Columnist Victoria Sun: Royal Links offers a Scottish flavor

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, July 19, 2000 | 11:08 a.m.

Victoria Sun's golf column appears Wednesday. Reach her at 259-4078 or victoria@lasvegassun.com

A trip to Great Britain to play a round at the historic golf courses that have been the site of the British Open could cost thousands of dollars.

A short drive to 5995 Vegas Valley Blvd. to play at the Royal Links Golf Club will save you thousands of dollars and still provide you with a unique golfing experience.

If you can afford it, why not do both?

The Royal Links Golf Club, dreamed up by Billy Walters, chairman and CEO of Walters Golf, has a distinctly Scottish flavor to it, from the sound of bagpipes playing in the clubhouse -- shaped, of course, like a quaint castle -- to a cozy pub called Stymie's where many golfers come to relax and have a drink.

From the moment you walk into the castle and see the statues, stained glass windows and the curio cabinet filled with golf collectibles, you know this is not your typical desert golf club.

And that's the whole idea.

"We want golfers to have the most memorable experience possible," head professional Joe Dahlstrom said.

"If they never have the chance to go overseas to play golf, they will have an idea of what it's all about."

Which brings us to the course itself.

As impressive as the clubhouse is, the course is the real attraction.

Every one of the 18 holes is inspired by a hole on a course where the British Open has been played.

There are holes similar to ones found at Royal Troon, Muirfield and Royal St. George's, to name a few.

To ensure the course is as close as possible to one you would find in the British Isles, there are no water hazards, and there is tall grass growing wild all over.

There are 107 pot bunkers on the course and each took seven days to complete. Dahlstrom said that it is the only course in the country where each bunker was hand-stacked to make it comparable to its overseas counterpart.

Holes 5, 10 and 14 are inspired by a hole on the Old Course at St. Andrews, site of this year's British Open that starts Thursday.

The 466-yard par-4 No. 10 at the Royal Links is extremely similar to the 17th hole at St. Andrews -- minus the hotel looming on the right side of the fairway. Dahlstrom said this is one of the most troublesome holes that professionals will encounter.

To get the ball onto the fairway, a golfer would have to hit it over the building. Then, the second shot has to be precise or it will hit the road to the right or end up in the deep pot bunker to the left.

"This is the hole known to make or break some players," Dahlstrom said. "It's very, very tough."

Even so, Dahlstrom said the course is playable for golfers at every skill level, because there are four tees and their yardages are very different.

"Everyone can play this golf course and have a good time," Dahlstrom said. "We don't grow the rough out as long as they do over there.

"We want this to be real as possible, but we're not masochists."

Extra amenities are what keep golfers such as Tiger Woods, who holds the course record (5-under-par 67), coming back.

Before teeing off, each golfer is given a handy yardage book that also tells a little bit of the history of each hole.

There is a wall of champions with the name of each American champ and the year he won engraved on a plaque, which is a stone's throw away from a likeness of the stone Swilcan bridge where in 1995 Arnold Palmer waved farewell to spectators during his final British Open appearance.

Golfers have the option of purchasing a picture, bound in leather, of themselves standing over the bridge.

Royal Links is open to the public and is offering summer rates until Aug. 28. The cost is $125 after 11 a.m. Monday through Thursday, $175 before 11 a.m., $150 after 11 a.m. Friday through Sunday and $195 before 11 a.m.

Three weeks ago, she repeated her victory at the McDonald's LPGA Championship, and if she wins this year's U.S. Open she will become the first woman in LPGA history to successfully defend two major championships in one year.

The 72-hole stroke play tournament will be played on the 6,540-yard, par-72 course. The first-place award of $500,000 is the largest single paycheck in the history of women's professional golf.

Las Vegan Kim Saiki will be among the field of 149 challenging Inkster for the title.

Cross sank his tee shot with his 5-iron.