FEATURE STORY

Las Vegas is the ultimate 'no limit' golf destination for high rollers

By S. Adam Cardais,
Staff Writer

Las Vegas certainly has a way of being able to take your "budget" and throw it out the window within hours of arrival.

But who needs money, anyways? If you're going to do Vegas, you've got to do it right. And that means dropping some serious coin, both on and off the course. Luckily, if money is no object (or you can convince yourself that while in Sin City), there's plenty to indulge in, from the lush green fairways and personal caddies at Shadow Creek to the foie gras at Le Cirque.

Fun golf in Sin City The best Las Vegas golf packages Nevada golf resorts guide

Where to Rest Your Head

Bellagio Hotel and Casino: Suites at the much vaunted Bellagio have a full wet bar and two master bathrooms - "his" with a steam shower and "hers" with a soaking whirlpool tub. The Salone Suite, the hotel's smallest at 853 square feet, runs around $500 a night.

The Venetian: With three different grades of suites, the Venetian has something to match every taste. The Venezia Concierge Palazzo, the hotel's premier suite, is 700 square feet of pure luxury, with two flat screen televisions and private check in. It runs around $300 a night.

Where to Golf

Shadow Creek   3 Shadow Creek Drive   Tee times: 702-577-2220   Cascata Golf Club   1 Cascata Dr.   Tee times: 702-577-2220   The Las Vegas Paiute   Resort, Wolf course   10325 Nu-Wav Kaiv Blvd.   Tee times: 702-577-2220   Bellagio Hotel and Casino   Phone: (888) 987-3456   The Venetian   Phone: (877) 883-6423   Le Cirque   Phone: (877) 234-6358   Picasso   Phone: (877) 234-6358

Shadow Creek: Designed by Tom Fazio, this legendary course is only open to guests of MGM Mirage properties and remains the standard in high roller Las Vegas golf. A private limousine transports golfers to and from the course, where they're met by a personal caddy. The price tag for all this luxury: around $1,000 dollars a round.

Cascata Golf Club: A favorite of Michael Jordan and George Clooney, Cascata costs around $500 a round. This course used to be so exclusive it was only open to Caesars' guests, but it's relaxing the rules a bit to let other golfers with large pocket books get a chance to play the course some say is better than Shadow Creek.

The Las Vegas Paiute Resort, Wolf course: Designed by Pete Dye, the green fees at the Wolf run as high as $215 a round, but the price is worth the play.

"Rarely does a course this challenging combine with the natural elements to produce an experience like this," wrote Tim McDonald in a story for LasVegasGolf.com. "To play the Wolf, 30 minutes north of Las Vegas, is to have as pristine a desert day as possible and still be in the domain of man."

Where to Dine

Le Cirque: The four-star restaurant at the epicenter of New York's dining scene came to Las Vegas when the Bellagio opened. Laid out aside an eight-acre lake with dancing fountains, Le Cirque's menu offers a three course tasting for $98 a person and a five-course tasting for $125. It is open seven days a week from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Reservations are required.

Picasso: There's little doubt you're living in the lap of luxury when you're dining beside priceless originals of Pablo Picasso. At Picasso, master chef Julian Serrano serves French-Mediterranean cuisine in a four course tasting menu for $90 a person and a five course Chef's Degustation for $100 a person. It's open every day except Tuesday from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Reservations are suggested.

July 18, 2006

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.