LAS VEGAS
Lee Trevino once remarked that the coldest he ever was in his life was in the Las Vegas desert, at the 1971 Sahara Invitational. While it's true that desert mornings and evenings can get surprisingly intemperate, typical daytime temps are relatively mild, averaging 58-65 degrees for highs from January to March. So roll the dice, bring your windshirts and risk a few bucks on the links. Over the long haul, you'll spend less money outdoors than you will indoors.
Shadow Creek Golf Club
7,239 yards, par 72; Green fee: $500
702-791-7161, shadowcreek.com
As of March 2000, it's no longer the impossible-to-get-onto layout of legend, but Shadow Creek remains the ultimate Hollywood set come to life, an oasis of pine trees, rolling hills, flowers and waterfalls hewn from a poker table-flat, lifeless plot of desert by magicians Wynn and Tom Fazio.
Even the most curmudgeonly of purists would acknowledge that Shadow Creek is worth its stripes for its finish alone, with the eye-popping, watery, 164-yard, par-3 17th taking a backseat only to the 564-yard, par-5 18th, a risk/reward wonder that eases past three ponds set on a diagonal, each tempting with a bite-off-as-much-as-you-can-chew proposition. Five bills is a lot to ask, but if you want to be dazzled-at any time of year--this is the place.
Las Vegas Paiute Golf Club (Wolf course)
7,604 yards, par 72; Green fees: $105-$220
702-658-1400, lvpaiutegolf.com
The toughest and costliest of Paiute's three courses is a distinctive Pete Dye design that opened with a Shell's Wonderful World of Golf match in 2000 that witnessed Karrie Webb edging Annika Sorenstam, 64-65. Well, it wasn't so hard for those two, but for most, it's a howler, thanks to ever-present winds, glassy greens and dense, wildflower-dotted brush cruelly edging every fairway.
All the club's photos feature the 182-yard, island-green, par-3 15th, but the most compelling par-3 on the course is the 206-yard 8th, with its artful contouring, stern bunkering front-right and steep fall-offs in back.
Bali Hai Golf Club
7,002 yards, par 71; Green fees: $199-$325
702-450-8000, balihaigolfclub.com
Wildly overpriced and lacking a practice facility, Bali Hai also suffers from a so-close-to-the-airport location that you could likely snag a cocktail from the flight attendant in your backswing, if you can concentrate at all given all the jet noise. Yet, for all that, if you've got the dough, go for it. You'll save nearly $100 on cab fare alone, as the course is just a five-minute ride from the heart of the Strip and the layout itself features a fun, gorgeous, South Seas-themed design from Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley and a restaurant, Cili, that's among the best of its kind in the U.S. While a few of the par-4s and 5s are a bit cramped for some tastes, a pair of par-3s, the 9th and the 16th, will linger long in memory.
Great Value: Wildhorse Golf Club
6,525 yards, par 70; Green fees: $82-$104
702-434-9000, golfwildhorse.com
In its checkered history an earlier version of this 48-year-old course played co-host to the PGA Tour's Sahara Invitational and when the Tour returned to Las Vegas in 1983, it was one of four courses used in Fuzzy Zoeller's victory. Its current incarnation is a 2004 makeover by Schmidt-Curley, who slashed yardage, but improved character and playability. What remains are the handsome mountain views and some mature trees as well as a killer closing hole, a 371-yard, par-4 that is nearly surrounded by sand and water.
Lee Trevino once remarked that the coldest he ever was in his life was in the Las Vegas desert, at the 1971 Sahara Invitational. While it's true that desert mornings and evenings can get surprisingly intemperate, typical daytime temps are relatively mild, averaging 58-65 degrees for highs from January to March. So roll the dice, bring your windshirts and risk a few bucks on the links. Over the long haul, you'll spend less money outdoors than you will indoors.
Shadow Creek Golf Club
7,239 yards, par 72; Green fee: $500
702-791-7161, shadowcreek.com
As of March 2000, it's no longer the impossible-to-get-onto layout of legend, but Shadow Creek remains the ultimate Hollywood set come to life, an oasis of pine trees, rolling hills, flowers and waterfalls hewn from a poker table-flat, lifeless plot of desert by magicians Wynn and Tom Fazio.
Even the most curmudgeonly of purists would acknowledge that Shadow Creek is worth its stripes for its finish alone, with the eye-popping, watery, 164-yard, par-3 17th taking a backseat only to the 564-yard, par-5 18th, a risk/reward wonder that eases past three ponds set on a diagonal, each tempting with a bite-off-as-much-as-you-can-chew proposition. Five bills is a lot to ask, but if you want to be dazzled-at any time of year--this is the place.
Las Vegas Paiute Golf Club (Wolf course)
7,604 yards, par 72; Green fees: $105-$220
702-658-1400, lvpaiutegolf.com
The toughest and costliest of Paiute's three courses is a distinctive Pete Dye design that opened with a Shell's Wonderful World of Golf match in 2000 that witnessed Karrie Webb edging Annika Sorenstam, 64-65. Well, it wasn't so hard for those two, but for most, it's a howler, thanks to ever-present winds, glassy greens and dense, wildflower-dotted brush cruelly edging every fairway.
All the club's photos feature the 182-yard, island-green, par-3 15th, but the most compelling par-3 on the course is the 206-yard 8th, with its artful contouring, stern bunkering front-right and steep fall-offs in back.
Bali Hai Golf Club
7,002 yards, par 71; Green fees: $199-$325
702-450-8000, balihaigolfclub.com
Wildly overpriced and lacking a practice facility, Bali Hai also suffers from a so-close-to-the-airport location that you could likely snag a cocktail from the flight attendant in your backswing, if you can concentrate at all given all the jet noise. Yet, for all that, if you've got the dough, go for it. You'll save nearly $100 on cab fare alone, as the course is just a five-minute ride from the heart of the Strip and the layout itself features a fun, gorgeous, South Seas-themed design from Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley and a restaurant, Cili, that's among the best of its kind in the U.S. While a few of the par-4s and 5s are a bit cramped for some tastes, a pair of par-3s, the 9th and the 16th, will linger long in memory.
Great Value: Wildhorse Golf Club
6,525 yards, par 70; Green fees: $82-$104
702-434-9000, golfwildhorse.com
In its checkered history an earlier version of this 48-year-old course played co-host to the PGA Tour's Sahara Invitational and when the Tour returned to Las Vegas in 1983, it was one of four courses used in Fuzzy Zoeller's victory. Its current incarnation is a 2004 makeover by Schmidt-Curley, who slashed yardage, but improved character and playability. What remains are the handsome mountain views and some mature trees as well as a killer closing hole, a 371-yard, par-4 that is nearly surrounded by sand and water.
