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Gambling and Golf Sept 7-11

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by Slotchick, Sep 21, 2014.

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  1. Slotchick

    Slotchick High-Roller

    Joined:
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    My Trip Report

    We started our trip a day early as we had an order to pick up at Pro Discount golf and a tee time at Shuksan to break them in. Was a gorgeous day for golf, had a nice meal then tucked ourselves in so we’d be fresh for the morning trip to Las Vegas!!

    Checked into the airport, bump up to first class on Alaska as it’s $50 and to take our golf clubs it would be $30 for the checked bag. My DH always says, “When you think about it, we can drink $20 worth on the way to Vegas”, so in his eyes it’s well worth the extra dollars. I look at it as an added $100 so instead of $400 to fly it’s basically $600 for the two of us as he usually bumps us up on the way home too.

    We are just backing the plane out and I notice we are leaving a wet trail on the pavement, puzzled I ask my DH what he thought it would be; then the plane stopped. We were required to deplane as it turned out to be a fuel leak. After a couple hours we finally get going on the same plane, and arrived safe in Las Vegas just over 2 hours later.

    Walking through terminal 3 down to the carousel we see our driver waiting for us, he jokes he’s been there for hours awaiting our arrival. Golf clubs were quick to come off and we on our way to the Luxor. Our host usually meets us but as we were running late it was just a quick call as she was about to leave, so we made plans for lunch on the following day. We quickly put our bags in the room and headed off to the casino as a friend from Maine was meeting me that I haven’t seen in 4 yrs. We met up and got our gamble on, nothing special happened at all this evening as the slots were just giving little bits back now and then to keep us going.

    Each day we started off with a trip to a golf course for our daily exercise. Then we headed back to the Casino for lunch and a fix on gambling.

    Monday: We got back from golf and headed for lunch with our host, we have a great relationship with our host and love to catch up each trip. Lunch was great; we have yet to be disappointed with T&T. After lunch we were meeting up with my friend at Monte Carlo, she texts and says take your time it’s pouring outside. I tell DH this and we are in awe as it was gorgeous when we golfed this morning. Off we went thinking it couldn’t be that bad, and it was that bad! Rain was pounding on the pavement so we stopped at NYNY in search of Buffalo as that is the slot I prefer to play, I did ok on the Buffalo (I think someone has shot the buffalo’s as they were MIA). We had Aria buffet rewards from MyVegas to use so we were on our way there; would I pay for this buffet – Nope! It was just “ok” for us, I wasn’t overly impressed; but then we are not “buffet” people. After dinner we gambled a bit, nothing to report and then headed back for a good night’s rest.

    Tuesday: We didn’t eat after golf and we had a good time drinking and gambling and went to Tender for dinner later on. Lovely meal, but I was gutted when I found out they changed the dessert menu and the cookies are no longer on it. Finally met up with a few CW’s we have befriended, to catch up with them. On the gaming front there isn’t anything notable happening as the slots were not being overly kind. DH went to bed and I was up until midnight gambling away made back about 600 of what we lost earlier in the day. I had a good chuckle as a lady asked me when I was cashing in my TITO if I had made anything she could clearly see what I was cashing out and her face was priceless when I answered “I wish”. It really makes me uncomfortable when people do that, they don’t know what you are betting or losing along the way; and it’s really none of their business, I suppose she was trying to be friendly.

    Wednesday: Last day in Vegas, always bittersweet. We went out with some friends for dinner and were surprised that we had limo pick up and drop off, we are not high rollers but have a great relationship with our host and she set up company limo to the restaurant and the restaurant has a limo that she set up to take us back to the hotel.

    DH was taking a brow beating this trip he couldn’t hit a thing! I didn’t hit anything big, just $100 here and $100 there but nothing that was adding up to much. DH was tired and headed to bed, I always stay up later, we can see who the degenerate is in this relationship. I was sat on a Buffalo trying to find them in herds! For hours I was at this one machine but it was paying in little bits, not big hits but I wasn’t losing so I was not leaving it; and I had to use the washroom, but how could I leave? I kept saying at this amount, then this amount and I will go, well Mother Nature got the better of me and I had to go. I was hoping nobody hopped on it in my absence and to my surprise when I got back to the machine my aunt from Ontario was on it! I’m from BC and had no clue she was coming to Vegas LOL So I was up another couple hours visiting with my aunt and uncle before heading off to bed.

    Thursday: We got up, packed and then were off to gamble a bit before we headed for breakfast. Quick visit with our host before we left, and she tended to our account so we were ready to go when the car arrived. We didn’t make as many TC’s this trip as normal, but to be honest I don’t believe we were getting the play through we generally do. Checking the account I notice we were about 75K TC’s which is about 20K off from most trips, but we enjoyed and it’s a moot point, they get the play they get and when the play through isn’t there, the play seems less.

    They have the “block party” this summer again running until September 30th, changed back to the electronic board, instead of the wasteful pull tabs they had last time with more losers than winners, so you picked until you matched FP offers. I had about 17 or 18 tries at the board and hit $25 once the rest were $5 FP to add to my offer of FP. DH had a few trips to the board, not sure exactly how many as he didn’t tell me but he only hit $5 on his picks he said.

    Freeplay – ran through VP and got dollar for dollar for it, might have made a few bucks but was feeling a bit tipsy at one point and didn’t write down the figures.

