READER MARSHAL REVIEW

Brace yourself for Rio Secco

By Jon Bloom, Reader Marshal

After visiting Las Vegas a few times for bachelor parties or other fun activities, I finally had my first opportunity to avoid spending all my time focusing on when the next cocktail waitress was going to come and why my team couldn't hit a free throw to cover the spread. I actually got a chance to take the sticks to Sin City and witness some of the most scenic golf holes I've ever seen.

Before even checking into my hotel room, I met one of my longtime friends at Rio Secco Golf Club located just about 15 miles from the strip in Henderson. I had heard about this golf course because of its relationship with the popular Rio Hotel and Casino and because a man by the name of Rees Jones was the course architect. Normally when the guy Golf World Magazine named its “Architect of the Year” in 1995 attaches his name to a piece of property, you need to be ready for a serious challenge. And Rio Secco fits that bill to a tee.

As if driving in the foothills of the Black Mountain range in Las Vegas isn't scenic enough, I was blown away by the natural beauty and landscaping of the driveway alone at Rio Secco. It doesn't hurt for golfers who are looking to improve their games to notice the Butch Harmon School of Golf on the way to the well-designed and spacious clubhouse, either.

Now, on to the work of Mr. Jones . I have had a difficult time adjusting to “desert-style courses” in the past, but one thing that usually makes me more comfortable is when I can clearly see where the fairways end and the desert begins and that comfort was apparent through most of the afternoon. Despite having a course rating that would come close to getting you a ticket on the Nevada highway, and a slope that reminds you of what my father-in-law shoots before he so keenly adjusts his score, Rio Secco is a tough but surprisingly fair layout with a great diversity of styles.

There are six holes with elevated tee boxes leading to spectacular views of both the beautiful mountains and the surreal skyscraping hotels and casinos of the Las Vegas Strip. Mix in another six holes which take you through a typical desert wash, and an additional six which cut right through a canyon surrounded by mansions that would make even the highest of high-rollers proud.

Rees Jones has certainly strayed from the path a bit on the front nine. The eighth hole is the first of back to back par-5's which measure a combined 1150 yards from the championship tees. The ninth, a healthy 634 yards, could possibly require three shots from Mr. Daly and Mr. Woods to get home. The good news is even if you can't put three great shots together, you'll have one of the best views of Las Vegas that you'll ever see as you negotiate your way through this beast.

As you may expect, Rio Secco does not make the list of best bargains in Las Vegas along with such all-time greats as the $4.99 prime rib buffet and the ever popular 10 T-shirts for $9.99. In fact, you'll have to win about 30 hands of ten dollar blackjack to afford it unless you happen to be a guest at the Rio Hotel, where you can sit out five of those hands and donate $250.00 to the folks lucky enough to call one of the area's most picturesque pieces of land their office.