Las Vegas, Nev. (July 20, 2016)–If you’ve been playing golf for any amount of time, chances are you’ve played a Jack Nicklaus golf course or two. But, there is one layout that is one of Jack’s best–and most distinctive–courses. In fact, it’s not your ordinary golf course by any stretch of the imagination. It’s Bear’s Best Las Vegas and it’s a one-of-a-kind layout that players won’t soon forget. –By Bill Bowman
Nicklaus has designed more than 350 courses world-wide including three others in the Las Vegas area: Reflection Bay and the private SouthShore Golf Club at Lake Las Vegas along with Coyote Springs, just an hour north of Vegas.
But one of Jack’s best is definitely defined by the name of one of his finest: Bear’s Best.
While many golf designers come up with a theme they follow from start to finish, Nicklaus threw away the design book when it comes to Bear’s Best. The course is actually an 18-hole layout that incorporates Nicklaus’ designs from some of his best layouts from the West. He took those holes and wove them together into one course and dropped it picturesquely in Las Vegas, just minutes from the famed Strip.
Just imagine the ingenuity this endeavor took. Nicklaus used two holes from Old Works Golf Course in Anaconda, Mont., (that also feature the course’s unique black-sand bunkers), added in a hole from Castle Pines from Colorado (yes, there are pine trees) and threw in 15 other beauties from around the west.
What he wound up with is a Nicklaus design that is unlike any other. (Well almost like no other as there is also a Bear’s Best Atlanta).
But, you’re in Vegas. And this one fits the bill nicely when searching for a different golf experience.
“We like to tell people that we are unique in that no matter which hole you’re playing here, someone else is playing that same hole in a different location,” said Jim Stanfill, general manager “It fits right into the landscape of Las Vegas quite nicely. You’ve got the pyramid at the Luxor, the Eiffel Tower at the Paris, the fountains at the Bellagio and Bear’s Best. We fall right into that category.”
And that’s all well and good, but the bottom line is the name on the course. “When you’ve got the Nicklaus name on a golf course, it’s immediately recognizable as quality. It’s got a seal of approval.”
So when you’re looking for a Nicklaus designed layout that will let you see a variety of some of Jack’s best work, Bear’s Best is the spot to be. After all, it’s not every day players get the chance to see a variety of Jack’s work from all over neatly packaged in one convenient location.