Golf In Las Vegas
It’s no longer only the casino tables that visitors come to Las Vegas for. The city now boasts an array of top chefs, art collections, high-end shopping, and entertainers such as Cirque du Soleil, and Elton John. Golf is also a big part of Las Vegas’s transformation and is now almost as big an attraction as the city’s glitz and gambling.
It’s a staggering thought that there are now 60 golf courses in the greater Las Vegas area given that Nevada is the driest state in the US with an average annual rainfall of about six inches. But this is Las Vegas remember, where everything is possible, and while the city’s amply watered fairways may make quite a contrast to the scorched hills of Nevada, this hasn’t prevented golf growing to be a huge attraction over the last ten years or so. With top quality courses designed by famed golfers and architects such as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Weiskopf, and Tom Fazio, and 294 days of sunshine a year, it’s easy to why people are now taking golf and gambling breaks in Las Vegas.
The newest golf course can be found on the Strip, backing on to the Wynn Las Vegas – a 3 billion dollar hotel that is fast challenging its sister hotel, the Bellagio, as the most luxurious hotel in Las Vegas. Anyone playing golf on this course would find it difficult to believe they were in the heart of Las Vegas’s neon Strip – trees, shrubs, chalk-white bunkers, and clear streams cross the holes. And they’re never too far from the action should they want to try their luck off the golf course: this is where golfer John Daly gambled away $1.5 million dollars in five hours in the Wynn casino behind the course.
Visitors Choose Top 5 Hotels In Las Vegas:
 SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand - 3799 Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas
Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas - 3752 Las Vegas Blvd South
Bellagio - Las Vegas Boulevard South at Flamingo Road, Las Vegas
Gold Spike Hotel and Casino - 400 East Ogden Ave, Las Vegas
Wynn Las Vegas - 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas
While the Las Vegas hotel architects try to out-do one another with their replicas of Paris, New York, and Venice, those responsible for designing the city’s golf courses are following suit: at the Royal Links Course, 11 miles from the Wynn, architects have recreated 18 of the signature holes on the British Open circuit. It was no less of a project to create the contours on the flat land at the Wynn: 800,000 cubic yards of earth were moved to achieve the changes in elevation, 1,200 trees and 100,000 shrubs were planted, and a 40 ft waterfall and network of streams were built from scratch.
The course at the Wynn is first class in all respects. In order to get on you have to be staying at the hotel, and a round of golf on this par-70 7,042-yrd expanse costs about $600. The course includes a traditional club house with lounge, locker rooms for men and women, a pro shop, practice area, and caddy service.
While the prospect of spending five hours in the sun playing golf may fill you with great delight, remember that it can get unbelievably hot in Las Vegas and five hours on one of the city’s golf courses might feel very different to five hours on one at home. People do still play in the summer and the courses are open, but early morning tee times are hard to come by. Spring and fall are the most popular golfing seasons, and spring can start as early as February in Las Vegas.
If you can only dream about playing golf on the Wynn course – not only is it first class and exclusive to hotel residents, but the Wynn hotel itself is one of the most expensive in Las Vegas – there are other courses close to the Strip.
The Angel Park Golf Club claims to be "the world’s most complete golf experience." It offers spectacular views of Red Rock Canyon and the Las Vegas Valley, as well as a club featuring 36 holes of championship golf designed by the legendary Arnold Palmer. Fees range from $65 to $160 depending on season.
The Las Vegas National Golf Club has hosted many PGA and LPGA events, including one that was won by Tiger Woods. Reservations are taken up to two months in advance and green fees range from $75 to $185.
The Las Vegas Golf Course dates back to 1945, although recent renovations have enabled it to keep up with the newer places. It’s located not too far from the Strip and prices range from $75 to $105, with reservations up to 60 days in advance.
Callaway Golf Center is the city’s only 3-par course and is just south of the airport on Las Vegas Boulevard. It’s more of a practice facility than a golf course and is lit at night time. Reservations are taken up to a month in advance and fees range from $25 to $45.
While you can book in advance at most golf courses, your hotel concierge should be able to arrange tee times for you with a bit of notice.
For the average golfer, this is just another reason to believe that Las Vegas really is Disneyland for grown-ups!
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