No. 3. Las Vegas, Nev.
Population: 1,776,187
Median home price: $310,000
Number of public courses: 53
Median green fee: $140

THE GOLF: Sin City ranks No. 1 in two categories: accessibility to quality public courses and availability of total public courses. Yeah, you'll pay for that quality: The median greens fees are rocket-high. "But hey," says Charley Hoffman, resident pro and winner of the '07 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, "at least golf keeps you busy for five hours!" The A-listers (Tom Fazio's Shadow Creek and Wynn Las Vegas, Rees Jones' Cascata) are pricey, but fairer offerings abound, like Wildhorse Golf Club, a classic palm- and-pine-lined design that features dramatic mountain views. With greens fees under $50, it's a jackpot.

THE REST: Even if you don't gamble, bet on this: You'll never be bored in Vegas. See a show, tour the Canyon or snag a table at Prime, one of the best steakhouses in America.

• Perfect Day of Golf in Las Vegas

The Rees Jones-designed Cascata Golf Club is a man-made tribute to natural excess.

Credit: LC Lambrecht