Siena Golf Club in Las Vegas challenges players with its many traps

For those of us familiar with the golf scene in Las Vegas, it’s a tremendous challenge to operate courses these days. Play is down, and attracting golfers to a facility is tough.

But one of the surefire bets for a golf day is the Siena Golf Club in Summerlin, 10575 Siena Monte Ave. Opened in 2000 and designed by famed golf architects Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley — who also designed Bali Hai Golf Club and Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort — Siena is a par-72, 6,843-yard beauty. Siena was the recipient of the 2009 Nevada Course of the Year by the Nevada Golf Course Owners Association. Staying at the top is a management challenge, as well as a marketing challenge.

General manager and director Tony Lenzie, is up to the task. Tony has 23 years in the golf business. He’s bringing a creative and innovative scheme to the pricing of golf rounds at Siena.

“The concept has been around for a long time in other industries. It’s called Dynamic Pricing,” he said. “The airline industry has been using it for many years. Hotels and the rental car industries have also used it for many years. It’s a supply-and-demand business model.”

Dynamic pricing is a hot topic in the golf world. Siena Golf Club is among the first courses in Las Vegas to implement the strategy. It’s based on the day you want to play and the time of day you want to play. Dynamic pricing also considers how far in advance you book a tee time.

“Right now, we’re using time, day and advance booking to determine pricing,” Lenzie said. “The golf course sets the parameters for the discounts for each of these factors. Book days in advance, and get a better price. Book an early tee time in advance to get the best pricing for that time of day. Book early and later in the day and get better pricing. It’s a reactive market. If it’s slow tomorrow, we can offer a larger discount in real time.

“We’re nine months in. Most people still call in for a tee time. We tell them the best prices are on the website. Overall, we are busier than before using DR.”

One of the other nice things players will appreciate about playing Siena is the diversity of the course. No two holes play the same. As the course meanders through an upscale community, you can easily see the challenges the course demands. Errant tee shots can find the desert landscape. If you find yourself in a bunker, watch out. The bunkers are deep and large, testing your “out” skills to the max.

A handful of holes are really fun. The par-3, 159-yard fifth hole is surrounded on three sides by water. From an elevated tee, distance control is essential here; when the pin’s up front, it’s a sucker’s play.

The 448-yard fourth hole is the toughest one on the course. It’s all uphill, and middle distance hitters will struggle to reach in two. That’s if you avoid the traps in front.

Hole No. 9 is guarded by water down the entire left side. Better play this par-4, 420-yard end to the front nine to the right.

Hole 16 is the shortest par 4 on the course. At 323 yards, your confidence may be up, but a missed tee shot may find one of the numerous traps present.

Play Siena for a challenging day on the links, but just remember to book early and book online, like you do when booking airlines and hotels.

John Asay is an award-winning golf writer and contributing writer to View, Luxury Las Vegas Magazine and to PGA.com.