Golfweek's Best: 2012 Casino courses
Golfweek’s Best: Casino Courses 2012
Location,
Opened, Architect(s), Avg. rating
1. Shadow Creek
North Las Vegas, Nev.
1990, Tom Fazio, 8.12
2. Fallen Oak
Saucier, Miss.
2006, Tom Fazio, 7.29
3. We-Ko-Pa (Saguaro)
Fort McDowell, Ariz.
2006, Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw, 6.89
4. French Lick Resort (Dye)
French Lick, Ind.
2009, Pete Dye, 6.73
5. The Greenbrier (Old White TPC)
White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
1915, C.B. Macdonald, Seth Raynor, Lester George, 6.66
6. Barona Creek
Lakeside, Calif
2000, Gary Roger Baird, Todd Eckenrode, 6.62
7. Cascata
Henderson, Nev.
1999, Rees Jones, 6.54
8. Atlantic City Country Club
Northfield, N.J.
1923, William S. Flynn, Tom Doak, 6.51
9. Wilderness at Fortune Bay
Tower, Minn.
2004, Jeff Brauer, 6.48
10. Salish Cliffs
Shelton, Wash.
2011, Gene Bates, 6.33
11. We-Ko-Pa (Cholla)
Fort McDowell, Ariz.
2001, Scott Miller, 6.31
12. French Lick Resort (Ross)
French Lick, Ind.
1917, Donald Ross, 6.26
13. Edgewood Tahoe
Tahoe, Nev.
1968, George Fazio, 6.11
14. Firekeeper
Mayetta, Kan.
2011, Jeff Brauer, Notah Begay III, 6.07
15. Sandia
Albuquerque, N.M.
2005, Scott Miller, 6.07
16. Wynn Golf ...
Test of time
Location
Opened, Architect(s) - Avg. rating
1. Shadow Creek
North Las Vegas, Nev.
1990, Tom Fazio - 8.07
2. Fallen Oak
Saucier, Miss.
2006, Tom Fazio - 7.31
3. We-Ko-Pa (Saguaro)
Fountain Hills, Ariz.
2006, Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw - 6.90
4. French Lick Resort (Dye)
French Lick, Ind.
2009, Pete Dye - 6.74
5. The Greenbrier (Old White TPC)
White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
1915, C.B. Macdonald, Seth Raynor, Lester George - 6.70
6. Barona Creek
Lakeside, Calif.
2000, Gary Roger Baird, Todd Eckenrode - 6.65
7. Cascata
Henderson, Nev.
1999, Rees Jones - 6.62
8. Atlantic City Country Club
Northfield, N.J.
1923, William S. Flynn, Tom Doak - 6.54
9. Wilderness at Fortune Bay
Tower, Minn.
2004, Jeff Brauer - 6.43
10. We-Ko-Pa (Cholla)
Fountain Hills, Ariz.
2001, Scott Miller - 6.32
11. Salish Cliffs
Shelton, Wash.
2011, Gene Bates - 6.26
12. French Lick Resort (Ross)
French Lick, Ind.
1917, Donald Ross - 6.18
13. Southern Dunes
Maricopa, Ariz.
2002, Brian Curley, Lee Schmidt - 6.17
14. Circling Raven
Worley, Idaho
2003, Gene Bates - 6.15
15. Edgewood Tahoe
Tahoe, Nev.
1968, George Fazio - 6.12
16. Wynn Golf Club
Las Vegas
2005, Tom Fazio ...
2010 Golfweek’s Best Casino Courses
Golfweek’s Best: Casino Courses
Rank. Course Name
Location - Opened
Architects
Avg. rating
1. Shadow Creek Golf Club
North Las Vegas, Nev. 1990
Tom Fazio
8.07
2. Fallen Oak Golf Club
Saucier, Miss. 2006
Tom Fazio
7.36
3. We-Ko-Pa Golf Club (Saguaro)
Fountain Hills, Ariz. 2006
Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw
6.95
4. Barona Creek Golf Club
Lakeside, Calif. 2000
Gary Roger Baird, Todd Eckenrode
6.72
5. French Lick Resort (Dye)
French Lick, Ind. 2009
Pete Dye
6.71
6. Cascata
Henderson, Nev. 1999
Rees Jones
6.64
7. Atlantic City Country Club
Northfield, N.J. 1923
William S. Flynn, Tom Doak
6.51
8. The Greenbrier (Old White)
White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. 1915
Charles Blair Macdonald, Seth Raynor
6.48
9. Wilderness at Fortune Bay
Tower, Minn. 2004
Jeff Brauer
6.39
10. We-Ko-Pa Golf Club (Cholla)
Fountain Hills, Ariz. 2001
Scott Miller
6.29
11. Meadows at Mystic Lake
Prior Lake, Minn. 2005
Garrett Gill, Paul Miller
6.21
12. French Lick Resort (Ross)
French Lick, Ind. 1917
Donald Ross
6.15
13. Circling Raven
Worley, Idaho 2003
Gene Bates
6.14
14. Talking Stick Golf Club (North)
Scottsdale, Ariz. 1998
Bill Coore, Ben ...
Where the action is
• Click here for Golfweek’s Best Casino Courses 2009 •
“In most betting shops you will see three windows marked ‘Bet Here,’ but only one window with the legend ‘Pay Out.’ ”
That observation by mercurial British journalist Jeffrey Bernard underscores the lucrative nature of the gambling business – for the operators, that is, if not the players.
The American Gaming Association reported that casinos’ gross gambling revenues – the amount wagered minus players’ winnings – grew from $22.2 billion in 1999 to a high of $34.13 billion in 2007 before dipping to $32.54 billion last year. Even when you take out overhead costs and taxes, American casinos pocketed more than $12 billion in 2008. Operating a casino might be the closest thing the business world has to a sure thing.
Golfers have been the beneficiaries of that reality, even if they haven’t fared well at the gaming tables. Casinos, looking to lure high rollers, have been commissioning some big-ticket courses. Twenty-nine of the top 40 Golfweek’s Best Casino Courses have opened during the past decade. You’ll find them not only in the gambling meccas of Las Vegas and Atlantic City, but also across the heartland, in places such ...
