Las Vegas has long been a top destination for serious golfers, with dozens of highly acclaimed courses, including a couple of U.S. Top 100 rated layouts. But when the world’s largest Topgolf facility opened at the MGM Grand in May, it cemented Las Vegas’ status as the nation’s capital of offbeat golf. Here's the local trail of unique golf destinations.
Topgolf Las Vegas
Topgolf is an international chain of entertainment facilities built around golf, sort of the sport’s take on a hipster bowling alley meets nightclub meets sports bar. Groups of up to six rent driving range bays and hit golf balls containing computer microchips that track each shot’s accuracy and distance, with a variety of games and skill challenges offered, awarding points for hitting targets in the outfield. Venues also offer full blown restaurant food service — the burgers are highly regarded — full bars, music, games and endless flatscreen HDTVs, as well as more conventional golf lessons with cutting-edge technology.
Occupying eight acres behind the MGM Grand, Topgolf Las Vegas is the new flagship, with four levels on over 100,000 square feet. It has 108 climate-controlled hitting bays, five bars, event spaces, a substantial concert venue and stage, two pools, and being in Vegas, even cabanas and VIP suites. It has a special food and beverage menu unique to the location, hosts big name DJs, and for more serious golfers, adds a Callaway Fitting Studio and Topgolf retail shop. Each floor offers a variety of seating areas to hang out, have cocktails or snacks, or play other games from cornhole to shuffleboard. The Yard, Topgolf’s main public space, has a sports bar feel and even a mobile sports book, allowing guests to place bets while watching oversized screens.
KISS by Monster Mini-Golf
But Topgolf is just the latest in a series of offbeat twists on golf visitors will find in Las Vegas, home to the only official KISS themed mini-golf course, celebrating the iconic rock band. After four years of growing popularity, with nearly half a million players, KISS by Monster Mini-Golf left its standalone location and moved into a bigger space at the Rio All-Suite hotel last month. Anchored by its signature glow-in-the-dark mini-golf course with video and animatronics, the complex hosts occasional KISS band member appearances and live DJs, displays rock 'n' roll memorabilia and KISS props, and has a well-stocked rock ‘n' roll gift shop and even a wedding chapel, Love It Loud, with themed wedding packages. Hundreds of pieces of memorabilia are on display including the Porsche given to new drummer Eric Carr by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons when he joined the band, original '70s KISS Pinball Machines, band member guitars, and every KISS Album signed by all band members.
TaylorMade Golf Experience
Before Topgolf, there was the TaylorMade Golf Experience, a 42-acre facility on the Strip just south of Mandalay Bay. A division of Adidas, golf equipment manufacturer TaylorMade has for years been the number one driver of choice for PGA Tour players. The company has made its proprietary computerized high-tech MAT-T system (Motion Analysis Technology by TaylorMade) open to the public at a few global locations. This is the same way pros like World Number One Jason Day, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia ensure perfectly fitted clubs. The Las Vegas campus offers MAT-T along with a par-3 course, nine holes playing 110-185 yards, a two-level, 113-bay driving range, a short game practice area, and a bar and grill. The range and par-3 course are lighted for night play, and along with instruction, club fitting and swing analysis, the Experience has full retail, custom club making and club demo facilities.
Angel Park
Located near the airport, Angel Park is one of Nevada’s largest golf facilities with two “real” 18-hole courses by design legend Arnold Palmer. But it also boasts the unique Cloud Nine short course comprising replicas of 12 famous par-3 holes from around the world, which are lighted for night play with beverage service available. Angel Park also features one of the nation’s oldest natural grass putting courses, also lighted, sort of a cross between real golf and mini-golf, complete with sand traps and water hazards.
Royal Links Golf Club
Royal Links is a full regulation-sized course done Vegas style, with replicas of 18 famous holes from British Open courses, including the famous Road Hole at St. Andrews and the Postage Stamp at Royal Troon, Scotland’s most famous par-3. In the style of the British Isles, traditional caddies are available, but this being Vegas, so are “ParMates,” a group of caddies made up exclusively of beautiful women.
