Hartland Mansion
The Hartland Mansion in Las
Vegas, Nevada is the biggest private residence ever constructed
here, with almost 31,000 square feet of beautifully adorned spaces,
filled with antiques and artworks that are amazing. The mansion has
been the site of many famous people's visits, photographs, film
shoots, videos and book launches; as well as being used for the
movie, "Casino" with Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesce and Sharon Stone.
Extravagant is barely the word to be used for this outstanding and
magnificent house, where the bathrooms are decorated more than
ordinary people's most glamorous houses. One such room was adorned
with paneled walls, golf leafed painting, outrageously gold leafed
mirror, and pictures hanging on the walls that are masterpieces in
any other house; with a richly decorated vanity and a single plain
looking toilet that lacked any bidet. The history of the house began
in the 1940s, when it was actually two separate residences in the
historic 6th Street district, and the only place to live if you had
some interests in any of the hotels or casinos that lined the strip;
like Howard Hughes, Jake Kosloff, the Hamms, Houssels and Binions.
Then, in the 1970s, the houses were bought by the Arvey Estate and a
huge restoration began to join the two houses together to create a
new house that would have approximately 13,000 square feet of space.
Mr. Arvey had his architect visit Disneyland so he could copy the
exterior and facade of the Plaza Inn on Main Street, telling him to
spare no expense in reconstructing his new Victorian mansion. By
1978, the mansion would be sold to the Hart family, and because of
the untimely vacancy by Arvey, the house hadn't been completed; so
the Hart's decided to continue it. During 1980 and 1981, the mansion
would experience two fires that leveled it to the ground, so Toni
Hart decided to rebuild the entire mansion from the foundation,
instructing her architect to use the previous designs for the
outside, just to enlarge it and embellish it to increase the size to
31,000 square feet. This reconstruction and changes would take
almost seven years to complete, and as it went up, Toni began
getting requests to use the mansion for dinner parties, receptions
and charitable events. All these requests soon turned into a full
time business for the Harts, where they would host some of the most
celebrated parties, events and weddings that have happened in Vegas
during the last two decades. Willie Nelson came here and sang,
Ginger Rogers came and danced, Jackie Collins launched a book here,
Engelbert Humperdinck dined here and DeNiro and Stone made a movie
here. The Grand Party Room had the Las Vegas Symphony give a dinner
for 400, as well as art shows were held here, corporate events,
mitzvahs, fund raisers, weddings and receptions, fashion shows, and
more have been hosted at the Hartland Mansion, continuing a time old
tradition of the rich enjoying the fruits of their labors.
Shadow Creek Golf Club
Shadow
Creek Golf Course is an 18 hole, Tom Fazio designed course
constructed by casino mogul Steve Wynn in 1989 in North Las Vegas,
Nevada on empty desert flatland that encompassed some 350 acres; and
cost somewhere around $60 million. Before the actual construction
began, more than three million cubic yards of dirt was taken from
the desert floor so that it could be pushed up around the course
forming a berm that would block anyone trying to see it from the
outside. With some 21,000 trees of over 200 different varieties
being brought in and planted, to help with the sense of privacy and
seclusion, the trees were planted around the edge of the course and
various holes. When it opened in 1989, it was considered one of the
most exclusive golf course in the world, and only invited guests of
Steve Wynn or the Mirage properties could come here and play. Tee
times were space out an hour apart so that the course wouldn't get
congested nor anyone have to rush or hurry to get out of another
group's play. The course has been opened to all MGM resort
international property guests, that are willing to pay the $500
green fees, the includes a round-trip limo ride from the strip and
club rental. There are rarely more than two dozen rounds played in
any single day, and those are mostly PGA professionals, VIPs,
professional athletes, spokespeople, Las Vegas hot shots and
occasional CEOs. A few of the names that are placed on the lockers
in the clubhouse include; Wilt Chamberlain, George Bush, Michael
Jordan and John Elway. It is a magnificent course with waterfalls,
flowing rock bed streams, lakes, rocky outcroppings, rolling
hillsides and exotic birds that wander around the property at will.
It is a masterpiece of design, creating an experience like no other
on the golf course circuit, creating subtle changes in the
challenges until reaching a crescendo at every few holes and then
repeating itself so that you are constantly challenged and excited
to play. You cannot see one hole from the other, with four par 3s
that are quite unusual and amazing, with one forcing you to hit over
a valley of trees and another has you enter into a bowl-shaped
valley and leave through a tunnel. There are some private houses
located around the course, with one by the 18th that had belonged to
Steve but he sold it to MGM in 2005 for $17 million; guess he saw
the writing on the wall? That four bedroom house has a wine cellar,
underwater speaker system, zero-gravity jacuzzi, two story library,
two pools and theater. In May of 2008, the entire course enjoyed a
$17 million restoration with Tom Fazio being there to make sure
everything was kept chic, and the course got new tees, rough,
bunkers, greens and fairways with a few holes being redesigned and
lengthened. The course is now 7560 yards, where it had been only
7239 yards; and a 7 acre short game area with four target greens and
large putting green being added.