There’s
no denying that over the past decade, Las Vegas has emerged as a legitimate,
first-rate golf destination. There are dozens of excellent daily-fee courses
within 10 or 15 miles of the Strip and—with the additions of Wynn Las Vegas,
Bellagio, the Venetian and many others—the accommodation and dining options are
more varied and luxurious than ever before.
Still,
trying to mix in a few rounds of golf on a Vegas vacation presents some
challenges. Once you take a few gulps of that oddly scented casino air, you
begin to settle in to Sin City Time. It can be exceedingly difficult to answer
the bell for your 8 a.m. tee time.
Lake
Las Vegas Resort, located 17 miles southeast of Vegas in Henderson, is a terrific
alternative to the hectic pace of the Strip. Lake Las
Vegas is a sprawling resort and private golf
community located on a 320-acre lake with more than 10 miles of coastline.
Lodging options present a can’t-lose bet. Choose between the Ritz-Carlton or the
Hyatt Regency. Condominium suites are also available for nightly rental, and
plans for additional hotels are in the works.
The
pace is glacial compared with that of the Strip, but there’s no shortage of
things to do. Of course, there’s gambling in a number of intimately sized
casinos, but there’s also an array of watersports (including kayaking,
windsurfing and catch-and-release fishing), hiking, horseback riding and
mountain-biking in the rugged desert hills and lake cruises (with or without
singing gondoliers).
The
center for Lake Las Vegas nightlife—such as it is—is MonteLago Village, a Mediterranean-inspired walking
village on the waterfront comprised of a collection of lakeside restaurants,
bistros and boutiques. Como’s Steakhouse—operated by acclaimed chef
Joseph Keller—is not to be missed and offers an exceptionally inventive menu.
If
you feel like a faster-paced night on the town, just take a limo to the
Strip—you’ll be there in less than half an hour. Or if you have to get a bet
down fast, it’s a seven-minute helicopter ride.
There
are three golf courses at Lake Las
Vegas. SouthShore Golf Club is private, but resort
guests can play the Nicklaus-designed Reflection Bay and the Falls, a three-year-old Tom
Weiskopf course. The two offer extremely diverse golf
experiences.
The
7,261-yard, par-72 Reflection Bay is generous off the tee and more
traditional in the sense that holes unfold in front of you; it’s all there for
you to see, as they say. Each nine builds to a crescendo with dramatic lakeside
finishing holes that have an almost tropical feel. Nos. 7, 8, 9, 17 and 18 all
bring Lake
Las Vegas into play, with
the par-3 8hth and 17th requiring white-knuckle tee shots into peninsula
greens.
The
Falls, located on higher ground south of the lake, is more visually intimidating
off the tee (there’s more room than meets the eye, though) and is integrated
seamlessly into the desert landscape. Holes climb and fall and make great use of
dramatic rock formations. You’ll face some semi-blind shots, but there’s nothing
tricked up or contrived about the 7,250-yard, par-72 design. The dogleg-left
par-5 12th (the start of a particularly strong series of holes) climbs to the
highest point on the course, where a panoramic view of the Vegas skyline is
suddenly revealed. No. 13 is a short par-4 that drops 160 feet from tee to
fairway, with an elevated green tucked to the right behind a spectacular rock
formation.
Course
conditions are consistently excellent, and the greens are widely regarded as
among the best in the region. It’s something that’s often overlooked—we tend not
to notice course conditioning unless it’s substandard—but it really adds to the
experience at the resort.
That
experience is only going to be enhanced with the addition of Rainbow Canyon Golf
Club, a Tom Fazio design under construction in the rugged terrain along the
lake’s northeast shore and scheduled to open in late 2007. With all this quality
golf in a desert oasis setting only minutes from the action, Lake Las Vegas
Resort is an increasingly attractive alternative to the madness of the Vegas
Strip.
