Vegas March Madness Golf Weekend

  The Las Vegas Hilton Sportsbook

TravelGolf.com, 2/11

Golf Digest, 12/08

LasVegasGolf.com, 2/08

NCAA basketball and Las Vegas golf: It doesn't get any better than March Madness in Sin City

By Bill Bowman, Contributor, TravelGolf.com

LAS VEGAS -- Golf and Las Vegas go hand-in-hand. Add in March Madness and you've got the makings of a great outing. Whether it's for just one weekend of the event or the entire two weeks, you'"The first weekend of the tournament is one of the most popular times of the year to come to Las Vegas," said Julian Dugas, director of sports marketing for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. "All of the sports books are just packed with folks coming in to party and watch the games. And many, many of those folks love to play golf."

So let's get ready to tip it off and tee it up. Now is the time to plan out your trip (Vegas hotel/golf packages are plentiful), check your brackets, and slide in a tee time or two during your visit. You won't be sorry.

Las Vegas golf: Choosing the right course
From A to Z, Las Vegas golf courses are some of the finest around.

No matter which direction you may travel, from the northwest end including courses such as Silverstone Golf Club to the southern tip, with layouts like the Lexington and Concord courses at Revere Golf Club, to the west side, with Siena Golf Club, to the east with Tuscany Golf Club, your golf needs are covered.

And don't forget there's Bali Hai Golf Club and Wynn Golf Club right on the famed Las Vegas Strip. And just off the Strip are courses such as Royal Links, Rhodes Ranch and Desert Pines.

Just outside of Vegas, you'll find layouts such as Cascata and Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. With more than 50 golf courses in the Vegas area, variety is the name of that game.

But, if you know about all these great Las Vegas golf courses, so do millions of other players. Get online now and make that tee time. If you're coming by yourself (or with your better half), finding a tee time won't be much of a problem. But if it's you and 15 of your closest gambling/drinking/golfing/carousing buddies, blocking out tee times for a group of foursomes takes some doing, so the earlier you start, the better.

Las Vegas off course
And even though you plan to spend the majority of your time playing golf and watching the big game -- or in this case, games -- don't forget the thousands of dining options available here. From the best steaks to the freshest seafood to the coolest hotspots, Vegas has it all. The 'dogs available in the sports books are great, but you'll want to take a little time to sample some of the best cuisine anywhere.

After the final horn sounds and the day's basketball action is over, your action may just be getting started. From nightclubs to spas to top-notch restaurants to gambling spots, if it suits your fancy, you'll find it here. Just remember the games the next morning start pretty early (as will a few of your tee times if your teams play later in the day) so approach the party scene with caution -- and always have a designated driver (off the course).

Whether it's a high-end golfing experience or a low-budget round, you'll find it. So book your tee times, grab your buddies, grab your clubs and head to Vegas to tee it up and do March Madness right.

February 1, 2011

You'll have plenty of time to check out the golf courses and hoops excitement. Just make sure you start making those tee times early because, like the NCAA basketball tournament, you've got to be in the field to be part of the excitement.

The Odds of March
Combining NCAA men's basketball madness and golf in a Las Vegas trip that's hard to beat
By Matt Ginella

I've often wondered who makes the betting lines and how they're so good at their jobs. At the sportsbook inside Sin City icon MGM Grand last March, the Kansas Jayhawks were 22-point favorites over Portland State. This was the battle of a No. 1 seed against a No. 16 seed. I gave the points.

Since the NCAA basketball tournament went to a 64-team field in 1985, No. 1 seeds are 92-0 against No. 16 seeds. Therefore, this game was essentially over before it started, and yet, as the final seconds ticked off the clock, my fists were clenched, I was sweating in an air-conditioned room, and I was fighting the crowd for a better view of the TV. Kansas was up by 24, but Portland State had the ball for the last shot and heaved a three-pointer ...

Some might consider Las Vegas, especially in March, the ultimate buddies-trip destination with all the vital elements: blue skies, temperatures in the mid-70s, unlimited big-screen sports, gambling and golf. This was not my maiden trip to Vegas, but my first during opening week of the Road to the Final Four.

Three friends and I came to town with an agenda: We would play golf in the morning, bet and watch the basketball games in the afternoon, and then hit the tables until our tee time the next day. Not on the agenda were a couple of life's essentials: food and sleep.

We arrived Wednesday night, a college-days pep to our step, convinced this year we'd beat the system -- we'd leave Las Vegas as winners. I ignored wise words from my uncle: "You can win a race, but you can't beat the races."

No shock that we left on Sunday as losers, shoulders slouched and our wallets drained of dignity. Our posture was a badge of what we still considered good fun.

Thankfully, there was golf. This was our escape from the static and the strain of the Strip. We played two rounds at Paiute Resort and two rounds at Primm Valley Golf Club. We picked them because they were a combination of quality and value (by Vegas standards). All four courses we played were ****½, and the green fees were $200 or less.

At Paiute, 25 minutes northwest of the airport, there are three Pete Dye courses. We played the Sun Mountain ($169) and the Wolf ($189), passed on the Snow Mountain ($169) for no particular reason other than we had time to play only two. I preferred the Wolf. From the tips it plays at 7,604 yards, which makes it the longest course in Las Vegas. We played it from the black tees (7,009 yards), which was still too much distance for a group of guys suffering from sleep deprivation. We would've been better off playing the yellow tees (6,483 yards). Not the typical diabolical Dye, both courses could almost be considered user-friendly, as long as you aren't gripping the club with caffeine shakes.

