COURSE REVIEW

Nicklaus' tribute a
fine display in Sin City

By Shane Sharp,
Contributing Writer

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 3, 2003) -- Jack Nicklaus has an uncanny ability to recall golf shots he's made on courses throughout his 40-plus year playing career. Whether it's the 1986 Masters or the 1965 Pensacola Open, the Golden Bear can usually nail it right down the club, shot and result.

Turns out, Nicklaus isn't too bad at recalling some of the great golf holes he's designed, either.

Bear's Best Golf Club in Las Vegas's golf-rich westside is Jack's tribute to, well, Jack. The course features 18 replica holes from Nicklaus' finest western designs, both public and private. And while it may not transport you to such exotic places as Los Cabos, Mexico or deposit you inside the gates of exclusive country clubs like Scottsdale's Desert Mountain, Bear's Best is an admirable attempt to bring golfers closer to one of the game's greatest architectural minds.

• More Nevada features • All-Access Pass • Bear's Best a top draw in Atlanta

"Nicklaus is the type of designer who has developed a following over the years," says Adam Owen, club director at Bear's Best. "With over 200 designs it is hard to get to them all."

Bear's Best leans heavily on Arizona, Palm Springs and Mexico for its inspiration (appropriate given its location in the bone dry Mohave desert). The 7,200-yard layout is book-ended by meaty par-4s from Nicklaus' private and resort courses at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif.

Sprinkled in between are well-crafted replicas from La Paloma in Tucson, Ariz., Punta Mita in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Cabo del Sol and Palmilla in Los Cabos, Mexico and a smattering of holes from the Geronimo and Chiricahua courses at Desert Mountain.

"Jack has had a tremendous impact on the way courses are designed in the desert Southwest," Owen says. "He's done a lot of work back east and around the world, but I think he has a real affinity for the desert."

But it's not all palm trees and cactus, here. Bear's Best steps out of character from its sunny Southwest persona to offer respectable renditions of holes from the Old Works Golf Club in Anaconda, Mont., Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Pines, Colo. and Las Campanas outside of Santa Fe, N.M. While these holes don't fit as well thematically or aesthetically, they do highlight three of Nicklaus' better high altitude designs.

"The (par-5) 14th at Castle Pines is more downhill than ours (the No. 8 hole at Bear's Best) and it is actually 640 yards," Owen says. "Still, it is more true to the shot values that way. Our hole actually allows for our lower altitude and gives players similar distances on their shots in relation to the length of the hole."

Conditions: 4.5 Value: 2 Service: 3.5 Design: 4.5 Overall: 3.6

For each hole, Nicklaus Design used the original blueprints and field modifications Nicklaus made during site visits. Once the holes were redesigned, so to speak, Global Positioning System measurements and photographs provided dead-eye accurate placements for bunkers, green complexes and mounding.

"Jack said this was a lot more complicated than doing an original project," Owen says. "It took a year and a half just to plan and design the course."

To think every golfer arrives at Bear's Best to pay homage to Nicklaus' design legacy would be naïve. As such, it was necessary the course stand on its own as a solid, logically flowing layout that would appeal to locals and traveling golfers searching for a quality upscale, daily fee course.

Bear's Best accomplishes this via strategic hole selection on the front and back nines. The ride out lacks the scenic drama of the back, but includes a sampling of Nicklaus-designed holes with a good bit of shaping and earth moving.

The first four holes on the back nine climb into the stunning Red Rock Box Canyon portion of the Spring Mountains. Beginning with No. 14 -- the opening hole at Las Campanas -- the course turns back toward "The Strip" and provides chamber-of-commerce views of the city.

"When we first started, the only hook we had beside being a nice golf course in Las Vegas was that we had 18 signature holes from Jack Nicklaus," Owen says. "That was our selling point two years ago. But we have a certain percentage of golfers who play here because they've heard it is a great round of golf with great services and conditions."

Owen even admits that Club Corp was essentially conceding repeat business in the beginning. After all, who would want to play a "greatest hits" compilation twice, unless it's from the Stones or Beatles, right?

"You would think, but golfers come back two, three and even four times," Owen says. "We have some twosomes and foursomes who come back as larger group outings. It has really been a pleasant surprise."

Where to Stay

Summerlin and points west are developing a formidable room inventory. But staying along The Strip and flagging a cab or renting a car to get to local area courses is still the M.O. of most Vegas visitors. If the tables are just as appealing as the fairways, opt for the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the far south end of The Strip.

The existing, South Pacific themed hotel soon will be joined by the 43-story, THEhotel at Mandalay Bay. The tower's 750-square foot suites will be the largest standard hotel room in Las Vegas. The architectural flavor has been described as "contemporary with comfortable surroundings." THEhotel also will house its own fitness and spa facilities, upscale dining options and other perks and amenities.

And for golfers (you know who you are), Mandalay Bay offers a full service golf concierge desk, easy access to the freeway system, and in the near future - a state-of-the-art Nike Golf retail store. The first-ever store will be part of the new "Mandalay Place" -- a 100,000-square-foot retail center with 41 shops and restaurants. A number of stores in Mandalay Place have opened as of Oct. 2003. For more information or to make

Dining out

You could dine out every night for a week at the existing Mandalay Bay property and never eat at the same restaurant twice. Two weeks will be a possibility once the restaurants of The hotel and Mandalay Place are open for business.

For casual fare, the world-famous House of Blues offers Cajun/Creole cuisine with a Vegas flare. For an Americana brew pub experience, check out the new Red, White and Blue. If you're looking to impress, or just want to kick up the heels and raise the pinkies, Aureole and 3950 are Mandalay Bay's standout fine dining options.

Mandalay Bay also covers the ethnic culinary gamut from Mexico and Italy to China and Russia. The Border Grill serves up creative interpretations of traditional Mexican dishes; Red Square is a must-see vodka bar meets perestrojka-inspired eatery; China Grill emphasizes non-traditional, far eastern fare and Trattoria Del Lupo is a Wolfgang Puck eatery with an eye towards Tuscany.

Fast Fact

Nicklaus Design used original blueprints, field notes from Nicklaus' site visits, and GPS to create the replica holes at Bear's Best.

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.