Shadow Creek, one of the most exclusive golf courses in the United States, answers the bell on both counts.
“It’s sort of like Jurassic Park after the gate,” GM Mark Brenneman said.
The closest things to dinosaurs I saw were little lizards, and perhaps some of the guys I played golf with on a few courses around Vegas.
Just as impressive as the people who play this course are the ones who have been turned away, including U.S. presidents and Canadian prime ministers, all because they weren’t guests at an MGM Resorts International property.
Little wonder that someone with considerably less stature would feel special as a result of staying at the new Aria at CityCenter on the Strip.
The birth of Shadow Creek was not without its doubters, but hotel magnate Steve Wynn and designer Tom Fazio pulled it off by the time the course opened in 1989.
Brenneman says only about 30 rounds a day are played and even if other players are nearby, you don’t see them because holes are separated by mounding and trees.
That isolation is enhanced by elevation changes, gardens, waterfalls and the occasional glimpse of a swan or peacock on a design that stretches to 7,560 yards.
Shadow Creek has no slope or course rating, so you can’t record a round there for handicap purposes. The rule is there are no rules, so just do what it takes to have fun, including — in true Vegas tradition — making a few bets.
When you’re talking wagers, the first place that comes to mind is the Strip, where our Vegas golf experience began at the Wynn.
They like to talk about “experiences” in this town and our day began in the Wynn Spa, where we were treated to a straight-razor shave.
Not only did Tina, our attendant, do a fine job when she sat us down in the vintage barber chair, but she went one better when I asked her to take it down to the wood atop my melon — perfect for the warm desert afternoon of golf ahead.
The Wynn Golf Club was a favourite haunt of the iconic Vegas Rat Pack when it was the Desert Inn. The par 70 is different now, a Wynn-Fazio creation that has about 1,200 mature trees from the old course, not to mention man-made waterfalls along its 7,000 yards with the unique Vegas skyline in the background.
There are just two sets of tees with the forwards stretching to 6,464 yards.
Yet it’s quite accommodating to all skill levels, with generous landing areas off the tee and not a ridiculous amount of trouble.
While playing alongside the Strip was special, most of the Vegas golf experience takes place outside of the city in places like Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, an area hit hard by the struggling U.S. economy.
The good news for golfers staying at the Loews is that the resort has struck a deal to get its guests onto nearby South Shore, a private Jack Nicklaus design.
South Shore has generous fairways and considerable elevation changes over its 7,000 yards. It’s solid throughout, but closes on a powerful note on the last three holes, a stretch dominated by forced carries over desert gullies.
Cascata is also outside of Vegas, about 35 minutes from the Strip in Boulder City. Duffers quickly discover there is very little flat land on this Rees Jones design that stretches to 7,137 yards at the tips.
A caddie is a key weapon in trying to figure out the wind and slick greens, but Cascata presents incredible vistas.
Most of the courses are associated with hotels and casinos on the Strip, but many can cost as high as $500 to play.
Nevada canyon all about the views
