Golf course comes out of shadows
The growing legend of Shadow Creek Golf Course hasn't gone unnoticed by the pro golf tour.
USGA executive director Mike Davis recently held exploratory talks with Mark Brenneman, general manager of Shadow Creek, about scheduling a tour event at Nevada's most acclaimed exclusive course.
"He said he'd love to figure out a way to hold something here," Brenneman told Vegas Confidential.
"I don't think that's really in the plans," said Brenneman, who welcomes the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational for a second year in a row this week. It was held in the Bahamas for the first nine years.
"We've been approached about end of the year stuff, but I think we'll stick with the foundation we laid last year," Brenneman said, referring to the debut of Jordan's event.
More likely is a TV deal that would take the tournament and the course to another level.
It's part of the discussion, Brenneman said. "That's where we're eventually going. Once everybody's real comfortable, we'll go in that direction.''
The course broke tradition a year ago and allowed the public to get its first look at an icon built in 1989.
Hotel developer Steve Wynn built Shadow Creek to woo high rollers to The Mirage, which had just opened.
Thursday and Friday, the celebrity-amateur tournament, hosted by Aria Resort & Casino, pairs a celebrity with four amateur participants.
A two-person, 36-hole scramble format features only celebrities on Saturday and Sunday.
"What's kind of cool is we've got 10 Hall of Famers from five sports in the field," said Brenneman, former director of golf at Spyglass Hill Golf Course in Monterey, Calif. "Where else can you go and see that?"
Jordan, who won his own event last year, will be joined by NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, Wayne Gretzky, Roger Clemens, Ken Griffey Jr., Brett Hull, Chris Chelios and Joe Morgan.
SIGHTINGS
Former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, sporting a Marty Allen wig during Allen's 90th birthday party Saturday at Palace Station. Current Mayor Carolyn Goodman gave Allen a key to the city at the Louie Anderson Theater, home to Allen's "Hello Dere" show. ... Fans of Mix 94.1's Mark & Mercedes in the Morning, forming a line that snaked through Red Rock Resort before Friday's celebration of the 15th anniversary of their show. Spotted at the VIP party: Wayne Newton, Penn Jillette, George Maloof, Larry Fink, KLAS-TV, Channel 8 personalities Dayna Roselli, Sherry Swensk and husband Cort Benz, and Chris Saldana; Gerard Ramalho of KSNV-TV, Channel 3 and wife Elizabeth Watts of KVVU-TV, Channel 5; Patty Barba of Patty's Closets and Jason Feinberg of Channel 5. Also there: Mercedes Martinez's parents, Emilio and Magda of Denver, and Mark Diciero's parents, George and Pam , and sister, Denise. ... Mike Tyson, posing in front of the MGM Grand on Friday for his "Undisputed Truth" one-man show, starting April 13. ... At N9NE Steakhouse (Palms) on Friday: a group from "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," including Adrienne Maloof and Dr. Paul Nassif, Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky and Camille Grammer and boyfriend Dimitri Charalambopoulos, plus socialite Faye Resnick.
THE PUNCH LINE
"Can you imagine Tim Tebow in New York City? Talk about throwing a Christian to the lions." -- Jay Leno
Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.
