Las Vegas, Nevada (July 26, 2010)–It’s called Bear’s Best for a reason. When Jack Nicklaus set out to replicate 18 of his best golf holes he’s designed in the West right here in Las Vegas, he did so with as much flair as he did with the originals—and maybe even a little more.And through the summer, there are $99 Las Vegas golf packages with rooms available at the Orleans Hotel. Click to this $99 deal being offered by the official course management.—By Bill Bowman.
With something north of 250 courses in his design resume, picking the best holes on those courses has got to be one tough assignment. At Bear’s Best, it’s easy to see why many of these holes were picked: beauty and challenge being at the top of the list. It’s got to be easy for a developer to put in a tree and a pond in the same spot on two courses and call it good. Not Jack. At Bear’s Best, he’s done his best to replicate the golf holes as close to the originals as possible. If you’ve played the course, you know it’s a compilation of his designs. What you may not realize is how great a job the man did weaving the 18 holes into one amazing track. “These golf holes bring back memories for those who have played the original holes and create memories for those who have not,” said Jim Stanfill, Bear’s Best General Manager.
Take the 4th and 11th holes at Bear’s Best for example. They are replicated from Old Works Golf Club in Anaconda, Mont., and if you put photos of the holes side-by-side with the originals, you’d have a tough time telling the two apart. Don’t believe us? Check out the Old Works’ 7th hole (named 'Heap') and compare it to the 4th at Bear’s Best. It may not be exactly the same, but it’s as close as a designer can come and it shows Nicklaus really puts his all into every little detail. And that black sand in the replication? It was brought in from the Old Works Golf Club. Want more proof of the man’s greatness? No problem. The first hole at Bear’s Best and the 6th at PGA West’s private course (named Mirage) could pass for twins and that’s a good thing. The pond to the left, the bunkers just short of the green that add to the toughness and, best of all, the elevated green with the false front. Click now to the official website of Bear's Best to reserve your tee times in Las Vegas at this course or official Las Vegas golf packages that are available at Bear's Best Las Vegas.
And the magic of replication goes on and on at Bear’s Best. In all, there are eighteen pieces of Jack’s best work from around the west all right here on one stunning piece of property. ““Jack really did a great job of replicating the golf holes,” Stanfill added. “He also did a great job of routing the course. It lays into the desert almost as if it belongs here.” Oh, don’t be afraid to check out the originals if you’ve got the time to visit all the other properties. It will be well worth your time. In the meantime, you don’t have to go around the west to play some of Nicklaus’ top courses, you can just book a tee time at Bear’s Best, one of the more than 50 Las Vegas golf courses that attract thousands and thousands of golfers every year.