If you live in the United States and find yourself working long hours with little time to splurge on yourself, you are not alone. On average, Americans work more days and more hours per day than in many countries in the world. So, when it is time to kick back and get away from it all, booking a Las Vegas golf vacation makes plenty of sense. You can experience a unique mix of golf and gambling, putting and puttering, birdies and banquets.

With a wide variety of Las Vegas vacation packages available, you have a number of options to choose from among the best of Las Vegas golf courses. You can mix and match the hotel of your choice

with tee times and reservations at a number of area golf courses. Here are a few courses by famous designers and golf professionals to explore during your Vegas vacation.

Do you remember the King of Golf? Arnold Palmer? Arnie designed Angel Park, a Spanish-style club which is home to two 18-hole designs, the Mountain Course and the Palm Course - as well as the par-3 Angel Parkas and putting course. The Angel Park golf course is rated as one of the best venues in the Nevada golf scene. In 2002, Angel Park won several VegasGolfer 2002 awards, including Best Value, Best 19th Hole and Best Youth Program.

At Red Rock Country Club, the Arroyo Course is Arnold Palmer’s newest

of Las Vegas golf courses. The desert has been transformed by palms, waterfalls and emerald green fairways. Each hole invites you to compete and build camaraderie as you experience panoramic views of the city and towering mountains. This course is the only one at Red Rock Country Club open to public play. The course stretches to 6,857 yards and plays to a par 72. The Arroyo contains challenging bunkers, tricky dramatic water hazards and a lush green fairways and greens that involve every golfer in a battle of attention and wits.

How about Arnie’s chief competitor, Jack Nicklaus? The Golden Bear has been building in Las Vegas as well. Jack Nicklaus reviewed all of the golf courses he has

built around the world and selected 18 of the finest holes from those courses. He took their individual golf hole design to Las Vegas and included each one in Bear’s Best Golf Club. The course opened in 2001. From the golf courses ranging from Montana to Arizona, Nicklaus hand-picked these golf holes. His Golden Bear signature makes each hole a golfing event to remember.

Is gambling allowed on a Las Vegas golf vacation? One might think so. Arthur Hills built the Legacy Golf Club in 1989. On the 10th tee, Hills built four tee boxes on the par 3 10th hole. One is shaped as a heart, spade, club and diamond, in case golfers forgot just what territory they played

in.

A Las Vegas golf trip would not be complete without a round played at the Rio Secco, which is owned and operated by the Rio Hotel and Casino. The course is located about 15 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. The course is carved into the natural desert terrain and plays fast and firm. At par-72, 7,332-yard course, every club in your bag will get a workout. Tiger Woods scored the course record with an eight-under-part 64. The greens are slick with deep valleys, so if stay below the hole unless you want a three or four putt. This is the course to play if you love scenery. Six holes of the course’s 18 holes are located on

top of on plateaus with breathtaking views of the city, six holes lie in a broad desert wash and six holes lead through steep canyons.

Make sure to research the many other Las Vegas golf courses that can make your Vegas golf vacation a pleasure. Make sure to do your research so that you can make the most of your golf vacation.

Dave Pipitone is an avid golfer who loves to visit new golf courses. To learn more about Las Vegas golf vacations, visit http://www.golf-in-vegas.com