Golf in Las Vegas

Jim Stynes

Anyone ever play any courses in Las Vegas without it costing a fortune?

Golfgraffix

Yes, many times. There are plenty of really good courses that wont cost a fortune.

Just back from there last week and the prices were really good. Not a great time of year to play right now, quite cold and a lot of courses are overseeding right now.

We played the Revere Club last time out and was a tonne of fun, We paid $85 including club hire and buggy.

J

davo10

Jim, I've played quite a few of the courses around Las Vegas and will suggest a few things:

The good news is that all courses are in excellent condition and prices right now are low due to US economy. Americans will not put up with bad golf courses and competition for green fees is fierce as the numbers visiting Las vegas are declining.

If you want an all day golf experience, there are two fantastic golf resorts approx 30 mins outside vegas, Primm Valley Golf club and The Paiute golf resort. Primm has 2 courses, Paiute 3, both have excellent practice facilities, club houses, cheap drink and great food. Paiute has just opened the "Wolf Course" when I was there last year, this is a links type course and the longest in Nevada, but because it is in the mountains so high above sea level, the ball flies a lot further. They are very reasonably priced and we had a great time there. Be aware though that if you do play twice in the one day, it gets very dark very quickly in the desert so play early.

If you want to play a top course, play Rio Secco, Butch Harmon teaches there and it is an amazing course. For extra fun, take a "T" Bird with you, trust me this will be money well spent.

Be sure to visit the Callaway practice range, it is at the end of the strip towards McCarron Airport. Incredable practice range, Callaway shop with all latest clubs and gear at low prices, beer for $1 and good food.

Do not play TPC Las Vegas, even the pros hate it, its nicknamed "Canyon Hell" because if you miss the fairway your ball goes down in a canyon and some holes have a 150 yard carry off the tee just to reach a fairway. Doesnt sound much but it is daunting on the tee, I hated it.

The course at the Wynn is brill but very expensive and difficult to get a tee time.

Jim if you win at the tables, blow it all on one round of golf at Cascata, it is the best course I have ever seen or played, no amount of superlatives will come close to describing what it is like. It was built by Hurrahs for their high rollers to compete with the Wynn and up until a couple of years ago they did not allow green fees. There are always celebrities and USPGA pros there. I think it was aboy $400 a round.

Visit the "Blue Martini Bar" in the shopping centre opposite the Callaway golf range, especially on Wednesday night. Do not drink at the bar in the hotels, do not eat in the Hotels. Have a steak at "Smith and Wollensky", have a chinese at PF Changs in Planet Hollywood. Go to "Pure" nightclub in Ceasers Palace, spend a couple of hours at the bars in the Cosmoplitan Hotel, visit the Irish bar in New York New York, get a limo ride around the strip at night.

Most of all have fun, vegas is not an expensive holiday if you avoid the really expensive places.

acejeff

Very good summary by Davo10. In typical Las Vegas style they can also offer you the "Open Championship Experience" at the Royal Links Golf Course. It's basically a homage to the Open and offers a collection of replicas of the best golf holes of the Open rotation courses. It's all a bit bizzare to be honest and a bit naff but I suppose it's fitting of the place so I think it's acceptable to be a bit quiky and bizzare while you're there! If you forget the cheese factor it's actually a very well conditioned and maintained course that is, in it's own unique way, an enjoyable experience

bustercherry

acejeff wrote: »

Very good summary by Davo10. In typical Las Vegas style they can also offer you the "Open Championship Experience" at the Royal Links Golf Course. It's basically a homage to the Open and offers a collection of replicas of the best golf holes of the Open rotation courses. It's all a bit bizzare to be honest and a bit naff but I suppose it's fitting of the place so I think it's acceptable to be a bit quiky and bizzare while you're there! If you forget the cheese factor it's actually a very well conditioned and maintained course that is, in it's own unique way, an enjoyable experience

Actually that's not doing it justice at all. It's a very good course (great compared to some of the crap in Ireland), very reasonable too when compared to other courses in Vegas.

acejeff

bustercherry wrote: »

Actually that's not doing it justice at all. It's a very good course (great compared to some of the crap in Ireland), very reasonable too when compared to other courses in Vegas.

