Marvel at the wow factor of the Wynn Golf Club on the Las Vegas Strip

LAS VEGAS -- Despite a colorful history of hosting PGA and LPGA Tour events, the old Desert Inn Golf Club was flat and mostly nondescript. Its replacement, the Wynn Golf Club, suffers from none of those adjectives.

Descriptions of the Wynn Las Vegas golf course only deal in superlatives.

What Tom Fazio created in 2005 is a modern marvel, an oasis of green hidden along Las Vegas Boulevard. Fazio salvaged nearly 1,200 existing trees from the old Desert Inn and brought in nearly 6,000 tree specimens and 100,000 bushes to create a private, intimate experience on each hole.

The 7,042-yard par-70 layout plays stout with plenty of streams, ponds, bunkers and subtle elevation changes. Seven par 4s stretch more than 440 yards from the 6,700-yard men's tees. The five par 3s might offer the best variety in the country, from the tiny target of the 15th green to the long, hit-and-hope tee shot at the ninth.

The five-diamond, five-star service of the resort extends outside, where most caddies are PGA Professionals. Course conditions rival the best private playgrounds in the country. Even if you aren't a fan of the over-the-top waterfall behind the 18th green, the Wynn is certainly a round to be treasured.