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Rio Secco Golf Club
RACING TO LAS VEGAS
Fast Cars, Terrific Golf
This November 16-18, Formula 1 racing’s newest stop will light up the Las Vegas Strip with an electrifying nighttime event. The race route will pass many of the Strip’s landmark casinos and hotels on a 3.8-mile track, with cars surpassing 210 MPH as they whiz by.
F1, buoyed by the success of the Netflix show “Drive to Survive,” has seen its popularity spike in the past couple of years, and a race under the neon lights of Las Vegas is likely to drive interest higher than ever. “That’s going to be a pretty hardcore event,” said seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton when he found out about the Las Vegas race, while AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly summed up many of the drivers’ responses, saying: “That’s going to be insane.”
Whether you’re planning to attend the F1 race in November or not, you’ll always find the best golf courses in the region are an easy drive, especially Cascata and Rio Secco.
Just 22 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, Cascata is near the top of every ranking of the best courses in Nevada and is also ranked among the top 50 “Greatest Public Courses” in the country by Golf Digest. Players are greeted like visiting royalty, a feeling enhanced further by a creek that meanders through the grand, Tuscan-style clubhouse. The impeccably groomed course plays up and down the hillsides of the 800-acre property, offering memorable hole after memorable hole, and picturesque views at every turn. A tour-level forecaddie accompanies every group to assist in club selection, reading putts, and moral support.
In Henderson, Rio Secco Golf Club’s tour-quality layout has been called “the best golf design in Vegas,” with six holes in a broad wash, six atop a plateau, and six others traversing tight canyons. As evidence of its bona fides, Rio Secco hosted the Wendy’s 3-Tour Challenge for several years (2008-2013), drawing rave reviews from the pros. After a $2 million restoration that was completed in 2017, the course boasts excellent conditions with greens known as fast and true. Views include the Las Vegas skyline just 14 miles away. The Butch Harmon School of Golf is located at Rio Secco for those who are interested in improving their games.
Before or after a round at Rio Secco, Janelas Restaurant & Bar offers an all-America menu and plenty of TVs to catch a game … or an F1 race!
