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Dayton Valley
Golf and Country Club at Legado Review
By Doug Saunders, golf writer
For years the town of Dayton, Nevada was just a small hamlet at the back door of the Comstock Lode. Although it's only 7 miles from Carson City it seemed like an eternity to head over Mound House to this wide lonely valley. All that changed in 1991 when a bold plan to create a new community came into play. Suddenly this gas stop along Highway 50 would become the location for up to 20,000 new residents. The concept was ambitious two decades ago and followed a common formula: the need for an anchor attraction. That attraction was the Arnold Palmer Signature golf course.
Dayton Valley Golf & Country Club at Legado was built during the golf course construction boom of the '90s and represents a bold example of a creative design carved from a benign Nevada landscape. Just as so many distinctive golf courses have been built in the flat landscape of Palm Springs, Dayton Valley Golf Course was built on a level piece of property that had only six feet of elevation change prior to when construction began.
The creativity of the Palmer golf course design team and the power of heavy equipment combined to mold a completely different landscape with mounds, dips, movement, and lakes that feel very natural. By digging down into the Nevada topography the designers also gave this challenging golf course some protection from the prevailing, late-afternoon winds that provide a British Open-like test. Water comes into play on 10 of 18 holes and the large greens and numerous bunkers add to the challenge of the formidable layout of this golf course.
The original developers designed a superior golf course that not only garnished attention but also respect. In fact, the PGA TOUR has used the Dayton Valley golf course as a PGA Tour Qualifying stage for the last 15 years. But while it has plenty of teeth to challenge the tour player, golfers of all levels can navigate this Nevada golf course. The greens are among the quickest and the best anywhere – get the ball started on line and celebrate, or 3-putt! Dayton Valley Golf and Country Club at Legado features four tees and plays from 5,161 yards from the forward tees to 7,218 from the back tees. Imagine a 7,200-yard golf course designed 20 years ago. From the blue tees it plays 6,637 yards with a slope rating of 128. What you can expect here is a golf course that will constantly push you to make the proper club selection and factoring wind, water, bunkers, and pin placements on the large undulating greens into the calculations.
The Arnold Palmer design touch is evident from the outset. Palmer usually offers a friendly opening hole on his golf courses, and the 358-yard par 4 1st hole here is no exception. A drive to a generous fairway is followed by a short approach to a level, accessible green. But at No. 2, the water comes into play with a green fronted by a pond to test your accuracy and courage.
"Palmer golf courses are known for their bunkering and an emphasis on strategy and shot selection," said Dayton Valley Head Professional Rick Vaughn. "The meat of the course is the last three holes on both sides."
An accurate claim indeed! On this golf course's front nine, No. 7 is a 395-yard par 4 with water running up the left side on the drive and to the right of the green on the approach. No. 8, a par 5, is reachable in two but it snakes through two more lakes to keep you honest. Finally on the 9th hole, a 380-yard par 4, a perfect drive is required to set up an approach shot to an elevated green fronted by a huge lake. Wind, elevation, distance, stance, luck and some bluster all have to be factored in for the final club selection of this challenging shot.
On the back nine finale Palmer saved the best test for last. First comes a simple 223-yard par 3 that is all carry over a lake with the green at waters edge. Next is No. 17 into the wind on a slightly uphill 451-yard par 4. It takes two strong shots to get to this undulating green. The finish is a 517-yard par 5 that again has water running down the left side all the way to a green that seems to be hanging on a rock wall in the water.
Another note: The greens are particularly quick in the summer months. This golf course has it all from both a design standpoint and a conditioning standpoint, which makes one of the top venues to play in the Divine Nine.
THINGS I LIKE - Even though this is northern Nevada, the setting and layout remind me of Palm Springs with the mountains framing both sides of the valley. This top notch golf course that is one of the best in the region.
THINGS I DON'T LIKE - There is no getting away from the fact that this is a real estate driven property and houses line a number of holes.
Dayton Valley Golf and Country Club Website | Golf Course Map & Directions
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Dayton Valley
Eagle Valley East
Eagle Valley West
Empire Ranch
Genoa Lakes Resort
The Club at Genoa Lakes
Silver Oak
Sunridge
Dayton Valley Golf and
Country Club at Legado
51 Palmer Drive
Dayton, Nevada 89403
775-246-7888
800-644-3822
Course Spec
Holes: 18
Slope: 136
Rating: 72.1
Par: 72
Length: 6,637
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