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10 Great Las Vegas
Golf Courses
by Jonathan Scott
(At Right: The Painted Desert Golf Course)
(Click on images for larger view.)
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Everything in Las Vegas is bigger, better, glitzier and larger than life. You don't just play a round of golf. You have a golf experience. Our golf tour guide, Marty Tunnel of Select Products, arranged for us to have a killer lunch at Smith & Wollensky on the Strip, be picked up in a tricked out party van, and driven to the airport, where we were then whisked away on a helicopter and taken toThe Revere at Anthem golf course created by PGA Tour player
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Billy Casper and architect Greg Nash. Located in Henderson, Nevada, The Revere offers great views of the rugged desert canyons and valleys of the Las Vegas foothills, with the city below and the mountains beyond. A 7,143-yard, par 72 layout tests your shot-making capabilities with classic risk/reward scenarios.Regardless of your skill level, The Revere provides a variety of options to accommodate your game.
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(Above: Revere at Anthem golf course.)
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On our second day of play, our friend Marty hosted us at his annual Bottomless Cup Golf Tournament at the Badlands Golf Club, proving that drinking, smoking, gambling and golf do go together nicely! The Badlands combines three courses - "Desperado", "Diablo", and "Outlaw." With those kind of names you know that you're in for a challenge! Twenty-seven holes set against the Red Rock Canyons, The Badlands has deep-flowing arroyos, canyons, and natural washes surrounded by the scenic desert. Badlands was ranked among the Top Ten Best Courses in Nevada by Golf Digest. This is one bad-ass golf course; with holes like the Rattlesnake, Dead Man's Curve, and Going West, you better be ready for a challenge. This is target golf at its best. The Badlands is a Johnny Miller designed course, with consultation from Chi Chi Rodriguez. Desperado/Diablo is the longest course, with 6,926-yards, at par 72 with a 73.0 rating and a 133 slope. The Badlands is also home to the David Leadbetter Golf Academy.
(Above: Royal Links.)
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A sense of Europe seems to be invading Las Vegas, with inspiration from Venice, Rome, Monte Carlo and Paris. The European presence has also come to influence the golf courses. One of the newest jewels is the Royal Links Golf Club. Owner Bill Walters pledged that if he ever had the opportunity, he would build a course to honor the history of this magnificent game. It came true with the creation of Royal Links. The course features 18 signature holes from the British Open Championship rotation. In creating Royal Links, the design team sought to provide players with shot value, challenge and drama similar to those at the honored golf courses. The course reflects famous holes and venues like the "Road Hole" from St. Andrews,complete with the stone wall, the "Postage Stamp" from |
Royal Troon and Carnoustie's #15, a course Ben Hogan conquered. Other courses represented are Prestwick, Royal Liverpool, Muirfield, Royal Birkdale and Turnberry. This "links-styled" course even has its version of the legendary "Hell's bunker," where Jack Nicklaus made a 10 on the hole after landing in the bunker. Amenities abound at the Scottish-styled castle clubhouse, including daily use lockers, a shoe steward, and Stymie's Pub, which was built to resemble a traditional English tavern. (This is the place to smoke your Churchill!) Your round begins with an introduction to your caddy, which is mandated to play this one-of-a-kind course. Caddy responsibilities include providing course knowledge, locations of your ball, yardage of shot selection, replacing divots and raking bunkers, of which there are 108! Royal Links is rich with history and traditions and is an experience for anyone who has a passion for the game.
Las Vegas has become synonymous with "imploding the old and erecting the new" concept. This has, in part, happened with Stallion Mountain Country Club. The course was originally built in the late 1980's by Senior PGA player Jim Colbert. Initially, there were only two courses on the property. A third was added in 1995. The course was sold to Bill Walters in 1997, and that's when the transformation began. Bill and Susan Walters have always enjoyed horses and wanted a name reflecting the wild horses that roam the Nevada deserts. And so Stallion Mountain Country Club was born along with its equestrian theme. Each of the courses were renamed after legendary champion horses..."Secretariat," "Man O' War," and "Citation." When Walters purchased the facility, he brought in Pete Dye to do a "make over" on the course. "Secretariat" is the most challenging of the three courses, with "Man O'War" coming in second and "Citation" in the show position as the mildest challenge. For information on any of the Bill Walters courses, you could check out their web site at www.waltersgolf.com.
