FEATURE STORY

Golf and March Madness merge in Las Vegas during NCAA basketball tournament

By Mike Bailey,
Correspondent

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 Red Rock C.C., SilverStone Golf Club and Bali Hai? 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 Portland State is covering a 22-point spread while contemplating a 10-foot putt to tie a match.

Ah, there's nothing like March Madness.

The NCAA Tournament starts Thursday, March 20 with games beginning as early as 9 a.m. Pacific Time. The Final Four wraps up in San Antonio on April 7 when a new national champion will be crowned. 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 in October. "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.

One X factor this year is that the first weekend of March Madness falls on Easter, traditionally a slow time in Vegas (if there is such a thing). Lenzie says it will be interesting to see how the two events play out. He expects the tournament will make Easter weekend much busier than usual.

At least one golf group is offering a special package that runs through the first part of the tournament. Walters Golf's "Tour the World" package includes rounds at Bali Hai, Royal Links Golf Club and Desert Pines Golf Club. Packages start at $549, said John Sugawara, head professional at Desert Pines.

And if you're looking for a tip - an NCAA tip, that is - Sugawara says it's tough to bet against Memphis, which has occupied the No. 1 ranking for much of the season, but he has a couple of other teams you might want to watch.

"I think everyone should watch for the Kansas Jayhawks for their tough D and great transition basketball, not to mention their big lineup," Sugawara says. "My darkhorse would have to be Georgetown. They play in a tough conference. Look out in your brackets, those boys are going to be tough."

February 18, 2008

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.