golfkat Travel Blog

I generally visit Las Vegas twice a year now, once in the spring, and once in the fall.  And I rarely visit or stay downtown or or the Strip.  I spend most of my time with dear friends, Ken and Debbie out at TPC Summerlin.  So, why am I here?

Well, Debbie, an excellent golfer, is playing in a big tournament.  So, I will keep Ken company during the day, play cards, and probably have some rather interesting meals.  Who knows, we might even play a few holes at the TPC course, which is on the property.  I hope we get over to my new, favorite Thai restaurant, Nittaya’s Secret Kitchen, owned by a friend of Debbie’s.  In fact, she will probably compete in the tournament with Debbie.  Nittaya now owns four restaurants in the greater Vegas area!!!

Vegas is quite pleasant in the fall.  The average temperature is 83, with lows at 46.  So, we can pretty much cycle, golf, walk, play cards, or drink champagne.

Here is a bit about Summerlin:  

TPC Summerlin is the centerpiece to the Howard Hughes Corporation’s 22,500 acre master planned community known as Summerlin, one of America’s most dynamic and exciting communities. The club and the community are located on the western rim of the Las Vegas Valley just over 10 miles from the famed Las Vegas strip and adjacent to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

The community is a year-round golfers paradise with nine golf courses including the Bobby Weed designed TPC Summerlin which is Las Vegas’ exclusive home to an annual PGA TOUR event; The Shriners Children’s Open. In addition to golf, the community offers 100-plus village and neighborhood parks and the Summerlin Trail System (more than 150 completed miles).

The community boasts more educational choices than any other in Las Vegas with nearly two dozen schools, including the city’s finest private schools and top-ranked public schools. Summerlin is also home to shopping centers including the 106-acre Downtown Summerlin plus a growing number of national and local businesses that choose to make it a place to work as well as live.

As for Vegas itself, I will probably not gamble a dime, nor attend a show.  But I do enjoy shopping at the factory outlets.

But it is interesting how Vegas keeps reinventing itself.  They went from adult entertainment to family, and back.  Now sports are the big draw.  They the NHL Golden Knights, the Ray-duhs, and Triple A baseball, along with the NBA Summer League, NCAA Regionals, and Pac 12 and Mountain West basketball tournaments.  Oh, and lots of boxing and ww_ whatever.  I wonder what will come next.  Either an NBA team, or perhaps the Oakland A’s move here?

Just for kicks, these are some of the entertainers here in Vegas this month:  Barry Manilow, John Legend, Grand Funk Railroad, Katy Perry, Miranda Lambert, Lional Ritchie, the Guess Who, John Fogerty, Adele, Santana, Aerosmith, Usher, Wayne Newton, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Donny Osmond, and Rich Little.  That is quite a list and covers a wide range of genres.  We never go anymore, but back when my Mom was alive, we went often to the shows.

So, in summary, my version of Vegas is probably not yours.  And it may sound quite boring compared to yours or the Vegas chamber of commerce.  But I enjoy these trips immensely, it is a great chance to relax, play cards, dine well, and enjoy my friends.