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Arnold Palmer designed two of the 18-hole courses at Angel Park, featuring spectacular panoramic views of the Spring Mountains, Red Rock Mountains and the Las Vegas skyline. I'll always remember my round at Angel Park with The Honorable Paolo Garzaroli from Graycliff Cigars. We were teamed up with an elderly man who couldn't quite get Paolo's name right and kept calling him "Bob". After nine holes Paolo asked me to say his name three times on the green after his putt. So, after the putt, I said, "Paolo, Paolo, Paolo"
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(Above: Angel Park.)
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and the elderly gentleman said, "Nice putt, Bob." In addition to that, Paolo was taunting me after a lousy shot from the rough, and the foursome adjacent to us told me to "tell your friend to shut-up!" That's what you get when you play with guys with titles before their names. Angel Park also offers a unique 12-hole Cloud Nine Short Course for executive play, with holes reminiscent of the games most famous par-threes. Cloud Nine is lighted for night play, so if you're doing lousy at the tables, you could do better on the golf course! "The Palm Course" is 6,530-yards from the Pro tees, with a 72.6 rating and a 130 slope.
(Above: Legacy)
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"The Mountain Course" is 6,722 from the Pro tees, with a 72.4 rating and a 128 slope. Nationally acclaimed golf course architect Arthur Hills has created a complete desert masterpiece with rugged lava rock gatherings, multiple tier fairways and large undulating greens at The Legacy Golf Club. This challenging layout is host to the Annual United States Open Qualifying and the American Junior Golf Association. Test your shot-making on the "Devil's Triangle", a three-hole series on the back nine that can make or break your round. The 193-yard par three tenth hole is called "The Suits" and features teeboxes in the shape of a diamond, heart, club and spade. Hey, this is Las Vegas!
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Rhodes Ranch is set between the Strip and the West mountains. Seven holes have water obstacles, including a series of waterfalls on hole No. 3. The course includes more than 3,000 trees from five species, most notably palms and pines. Greens consist of a Bermuda hybrid, which provides a wonderful putting surface and thrives in desert climates. Start off with two par 4's, the birdiable 377-yard first hole, and the long, difficult, 427-yard second hole. The third hole is the Rhodes Ranch Country Club signature hole. This 222-yard par 3 with water on the right and an undulating green is a real challenge to par. The waterfalls and towering trees line many of the magnificently manicured greens. Its varying elevations provide players with great views of the city and protection from wind and weather. 6,909-yards from the Pro tees, par 72 with a 73.0 rating and a 122 slope.
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Painted Desert Golf Club is considered the best maintained course in Southern Nevada, with immaculate playing conditions and set within a natural desert habitat. Gentle rolling fairways negotiate the contours of the desert, with mesquite trees, cactus, white sand, and rocks. A challenging desert target course, Painted Desert prides themselves on their ability to handle any tournament needs. The course record is 62, held since 1989 by Robert Gamez. Painted Desert, the former site of the Nevada Open, was designed by award winning architect Jay Morrish. 6,840-yards from the Pro Tees, 73.7 rating and 136 slope.
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(Above: Painted Desert Golf Club.) |
The Wildhorse Golf Club offers a championship 18 hole adventure that any golfer will be able to easily identify with. Wildhorse has ten magnificent water attractions with meandering streams and dazzling fairways. There are four distinctly separate tee boxes on each hole,
(Above: Wildhorse Golf Course)
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where a serious golfer can test his skills, but an occasional golfer will thoroughly enjoy the game. Originally built in 1959 and redesigned in 1989 by the architectural team of Hubert Green and Robert Cupp, The Wildhorse Golf Club opened their 15,000 square foot clubhouse with a banquet room for over 200 guests.7,041-yards from the Pro Tees, 75.2 rating and 135 slope.The Las Vegas National Golf Club is only two miles from the Strip and has long been recognized as a premier championship facility. Former host to many PGA and LPGA events, the rolling fairways, glistening lakes, and plush greens are well protected by lush palms, pine and olive trees. Built in 1960 by Bert Stamps, the course record of 62 was set in 1991 by Tom Kite. Elvis has been seen playing at Las Vegas National! 6,815-yards from the Pro Tees, 72.1 rating, and a 130 slope.
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