As Sin City strippers will tell you, fake ain't always bad. Vegas sports an amazing pair of replica golf courses: the Royal Links, with facsimiles of famous British Open holes, and Bear's Best, which features spot-on reproductions of Jack Nicklaus's best-designed holes. The ne plus ultra in Vegas, however, is still Shadow Creek, a course so visually stunning, it merits the $500 greens fee. "It's the golf course on the moon," designer Tom Fazio has said of his gem in the Nevada desert. Rugged mountains rise on the horizon, and the course is as manicured as Victoria Beckham's claws. The 17th hole is a postcard par three over a crystalline lake to a flag backed by mountains and a waterfall. You'll love it even if it devours a few of your Titleists. And the 18th is even more stunning. Keep in mind that skins is a Vegas institution. Each hole has a money value; the winner of that hole wins the skin. If there's a tie, the pot carries over to the next hole.
The hottest hotel in Vegas may be the Palms (from $89), where upstairs you will find the new Playboy Club. With tables to throw some cards around and some of the shapeliest waitresses and dealers in town, there's no question you're in the right spot.
A guy could write a doctoral thesis on how to party in Vegas. For now let's keep it simple. Dinner: the New York strip at Craftsteak at the MGM. Strip club: Spearmint Rhino; a slim $400 gets you a VIP champagne dance -- a private hour with a topless beauty, on top of which you can order a bottle of champagne, with fresh strawberries and cream. Alternative strip club: the Palomino Club, Vegas's only fully nude club that serves alcohol. After hours: Once you've made the rounds at the Playboy Club, head upstairs to the Palms' indoor-outdoor Ghostbar, off the 55th floor. Good luck finding a better view of the Vegas skyline. Just don't look down.
-- Kevin Cook