Tour the tropics at stunning Bali Hai Golf Club on the Las Vegas Strip

LAS VEGAS -- At most courses, the aiming point off the tee is to the left of a certain bunker or toward a tree off in the distance.

At the Bali Hai Golf Club, the points of reference are wildly more dramatic, like the giant "M" atop the golden Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino or the tip of the Luxor pyramid.

What makes Bali Hai great is its ideal location on the Las Vegas Strip. The backdrop looks amazing, and the convenience of getting here trumps most rival golf courses in Sin City.

Bali Hai, one of three theme courses owned by Walters Golf, tours the tropics in the heart of the Nevada desert. The clubhouse introduces the South Pacific with exotic fish in tanks and masks hanging on the walls. Outside, the palm trees, white sand bunkers, tropical bushes and water features of the 7,002-yard course really set the tone.

Architects Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley created this Indonesian fantasyland for golfers in 2000. The two-tiered island green on the par-3 16th hole and the narrow green of the demanding par-4 finishing hole serve as highlights.

Five-star service remains another guilty pleasure of playing Bali Hai, whether it's from the beautiful female caddies called Parmates or the boys at the bag drop.