Summer '23 - Vermejo, a recreation and outdoor paradise Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Go The Extra Mile - Coyote Springs
Go The Extra Mile
It is more than worth it!
Story by Bill Bowman
Photography provided by Coyote Springs
Coyote Springs is battling the odds when it comes to golf courses. After all, where else can you put a course in the middle of the desert—all by itself—and expect folks to drive an hour to play?
That’s just what Coyote Springs, a Jack Nicklaus Signature course, is…for the time being. Located an hour north of Las Vegas, the course was expected to be the centerpiece of a master-planned community. Yet, despite no housing, there are still 18 fabulous reasons to make the trip right now
“We have 25,000 happy faces come through here annually,” says Karl Larcom, director of golf. “We have a great product that keeps them coming back.”
The 18-hole layout winds beautifully around the property and right now, with no housing, it’s as tranquil an 18 holes as players will find anywhere. It’s just you, the golf course, and nature.
But just because the course is in the desert, that doesn’t mean it will play like a desert course. This one is as lush as they come. Plus, there are water features on 11 of the holes adding the deep blue of ponds and streams to the bright green of the fairways and greens.
“I know the owners are very, very committed to maintaining the reputation and conditions of the course,” Larcom says. “The golf course can only get better as it grows. I only see good things for this course in the years to come.”
Two of the highlights are the 9th and 18th holes. Both are mirror-images of each other. They play on either side of a huge pond with the 9th playing as a dog-leg left at 410 yards while the 18th is a dog-leg right at 375 yards. Both are very score-able, but impressive bunkering will force players to be precise off the tee (a driver isn’t always needed), as well as with approach shots.
One of the newest additions to the course is Mitch’s Bar & Grill. Named after an abandoned Yellow Heeler that found his way to Coyote Springs in 2008, the restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch.
“Mitch passed away last August,” Larcom says. “It was a really, really sad day for all of us. When he showed up, he was all skin and bones. Someone had abandoned him. We nursed him back to health and he was a fixture here. There wasn’t a customer in the lot who didn’t want to greet him. In fact, he had about twice as many Facebook fans as our own site. He was over 5,000.”
This new restaurant addition lets players make a day out of their excursion. What’s great about that is if players book online and have a tee time before 10 a.m. (with breakfast beforehand and a lunch stop afterward), they can then play a round in the afternoon––that second round of golf on the house.
“We definitely get a lot of players who want to make a day out of it and this makes it a great value,” Larcom says.
And now housing—with a little luck, some hard work, and great planning—is back on the drawing board giving more optimism for Larcom and the staff.
“Having homes will be a fantastic benefit to the golf course,” he says. “The big thing for me, as a golf pro, will be the ability to run things like leagues and twilight-type stuff.”
Overall, Coyote Springs’ outlook is as bright as the sand in the bunkers.
“It’s just a fantastic golf course and a great value,” Larcom says. “People really need to check it out. It’s certainly well worth the drive.”
Coyote Springs Golf Club
3100 State Route 168, Coyote Springs
877-742-8455
