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Travel and Tourism: The Lure of the Links

LAS VEGAS -- When Cascata, Park Place Entertainment Corp.'s private golf course, opened three years ago, Sports Illustrated wanted to publish a feature article about the world class links near Boulder City.

Park Place declined, however, explaining the course was exclusive and solely for the use of invited guests: whales, high rollers, celebrities and high visibility public figures.

Not to be denied, Sports Illustrated dispatched a writer and photographer who pulled up, uninvited, at the imposing gates just northeast of the railroad underpass off U.S. Highway 95 headed toward Boulder City.

Again, they were told no and weren't admitted.

The persistent pair proceeded to Boulder City where they chartered a helicopter to take fly-over photos of the 18 holes carved into the landscape of the Mojave hills overlooking Needles Highway to California.

Even then, however, no interview. Park Place didn't need or want uninvited guests or publicity.

The world, and marketing gaming operations in Las Vegas, have changed a great deal in the intervening three years.

Today, anyone can play Cascata, as long as they are a guest of a Park Place property in Las Vegas.

The company is even opening the course to the public for the first time May 18 to watch the Michael Douglas & Friends celebrity golf tournament to benefit the Motion Picture and Television Fund. Participants are expected to include, among others, George Clooney, Sylvester Stallone, Eric McCormack, Justin Timberlake and Clint Eastwood, and the event will be broadcast July 20 on ABC television following the British Open.

Cascata gives Park Place another opportunity to market to guests, Park Place Senior Vice President Tony Santo said.

"Generally speaking, golf appeals to a more affluent customer, and this is a course they just can't get in their local communities," he said.

Cascata helps Park Place bring in "incremental guests and revenues," much as the Colosseum and Celine Dion's new show are intended to do, Santo said.

Brian Hawthorne, the head golf profes sional at Cascata, said the volume of players -- dozens a day -- is not as important as their demographics, which are very affluent with a tendency to enjoy gaming and other risk-taking experiences.

"We buy lists of golfers and affluent consumers by region, Southern California, for example, and then target them with direct mail campaigns and personal invitations," he said.

"And Park Place has a history with long lists of customers who are already very enthusiastic golfers. Caesars Palace has been organizing golf tournaments for invited guests for more than 20 years," Hawthorne said.

"It's not unusual for guests to want to come to Las Vegas just for the allure of Cascata. And then they ask how to do that, and they book a trip to a Park Place property," he said.

Cascata originally was planned, designed and developed by MGM Grand Inc.

It became redundant in 1999 when MGM Grand merged with Mirage Resorts Inc., which had operated the Shadow Creek golf course since 1989. Cascata was sold to Park Place, together with 5.5 acres of Boardwalk property in Atlantic City, for $60 million.

MGM Mirage until recently operated Shadow Creek in North Las Vegas under pretty much the same rules as Cascata in its opening days, but it too has thrown the gates open to all guests, finding golf a vital marketing tool to boost hotel and casino demand.

The opening of Cascata and Shadow Creek to the public has been driven by the growing importance of golf as a marketing amenity nationwide, a phenomenon recognized by most Las Vegas operators.

And today, it appeals to a whole new segment: high-end tourists who may not gamble, but may spend several thousand dollars on expensive suites, show tickets and the like, MGM Mirage spokesman Alan Feldman said.

"But the fundamental experience remains unchanged: an ultimate golf fantasy where you see no other players and have the sense you're playing your own private course," Feldman said.

Julian Dugas, sports and sponsorships manager of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said his agency has identified upscale golf as a new market segment to drive hotel occupancy.

"We're identifying golfers who travel to different locations to play golf," he said. "For example, thousands (of visitors) go to Tucson, Phoenix and Scottsdale to golf. Las Vegas until recently did not have a golf product, but it's exploded over the past 10 years. Now we have more than 60 courses, more than half of which golfers would visit a city to play. So we've identified golf as an amenity just like the Celine Dion show to add incremental visitors."

The lure of golf is also recognized by off-Strip operators such as Boyd Gaming Corp., operator of Main Street Station, Sam's Town, Joker's Wild, Eldorado and the Stardust.

We partner with a lot of local courses, Angel Park, for example, and the Las Vegas National Golf Course, and put together different golf packages that provide an option guests find attractive," spokesman Rob Stillwell said.

Even Wall Street analysts say the marketing of golf as an amenity has been critical to Las Vegas' success as a visitor destination.

Golf has become a critical amenity not just for marketing casino resorts but lodging in general, Deutsche Bank analyst Andrew Zarnett said.

"It's important for gamblers to have a place to play golf because a lot of trips today aren't for just sitting in a dark, smoke-filled room to play blackjack," he said. "That's how Las Vegas has been able to grow its product a lot more than other destinations in recent years, by offering golf and also spas, dining, retail and entertainment."

And with golfing experiences, Las Vegas has done better than other destinations, and some resorts have done better than others at differentiating between themselves.

Michael Weaver, vice president of marketing for the Rio, for example, said guests drawn by golf experiences "have the wherewithal to treat themselves to the finest experiences outside Las Vegas such as playing Pebble Beach (in California)."

Therefore, the Rio concentrates on marketing amenities available only at Rio Seco, Harrah's Entertainment Inc.'s Henderson golf course, and, particularly the Butch Harmon School of Golf in Las Vegas.

"Butch Harmon is one of Tiger Woods' golf coaches and has a really sterling reputation in the golf world and sports in general," Weaver said. "Being able to offer customers a great golf course and a once-in-a-lifetime experience of spending an hour or two with Mr. Harmon, now that's what gets customers' attention.

"Given three or four exquisite courses in Las Vegas, being able to add Tiger Woods' coaching, now that's an experience," he said.

And it lets the Rio differentiate itself in a market where that is becoming ever more challenging, he said.

"Luxury is becoming a commodity in Las Vegas," Weaver said. "As each hotel continues to boast about luxury, golf becomes an amenity for setting your property apart, and this is the way we've been able to do it."

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