LAS VEGAS – Tom Fazio and his son, Logan, packed a lot of punch into a tight parcel near the Las Vegas Strip for the opening of the newly redesigned Wynn Golf Club.

It was nearly two years ago that the club was shuttered to accommodate a large lagoon and additional restaurants and rooms behind the Wynn Las Vegas hotel and casino. The course sat dormant, still grassed but with many bunkers filled in.

But plans changed as the resort lost millions of dollars in green fees from 16,000 rounds a year plus golf-attributable casino earnings, and Fazio returned to reimagine his layout. The grand opening was Friday.

The course, which features eight new holes and 10 that were revamped, sits on a tight 129-acre parcel. But through some sleight of hand that would make a Vegas magician proud, the holes play through wide corridors and never seem crowded. There are a few spots were a terribly wayward tee shot can find an unintended fairway, but the streams and foliage – a very un-desert-like 100,000 shrubs and 7,000 trees – create a separation that feels natural.

The course features surprising elevation changes for its spot on the Strip, with several sharp doglegs. The 18th hole, formerly a par 4, is now a long par 3 over water to a green perched in front of a 35-foot-tall artificial waterfall that has a very Vegas vibe. A new addition to the Wynn’s conference center is under construction where the 18th tee used to sit.

All along the routing, players can hear the many sounds of Vegas. Planes fly low overhead into and out of McCarran International Airport, and there is a constant buzz during the round. That’s to be expected in Sin City, where casino noise and traffic can ring in the ears long into the night. The golf club is an oasis in the midst of all that tourist fervor and constant construction, where players can aim shots at towering hotels and ubiquitous construction cranes in this town that seems to constantly reimagine its skyline.

The course tops out at 6,722 yards from the back tees with a par of 70. The newly installed Dominator Bentgrass greens are fully grown-in and in excellent condition, as is the rest of the turf of Tifway II Bermuda and seasonal rye overseed. It’s hard to believe such turf can exist at the end of summer in the middle of the Mojave Desert, and superintendent Jason Morgan deserves a tip of the cap for the superior conditioning

But that should be expected for a course that demands a $550 in-season green fee. It’s not for everyone, but for high-rollers and deep-pocketed fans of the Wynn hotel, the return of the course offers a fantastic diversion and a chance to tee it up without ever leaving the hustle and bustle of the Strip.