THat's a fair point. It is actually a very good course. My point was that it does take a while to get over the novelty / bizzare nature of the idea. Once you see past that it is actually a very good course - as it should be due to the fact that it is designed on replicas of the great Open holes

Jim Stynes

Thanks for the replies lads. How much did it cost for transportation to these courses or is it all included in green fee? We are high handicappers so I dont want to play anywhere too hard. I play off about 15 but my mates would be 25+.

davo10

Jim if you are only going to play once or twice, the courses in Vegas are close so you can use taxis. If you are there for a week and are going to play a few times, rent a people carrier, you pick them up at McCarron airport, this is what we did and it was very reasonable, all rental cars have sat nav and Vegas is easy to drive around. The airport is at the end of the Strip so very easy to get to hotels but traffic is a bit mental on the Strip at night.

If you are going to play twice in one day, Primm Valley is your place, two Tom Fazio courses, beautiful, not to long and good room either side of fairways so quite forgiving. A lot of courses have "runway" fairways, grass with desert either side. If you are only going to play once a day I do not think it is worth your while driving/taxi 30 mins to the resort.

Jim a word of advice, if you can book airline seats near plane exists, its worth it. Emmigration in McCarron is a nightmare, the airport is a s**thole and it can take at least and hour to get through checks, if you are near an exit, make a dash off the plane so you are near the top of the line. It is really exciting getting there and a pain in the ass having to que for an hour in the airport when you want to get down to the strip.

bluebottle102

Hey guys sorry for resurrecting this thread!! I'm heading to Vegas for a week for the first week of January and I wanna chance a round of golf while I'm out there.

Was thinking of the wolf course at Paiute. It looks amazing but I've a few queries.
Can I rent clubs at the resort as I won't be bringing mine?
I won't have a playing partner, will that be an issue joining with anyone?
Is it too far in a taxi or is my best bet renting a car for the day?

Thanks in advance guys

davo10

I've played, fab course, approx 25 mins drive outside Vegas, play early it gets dark there very quickly, also it is up in the desert mountains so can get cold, I played first week of February and needed heavy jumper and hat. Great golf house with rental gear and fantastic food and cheap drink. Check out rates at Cascata, if its within your price range, play it, it's magnificent.

thegolfer

davo10 wrote: »

I've played, fab course, approx 25 mins drive outside Vegas, play early it gets dark there very quickly, also it is up in the desert mountains so can get cold, I played first week of February and needed heavy jumper and hat. Great golf house with rental gear and fantastic food and cheap drink. Check out rates at Cascata, if its within your price range, play it, it's magnificent.

Agree with the above, great track, played late Feb this year and loved it. From memory there were clubs available. I wore a polo shirt, and needed a top towards the end of the round, the cold comes in fairly quickly.

Don't go after balls in the desert, snakes be there...

bluebottle102

thegolfer wrote: »

Agree with the above, great track, played late Feb this year and loved it. From memory there were clubs available. I wore a polo shirt, and needed a top towards the end of the round, the cold comes in fairly quickly.

Don't go after balls in the desert, snakes be there...

Thanks for the reply I'm looking forward to it!! I emailed the pro shop and they were extremely helpful I was told it costs $89-99 which includes unlimited range balls!! Callaway clubs on site too.

Just one final question guys. Is it too far to travel in a taxi?? How much would it cost each way or would I be better renting a car for the day

thegolfer

bluebottle102 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply I'm looking forward to it!! I emailed the pro shop and they were extremely helpful I was told it costs $89-99 which includes unlimited range balls!! Callaway clubs on site too.

Just one final question guys. Is it too far to travel in a taxi?? How much would it cost each way or would I be better renting a car for the day

It's about 30 mins drive north, from the flamingo hotel we stayed in, had a rental at the time. Might be easier getting a taxi as collecting and dropping of the car might cause un due hassle if time pressured.. unsure of costs..

davo10

I'm not sure if it makes a difference, we had a rental so I do not know taxi rates. If its only one game of golf and you are by yourself, I'd taxi it, you might get a lift back to Vegas with whoever you play with, worse case scenario you have a few cheap pints while you wait for a taxi to pick you up after you play. By the way, the wolf is the longest course in Nevada but because it is at altitude the ball flies further.

ShivasIrons

bluebottle102 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply I'm looking forward to it!! I emailed the pro shop and they were extremely helpful I was told it costs $89-99 which includes unlimited range balls!! Callaway clubs on site too.

Just one final question guys. Is it too far to travel in a taxi?? How much would it cost each way or would I be better renting a car for the day

I'd go with renting a car for the trip, car rental isn't too expensive and if you wanted to take a trip to the Hoover Dam or the northern Grand Canyon a car would come in handy.