Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Visit Henderson Lake Las Vegas Golf & Food Festival - Labor Day

Staycation

Fests & Fun

Reflection Bay Golf Club and Westin Resort & Spa add up for a sweet stay and play anytime, and the perfect opportunity is during the annual Lake Las Vegas Golf & Food Festival

Story by Brian Hurlburt, Las Vegas Golf Insider

If you weren’t aware, there’s an oasis in the Southern Nevada desert that is located about 30 minutes from the dazzling Las Vegas Strip.

Located at this oasis—known as Lake Las Vegas--there are 36 holes of Jack Nicklaus golf, a world class golf instruction institute, two resorts including the Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa, shoreline and mountainside living, shopping, dining, fitness, hiking, on-the-lake recreational activities, and plenty of other amenities to be enjoyed 365 days a year.

But the oasis truly bounces to life each year during the Visit Henderson Lake Las Vegas Golf & Food Festival, slated for Labor Day Weekend in 2021.

The best way to enjoy the weekend’s activities is by staying and playing throughout the event with accommodations at the Westin, located on the Lake Las Vegas shores and overlooking Reflection Bay Golf Club. This is a perfect opportunity for a “staycation” for area residents, or for those looking for a nice getaway from California or elsewhere.

The festival features tournament golf, a food and drink feast, and music and dancing from September 3-5. Lake Las Vegas is the place to be for those epic three days and nights.

The busy holiday weekend is always amped up during THE FEAST, a fun-filled night that features some of the top chefs in Las Vegas, wine, beer and whiskey tastings, a silent auction for charity, and a performance from one of Vegas’ top dance bands, Zowie Bowie. A dazzling fireworks show puts an exclamation point on the night and festival.

Zowie Bowie is a leading Las Vegas music group that headlines Fremont St. Experience among other locales, and was the featured performer on the nationally televised 2021 New Year’s Eve show live from the Circa Las Vegas Stadium Swim stage during the pandemic. The event was broadcast to millions across America. Front man Chris Phillips is a true showman and brings a talented cast of singers, dancers and musicians to each show, which features top 50, hip hop and other classic songs during the high energy performance.

THE FEAST is your chance to sample cuisine from up to 10 booths where amazing cuisine is prepared by local chefs. Complimentary beer and wine will be served to guests throughout the evening (cocktails are additional or included with VIP tickets.) If you purchase a VIP Experience then you can enjoy an open bar throughout the night and additional seating, lounge and food options.

Some of the participating hospitality groups include Kassi Beach House, crumbl cookies, Double Helix Wine & Restaurant Group, SouthShore and Reflection Bay, Mimosa Royale and El Luchador Mexican Cantina and Kitchen, among others.

Is your mouth watering, yet?

“Our beautiful Westin resort is located in this stunning, oasis-like setting that is the home of two beautiful and challenging Jack Nicklaus courses surrounding it,” says Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa general manager Jeff Wood. “Anytime is a wonderful time to spend with us at the Westin, but we always look forward the Golf & Food Fest because at that time of year, the weather is perfect and the outdoor setting situated at the water’s edge is amazing. And it all happens with a short walk from the resort.”

The Westin offers a world of opportunities for recreation, exploration and relaxation, and many rooms offer stunning views of Lake Las Vegas. You can also be invigorated with a treatment at g Aveda Spa Lago or make a splash at the two-level Nuala Pool.

Following a round at the private SouthShore or resort Reflection Bay, you can enjoy varied hotel dining options including the award-winning Marssa Steak & Sushi. The Westin also is a great solution for weddings or business events and features indoor and outdoor options.

As for the overall Lake Las Vegas vibe, it’s a sweet selection for a golf stay-and-play as it stands alone in Southern Nevada due to the combination of offerings available. And all are located within walking distance of each other. Plain and simply, it’s a golf hub with plenty of bells and whistles. 

“Our vision has always been to create a golf ecosystem, and we have invested on every level to make that a reality,” says Eric Dutt, Reflection Bay’s manager of operations. “It’s rewarding to sit back and now witness how it is all coming together and see the reaction.”

A newer star attraction to the golf ecosystem at Lake Las Vegas is the High-Performance Golf Institute that features former PGA Tour players Jeff Gallagher and Craig Barlow as instructors, who offer a combined 50 years of professional playing experience. Also at the Institute is master club fitter Brendan Bergan, youth director Nicole Dutt-Roberts, state-of-the-art Trackman technology, and an expansive and strategic outdoor teaching area.

Combining the instructional experience with golf plus the other amenities—and a stay at the Westin—means you can enjoy a relaxing vacation and then head back home with a tightened up and improved golf game and swing.

“If you are looking for a beautiful getaway and also PGA Tour-experienced instruction, this is the place,” says Jeff Gallagher, a former champion on what is now known as the Korn Ferry Tour in addition to his PGA Tour experience. “What sets us apart, besides Craig’s and my knowledge of playing the game at the highest level, is our facility. We offer top technology, but we also have an outdoor area with a par 3 and a par 4 practice hole, short game area with putting green and bunker, and a driving range. When you take a lesson here, it’s a hands-on, playing experience, much more than just hitting at targets. After a lesson with us, you’ll know how your game stands up to the pressure because it is similar to the conditions faced during a round. That is a very powerful teaching tool.”

