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Vegas continues hot pace
New courses and new ideas always are popping up on the desert floor. That just leaves golfers with incredible hot opportunities.
By John Tipping, PNGA Media
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| Cascata Golf Club |
Las Vegas never ceases to amaze.
Thirty years ago, you either had to be a major visionary or completely insane to imagine modern-day Las Vegas. Thirty years ago, you were in the middle of the desert. Now, that desert is simply a backdrop for one of the fastest-growing cities in America. Las Vegas boasts 19 of the world's 20 largest hotels and attracts 33 million visitors a year.
The golf industry has kept pace with the rest of the city, and with a recent announcement by the PGA of America, this might be home to the most golf courses on the drawing board per capita in the country.
Though there hasn't been a lot of talk about the plan lately, the proposed mega-complex of up to 16 golf courses, virtually a new West Coast version of the PGA Golf Village and Learning Center, would change the golf business in Las Vegas forever.
At a time when land values in the area are at record levels, courses are being plowed under to make room for homes. Even the redesigned Steve Wynn course located just behind his new hotel on the north end of The Strip was included in a rumor that had it being torn up and replaced by more hotel rooms.
But for now, it is business as usual, and business - and the golf - is great. The golf industry in Las Vegas is quite healthy. There has been an influx of new facilities, and new events to keep things fresh and forward-looking.
Here are a few options for your next trip to Las Vegas.
Cascata Golf Club is a desert creation of Rees Jones. This facility was intended exclusively for the very best customers of Caesars Palace. As happens in Las Vegas, properties change hands and the casino and golf course were sold to Harrah's. Cascata went from a private club to a public, though very exclusive, facility. This is one of those places where if you have to ask how much ... you might not want to play. But if you do tee it up, you'll be rewarded with one of the best golf experiences of your life.
The national golf publications have been fawning over Cascata for a couple of years. Golfweek named it the 15th Best Resort Course in the country in 2004. Golf Magazine said it was the 32nd Best Course You Can Play.
The name, Cascata, is Italian for waterfall - and one of its namesakes actually runs through the Cascata clubhouse. Mountains, rivers and incredible views combine with challenging holes and felt-like greens to produce an amazing golf experience. You also can book a complete Cascata package through Harrah's.
Rio Secco has plenty of awards and heard high praise itself. A terrific mix of rolling hills and rugged desert in the Black Mountains on the south end of the city, the course sits more than 800 feet above Las Vegas and offers panoramic views of the entire valley. Also named in the Golf Digest Top 100, Rio Secco always is in PGA Tour-like condition.
Home to the Butch Harmon School of Golf, the club has benefited from this relationship and even has a very special event involving one of Butch's most famous past students - a guy name Tiger Woods. Rio Secco is home to the golf portion of Tiger Jam, a fund-raising event that raises millions for charity. The course also plays host to numerous celebrity events and you might catch sight of a famous person or two at one of the many corporate functions held there.
Rio Secco also began as a benefit for Vegas' high rollers. Only a select few of the Rio's best patrons were allowed. Harrah's bought both the casino and the golf course in 1999 for $888 million and the course was opened to the public. Currently, the course does about 30,000 rounds a year.
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| CasaBlanca in Mesquite |
Mesquite (located about an hour northeast of Las Vegas) seems to be the most aggressive when it comes to event creation and drawing new people into town. Already the host of the Re/Max Long Drive Championships, Mesquite gained national attention with the Big Stakes Match Play event and its $3 million first-place payout.
Many in the Northwest are familiar with the Pacific Amateur in Central Oregon. Mesquite began its version of this, the Mesquite Amateur, two years ago and now has more than 800 golfers playing on nearly a dozen golf courses.
Mesquite has all the benefits of Las Vegas proper -- great golf, gambling, fine dining, luxury spas, etc. -- but not the high prices.
The golf courses are as varied as the desert terrain. A full list is available by visiting www.golfmesquitenevada.com.
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