Tuscan vision: the Falls Golf Club at Lake Las Vegas Resort is built around the stuff of legend.

The Falls Golf Club might have the only clubhouse in the world with a fictional club history.

According to the fable, the historic buildings of an historic Tuscan winery on a hillside were cobbled together to create an oasis for golf aficionados. But the Falls is located in Las Vegas, land of illusion, where things aren't always (or even usually) what they seem. In reality, the $6 million stone and stucco villa is just nine months old. It is one of three clubhouses in the 2,650-acre Lake Las Vegas Resort. Even the hillside is new--created just for The Falls.

To complete the Old World effect, a 60-foot bell tower with computerized bells tolls the hour. "When you're on the course, it does sound pretty impressive," said Brad Nelson, chief operating officer of the Lake Las Vegas Resort, home of The Falls Golf Club.

The only clue to golfers that they might not be in Bella Italia? The back nine is nestled against a backdrop of the rocky crests and desert canyons--with a terrific view of the Las Vegas strip.

The Falls is the latest offering in the 10-year-old Lake Las Vegas Resort which includes two major hotels, three golf courses, a shopping village, a 320-acre lake with a marina and casino, plus a multitude of homes and condominiums. All of the venues are done in various Mediterranean styles. Resort operators are especially pleased with The Falls, which held its grand opening in November.

"We were ecstatic--it really exceeded our expectations," said Nelson.

"It's a very elegant but simple venue," said Roland August, executive chef and food and beverage director for the Lake Las Vegas Resort.

Viva Tuscany

While The Falls is not the first clubhouse at Lake Las Vegas, it is the first one visible as visitors enter the resort. "So it was important to have a high-image building," said Michael Olson, AIA, design director at Zmistowski Design Group LLC, an architecture, planning, and interior design firm in Boulder, CO, which specializes in clubs, resorts, and hotels. "It's the first piece of property you really see when you come off the highway."

The Falls' 12,000-square-foot clubhouse sits on approximately two acres between the ninth and 18th greens. "We didn't want to take a typical clubhouse approach with one big building," said Olson. His staff studied Tuscan architecture and came up with a plan based on the look of joining several "existing" buildings to give the space a distinctive appearance.

The star of the show is definitely the lounge, housed in an oversized octagonal room with stone walls reaching up to a vaulted 27-foot ceiling of rough-hewn Douglas fir beams and a wrought iron chandelier. It opens onto a large terrace with gorgeous views of the par-72 course, designed by PGA champion Tom Weiskopf.

"It's definitely the most dramatic space," said David Rounds, AIA, the project manager for Zmistowski Design Group.

What looks like an old wine press behind the knotty alder wood bar is actually a draft beer dispenser, while overstuffed leather chairs give visitors a comfortable place to relax.

The grill room, which adjoins the lounge, carries on the Tuscan theme with a slanted 19-foot ceiling of rough-hewn timbers--purposely distressed--and wide archways. Paper lanterns strung from the ceiling and copper pots and pans are meant to lend the flavor of "an Italian marketplace," said Rounds.

Nearby, the "outdoor living room" features an oversized stone hearth which keeps the room toasty despite open 30-foot ceilings and soaring archways that connect to the patio. Concrete pavers mimic brick floors and giant wood panels seal the archways in the rare event of inclement weather. Above, a catwalk of rough wood and wrought iron provides "a great view of the Las Vegas strip," said Rounds.

Running The Falls is a little different than managing the average country club. Owned by a corporation, there is no member board. "We just answer to our customers," said Nelson. "We have to be sure we provide a four- or five-star experience."

Those who enjoy a meal at The Vineyard--the grill room at The Falls--will find that the menu reflects the club's mission.

"The simplicity of the Tuscan [atmosphere] would mirror what we've been doing out here," said August. "We wanted to be accessible enough to appeal to golfers." At the same time, because The Falls is the designated course for The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas, "we wanted something that would appeal to guests--rustic, fun flavors."

"The grill was originally only set up to serve breakfast and lunch," said Nelson. But since several of the restaurants in the resort are not yet open, The Falls serves hearty Tuscan-inspired selections for Friday and Saturday night diners.

For breakfast, diners will find simple, hearty fare, like Eggs Bruschetta--basted eggs cooked inside garlic bread and topped with Italian salsa, mushrooms, and spicy sausage. Or cinnamon banana-nut pancakes.

For lunch, the kitchen serves up a host of savory wood-fire pizzas and sandwiches made from a variety of slow-roasted meats on ciabatta bread with wedge-cut fries.

At dinner, August takes advantage of The Falls' fictional background as an old family vineyard, pairing wine-drenched dishes with a fine selection of table wines. He serves a Spring pork ossobuco marinated in Port wine sauce with a Port wine reduction and mushrooms on a bed of saffron risotto.

"We're looking to be not just a golf clubhouse, but a destination resort," said August. Breakfasts typically range from $6 to $8 per person; lunch is $8 to $12 and dinner goes for $18 to $32.

"It's a very small kitchen with a very small staff--three people," said August. The clubhouse itself seats a select few: 40 in the restaurant and another 40 in the bar with a large patio for overflow. "So it's very specialized, and I think that's what makes it," he said.

