John Asay

Oenophiles, please take note. There’s a new trend popping up in the golf world and in Las Vegas in particular, which I find very cheering. I’m all for it, and I believe you will find it to your liking as well.

It’s early Thursday morning, and I’m on the loneliest highway in America heading toward Ely. Earlier in the week, I played golf in the boonies, in Mesquite, Hawthorne and Fallon. Today, it’s the White Pine Golf Course in Ely. Stick with me as I drive this loneliest Highway 50 to Ely, some 255 miles away, for a great story.

There are a couple of pleasures that I enjoy in my life. Family and friends are, of course, No. 1. But there’s a certain mystique for me of old towns and history, fast cars and golf. Fast cars beckon to my youth. Golf is thankfully covered with these columns. Old towns and their stories intrigue me.

It’s 4:30 in the morning, and I’m at Angel Park Golf Club, 100 S. Rampart Blvd. It’s dark outside, but there’s a hubbub of activity. There’s an associate mowing the practice green, a kitchen worker heading toward the restaurant, a staff member using a blower to clear the main concourse to the clubhouse and equipment is buzzing everywhere. There are sprinklers watering the course.