    MyVegas rewards: I had 2 buffets for Aria, DH had 1 Aria buffet, DH had $25 FP for the Luxor easily redeemed and played. I refunded $25 NFI and $50 Monte Carlo and DH refunded $25 NFI as we didn’t have a chance to use them.

    GOLF:

    Monday Morning – Spanish Trail
    What a gorgeous start to the day and an easy drive from the strip to get to Spanish Trail. The course is private and this Monday morning we were out before our tee time and it was a 3.5hour round; which is a pace we enjoy. Breaking in these new irons is driving me mad, but I’m stubborn and will hit them like I did when I was testing them yet! Some absolutely gorgeous holes on this course, wide open fairways and I keep hitting the sand traps which are more like waste areas to me as the sand is hard and pebbly. We got our photo taken by the cart girl on their signature hole on Lakes; she was sweet and was hoping to catch us on this hole for the Kodak moment. We would definitely golf this course again.

    Tuesday – Coyote Springs
    One word: IMPRESSIVE! We get to the course and they had us paired up but as a lot of people are unable to get out there due to the road being closed from the flash flood the day before. I was amazed at this gem which seemed like it was in the middle of nowhere. We were good to go out on our own, SCORE! The round took us about 3.5 hours as I had to stop for Kodak moments now and then. The greens were faster than we are used to and the course was fabulous, I would say “immaculate” describes it well; they were rolling the greens on the back nine when we were playing the front, I saw that and looked at DH and rolled my eyes! UGH, the greens seemed fast already! |There was amazing views of the mountains and many picturesque holes so I had my fill of taking pictures. We thoroughly enjoyed the round of golf here and could see making it out here once a trip; yes, we were than impressed!

    Wednesday – Badlands (Desperado/Outlaw)
    Well, I will start off saying it was an easy drive to get here and we are glad to have played it once. Desperado and Outlaw were the only 9’s open as they were over seeding Diablo. They told us Desperado was harder (target golf) than Outlaw (wide open) yet we both scored better on Desperado, maybe we were tired by the time we got to Outlaw. This round was our slowest as it was just over 4 hours which still isn't too bad. The fellow we were out with was using range balls on holes where there was a possibility to lose one as he said and I quote, “I don’t mind losing this ball here as it’s theirs anyhow”. He was a local and very nice to chit chat with but I thought strange to be using range balls. The course wasn’t picturesque, and was very straight forward, fairways somewhat chopped up and the greens were tough to read I thought. On hole 8 (par 3) on Desperado they had were promoting Powerbilt clubs if you paid $20 and hit the green you had a choice of picking a driver, wedge or putter; DH paid and won himself a new driver which he's not to keen on but for $20 it works. We enjoyed the golf; it’s hard not to enjoy a round of golf on a gorgeous sunny day. Would we go back, unless it was free: Nope.

    ALL IN ALL:

    Plane ride home – sad. I find the passengers are always so full of life on the way to Vegas and on the way home they are quiet and most often catching up on sleep.

    A fantastic trip!! We played some great golf and came home with a quarter of our bankroll so for slot players that is a win in my eyes.
     
  2. caroleehs

    caroleehs Low-Roller

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    What is block party and where is it? Will be in vegas starting the 27th
     
  3. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

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    Good report! Glad you tend to golf in the morning. That Monday afternoon was the worst I ever hope to see!

    And crazy you ran into your aunt and uncle at random. I did that with my aunt and uncle once in Tunica, but tunica is tiny vs. Vegas. Also ran into a former coworker in vegas the night I hit my only royal there. I don't want to think about the odds of all that happening...lol
     
  4. Slotchick

    Slotchick High-Roller

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    The Million Dollar Block Party Giveaway participating hotels are Monte Carlo, NY NY, Excalibur and Luxor. When you earn 500 points on your MLife card at these properties only take your card up to the MLife desk and you will get a swipe at the board and win yourself some FP or a Million Dollars the promotion runs until September 30th.
     
  5. acccrow

    acccrow Low-Roller

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    Thanks for the report and the notes on the golfing.

    I still cringe every time I read the words "Badlands" or "Diablo" --- the only time I ever played that course, the wind was blowing 25-30 mph and I'm pretty sure I averaged one lost ball per hole. Scoring-wise, one of the worst rounds ever. Still had fun though.
     
  6. M_ILIS

    M_ILIS VIP Whale

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    Did you have a connection at Spanish Trail or are they open to the public on Mondays?
     
  7. Slotchick

    Slotchick High-Roller

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    We booked our golf through VIP Golf this trip and they have some private courses available to those booking through them.
     
  8. Big Tip

    Big Tip VIP Whale

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    Thanks for the write up.
    I agree on Spanish Trail.
    I disagree on the others.
    Badlands is one of my favorite courses. It makes me think on just about every tee box. The risk and reward aspect is enjoyable.
    Coyote Springs is too tricked up for me. I actually got sea sick driving down the undulating fairways! lol I also did not like how they had it set up with thick rough only 5 feet off the green. And it was that sticky grass that I haven't a clue on how to play. I will temper my bad review of the place saying that it was 110 degrees with no breeze when we played it.
     
  9. Sam in Ut

    Sam in Ut High-Roller

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    I can only comment on the Coyote Springs GC, the others I haven't had the pleasure. This Nicklaus designed golf course IMO is rated high because it's a Nicklaus designed golf course. The other "tricked up" part are the greens which I putted off three different greens. Yes, i'am not the best putter around, but I do regularly play with a few 3 & 4 handicap players that are excellent putters and they too felt a number of the greens were unfair.
     
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