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October 31, 2003
CONSTRUCTION NEAR COMPLETION AT MOUNTAIN FALLS Golfers will face 43 traps, 3 lakesNEW NINE HOLES WILL PLAY AT 3,700 YARDS, PAR 36
By DON McDERMOTT
Opening day for the second nine is sometime before Thanksgiving; the date will be announced. "This golf course is going to be a lot of fun to play," said Cosgrove, the project manager who has been working with the Pacific Realty Group for three years in getting Mountain Falls ready. The first nine holes - par 36, 3,600 yards - opened in June 2002 and in October, hosted the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association Class 3-A state girls championships. The second nine holes, designed by Ron Gardner for the Jack Nicklaus Group, will be 3,700 yards, par 36 and will test golfers with its 43 sand traps and three lakes. Construction started in March, with Cosgrove saying an estimated 800,000 cubic yards of dirt had to be moved to contour the tees, fairways and greens. Cosgrove and club pro Neil Pierce had the opportunity to design one of the holes. It is No. 9, which will have a double green divided by a creek, and a monstrous lake-sand trap combination. "It is our signature hole, with that 'beach,'" said Cosgrove, as he stood at the beginning of the 250-yard long and trap and lake which runs almost three-fourths of the length of the fairway. "And notice the prevailing winds (from the west); they are into the face of the golfer." The tour began at the future site of the clubhouse, to be built on the approach to the first tee. It will be an elevated building, from which golfers will get their first view of that awesome and ominous ninth hole. The first hole will be a par 4, with the distance still to be dialed in but will be an estimated 400 yards. The first of those 43 traps are in evidence, and off in the distance, is the first lake, which is fed by waters from an artesian spring. The right side of the fairway is lined by some of the 3,200 building lots to be developed, once utilities and roads, which will criss-cross the course, are developed. "They will be 1-3/4 miles of two-lane paved roads," said Cosgrove. "Bids are already being advertised, and we hope to start building them in November." Hole No. 2 is a par 4, 450-yard left-to-right dog leg, with sand traps in strategic locations. The third hole is a monster. It is 560 yards, with deep-set sand traps. Grass, as it is on the first seven holes, has already required mowing, which is encouraging to Cosgrove as he anticipates the debut of the second nine. The first par 3 won't be an easy test for any golfer. It is fronted by a lake, a three-acre barrier which will make the 180 yards a difficult test of skill and patience. No. 5 is the first beach hole, with a lake and sand trap combination protecting the contoured 6,000-square foot green. No. 6 is a par 4 fortress of sand; there are eight traps to circumnavigate. No. 7 is another par 5 and will be 560 to 580 yards in length. It is also the first in a series of holes Cosgrove believes will give any golfer a true test of his or her skills. No. 8 is another par 3, with a probable distance of 165 yards. Another lake and more sand traps will make being precise vital to avoiding trouble with the bogey-man. And then comes No. 9, which rivals in difficulty and accessibility No. 18 on the original nine holes. Target greens, protected by humongous lakes and sandtraps will make that a fun hole to play. Cosgrove smiles when he talks about the course, which has already attracted the attention of many tournament organizers. "We already have several tournaments scheduled for the 18-hole course," said Cosgrove, who expects it to remain a facility where interscholastic matches are contested as well. The estimated cost for the new nine is around $4.5 million. Watering the holes is determined by a computerized system established in the maintenance department for the course. "The last of the grass has been planted and once we have to cut it all, we will be ready to open. That should be sometime around Nov. 22," said Cosgrove. NOTES - Cal Olson designed the original nine holes ... With its 43 sand traps and three lakes, the new nine will duplicate the number of hazards already in place on the first nine ... Those 3,200 building lots will range from 1/4 to 1/2 acre in size. ... Mountain Falls is located on Fox Lane, just off Manse Road in south Pahrump. |
