Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Mount Charleston course a high-altitude precedent

Tuesday, July 15, 1997 | 9:39 a.m.

When the developers of the Mount Charleston Golf Resort first broke ground on their course more than a year ago, director of golf Jeff Bruckner said he wanted to create a layout that was totally unique to Nevada.

With the nine-hole course set to open to public play Friday, it is clear that the Las Vegas-based Oxford Group has succeeded in meeting that goal.

From the second hole, which features a live pine tree in the middle of the green, to the seventh hole, a short par-4 that plays to a green that is perched precariously above a steep ravine, the Mount Charleston Golf Resort is unlike any course in the valley -- if not the state.

"I think the good thing I hear from our invited guests who have played the course ... is that every shot is different -- there is not one shot that is the same in the whole round," Bruckner said. "Every hole has its own character to it and every hole stands out."

Head golf professional Joe Lescenski said the feel of the course can change even throughout the day, giving players the sense that they're playing two different golf courses when they play 18 holes.

"Depending on the wind, I've played holes where it's a driver and a wedge in the morning and a driver and a 3-iron to reach the same green in the afternoon," Lescenski said. "If you tee off in the morning and play your second nine in the afternoon, it can be like playing a completely different golf course."

Carved out of the scenic Kyle Canyon, the par-35, 3,106-yard course is not for the faint of heart. As the course winds through the canyon (with elevation changes in excess of 250 feet), most of the trouble lies on the right sides of the fairways in the forms of washes and heavily vegetated native areas.

"People coming up for the first time really don't realize that there is quite a bit of bail-out (areas) on the golf course," Bruckner said. "On our course, all the native areas are on the right side and they don't realize there is a lot of room on the left to bail out. When people go around again, they're finding it a little easier."

Easier to play, perhaps, but not to walk. Because of several long and/or steep climbs from greens to tee boxes, the course management will require players to use carts.

When the course opens Friday, the Clark County-resident rate will be $49 for 18 holes, including cart. The resort also will offer a twilight rate, for those wishing to play nine holes, of $35 after 3:30 p.m.

Because of delays in construction and sodding, Bruckner admitted the course will not open in pristine condition, but he maintained the course will be playable Friday.

"We've been out playing for the last couple of weeks," Bruckner said. "It's still a little bit rough out there, but we're starting our cleanup and finishing our sod work. Most of the sod work (to be completed) is in the out-of-play areas.

"With the exception of No. 9, which was the last fairway we sodded, all the fairways are looking good and they're very playable and the greens are looking great. I think people are going to find that this course is going to be the most interesting golf course in Nevada, no question about it."

To make tee times at the Mount Charleston Golf Resort, call 872-4653.

Chip shots ...

* GOLF WITH GAMEZ: Local PGA Tour player Robert Gamez will host a four-player scramble Aug. 8 at The Mountain Course at Angel Park. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Robert Gamez Foundation, which provides financial assistance to various youth-related organizations in Southern Nevada. The entry fee for the tournament is $200 per player or $600 for a foursome. Call 256-5183 for additional information or for an entry form.

* MARATHON GOLF: The Boulder Dam Area Council of Boy Scouts of America is seeking 40 golfers to participate in its annual 100-hole Golf Marathon on September 8 at Canyon Gate Country Club. The event serves as a fund-raiser for the local Scout Council. Call Mike Miller at 736-4366 for details.

* UPCOMING EVENTS: The 126th British Open tees off Thursday at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. Tom Lehman is the defending champion. ABC will televise. ... Those PGA Tour players who did not qualify, or elected to skip, the British Open will be playing in the Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic in Madison, Miss. Willie Wood won last year's event. ... The Senior PGA Tour is in Coon Rapids, Minn., for the Burnet Senior Classic. Vincente Fernandez is the defending champion. ESPN will televise. ... The LPGA Tour is in Rochester, N.Y., for the JAL Big Apple Classic. Caroline Pierce won last year's tournament.