Vegas questions

I have a trip coming up in early October to LV with a long time friend, both in 40's, married, with kids so not out to party but golf, drink and gamble.

1. We may stay at Golden Coast, how is that hotel? I know it is off the strip but we don't mind paying for a cab. Is the hotel worth staying at? Is it safe to walk to RIO from there?
2. What are nearest golf courses? We are far from pros, just want a course to get out easily and have drinks
3. We will be there on a Saturday/Sunday during football, do sports book pack out? If so what time do we need to be there to get seats?
4. We both love good steak, where can we get the best steak?

Any help is awesome, dates are 10/6-10/11.

forget the Gold Coast (if it's still a possibility) stay at the Tropicana,(better price, better location, nicer rooms, no cab needed for anything) play golf across the street at the Bali Hai Golf Club, go to the MGM SportsBook next door (seats are NO problem) enjoy your steak dinner at Gallaghers, located kitty-corner inside New York New York Hotel......

Gold Coast is fine for a 3 star hotel and has a great Asian place for hot pots and noodles,, walking distance to the Rio which has a sweet sportsbook , , , close to Palms and The Orleans(which has decent poker scene). Tropicana is beautifully situated next to MGM and close to New York New York

Gold coast has no in room safes.
Huge negative for me

If you do stay at the Gold Coast expect a clean room,nothing fancy but it's affordable and away from the strip tourists and hustlers..Not to downgrade sports_Network's reply at all,but if you've been to Vegas a bunch,the Strip can get old..IMO anyway..resort fee is also cheaper there than strip props.

The walk to the Rio is a few minutes and they recently added a traffic light and walkway so people don't jaywalk and risk getting hit..I think 2 guys will not be spooked going the shortest way which is cutting through the stairs to the top level of the parking garage and walking across from there any hour of the night.

Rio sportsbook fills up around 9:30 am you're probably ok at 9 if one of you saves the seats at the back side of the bar and the other gets in line to place bets.If worse comes to worse head back to the GC and all the way in the back is a bar with all the games on over the bartops and they have one or two projection tvs set up also,but there's always seats..Sportsbook is a minute or so walk away..

Gold Coast also has the free shuttle to the Orleans a sister prop with a nicer sportsbook and same times (roughly) to find a seat at the bar..(I did it last year for NFL opening Sunday and will be there again this year)

Both the GC and Rio have free shuttles to the strip.takes longer than a cab but up to you..

Rio is affiliated with a golf course check the website..

Good steak can be had at the Golden Steer on Sahara (A cab ride) a true old-school Las Vegas steakhouse,been there forever.Buddy and me on first Vegas trip stumbled in one night and the meal was a lifesaver in our state.

Have a nice trip whatever ya do..

Thanks all for the replies and help!
We decided to stay on the strip after all, stayig at MGM Grand. Thanks again!

Look at playing LV National, Legacy or Stallion Mountain, if you want to play golf for under $100.  Check out Nora's for italian food if you are going out with his family.  It is great food and reasonable compared to Strip prices.  It is on Flamingo & Jones and only about 10 minutes from MGM.  Uber should be able to get you there cheap.

Bali Hai is a beautiful course, but can be pricey.  They also have a beautiful club house restaurant if you decide to play there.

The Golden Steer Steakhouse, a local landmark, legendary in status, wall to wall celebrities on any given night. service fit for a king...good call jamesxnj!

Vegas is full of good steak joints and it is a question that everybody asks.  You ask 10 people you will get 10 different answers.  Basically you can't go wrong anywhere you go.

Believe it or not, I has a great steak at circus circus

Go to little darlings when in Vegas