Shadow Creek

This high-rollers’ redoubt, 20 minutes from the Strip, is both a work of architecture and a feat of engineering. Bankrolled by the casino magnate Steve Wynn, Tom Fazio busted out the bulldozers and backhoes to dig a giant footprint in the flat Nevada desert, moving a small planet’s worth of dirt and planting more than 20,000 mature pines, so that each hole stands in seclusion from the others. Gurgling streams and waterfalls enhance the sense of opulence, and the risk-rewards make for great match-play entertainment. Nowhere is this truer than on the par-5, par-3, par-5 finish, a rousing stage for settling bets. Max fee: $600.