Las Vegas, Nevada (November 24, 2014–There are more than 60 golf courses in the Las Vegas Golf Region, and over the previous two days, President Barack Obama played a couple of them in near perfect weather in late November. Obama played Shadow Creek–once named the top golf course in the world by The Robb Report–and also Reflection Bay Golf Club, a Jack Nicklaus design that once was a Top 100 golf course in America until it was closed due to the economy but recently re-opened. Obama is just another in a long line of presidents who have played golf in Las Vegas over the years, but his most recent visit proves yet again that Las Vegas is one of the best golf destinations in the world and is a perfect place to play 365 days a year. –By Brian Hurlburt
Obama and New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter played Shadow Creek on a beautful late-November day at a time when much of the country is dealing with record cold temperatures. The duo were just two of the thousands of Las Vegas golfers enjoying a perfect day on the golf course this past weekend. But the only two flanked by sharp shooters and Secret Service agents …
Obama played two of the best golf courses in Las Vegas, but the fact is that there are many more golf options that would have been worth the play on such a wonderful November day. The day after playing Shadow Creek, Harmon reportedly teed it up at Reflection Bay with Las Vegas resident Butch Harmon, the world's top golf instructor. Harmon operates the Butch Harmon School of Golf at Rio Secco Golf Club, a sweet Rees Jones design that is a previous host course of the Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge and Tiger Jam, Tiger Woods' annual charity event. Rio Secco would qualify as one of the other top courses the president could play on a future Vegas trip in addition to Cascata, a sister course of Rio Secco. Both courses are owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment.
Shadow Creek is owned and operated by MGM Mirage and has hosted several presidents over the years. Obama is the fifth president to visit the course–joined by both father and son George Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter (he has visited the course but not played it according to reports). George W. Bush has a locker at Shadow Creek and a fishing pole. Bush is one of the few allowed to fish in the lakes of the beautiful course that is also a host of the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational.
Reflection Bay Golf Club, a Top 100 course in its heyday, was designed by Nicklaus and is located in Lake Las Vegas, a golf resort and living community located about 30 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. The devastating economy forced the closure of the course several years ago, but it was recently purchased by John Paulson, the billionaire hedge fund manager and re-opened about a month ago. The private SouthShore Golf Club–another Nicklaus design–is also located at the resort and has been played by Obama on previous visits.
This writer was playing yet another Nicklaus Vegas course–Bear's Best Las Vegas–in a charity event while the president enjoyed Reflection Bay. It was just another short-sleeve-and-shorts golf day in November in Las Vegas. Now is the time to stay and play in Las Vegas no matter who you are. See you soon …