We are back in Edmonton in more than a foot of snow and, needless to say, I had to store my clubs away. However, as I had completed my seventy rounds early in our last week in Las Vegas, I managed two extra bonus rounds. Just as good as hitting the jackpot!!! For the 71st round, my brother-in-law Ernie and I played the Primm Valley Golf Club. There are two courses at Primm Valley, The Lakes Course which has lakes on 11 of the 18 holes, not counting the numerous fountains and waterfalls found all over the course. To Ernie's astonishment, he saw more water on these desert courses than on the Ontario courses he plays. The second course is the Desert Course with far less water and a lot more sand as evidenced in the next picture.
Primm Valley est situé à Nipton, en Californie, tout juste à la frontière du Névada, à environ 45 minutes du fameux ''Strip'' de Las Vegas. C'était notre deuxième excursion en Californie. La première fois, à partir de Reno nous étions allés au lac Tahoe qui se trouve à cheval entre le Névada et la Californie. Nipton toutefois se trouve en plein désert Mojave. Les vues et la végétation y sont magnifiques. Comme notre photographe officiel n'était pas avec nous ce jour là je n'ai que peu de photos pour en donner la preuve.
The 72nd and last round was played at the Bali Hai Golf Club in downtown Las Vegas, overlooking the Strip and, in the picture above, the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino. Bali Hai is one of the very high end golf course in Vegas and we were only able to play there thanks to Brad of Walters Golf who wanted us to have a special birthday treat, a very generous and pleasant one at that.
Brenda était à Bali Hai pour en capter la beauté en photos, quelques 37 photos, mais évidemment vous n'en verrez que quelques-unes. L'eau entre en jeu sur l'ensemble du parcours, mais en général de façon latérale, donc évitable, mais au seizième trou, c'est une toute autre histoire.
Yes, this is the 16th hole, a gorgeous par 3 all over water but fortunately short enough to be carried from all tee boxes. Golf is however a mind game and this lake probably sees a lot of golf balls. There is an added difficulty to this hole which we did not see until we got to the green : there is as much water on the other side and therefore one has to be precise on this tee shot or pay the price. Brenda and Ernie did very well with a bogey but I had to take a triple. Thruth be told, Brenda did so well that she outscored both Ernie and I, and following her own rule by which the winner buys the beer, she had to buy us beer (and lunch) after the match.
A Bali Hai on n'a vu que la faune habituelle mais pour la première fois on a vu un prédateur à la chasse aux oiseaux de toute taille. La chasse doit lui être fort agréable car ce chat est bien dodu. On s'est bien amusé à le voir faire un bon cinq minutes mais il fallait bien terminer le match.
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| Brenda and Ernie upon arrival at Bali Hai. |