Old World Elegance, Modern Thrift

Building a structure to look older than it is can be expensive--and complicated. For a true Tuscan look, designers wanted roughly-applied stucco, complete with large cake-icing swirls and cracks to look authentic. But the workmen considered anything but a smooth, line-free surface to be poor craftsmanship. "They felt like they were doing a poor job if it looked rough," said Rounds.

Likewise, from the stone masons, he wanted "bigger joints in the stone; almost a sloppy look to the mortar," Rounds said. "We worked with them to try to get that rustic look."

There were also several points in the job where a little ingenius value engineering provided the same European ambiance for much less money. For the roof, "we wanted to do clay tile with an Old World look," said Rounds. But the price was prohibitive. Instead, they elected to use a cement tile that would provide the look and durability of clay. The savings? About $80,000, said Rounds. "I think it was pretty successful to get that look and still save that amount of money," he said.

They even added different shades of tile in different places "to make it look like it had been built at different times."

The stucco facade itself was also a cost-saving measure. The original plans called for the building to be covered almost entirely with stone. But even with manufactured stone products, the price was enormous. So the design was reconfigured with stucco, saving the stone for "where we would get the most bang for the buck," said Rounds. Savings: close to $150,000.

The Eldorado Stone, employed inside and out, is actually a molded cement product, he said. And instead of true flagstone, the interior floors are cement stamped with a flagstone pattern.

Construction began in September 2001 and was completed in September 2002, Rounds said.

As it often is with resorts and clubs, timing was an issue. "We're always under a deadline," Olson said. "Time is money."

Future so Bright

After 10 years, Lake Las Vegas is an established golf and resort destination just a tee-shot from downtown Las Vegas. At the same time, it's also a work in progress.

The Falls, which opened in September, and Reflection Bay Golf Club are the resort's two public courses that also serve guests at the Hyatt Regency Lake Las Vegas Resort Spa & Casino and The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas. A third course, SouthShore Golf Club, is private. A fourth course, to be designed by Tom Fazio, is in the works.

Transcontinental Development Company is the managing partner for the entire resort and is also a partner in both hotels. "In most resorts, the hotel would own the golf course, but that's not how it's done here," said Nelson. Instead, hotels have agreements with the resort courses that give guests first shot at tee-times and facilities.

While many travel destinations have suffered in recent months, Nelson believes that Lake Las Vegas is in a good position to weather the storms of the travel industry. "We have grown in the last year--with the opening of the Ritz-Carlton and The Falls--and our general tourism business has been reasonably stable," he said.

In addition to a built-in customer base of resort residents, the area also attracts Las Vegas visitors and vacationers looking for a short flight or driving destination from California or the Southwest.

Hotel rooms at the nearby Hyatt Regency range from $99 to $299 per night, depending on the accommodations and the season, said Richard W. Jones, vice president of resort operations for the Lake Las Vegas Resort. At the Ritz-Carlton, rooms run $229 to $329. Condos rent from $300 to $450 a night for a two-bedroom floorplan, he said.

Greens fees at The Falls range from $135 to $260, depending on the time of year and whether the golfer is a resort guest, said John Herndon, PGA, director of golf operations at the Lake Las Vegas Resort.

"We believe we have some of the best clubs in the country--and our pricing reflects that," said Nelson. "Our target is to become one of the three to five [premier] golf resorts in the country."

At-a-glance: Falls Golf Club at Lake Las Vegas Resort

Location: Henderson, NV.

Provenance: Part of the 2,650acre Lake Las Vegas Resort community, owned in part by Transcontinental Development Co.

Public, private, or semi-private: Public.

Size: 180 acres. Opened: September 2002; grand opening party November 2002.

Amenities: Eighteen-hole, par 72 course designed by Tom Weiskopf, plus a 12,000-square-foot clubhouse that serves drinks, breakfast, and lunch--as well as dinner on Friday and Saturday nights.

Clubhouse Capacity: Approximately 140 to 150.

Events: Planned site of "Best Western People vs. The Pros" in June 2003.

Membership dues: Includes membership in both The Falls and nearby Reflection Bay Golf Club--$50,000 initiation fee, plus $500 per month. A sports membership--which includes limited golf in-season and unlimited play in the off season, both at a discount--runs $20,000 for initiation and $220 per month.

Greens fees for hotel guests: Off-season--$135 weekdays, $160 on weekends. In season--$200 weekdays, $220 weekends.

Greens fees for the general public: Off-season--$165 weekdays, $190 on weekends. In season--$235 weekdays and $260 for weekends.

Average age of players: Mid-30s to retirement.

Amenities at the Lake Las Vegas Resort: Hyatt Regency Lake Las Vegas Resort Spa & Casino; The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas; three golf courses with clubhouses; restaurants, Mediterranean-style shopping village; Casino Montelago; sailing and water sports on 320-acre Lake Las Vegas, and single-family homes and condominiums.

Source: The Falls Golf Club at Lake Las Vegas

Dana Dratch is a freelance writer based in Atlanta.