In the first match between PGA Tour and LIV golfers since an unquestionably acrimonious split during 2022, The Showdown represents a big deal in the world of men's professional golf. And, as a result, it required a big deal kind of course to host.
Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada has been given the nod - place that stands out for a couple of reasons, one being that it represents the most expensive public tee time in the entire United States of America at $1,250.
Unlike the majority of other green fees around the world, though, this one includes a private limo ride to the golf course, a caddie, and a locker. But, even if you have that kind of money lying around, it's not that easy to book a slot.
Shadow Creek is technically a resort course, so if you are staying at a select MGM-owned property between Monday and Thursday, you can call up and book a time. Sometimes, the same is true on a Sunday. But Fridays and Saturdays are reserved exclusively for comped players with a host.
Explaining the situation on Golf.com's SubPar podcast recently, long-time Shadow Creek general manager Monte Montgomery said: “We got our golf reservations, so you can get online and find those numbers, or if you are a gambler you can go down and get a host at the casino.
"But weekends are reserved for comped players only, so you have to have a host. They are really the only ones that can make a reservation for you, if you are a comp player, which means you got to have a credit line to gamble.
"Some Sundays we open up, but Monday through Thursday you can basically call and if you stay at one of the MGM properties, minus New York-New York, Excalibur and Luxor, [you can get a time].”
If you do manage to walk the hallowed turf, you will do so safe in the knowledge that you have traversed the same grass as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, among others.
The legendary pair competed in a thrilling version of The Match in 2018 which was won by Mickelson in a playoff after it had ended all square on the 18th hole. In a more recent and far less close contest, Nelly Korda cruised to the LPGA Tour's T-Mobile Match Play title thanks to a 4&3 triumph over Leona Maguire.
And while Shadow Creek has seen some extraordinary sights on its 7,560-yard par-72 championship course, the place itself is staggeringly beautiful.
Framed against the backdrop of a stunning mountain range, mature pines, deep blue ponds and fresh-flowing creeks, the course itself is perfectly manicured - always containing lush green fairways and smooth putting surfaces.
Its signature hole is the par-3 17th - a piece of land which looks like the stuff of dreams. It requires a shot over water to a green guarded by bunkers and a modest waterfall.
The man who designed the aforementioned beauty, Tom Fazio, does have a strong track record of either drawing up or renovating other world-class layouts - with Quail Hollow, Adare Manor, and Firestone CC's West Course all listed among dozens of notable sites on his impressive C.V.
Fazio and his team reportedly ran up a bill of circa $60 million in turning the Nevada desert into a golfing diamond back in 1989. At the time, a trip around the course would have cost $500, with that price having risen considerably in the years since.
Opened as a private club run by casino and hotel magnate Steve Wynn, built so that he could invite his friends over for a round, MGM Resorts International purchased Shadow Creek in 2000.
Nowadays, it is commonly known to be one of the best courses in the USA and comfortably the standout in its own state.
