A golf trip to Las Vegas starts off with a big bang on Election Day 2012

LAS VEGAS – Since landing in Sin City 18 hours ago, I’m still riding high on its energy.

I’m up early ready for what should be a spectacular day of golf at TPC Las Vegas, the second round in a week-long tour of courses.

Yesterday was a perfect way to avoid all the drama of the election madness. While CNN and other news channels were yapping endlessly about Obama-Romney, I was enjoying the peace and quiet of Desert Pines Golf Club. I nearly shot a career-low round at this fun Walters Golf course near downtown. It was a $28 cab fare each way to get away from the lights of the Strip and Caesars Palace where I’m staying to find manicured green fairways. Desert Pines doesn’t have much land but makes the most of a cramped site. Check out the three greens in the photo above, a busy intersection that still works because they’re all separated by water.

Back at Caesars, the resort was humming with activity, not bad for a Tuesday in November, especially one so important in our country’s history. The “Hangover 3″ is currently filming at Caesars, and I caught glimpses of funnymen Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis in between takes.

Dinner at Old Homestead Steakhouse produced steaks so big that it was sad nobody could finish their plates. The cuts of beef were so incredibly good.

I’m not a gambler but I’ve learned to love a quick Vegas visit. There’s always surprises - like the celebrity sightings and a near career round – on and off the golf course. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

I just hope it’s not another angry Republican on the golf course. Click here for my wild experience after Obama’s last election win in 2008. It’s a true story, one so surreal even the world’s best creative writer, let alone little old me, couldn’t make up.