf Club in Mesquite is slightly different from its counterparts in Mesquite, but for dazzling elevated tee shots into canyon crevices, surrounding housing, and gorgeous backdrops, its two engaging layouts are in keeping with the overall playing themes of neighboring Falcon Ridge or Wolf Creek.
Make no mistake about it, the Oasis Golf Club is also open to public play and is located maybe a scant 90 seconds drive or five-minute walk from much of the hotel/casino action in town. In fact, if you follow The Golf Channel’s “Big Break” television competition, you will recall the dazzling vistas that competitors faced when The Palmer Course hosted the television show.
The Palmer Course is the older of the two Oasis layouts and was designed principally by Ed Seay while The Canyons Course was partially routed by Seay with Dave Druzisky completing the final nine routing and doing all the construction and shaping. Members and visitors alike are usually evenly split as to which is the better or more favored of the two layouts. Both play relatively short with The Palmer extending to 6,633 yards and The Canyons only 6,408 from the tips. The nice thing is that if you tire of one, the other layout provides you with a nice change of pace.
The 162-yard 7th hole on The Palmer Course sits “Atop of the World” on one of the highest points on the course and is a dazzling all-or-nothing affair over the canyon to a smallish sloping putting surface. Shown above is a view from the green back toward the tee.
For my money, I slightly prefer The Palmer Course, but wouldn’t argue if you like The Canyons Course better. Playing The Palmer Course years before, revisiting it again impressed me with the spectacular elevated tee shot vistas on nearly half the holes. The par-five 5th and 8th holes will definitely have you reaching for your camera and because of the drops in elevation, a powerful straight drive may have you possibly putting for an eagle. Several more elevated tee shots are nearly as impressive, but in spite of several distinctly uphill holes, the layout plays relatively short. This is a test of accuracy where it may pay you dividends to keep your driver in the bag as some fairways become more narrow the longer you hit it. The course not only has some strategically placed bunkers, but a fair amount of water bordering both fairway landing areas and the greensites. Aside from the obvious scenic tee shots, I particularly enjoy the shorter to medium length par-fours that play as good as they look.
Several of the holes on The Palmer Course are attractively routed between canyons on either side. Shown above is the 396-yard 15th.
Like its older counterpart, The Canyons Course features a rough desert terrain with a similar style of bunkering and shaping along with the numerous water hazards. If there is a controversial hole on The Canyons, it is the par-four dogleg-left 6th hole. For the truly accomplished player, it may be a simple lay-up iron/hybrid off the tee and little more than a mid-iron into the green. For everyone else, the sixth is perhaps the most challenging hole on the course even for the fairly advanced player at 394-downhill yards. For the casual players, it effectively plays as a par-five even though the hole only ranges between 284-379-yards depending on tee marker placement. The tricky thing is that it twists blindly and severely around a giant hillside and then there is water guarding the entire right side of the fairway and any approach shot. The point that makes it very difficult for the weaker player is that there is relatively little room for any lay-ups once you can see the putting surface – and tons of trouble!
The Canyon Course’s 163-yard fourth hole highlights the green golf course against its rugged desert surrounds as well as the requirement for sage club selection.
The 434-yard tenth hole is the other stout challenge though water comes into play in a tricky way on a couple of other holes. That together with three drop-shot par-threes requires astute club selection. The Canyons definitely qualifies as a “local knowledge” layout and wayward tee shots spell disaster. With some experience playing here and no wind, however, the elite player should be able to post a good score here.
With their expansive practice range, short-game area, and attractive clubhouse, there is much to enjoy at The Oasis Golf Club – a really fun two-course attraction with either layout deserving of being part of your Mesquite golfing adventure.
Birdies are waiting at the downhill 514-yard par-five 16th on The Canyons Course.
