Golf that glitters

Zoomer | March 16th, 2006

Las Vegas, known for its sizzle and non-stop excitement, is fast becoming one of the most popular golf vacation destinations in North America. With dozens of world-class golf courses including Jack Nicklaus’ Bear’s Best, many are calling Las Vegas the new high-end golf mecca.

Here are just a few Las Vegas golf destinations, according to Golf Publisher Syndications:

Jack Nicklaus’ Bear’s Best. Showcasing a collection of eighteen of Mr. Nicklaus’ favourite holes from his 200 course designs around the world, Bear’s Best allows golfers to play holes from courses such as Castle Pines, Muirfield and PGA West. The course plays from 5,043 yards from the front red tees and is a hefty 7,194 yards all the way back. The blue tees gives a player plenty of golf course and at 6,628 yards, presents the perfect challenge for good players. After an exhilarating round, relax next to a fireplace on the 5,000 square foot covered patio. At an elevation of 3000 feet, the clubhouse and patio offer dazzling views of the golf course, the Red Rock Mountains and the lights of the Las Vegas skyline.

Tom Wskopf’s The Falls has been called the Las Vegas golf equivalent of Cirque du Soleil. This 7,250-yard, par 72 course, features a varied terrain that includes mountainous landscape and the desert floor. This variation creates elevation ranging from subtle on the front nine to dramatic on the back nine. Throughout the course, the usage of water is a prominent theme, creating breathtaking scenery and challenging hazards.

Primm Valley Resorts Golf Course. The Primm Valley Resorts Golf Course features two spectacular Tom Fazio-designed golf courses, the Lakes course and the Desert course. Both courses were honored as two of the top 100 public courses in the nation on Golf Magazine’s prestigious “Top 100 You Can Play” list for 2000.

As you plan your golf trip, bear in mind these golf travel tips from TravelGolf.com:

Consider renting your equipment for a trip of three days or less. Rental sets are available for up to $50 at most courses, but call ahead to be sure.

If you are packing your own equipment, don’t wait until the last minute but prepare in much the same way you would the rest of your luggage. Clean out your golf bag and discard old gloves, balls, etc. Add a new set of your favorite balls, a new glove, sunscreen and a small bag of tees, markers, repair tools and extra spikes. (It’s recommended you travel with soft-spike shoes because metal spikes are no longer accepted at most courses.)

A hard travel bag will help to protect golf clubs from overzealous airline baggage handlers. Remember, however, that some airlines may charge oversized baggage fees, and you may be subject to security delays.

There’s no question more golfers will be saying, “Viva Las Vegas!” But the addition of more golf facilities is just one more aspect of the ultimate gambling town’s continuing effort to broaden its appeal. Specialty boutiques, world class art galleries, celebrity chefs, more “family-style” attractions, high end specialty spas… we can expect to see Las Vegas featured under more and more travel categories.