Dan,
Hyperbole like that was invented by all the "golf writer" pukes who would describe Rosanne Barr as a sex goddess for lunch, booze and a free round (with a cart, of course).
The Casino thing is here to stay, but I am not entirely opposed to it. *Something* drives all development . . . . houses, high fees or in this case, Gambling.
Under normal circumstances - not in a public course starved area like NYC or the Bay Are - it is extremely difficult to make a go of a stand-alone golf course.
In truth, some of the best courses built in recent years have been from funded by Indian Casinos. Guys like Eckenrode (Barona) and Doak (Apache) get the opportunity to do some wonderful things.
Those Indians are not going to pay Fazio or Jack the big jing to urinate a generic cookie-cutter yawner on their land - and golf architecture in America may be better served because of it.
Here is one from the archives:
PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO ANG SPORTS. THIS IS A GOLF COLUMN FOR THE SAN MATEO TIMES.
by Gib Papazian
A reader returning from Las Vegas was lamenting the obscene green fees and surly attitudes of the golf courses in that area.
"I like to play golf and gamble a little bit to relax," he said, "but the cost of even a weekend away is way more than I can afford."
He brings up a salient point - Las Vegas golf courses have become almost a caricature of the resort course mentality. Places like the new Bali Hai course are little more than a theme park with eighteen holes of cheesy Polynesian props and imported Palm trees. Fun for a round or two, but $250 green fees?
Steve Wynn bankrolled Shadow Creek, where Tom Fazio created a completely manufactured pine forest environment. It debuted at number eight on the Golf Digest list, but has steadily dropped as the novelty of its artificiality wore off.
Reno has some good offerings, but its shortcomings lie in an unpredictable high desert climate. There is really nothing wrong with the Reno area, but there is an alternative with some of the best golf to be found in America.
Indian gaming casinos are a source of political and social contention, raising all kinds of sensitive issues on the sovereignty of reservations, exemption from taxation and land use rights.
Regardless of how you feel about the issue, there is no denying that some of the best new courses being constructed in America are attached to these gaming casinos. Like Las Vegas and Reno, gambling is at the heart of the issue - and the economic engine driving the course construction.
The difference is that these destinations are far more affordable. Plus, they present golf courses built with a minimalist philosophy far more in line with the Golden Age architects. Rather than simply hire one of the big name designers to come in and force a cookie-cutter course on the landscape, the Indians have a far more respectful approach to the natural rolls and folds on the land of their ancestors.
The byproduct of this adherence to a minimalist doctrine are some ingenious routings with one-of-a-kind holes. The Tribes as a group have not been afraid to take a chance on young visionaries looking to break free from the shackles of rote repetition.
Your faithful scribe serves on a course evaluation panel for a national magazine and has made a study this year of these so-called "Indian Gaming Courses." The combination of their natural environmental sensitivity, negligible land costs and sophisticated agronomy adds up to cheaper and better golf than found in the major resort areas - plus the attraction of gaming.
In truth, at first I half expected a sooped-up bingo parlor surrounded by teepee's full of squaws selling carved beads. What I found were sprawling casinos and perfectly conditioned courses run like a finely oiled machine. In today's environment, Pocahontas and Running Bear have MBA's from Stanford.
From a pure golf standpoint, with thousands of courses in America that have been constructed since 1960, two Reservation courses have already cracked the GolfWeek Top 100 Modern List with more coming. Another - ironically only 30 miles from the Las Vegas Strip - is in such pristine condition that its director of maintenance was recognized this year as Superintendent of the Year. The green fees there are one third of the average cost in the area. Plus, Pete Dye designed it with another under construction.
So where are these hidden gems located? Here are four I recommend as ideal destinations for a getaway. Three are in the desert areas, but because it is off-season the prices are even more attractive.
BARONA CREEK: 30 miles Northeast of San Diego next to the town of Lakeside is a golf course I would swear was built to the plans of Alister Mackenzie himself. Less than a year old, the course is credited to Gary Roger Baird, but was actually built by his brilliant former associate Todd Eckenrode. Barona Creek wanders in the rolling meadows and fingers of a rocky canyon that sweeps away from the main casino and soon-to-be-completed hotel. There was not a single shot for 18 holes that did not require a strategic decision - all arranged around visually striking bunkers and greens that blend together like high art. To contact call: 619-387-7018.
Apache Stronghold: Located in the town of Globe, 80 miles from Phoenix on the Apache Indian Reservation, Tom Doak spent a full year working out the details of this minimalist masterpiece. Rated number 43 on the GolfWeek Modern List, Apache is an essay in letting the land dictate the routing. There are several ways to play every hole, which twists and turns through the jagged topography. It is the little touches that separate the good from the great and this course is boredom proof. Plus, $39 for a room including buffet dinner and cocktails was like stealing. The property is 3500 feet above sea level, so it will be 15 degrees cooler until the August doldrums. To contact: 520-812-1872.
Talking Stick: Phoenix golf prices are plummeting after a seemingly endless rise for several years - and these courses have followed suit. Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore designed this pair of superb courses less than 20 minutes from the airport. The North Course has been recognized as number 63 on the GolfWeek Modern List. The land itself is nearly flat, but this gave C&C the opportunity to experiment with unusual strategic geometries, blended with yawning bunkers at once visually striking yet not nearly as fearsome as at first glance. The North plays like a true linksland layout, the South is more traditional. To contact: 480-860-2221.
Paiute Golf Resort: Drive 30 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip and the scenery quickly transforms to the stark and pristine landscape of the Paiute Indian Reservation. Parlaying enormous profits from a tax free tobacco concession, the tribe hired Pete Dye to build 27 holes as the showpiece to a full scale resort hotel. A fourth nine, completing the second 18, is nearly open with a third course already drawn up. This is a more user friendly Peter Dye course that will not beat up the average player. To contact: 800-711-2833.