Golf The Las Vegas Strip By Brian Weis

Golf The Las Vegas Strip

Sin City or Golf City?

By Brian Weis

Tension fills the air as the dealer hits his 16. The Black Jack table erupts in cheers as the dealer busts, again. The table is hot and my once diminished piles start replenishing. Conversation breaks out with the real estate attorney to my left. The typical casual table conversation occurs at the table like where are you from? What brings you to Las Vegas?

The Chicago counselor shared he is on a guys golfing weekend. He follows up that his group is actually on the course now. Puzzled I inquiry why he is hitting soft 17's instead of the links.

He shook his head, "Las Vegas really isn't a golf destination."

I almost fell out of my chair. I shared I had come to Las Vegas solely to golf and so far played some phenomenal courses along the strip - Bali Hai, Desert Pines, The Wynn course and looked forward to my round at Royal Links.

Out of the corner of my eye I see my first card dealt is an ace. My fellow table mates wish me good luck and then the ten hits. Black Jack!

A few hands later the attorney wanted to correct himself, as he felt he kind of misspoke. He absolutely loves golf and thus far has enjoyed his trip. He just needed a break from golf to partake in some gaming and entertainment.

While Las Vegas is known as Sin City, I feel it would be a Sin if you didn't golf a round on your next trip.

Where To Play

If you hit the strip, you won't have an issue finding a place to gamble? If you looking for golf you might be amazed that their are four amazing courses along the strip (or within a short drive)

Wynn Golf Club
The Wynn Golf Club is located in the heart of the Wynn Casino Resort on the north end of the strip. The Tom Fazio design, Steve Wynn inspired, course occupies the land that was once the storied Desert Inn Golf Club. When you step on the first tee you will forget you are playing desert golf. Over 7,000 trees line the fairways and perimeter 137 acre course. The Wynn Golf Club is 18 memorable holes with great views of the Wynn Resort and the Las Vegas strip. The resort lines the final hole that features a magnificent waterfall.

The course was once closed to hotel guest only but recently opened to the public.

3 Tees: 7,042, 6,938, 6,464 yards
Green Fees: $500 includes caddie, cart and rental clubs

3145 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Phone: 888-320-7122
www.wynnlasvegas.com

Bali Hai Golf Club
The upscale, Lee Schmidt and Brian Curly design, course is a must play on your Las Vegas golf excursion. Conveniently located at the south end of the strip, Bali Hai is a lob wedge away from McCarran International Airport, the famous "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign and Mandalay Bay.

The par-71 layout plays just over 7000 yards with panoramic views of The Las Vegas Strip. Every hole is a South Pacific postcard featuring 2,500 towering palm trees, 100,000 tropical plants and Augusta white sand. The signature par 3 16th island green is a short iron test. Your shot will be witnessed by those dining on the clubhouse's patio. Bali Hai is a world class golf course. My opinion aside, the course has received almost every accolade imaginable including "Top 50 Public Course", 2009 Readers Choice Golf World and "One of America's Top Resort Courses;" GolfWeek: 2004.

4 Tees: 7002, 6901, 6156, 5511 Yards
Rating/Slope: 73.0/130
Green Fees: $295 Forecaddies are available upon request. Club Rental: $55 (Callaway X-22's)

5160 Las Vegas BLVD. South
Las Vegas, NV 89119
888-427-6678
www.balihaigolfclub.com
www.facebook.com/BaliHaiGolfClub

Desert Pines Golf Club

Just a few minutes from downtown Las Vegas lies Desert Pines Golf Club, the 18-hole championship course designed by Perry Dye.The lushes Carolina sandills setting features thousands of mature pine trees, colorful flowerbeds, rolling greens, four lakes and dramatic railroad fanned bunkers.

Host of Golf Channel's Big Break II, Desert Pines will test your golf skills. Shot selection is important as water comes into play on 9 of 18 holes. In 2009, Golf Digest has recognized Desert Pines as one of the best new upscale courses in the country. Desert Pines Golf Club is a public, daily fee course. Reservations are accepted 180 days in advance. Rates begin as low as $45.
Also on property is a 58 bay, two-tiered climate controlled practice facility.

3 Tees: 6810, 6494, 5873 Yards
Rating/Slope: 70.6/125

3415 East Bonanza Road
Las Vegas, NV 89101
888-427-6678
www.desertpinesgolfclub.com/
www.facebook.com/DesertPines

Where To Stay

Walters Golf, the parent company of Bali Hai, Desert Pines and Royal Links, offers numerous Las Vegas stay and play packages. Save significant money when you play their courses and stay at one of their partnered casinos like Mandalay Bay, The Luxor, Stratosphere, etc, View www.waltersgolf.com for their latest packages.

The Wynn Casino offers a golf getaway package for two nights stay and a round of golf for two. View current promotions at www.wynnlasvegas.com/#packages/golf_getaway/ or call 866-770-7929.

How To Get Around

Traveling with your golf clubs can be a challenge. Renting a car is an option. If you want hassle free transportation, find a limo at the airport. Ask for the driver's business card or better yet discuss you schedule and book pick up/drop offs. Having a driver is relatively inexpensive when you spread the cost over your fore-some.

If traveling light is your preference, rent clubs at each of the courses and hail a cab.

Spa and Golf

Traveling with your significant other? Does your wife (or husband) not golf? Send them to one of the dozens of spas in Las Vegas. I had the ultimate couple's getaway with my wife. She likes to sleep in so I booked the earliest tee time and she slept in and went to the spa. We met up shortly after lunch each day both refreshed and ready for gaming, great food and amazing shows.

Speaking of shows, Le Reve is a must see show at The Wynn. The show is an describable experience that will mesmerize you from the moment the show starts.

Article Tags: Las Vegas

Revised: 12/13/2010 - Article Viewed 34,944 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.