A little less hectic your style?
If you have “been there, done that” with the Las Vegas Strip and Glitter Gulch, and don’t want to deal with traffic, a mass of crowds and gigantic hotels which make you feel like you have crossed two entire zip codes walking from the lobby to your room, then an off-strip hotel like the Suncoast in Summerlin are a welcomed option. Suncoast features comfortable rooms, excellent gaming, bowling alley, movie theatre and plenty of dining options at the hotel or nearby. But, besides all of the convenient features of the hotel, perhaps the best benefit for golfers is the location, as it is only 20 minutes west of the airport, and an easy all freeway drive. The shiny golden colored hotel overlooks Angel Park Golf Club, featuring two enjoyable Arnold Palmer layouts and the worlds first “lighted” par 3 course you can play under the stars until 10pm. If you have never struck a ball at 9pm, let me tell you, it’s quite a bit of fun to play golf at night.
The Suncoast honestly may be one of Las Veags’ best hotels to stay at for a golf trip, not only is off the strip and easy to get to, but in addition to Angel Park practically out the back door, Badlands Golf Club is across the street, and TPC Las Vegas is a few blocks away as well. If that still is not enough for you there are also nearly 10 additional golf courses within about 15 minutes of the hotel, making Suncoast a serious contender for a Vegas stay and play. Excellent golf packages are available through the Suncoast, which feature the courses at Angel Park and another very interesting layout by legendary golf architect Arthur Hills at The Legacy. This course has been made famous by a set of tee boxes shaped like Hearts, Clubs, Spades and Diamonds. “The Suits” as the hole is aptly named for the unique tee boxes, add a degree of “Only in Vegas” to the course, and as a professional golf course photographer, I can vouch that these tee boxes are most photographed tee boxes in all of golf.
One of the multitudes of golf options near the Suncoast happens to be another of Schmidt & Curly’s masterworks named Siena Golf Club. With a stunning back drop of towering red sandstone mountains at Red Rock Canyon, Siena has won a few well deserved awards like “Best Value in Vegas” due to a solid design, stunning mountain views and upholds consistent quality of playing conditions. The holes are thoroughly landscaped with desert rock and foliage, and even though the course is routed through a real estate development, the holes are largely unencumbered by the homes as the architects left a sizeable buffer zone, so the golf still feels open and playable. A total of 97 massive, white-sand bunkers frame the holes beautifully, and provide challenge and visual interest throughout the course.
Just a few minutes away, is a sister property to Siena, which adds quality 36 hole opportunity close by, with the Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay designed Arroyo at Red Rock golf club. The Arroyo course offers sweeping views of the Vegas valley and the majestic Spring Mountain range. The course is a player friendly layout which tops out at a max of 6800 yards, and offers a good opportunity to make a few birdies and have some fun from the regular tees.
From experience in Vegas, no matter what you end up doing, or what type of golf courses you decide to play, or the hotel you pick, I guarantee “Only in Vegas” will be heard over and over again. You’ll hear it in the airport, in the cabs, on the tables, heck, you are sure to proclaim the statement yourself 10 times just driving or flying into town from the sheer energy and vibe Vegas emits 24 hours a day.
