Classic Legacy provides perfect spring tuneup

Nestled into the upscale Green Valley community and lined with McMansions, it's easy to mistake the Legacy Golf Club for a private country club. So easy, in fact, that management was compelled to put a sign at the entrance letting the public know they are permitted to play the course. Once inside, however, guests at the OB Sports-run Legacy feel as welcome as an old friend.

Operating golf courses from California to Florida, OB Sports manages the two Angel Park tracks in addition to the Aliante Golf Club and Legacy. Normally that would fall into the "so what" category, but frequent players should take note: The OB Sports Card can pay for itself in a few months based solely on the discounted green fees, which apply to the entire foursome, at the above courses. There are a number of other perks, but that's just gravy.

Although the course plays a very reasonable 6,211 yards from the resort tees, the Arthur Hills design stretches to more than 7,200 from the tips and has enough teeth that it has served as Southern Nevada's U.S. Open qualifying course. The practice facilities are so expansive -- in addition to the large driving range and putting green, there is a dedicated chipping/bunker area -- that many players show up an hour before their tee times just to work on different aspects of their game.

Like most of the region's courses, there is plenty of desert to be found for those who stray too far from the short grass. However, Legacy is hardly a target course, and there are few forced carries. The front side opens with a par 4 that measures only 404 yards -- the word "only" will make sense when players see all of the 450-plus-yard par 4s on the card. The drive must carry or slide past a nub of rough that juts in from the left edge; those who succeed are in for a short approach. The green is protected by a solitary bunker along the front left edge. However, any other pin position is a green-light flag.

After a gruesome 473-yard par 4 that rates as Legacy's toughest challenge, players confront another beast measuring better than 450 yards at No. 4. The tee shot is blind, and it is easy to lose the fairway as it falls away to the right toward some mounding. Just inside the pair of left fairway bunkers is a good target. Although the opposite side of the hill generally provides some extra distance, the approach can be complicated by a variety of uneven lies. A pair of bunkers guards the right and back portions of the elevated putting surface, making precision with the second shot a must.

On the heels of yet another long par 4, the outward trip ends with a 543-yard par 5 that provides an excellent birdie opportunity -- for those who avoid the trio of bunkers kissing the fairway. While most players can easily fly past the right-edge sand trap, those who want to attack the green in two must flirt with the trouble on the left, because any approach from the right side of the fairway must carry a bunker roughly the size of Copacabana Beach. This hole requires a decision from the tee box, because the strategy is dramatically different for those who choose to lay up.

After the turn and a quality Bloody Mary, it's off to Legacy's trademark hole, which as it turns out is also the course's designated pushover. Many local golfers have seen a photo of the "four suits" tee boxes, which are sculpted into each of the four playing card suits. While the desert fronting the green looks intimidating, there is a bit of room beyond it. Beware, however, of a small bunker short and right that is obscured by the bushes and boulders.

Every course seems to have at least one gimmick hole, and Legacy's can be found at No. 13. Measuring only 324 yards from the back, this par 4 is reachable in theory, but any attempt to do so borders on foolhardy. The green is flanked on the left by desert, while the front is barricaded by a large bunker. Driving into the knolls right of the putting surface is an option, but there's no telling what lie awaits.

The prudent play is to club down, favoring the right side to set up a wedge approach. The only downside to this strategy is that the second shot is semi-blind; trust the yardage and take a good swing.

There's no euphemism that fits the 471-yard, par-4 16th hole; it's just a beast. Given the distance, there is little choice but to swing for the fences, but desert lurks along the left edge, while the tightly packed homes along the right seem treacherously close. While the fairway is wider than it seems, the putting surface is fortified by a deep bunker along the left front edge. This hole requires two solid shots and, for most players, a short pitch.

After a tricky par 5 that requires some deft maneuvering to avoid the greenside water, Legacy closes with a short but vexing par 4 that is either an easy birdie opportunity or an adventure of the first order.

The fairway has two distinct tiers; those who carry to the upper level are in for an easy approach. The second shot isn't especially difficult even from the lower fairway, but woe is the golfer whose drive nuzzles the steep bank of rough separating the two. While a pair of bunkers defends each side of the green, wild times await those who land amid the grassy knolls surrounding the putting surface.

Featuring country club-style amenities at a very reasonable price, Legacy offers proof positive that golf in Southern Nevada isn't reserved for high-rolling tourists. The Legacy Golf Club is located at 130 Par Excellence Drive in Henderson, just off Green Valley and Wigwam parkways. For more information or to reserve a tee time, call 897-2187 or visit www.thelegacygc.com.