Las Vegas Golf Links Ooze From PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

May 14, 2007--Who was the world-class Las Vegas golf instructor with two horses--oops, players--on the first page of the final leaderboard at THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP? Butch Harmon, that's who. His new star is Phil Mickelson, who under Harmon's eye won his first PLAYERS trophy, while Harmon's longtime pupil, former UNLV star Adam Scott, put together a solid week to finish in a tie for sixth after a nifty Sunday 67. Harmon operates the Butch Harmon School of Golf at the Rees Jones-designed Rio Secco Golf Club right here in the Las Vegas golf region. But that wasn't the only dynamic Las Vegas golf link playing out on national television. Pete Dye, the designer of the three fabulous Las Vegas golf courses at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort, is also the designer of the "diabolical" PLAYERS Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and the NBC announcing teams used terms like "genius" when describing Dye's work at this illustrious layout. And you can't help but see a little similarity between at least a couple of the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort and STADIUM course holes.

Mickelson was obviously thrilled with the win at the PLAYERS, but also very excited about the future of a long relationship with Harmon.

Las Vegas' Version of Sawgrass #17

"That's what's most exciting is I feel like we're just getting started," Mickelson said. "This is only week No. 3. I feel like in three months how much am I going to progress? In three years where am I going to be? I've seen an immediate difference in three weeks, and I can't wait for another three weeks to go by and start getting ready for the U.S. Open. And another three or four weeks to go by and get ready for the British. I'm really excited about the direction I'm headed."

As for the other Las Vegas link to the TPC Sawgrass designer, all Las Vegas golfers are fortunate because visitors and locals can experience similar TPC Sawgrass holes and shot values right here in Las Vegas.

The par 3, 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass is arguably the most famous hole in all of golf, and certainly evokes the most conversation when tournament time rolls around. Players either love it or hate it. The island green only added to its legend when it gobbled up two golf balls hit by Sean O' Hair, who at the time trailed Mickeson by only two strokes with two holes to play, before making a quadruple-bogey seven. O' Hair said he hit a perfect shot but his adrenalin was pumping too much and caused his ball to fly the green. Our theory is that Mickelson's new found Vegas/Harmon karma had something to do with it because 7 is Vegas' luckiest number, and that's just what O' Hair wrote down on his scorecard.

WOLF #15

Las Vegas golfers can get a taste of that 17th hole by teeing it up at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort's WOLF course. While not an exact replica of the TPC Sawgrass hole, the par 3, 15th hole at Paiute is a true island green par 3, and will offer you at least a similar sensation as to what the PGA Tour pros experience at the STADIUM course. The Las Vegas version plays longer from the tips (182 yards), while the yardage from the middle of the championship tee at TPC Sawgrass to the back of the green is only 146 yards. Our suggestion is to play the yellow tees at Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort (138 yards) if you want a sense of what the players are going through. One big difference is that the TPC Sawgrass green is about 3,900 square feet while the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort 15th hole is estimated at about 10,000 square feet. Whatever the case, there's water everywhere, and you'll pucker on the tee.

Snow Mountain #18

The 18th hole at TPC Sawgrass is very similar to the 18th hole at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort's Snow Mountain course. The finishing holes are both slight dogleg left holes with water completely down the left side of the hole. NBC commentators noted Mickelson's discomfort with the hole, saying that the golfer had said the following about the hole: "I'm a lefty. This hole is very disturbing for me."