Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to make more than a dozen trips out to Las Vegas. I’m a gambler at heart, and Las Vegas has a special place in my heart. My last trip was in November. Like most of my travels, this trip revolved around golf.
Oh, my Cascata
Cascata, one of my favorite golf properties in the world, was advertising a Double Down golf package that allows you to tee it up at both Cascata and Rio Secco Golf Club, starting at only $319. Those of you who are not familiar with Cascata can read my previous article to learn more.
A quick summary, Cascata is a bucket list golf experience. Cascata is always ranked as one of Nevada’s best golf courses and is only 22 miles from the Las Vegas Strip. A round at Cascata is more than worth the $319, so when they double down with Rio Secco, WHY NOT!
The Vegas Experience
I feel silly admitting it, but I will. Before this trip out to the desert, I had never played Rio Secco. Heading out to Vegas is always a non-stop adventure, full of drinking, gambling, and golf. Not always in that order, but hopefully, you get the point, the trips fly by, and I always head home in need of a few days off to recovery.
This trip was no exception to what I’m used to with Vegas. Great golf during the day, fantastic food, and long nights at the craps table drinking and losing too much money! Rio Secco is probably best known to the golf world as the home of world-renowned golf Instructor Butch Harmon. When it comes to instruction, the first name out of everyone’s mouth is Butch, so if Rio Secco is good enough for him, I was willing to trust it would be good enough for this golf aficionado.
Rio Secco – No Chopped Liver
In terms of the golf course, doing some quick research on Rio Secco, I learned that they had recently completed a $2 million renovation in the fall of 2017, courtesy of the “US Open Doctor” and Rio Secco’s original architect, Rees Jones. Just on the surface, they aren’t just throwing in a side of chopped liver on this deal.
Leaving my hotel on the Vegas Strip, the trip out to Rio Secco was an easy one. Only 15 miles away, I was in the parking lot pulling out my golf clubs in under 20 minutes. The staff at Rio Secco was more than welcoming, running over to help with the clubs and quickly got us set up on a golf cart. After stopping in the pro shop to check-in and shop, we decided to head up top and check out the practice facility.
As you might imagine, the home of Butch Harmon has some pretty impressive practice facilities. The range, chipping area, and practice green are all located near the first tee box. The practice complex is very expansive and includes a snack shack with a full bar and all-beef hot dogs. After getting loose on the range, make sure to set time aside for the practice green. The greens at Rio Secco are some of the most sinister and fastest we’ve played.
Front Nine Highlights
What you will notice first and remember the most at Rio Secco are the views! Rio Secco is carved out amongst the Black Mountains in the Seven Hills community, providing spectacular views of the Vegas Strip and a glimpse at some of the world’s most spectacular golf homes.
Rio Secco is 6-6-6, six holes deep in the canyons, six atop a plateau, and six others sit atop a broad wash. The course opens with a friendly par four that will allow most golfers to easily reach in two. The real fun starts when you hit the putting surface. The first green is sloped back to front, and you can easily ping pong back and forth. Everyone in our group was either on or around the green, but only one walked away with a par.
Your first lesson at Rio Secco is you’re better off being below the hole more often than not. A lesson we learned the hard way on the beautiful par-3 third. The hole plays over a desert washout with a sizeable welcoming green. The 3rd is pretty simple, you either hit the green or you’re screwed. We had one golfer in our group that 4-putted this green. As I noted earlier, make sure to use the practice green and get the green speed dialed in!
Our favorite hole on the front is the par-4 fifth. It’s a breathtaking hole but tough to par. You face a tight tee shot into a narrow fairway from an elevated tee box. The smart play would be keeping the driver in the bag, but it’s Vegas GO FOR IT, BABY! The green is surrounded by 20-foot rock cliffs, with one of the most beautiful homes in Vegas in the backdrop.
Back Nine Highlights
The 11th tee box offers what we think is the Las Vegas Strip’s best views, so make sure you bring the iPhone with you to the tee. Besides providing a great photo opportunity, the 11th is one of the more challenging holes on the course. It’s as long as it is straight, and from the tee, it’s going to look even longer. Playing 489/460/436 yards, depending on tee selection, most golfers won’t reach in regulation.
The sixteenth is the start of a fabulous 3-hole stretch. Another beautiful par-3 after losing a few balls in the water, we recommend taking an extra club for this forced water carry.
Next up, the 17th, the final par-5 of the day. A long hole with not much room for error off the tee, a reoccurring theme all day. Unfortunately, if you’re not hitting it straight off the tee, Rio Secco is going to beat you up and steal your lunch money. This long par five is almost guaranteed to be a 3-shot hole for most golfers. If you can make par, you’re a better golfer than me!
The grand finale is a challenging par four. Getting off the tee here is only half the job. The 18th features one of the most challenging approach shots on the course. Finding the green while avoiding one of the many greenside bunkers will be a challenge, and finishing off with a par will be much more challenging.
Hit Me or Stay?
Hit Me! Double Down! ALL IN! The Rio Secco/Cascata combo deal is HANDS DOWN, the best thing on the Vegas golf menu. Vici Properties took over ownership of both Rio Secco and Cascata from Caesar’s at the end of 2017. When I heard ownership was changing at Cascata, I was worried the experience might diminish. I mean, it’s over the top, even for Vegas.
I’m happy to report the experience at Cascata is just as good as ever, and we couldn’t have been happier with our first experience at Rio Secco. The fact that you can plan a weekend trip to Vegas and tackle all your golf needs in one fell swoop is a bonus. Both Rio Secco and Cascata provide a first-class golf experience highlighted by excellent customer service and breathtaking golf. Don’t hesitate to take advantage of this opportunity to Double Down!