Forty-five minutes south of the Strip, Primm Valley has two Tom Fazio courses, the Lakes and the Desert. The Lakes is more of a resort course; the Desert is for better golfers. Both cost $200, but the Desert plays longer and has a higher Course Rating.

  Primm Valley Desert Course #1

The Lakes has trees, waterfalls and feels more manufactured in a desert setting. I loved the back-to-back par 5s on the front nine of the Desert course. Typically, the seventh hole is downwind and reachable with two good shots. The eighth hole plays back into the fan and might not be reachable if you hit four perfect shots.

Our first choice for lodging was Mandalay Bay because I'd heard it had a bright atmosphere, high ceilings and a classy crowd. We planned our trip in February, which was too late, so we stayed in adjoining rooms at the MGM. It was more affordable than other options on the Strip (standard room rates in March are $179 to $269 per night), and I heard the MGM had just finished a renovation of its sportsbook. It attracted a college crowd in school colors and the occasional face-painter to its wall of massive flat screens. When we were forced to forage, we found two meals at the MGM. Shibuya served top-shelf sushi with an over-the-top presentation. Our favorite meal of the trip was at Craftsteak.

As for my bets on basketball, Portland State missed that last-second three-pointer, so Kansas covered -- the start and end of my winning streak. Oh, well. It's never too early to start planning for next year. Oddsmakers have it at even money that we're going to Vegas again. Last March, the Nevada sportsbooks' take from college hoops was $240 million. Next time, my friends and I are determined to win a race and beat the races.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
BUTCH HARMON'S BASICS
(OF LAS VEGAS)
Favorite restaurant? "I'm a steak guy, so I like the Palm at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. I get the New York strip, Pittsburgh rare with sauteed mushrooms, a good bottle of red wine, and I'm in heaven." Golf course? "If you're willing to pay $500, Cascata is the finest golf experience in town." Sportsbook? "Green Valley Ranch in Henderson."

OFF THE STRIP
If the Strip isn't your thing, stay and play at the Red Rock Casino. There's a modern motif in the rooms, and the bathing suits on the waitresses at the Sandbar make for a walk-stopping scene by the pool. If you're hungry, T-Bones will solve your stomach problem.

BEAT THE LINES
If you can't beat the oddsmakers, you can beat the long lines at the betting windows of the MGM by going across the street to the Tropicana. The modest sportsbook is still run by hand, and there's rarely a wait.

During NCAA basketball tournament, golf and March Madness merge in Las Vegas
By Mike Bailey, Senior Staff Writer, LasVegasGolf.com

What do you get by combining the NCAA basketball tournament, sports books, and golf packages that include tee times on great Las Vegas golf courses like TPC Las Vegas, Siena Golf Club and Bali Hai G.C.? March Madness, Vegas style!

LAS VEGAS -- Filling out the office pool is one thing. Going to Vegas during the NCAA men's basketball tournament, well, that's a whole different experience. At a sports book, you can place bets on every game, pick regional winners and the overall champion, and even pick a 10-game parlay in the first round.

Then, you could literally spend 16 hours during each opening round day, following the action on dozens of high def big screens.

Or you could go play golf - at least part of the time.

"That way you're just not sitting there biting your nails," says Thom Blinkinsop, regional general manager at Red Rock Country Club in Summerlin.

Several golf facilities, like SilverStone Golf Club and WildHorse Golf Club in Henderson, feature sports news on their GPS systems. In the case of Red Rock, both Siena Golf Club and Arroyo at Red Rock will send continuous score updates to golf carts throughout the day so players won't have to be checking their cell phones or wondering if their team is covering a 22-point spread while contemplating a 10-foot putt to tie a match.

Ah, there's nothing like March Madness.

Unlike college football, there are 64 teams (after the play-in game) that all have a mathematical shot, and most of them believe their chances are real. Many of their fans do, too, and that optimism permeates, especially during the first round, when every team is 0-0.

"The first and second rounds are our big money makers," says Bill Sattler, race and sports book director for the Flamingo and Harrah's casinos. "It's really comparable to the Super Bowl overall (in terms of wagering)."

Sattler says he sees a younger crowd this time of year, many of them with ties to the college teams in the field. Those groups also tend to book group outings, especially on the weekend.

"We get a lot of groups of 12 or 16," says Dan Hammel, general manager of the TPC Las Vegas, which hosts the PGA Tour's Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open. "They like to bet the tournament on Wednesday, then come out and play golf.

Because most golf courses in the Las Vegas area will be booked solid, don't expect any discounted rates, but there are some things you can do to make sure your golf experience is rewarding.

"My tip would be to get your tee times now," says Greg Kinney, general manager of the 36-hole Revere Golf Club. "Don't book a week (or less) in advance; do it now and you'll be okay."

Like Kinney says, don't wait until the last moment. And if your schedule allows, you might even want to come at the beginning of the week when hotel rates are generally a little lower and golf rates are less as well. Plus, there will be more tee time selections, says Tony Lenzie, director of golf and general manager at Siena Golf Club.

"You could come in Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and get your bets down, then you could watch the games at home if you wanted to," Lenzie says.

February 18, 2008