Golf and poker, two of Las Vegas’ most popular pastimes, are traditionally mutually exclusive pursuits. After all, one cannot deal cards on a golf course nor tee it up inside a casino.

Come this May, however, a new tradition begins with the World Series of Golf, a high stakes tournament with an innovative format that incorporates the skill of golf and the strategy of poker.

This is the real deal.  
NBC Sports has signed on to televise the inaugural made-for-television event, where the cash prizes top a whopping $750,000.  As many as 180 amateur golfers will plunk down the $10,000 buy-in, for which each will receive four nights deluxe accommodations at The Mirage, an opening night party and closing night extravaganza, and a chance to win the grand prize of a quarter million dollars. “High Class, High Stakes, High Drama” is the World Series of Golf’s apropos tagline.

Other big stakes golf tournaments may promise a larger prize, however those are designed for a select group of seriously accomplished golfers who play up to six full rounds, do not factor in handicaps, and pony up significantly heftier entry fees.  Conversely, the World Series of Golf is designed for medium-to-high handicappers (age 21 and over who have never held professional status), boasts a less grueling workload with a maximum of three rounds, and takes handicaps into consideration by placing contestants in flights with players of similar skill. Tournament organizers expect handicaps to range somewhere between six and 22.

The matches will be contested on the lush fairways and immaculate greens of the Lakes and Desert courses at Primm Valley Golf Club, both designed by Tom Fazio, the impresario behind MGM MIRAGE's acclaimed Shadow Creek in Las Vegas and the new Fallen Oak course in Biloxi, Mississippi.  Another distinction the World Series of Golf enjoys is that in this format golfers do not compete against the field, rather they play against the other golfers in their group — same as poker players, who play “for keeps” with the others at their table.