April 9, 2010–Wolf Creek Golf Club, located about 77 miles from the Las Vegas Strip in Mesquite, Nevada, is one of more than 60 Las Vegas Golf Region courses. And this course is, again, featured in the official Tiger Woods online and computer EA Sports games. Golfers from all over the world first play the electronic version and then travel to experience the real thing.–By Brian Hurlburt.
"I can't tell you how many times I go into the restaurant or talk to people in the clubhouse who tell me they have played the virtual game, but had to come here and see the real thing," says Joel Villanos, Wolf Creek General Manager. "We're very proud to be a part of the EA Sports Tiger Woods game, and it's now even more exciting because of the online, browser version they have released this year. We get people playing from all over the world who have played the game, and it has been terrific exposure for us." You can click now to visit the official Wolf Creek Golf Club website and secure your Las Vegas Golf Region tee times or golf packages.
The creators of the video game take special care in the golf courses which are chosen for the game, and believed that Wolf Creek filled a "fantasy course" niche when they decided to include the course a few years ago. To ensure authenticity, a helicopter with camera flew the course, and other camera angles were used to capture one of the more scenic golf experiences in the world. Wolf Creek is known for canyons and holes that can be similar to what golf on the moon might be like. And those creators say that a strong majority of the online players are real-world golfers.
"It's bringing in a very different demographic than we have typically been used to," EA Sports President Peter Moore said in a USA Today article recently. "The average age of the typical person who played the open beta was 40 years old. It's an affluent consumer, $65,000 a year and upwards, and 90% of them play golf in the real world. We are also seeing that they love the fact that you can play three or four holes and suspend the game, close the browser down and come right back in three or four hours later when you've got more time and play exactly where you left off."
When the computer game was released several years ago, EA Sports officials talked glowingly about Wolf Creek. “Tiger Woods PGA Tour gamers have an endless desire for fantasy courses, which is one of the main reasons Wolf Creek was high on the list of courses we wanted to sign,” said EA Sports product manager Praveeta Singh. “The coolest part is that Wolf Creek is a fantasy course that actually exists.” Now, the online version does the same thing. Plus, Wolf Creek Golf Club officials are working with EA Sports officials to offer private tournaments and other aspects via the official Wolf Creek website. Stay tuned for that news.