A guy from the Midwest is curious to hear opinions about what fields are the best ones in Vegas. Does SSUSA have a "show field" where they put the youngest or highest-level teams? I've played on a few that were really nice, but others were sketchy or even worn out. What are some of your thoughts on this?

Scott ... There could be a lot of varying answers, but here's a reasonably objective review based on scheduling Las Vegas venues for over 20 years for SSUSA ... Observations are in alphabetical order by venue, not intended to be a ranking:

• Arroyo Grande - Outstanding facility severely hampered by us not being able to schedule games starting after 2:00 PM Mon-Fri due to Local League priority (Same is true of the other Henderson facility: Russell Road Complex) ... For what it's worth (one night a week on Saturday), Arroyo Grande is getting new lighting that will be done before we start
• Big League Dreams - Great people there, good concept, but the novelty of replica fields has faded a bit over time ... Some object to the entry fee, but food and beverage (including full liquor license) is a plus, maintenance issues occasionally present
• Cheyenne Park - Recent revival under new sports leadership in N. Las Vegas ... Fields recently revitalized in the past couple of years ... Can be a bit of a challenging neighborhood after dark ... A venue returning to its former heydays
• Desert Breeze - A personal favorite, well located, ample parking and a clean and accessible facility ... Lots of food/beverage alternatives nearby ... HR retrievability is excellent here for big-boy-ball
• Hollywood - Three-field complex that has also been significantly upgraded in recent years by adding a concession/restroom building and redoing the fields ... Most frequent complaint seems to be height of outfield grass ... I often schedule this one in conjunction with nearby Shadow Rock, creating what's in effect a seven-field scheduling opportunity
• Shadow Rock - Four-field complex a few minutes' drive from Hollywood that has undergone probably the most comprehensive upgrade of any facility in town. Two new fields replaced two former substandard ones in the last year and a half. The biggest complaint here had been poor lighting until Clark County upgraded/replaced the lighting at Shadow Rock in time for our arrival this month
• Sunset - Six field complex near the airport with four excellent fields and two slightly lesser fields within a few hundred yards ... Sunset used to be a desired schedule venue for us until they ramped up their Local Leagues and we face serious restrictions on Mon-Wed-Fri

Good luck!

Thanks Dave, this is very helpful and interesting. I was hoping to get some players to share their thoughts as well. See you in a couple weeks!!!