Sure, Las Vegas is the gambling mecca of America, with more than 30 resort casinos lining the 3.8 miles of the Strip. The biggest risk you take in Vegas, though, might come at one of the many championship golf courses. Vegas golf courses offer some of the most challenging, risk-reward approach shots in the world, and many become more accessible when you stay at the right hotel.
Wynn Las Vegas
There's a lot to love about Wynn Las Vegas, one of casino magnate Steve Wynn's latest resort casinos. The Wynn radiates excellence from the inside out. From its 2,716 rooms to the Lake of Dreams, a huge waterfall that splashes into a three-acre lake in front of mountains. The best part about this place, though, might be its championship golf course.
The Wynn is the only hotel on the Strip with its very own golf course. The Wynn Golf and Country Club features a 7,042-yard course, with more than 4,600 feet of streams and some of the most well-maintained grounds in the country. The 448-yard, par-4 18th might be the best finishing hole around. A 37-foot waterfall serves as the backdrop to the green. It sure takes the sting out of a bogey.
3131 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
(702) 770-7000
http://www.wynnlasvegas.com
Mandalay Bay
While the Wynn is the only hotel on the Strip with its own course, Mandalay Bay offers stay-and-play packages with four exclusive courses, including Bali Hali, the only public course on the Strip. The tropically themed Bali Hali stretches 7,002 yards and features more than 100,000 tropical plants and nearly 3,000 palm trees. It was voted the sixth best course in the country for 2009 by readers of Golf World Magazine. Don't get sucked in by the setting, though, volcanic rock outcroppings and transplanted Augusta white sand will surely remind you this isn't a tropical paradise. Mandalay Bay offers three other golf packages to Shadow Creek, Royal Links and Desert Pines.
3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89119
(702) 632-7777
www.mandalaybay.com
JW Marriott Las Vegas
It's not just all about the Strip in Vegas. If you're on a golfer's weekend or desire some tranquility away from the noisy, light-pounding Strip, consider the JW Marriott, about 15 minutes away in Summerlin. The hotel is centered around some of the area's best golf courses, including The Tournament Players Club Las Vegas has an exclusive deal with year-round play. Often described as Desert Elegance, the 7,063-yard TPC Las Vegas has hosted Senior PGA Tour events and charity tournaments. Elevation and canyons dominate this course, which leaves many players hitting second and third shots from the rough desert valleys.
221 N. Rampart Blvd.
Las Vegas, Nevada 89145
(702) 869-7777
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/lasjw-jw-marriott-las-vegas-resort-spa-and-golf
About The Author
Sean is a writer and editor based in New York City. A graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, he has spent the last decade covering major sporting events from the NFL playoffs to the U.S. Open. He has written for the Kansas City Star and ESPN, among others, and has appeared on ESPN Radio, FoxSports Radio and XM Satellite Radio.