As an extension of the instructional element, Reflection Bay is the cherry on the golf sundae at Lake Las Vegas. “Having Reflection Bay as our home course to teach our students how to play is a huge asset,” says Barlow. “Our students learn and get better, and some of the things we teach are getting them to not make the same mistakes we made. And the playing experience is very important to the process.”

It’s easy to see why Reflection Bay Golf Club is a favorite of local and visiting golfers. The Nicklaus beauty features five holes played along the Lake Las Vegas shores including the par 3, 9th hole. The beautiful hole is located in the shadows of the Westin and adjacent to the resort-style pool and natural lagoon where guests paddle board, boat, and/or swim on perfect spring, summer, and fall days.

“From the welcoming in the parking lot upon arrival to the moment we left the clubhouse after our round, our experience was outstanding,” Abraham C. recently wrote in a Google Review. “The course played great on a hot July 4 day, and we enjoyed the lake scenery during our round. I plan to play Reflection Bay every time I visit Vegas, which is quite often.” 

There’s an internet trend occurring right now, featuring the saying, “Good Vibes Only.” Not only is that a viral sensation, but a terrific way to describe a stay and play at Lake Las Vegas—before, during or after the Lake Las Vegas Golf & Food Festival.

SIDEBAR

About the Visit Henderson Lake Las Vegas Golf and Food Festival

For Lake Las Vegas Golf & Food Festival info visit www.lakelasvegasfestival.com

For Reflection Bay Golf Club info, visit www.reflectionbaygolf.com

For stay and play packages information, visit www.westinlakelasvegas.com

LAKE LAS VEGAS GOLF & FOOD FESTIVAL

Friday – September 3
LAUNCH PARTY – 6 p.m.
Tickets – $75 per person

The event weekend kicks off with the Launch Party at the Reflection Bay Clubhouse. Your ticket allows you to enjoy appetizers prepared by local chefs and the culinary team at Lake Las Vegas, plus specialty cocktails, wine/beer and live music as we kick the weekend off in style. It’s a great time to enjoy the company of other guests, sponsors, take in the amazing views from the clubhouse and hopefully win some fun prizes that will be given away throughout the night. 

Saturday – September 4
Golf Tournament – Qualifying Round
Reflection Bay Golf Club
Foursome packages start at $1,600 per team and include event tickets as well.

Put your foursome together and compete against up to 60 other teams on the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Reflection Bay Golf Club. This scramble format features your choice of a 7:40 a.m. or 1 p.m. shotgun. You can also enjoy a BBQ lunch between rounds and a continental breakfast before the a.m. round. The top 4 gross division and top 4 net division teams will advance to the tournament finals the next morning at the exclusive and private SouthShore Golf Club at Lake Las Vegas. See below for more information.

Sunday – September 5
GOLF FINALS – 8 a.m.
Private SouthShore Country Club

The top four teams from the gross division and the top four teams from the net division will meet at the private SouthShore Country Club to crown our tournament champions in each division. This is your chance to play this amazingly beautiful and challenging course with your team with the hopes of being crowned the tournament champion.

Sunday – September 5
THE FEAST – 6 p.m.
Reflection Bay Golf Club
Tickets – $75 General Admission (Includes Food, Beer & Wine)
VIP Experience – $150 (Includes Food, Beer, Wine, Cocktails, VIP Lounge & More)

This is the grand finale of the Lake Las Vegas Golf & Food Festival and is the where the party goes full gear. Meet and greet chefs and taste amazing food, partake in beers and wine, mingle and schmooze, dance the night away to the stylings of Zowie Bowie and then take in an ultimate fireworks display.

Event Sponsors

Title Sponsor:

Visit Henderson, NV

Presenting Sponsors:

Lake Las Vegas, Walmart, Findlay Volvo Cars Las Vegas, UMC Medical Center, SouthShore Country Club, The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa, Smart Z, Las Vegas Golf and Leisure Magazine.

Charitable Impact

Some of the proceeds will benefit:

UMC is uniquely positioned as a nonprofit public hospital that offers the state’s highest level of care. Serving Southern Nevada since 1931, UMC has grown to become the state’s most sophisticated hospital and a trusted leader for our community during times of crisis.

Donations to the UMC Foundation go directly to UMC and UMC Children’s Hospital, supporting our life-saving crisis response efforts, direct patient care and revolutionary clinical technology upgrades, in addition to many other meaningful projects. Your support has a direct and meaningful impact, helping UMC build a brighter, healthier future for our community.

Project 150, which was started in December 2011, is an organization helping homeless youth who are in the Clark County School District. The mission is to offer support and services to homeless high school students in the Southern Nevada area so they can stay in school through graduation and build a successful future.