Even though a Las Vegas golf vacation offers more than a few entertainment diversions—most of them away from the links in fact—a day of golf at Cascata (the Italian word for waterfall) is unlike very many you will find on green grass.

Owned and managed by Harrah’s Entertainment, a tee time here is usually packaged with stays at their hotel properties such at Planet Hollywood, Ca, planet hollywood, esar’s Palace, the Rio, Paris, Harrah’s Las Vegas and the Flamingo and others, a round of golf at this exclusive club is very much an experience rather than just another 18-holes of golf.

From the time you drive into the gate-guarded facility located less than 30 minutes from the Las Vegas strip along Interstate 93, have your car valet parked and settle in at your personalized locker in the clubhouse with a flat screen television just above it, you quickly understand that this is a special place.

The Tuscan-style, 37,000-square-foot clubhouse offers an Old World ambiance of understated luxury with attentive staff members who oblige your every need. The dining room features an appetizing menu in a comfortable atmosphere. An excellent collection of rare and fine tobaccos is stocked in the cigar lounge’s custom-designed humidor. The golf shop carries an array of equipment, stylish apparel, accessories and complimentary fruit, pastries and bottled water.

A 418-foot waterfall flows softly from the steep mountainside behind the clubhouse, tumbling over mammoth boulders, cascading into a river that roars through the clubhouse, eventually culminating in a tranquil stream. It’s no wonder Sports Illustrated called Cascata "golf’s hidden treasure."

The staging area below the clubhouse even has a luxury locker room feel as you walk downstairs to find your clubs on your power cart and your caddie waiting in an air conditioned room as you ready for your round. Automatic double doors lead the way out to the pristine practice tee while your caddie makes sure you have your favorite food and beverage on-cart for the upcoming round.

The caddies at Cascata are tour-quality—and some of them even make it to the PGA TOUR. For example, Bill Lunde, who won the Turning Stone Resort Championship in August, was a caddie at Cascata last year.

Opened in 2000, Cascata was designed by Reese Jones and sports wide, generous fairways that wind through the hills, including the 3,600-foot peak at Red Mountain with some tremendous views of the valley below. Driver is a good play on just about every Par 4 or 5, and this is a very fair test of golf on one of the best-groomed courses you will find-- but it can be challenging in spots, especially with the many uphill and downhill lies.  The caddies are probably worth several strokes for the first-time player because their local knowledge, especially on greens that run 11 or 12 on the stimp meter.

The variety of the holes at Cascata and their scenic beauty is much of the reason that the course has been named the No. 1 facility in the country by Zagat and annually makes the Top 100 Golf Course rankings by most of the major publications.

One of the most picturesque holes is the downhill Par 3 seventh that enjoys one of the dramatic waterfalls as a backdrop. An accurate tee shot is a must, with water short and left and a canyon wall and bunker on the right. Anything left above the hole is likely to be extremely fast. Par is a good score on this short hole.

Another interesting challenge is the 14^th hole, a dogleg right Par 4 where water is always in play. A driver down the right side leaves a short approach shot, but anything missed to the right will end up wet. The percentage play is a fairway wood or long iron to the middle of the fairway, leaving a mid-iron shot into this wide green protected by water, bunkers and the desert.

The finishing 18^th hole features a risk-reward option with the opportunity for a birdie finish on the Par 5, but players must successfully navigate the water hazard running the length of the hole as well as across the desert. Depending on the winds, it can be reached in two with a long-carrying drive over the large rock formation on the left that avoids the creek and the desert. The safe play is a modest drive with a three-wood left of the sand trap and a middle iron second shot, depending on where your tee shot ends up. The fairway slopes toward the water, so the second shot must be played well left. The undulating green will leave players with a challenging finish to their round.

Celebrities and tour pros—Cascata has played host to many of them—and it is an experience where you understand why.

For more information, visit: www.harrahs.com/golf/cascata-golf/