Playing golf in Las Vegas: Nine reasons to be thankful

By Mike Bailey, Senior Staff Writer

LAS VEGAS -- The city of Las Vegas is unlike any other in the world, which means the golf scene is different as well. Golf courses and facilities aren't run-of-the-mill, just like the city.

The views just keep coming at The Revere Golf Club as evidenced by the Lexington Course's seventh hole.

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But what makes Las Vegas unique is the overall setting. There is never a shortage of things to do, and you can always do them in style.

In much less time than it takes to play a quick nine holes before Thanksgiving dinner, here are nine things for which Las Vegas golfers can be thankful.

Las Vegas' premium golf courses

While many of the golf courses in the Las Vegas area command premium green fees, there are deals if you know when to play. No matter what, though, you can expect premium conditions. From Wynn Las Vegas to the great views of Revere Golf Club, you can expect great conditions, premium service and a good time.

Gaming

Although Las Vegas is still mired in a housing recession (as is much of the country), it can still be thankful for legalized gambling, because tax revenues have helped create great schools and other public utilities. Each year, more than $8 billion is wagered in Clark County. Las Vegas receives more than 36 million visitors per year, with the largest segment coming from California. The result is mega casinos, resorts, hotels and developments unsurpassed by anything in the world and a city that is unlike any other on earth.

Score updates on golf carts

Several golf courses in Las Vegas, including Siena Golf Club and Silverstone Golf Club, have GPS systems that not only give you yardage to the pin, but also scores of all the football, basketball and baseball games as well as the week's professional golf events. That's good for a couple of reasons. First, often during big games courses aren't as crowded, so it's easier to get a tee time. But most golfers would still like to know the NFL scores. Second, golfers often put down bets at the sports books before their rounds, and it's hard to concentrate on putts when you don't know if your team is covering the spread.

Great restaurants in Las Vegas

There's hardly anything better than following a great round of golf with a great meal, and Vegas has plenty of great choices. But if you're looking to narrow it down, here are a couple of choices. Hussong's Cantina at Mandalay Bay has authentic Tijuana cuisine and terrific margaritas. If you're looking for a great steak, the possibilities are endless. If price is no object, there's Delmonico Steakhouse at the Venetian Resort. Owned and operated by celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, Delmonico's delivers New Orleans-style specialties such as bone-in rib eye, double-cut pork chops or Delmonico chicken for two.

The VooDoo Lounge at Rio

There are lots of great lounges in Las Vegas, but one of the coolest remains the VooDoo Lounge at Rio -- 51 stories above the Rio Casino and Resort just off the Strip. This double-decker nightclub might have the best view in Vegas other than the Stratosphere. Here you can enjoy an exotic drink outside while meeting some of the most interesting and exotic people in Sin City. There's nightly entertainment, including bartenders who whip up specialty cocktails with the flair of a witch doctor.

Lots of great instruction options

When visitors or residents of Las Vegas need help with their game, they've got plenty of great options. In fact, the area boasts some of the best instructors in the game. The Tour Academy at TPC Las Vegas is recommended, as is the Walters Golf Academy, which offers instruction at Desert Pines Golf Club and Royal Links Golf Club.

Wayne Newton

Every city needs an ambassador, and in Las Vegas that's Wayne Newton. "Mr. Las Vegas" has been performing on the Strip for 50 years, since he was a teenager, and he's never lost his enthusiasm. If James Brown was the hardest-working man in show business, they must have left out Las Vegas in their poll because nobody puts more into their shows than Newton. Mentored by Jackie Gleason and Jack Benny, Newton changed the way audiences viewed "lounge singers," and he has been a headliner in Vegas for decades. Known for songs such as "Danke Schoen," "Daddy Don't You Walk so Fast" and "She Believes in Me," Newton plays 13 different instruments and has also enjoyed a successful acting career.

Justin Timberlake's PGA Tour event

Las Vegas couldn't have a better advocate for golf than Justin Timberlake. The low-handicap celebrity player loves the game and gives back by lending his name and time to the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, which is played at the TPC Summerlin each October. Timberlake plays in the pro-am, promotes the event and holds a benefit charity concert for the tournament's beneficiaries.

Freemont Street and other free attractions

Not everything in Vegas is pricey. In fact, with little or no money, it's easy to stay entertained. You can start with the Freemont Street Experience, a five-block area in downtown Las Vegas covered by a canopy of millions of lights with continuous shows each night. There's the Fountains of Bellagio, where millions of gallons of water are choreographed to music for regular shows until midnight. Or the volcano show outside the Mirage and the Sirens of TI, a swashbuckling pirate theater outside of Treasure Island. You can also walk through the Forum Shops and Fountains at Caesar's Palace, stroll through the Wynn Conservatory or watch the gondolas of Venice at the Venetian.