Aerial of the Day #201 - 18 Sep 2002

[Scott_Burroughs]

I hate to say this, but I love this aerial.  Not because of the
course, as this course stands for everything I hate about
modern golf, but because of the plane and it's shadow that
got "caught" in the shot!  That's all appropriate, considering
the airport is right next to the course.

"You are now free to move about the country."

[ChipOat]

Hmmm.  Looks like a desert venue.  CA, AZ, NV, perhaps?

I know - that really narrows it down.

[SPDB]

My guess is that you can catch that shadow at least every
two minutes, since "Scott's" airport is literally right next door.

A very "musical" place indeed.

[THuckaby2]

That's what I was thinking also...
certain of our CA stalwarts along
with a transplanted NM resident
recently played (and berated)
this "showy" course....

TH

[Mike_Cirba]

It looks like you could make it into a Christmas ornament (that is NOT a clue!), with sparkly, drizzly white cart paths and crushed granite running down the deep green center.  

I do see one center bunker feature, so all is not lost...oh wait...the island green negates that...all is lost.  

[Scott_Burroughs]

Huck,

A reference is made to that thread early in my first post.



What is this, Polynesia?  Fiji?

[Craig Van Egmond]

Hey Moe... Hey Curley....

[Scott_Burroughs]

"I'm gonna wash that man right outta my hair...."

...though the "model" for this one is on Kauai.

[wsmorrison]

I BET I know this course.  Played it last year.  I was following Charles Barkley's group and had an nice chat with him in the pro shop.  That was the highlight, I found the course very expensive and not worth it.  Ze plane sightings were quite often and fun to watch from so close up.

[Wes_Pumphrey]

If I'm not mistaken, isn't this course in the city where everything is a copy of something else, ie the Eiffel Tower, Venetian lagoons, Lutece, etc.?  Doesn't a certain CBS golf commentator shill for this course?

[George_Williams]

We should discuss the practice range here...

[Robert Kimball]

Where IS the range for this course??
 Unless it is part of one of those multi-course resorts,
then I guess it is located out of the aerial.  
 
 I am pretty sure that I got it now, good clues as always.
I guess you would have to get pretty lucky
on the tables to shill out the green fees??!!
  
  Do they offer caddies here? It seems like
the kind of place that would have all that GPS
mess on carts, beverage girls, yada yada. . .

[Scott_Burroughs]

This course is presented (and named) as if it were in the
south Pacific.

It is affiliated with a hotel that is the at the end of the line
(tip of the strip?).

[RJ_Daley]

I have no guess here.  But, the picture does get me to wondering what the worlds record is for boring holes in parallel.  I count 8 strictly set aside each other, and 10 if you count the two slightly offset but still N to S in the bottom right corner.  If the cart paths are cement, it seems it would be a great place to work out on the old rollerblades.

[Scott_Burroughs]

This is Bali Hai, in Las Vegas, NV, designed by
Schimdt/Curley.  Bali Hai is affiliated with the Mandalay Bay
Casino/Hotel, which is next door, and both are basically the
end of the Strip.  It is part of Walters Golf, which owns other
outrageaously priced courses in the Vegas area, including
past AOTD, Royal Links.  Bali Hai has a South Pacific feel,
with numerous palm trees and sand.

It costs $245-$295 to play here.

The Emperor started a recent thread titled "Bali Hate" about
his thoughts on this course (with pics and one with plane in it):

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/YaBB.cgi?board=GD1&action=display&num=1027328071&start=20


here's the island green:



from the web site (with other pics):

http://www.waltersgolf.com/02_bali_hai/01_c_home.html

this also has a few pics:

http://www.mandalaybay.com/amenities/golf/


other clues include:

"hate" refers to the Emperor's thread.

proximity to airport

"You are now free to move about the country." = Southwest
Arilines' tag line = color of SW plane in aerial.

"musical", "Polynesia", "South Pacific", "Fiji", and "I'm gonna
wash that man right outta my hair...." all refer to the
musical/play/movie "South Pacific" which featured the
fictional mountain (volcano?) Bali Hai.  "I'm gonna wash that
man.." is a famous song from SP (basis of 70's/80's
commercial about washing gray outa your hair).

Also, the "model" for this in Kauai refers to the movie SP,
which was filmed in the Hanalei Bay area of Kauai, Hawaii, of
which the fictional Bali Hai was the mountains in the
background.

Does "showy" refer to the show SP or to Vegas shows?

"Curley"

"bet", "Eiffel Tower, Venetian lagoons," etc = Vegas features

CBS golf funnyman David Feherty does commercials for Bali
Hai and Royal Links.

[George_Williams]

the "range" is that little green rectangle to the right of the entrance road- looks like a turf nursery- you get in the cage and hit balls into a net like 50 ft. away- guess they ran uot of room!