A Top Player’s Picks: 14 of the Best Las Vegas Golf Courses

When it comes to fun, no place does it quite as spectacularly as Las Vegas. With tons of casinos and world-class entertainment, Vegas is the place to be if you want to enjoy yourself. However, for those that like to enjoy nature and take a break from the bright lights, there are also many options: chief among them is golf!

Though not mainly known for its golfing scene, Las Vegas hosts some of the best courses in the United States. This post will cover ten of the best Las Vegas golf courses curated by a top player. So let’s take a look!

What’s So Special About Las Vegas Golf Courses

Like everything in Las Vegas, golf courses are a product of vast amounts of time, money, and effort. After all, Vegas is just a piece of desert land. So a developer won’t spend all the resources to put a golf course in the middle of the desert. That’s just so-so. As such, Las Vegas golf courses are almost always something special.

“Las Vegas offers an experience that won’t be found anywhere else.  Las Vegas is home to dozens of America’s top-ranked courses, some of which are designed by favorites including Billy Casper, Greg Nash, Arnold Palmer, Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, and Robert Trent Jones, Jr., to name a few,” said Rebecca Lane, Las Vegas PR spokesperson.

These beautiful Las Vegas golf courses have layouts that enhance the natural Nevada environment. When you play these tracks, expect lots of mountains, rolling terrains, and desert arroyos.

1. Angel Park Golf Club

Iconic to Las Vegas, Angel Park Golf Club represents what the city is all about. Tons of elevation changes make it so that even the best golfers must pick their golf clubs intentionally. An illuminated driving range also means the fun doesn’t end when the sun goes down and can continue throughout the night. Finally, the desert and canyons are entirely in play on many of the holes at Angel Park Golf Club.

Designed by Arnold Palmer, it’s no surprise that Angel Park Golf Club was named “the world’s most complete golfing experience.” Just 20 minutes northwest of McCarran International Airport and the Las Vegas Strip, Angel Park Golf Club is one of the Las Vegas golf courses you must visit if you are in the area.

2. TPC Las Vegas

Originally named TPC at The Canyons, TPC Las Vegas is an authentic Nevada experience through and through. It’s also one of the only PGA Tour courses available for public play.

Opened in 1996, TPC Las Vegas was described as “desert elegance” and keeps the environment in mind. This course presents players with dramatic scenes, deep arroyos, and many desert scrubs. Though beautiful, TPC Las Vegas has something that many other Las Vegas golf courses do not: it is affordable.

For golfers who don’t want to drop a ton of money on a single round of golf yet still want to experience Las Vegas golf courses, TPC Las Vegas provides a beautiful blend of playability and accessibility. You won’t be disappointed if you give TPC Las Vegas a visit.

3. Bear’s Best Las Vegas

Designed by Jack Nicklaus, Bear’s Best takes on the namesake of the Golden Bear himself and delivers in terms of elegance and design.

This unique Las Vegas golf course will challenge even the best players. Each hole is hand-picked out of hundreds of golf holes from some of Jack Nicklaus’s most notable designs and implemented into the course. The result: a must-play experience that stands alone as an iconic golf course.

Though Bear’s Best charges a high daily fee to play, you’ll receive a golf experience unlike any other here. For starters, Bear’s Best Las Vegas offers finely-manicured “bent grass” putting greens that will make your ball roll as accurately as possible. Furthermore, the course design itself is challenging and will require you to use your head and think through your game plan. Finally, the fairways and tees are maintained immaculately.

Playing at Bear’s Best is about as close to experiencing true Jack Nicklaus golf as you can!

4. Bali Hai Golf Club

Though there are dozens of Las Vegas golf courses in the area, there are few championship courses. The Las Vegas strip has only one championship golf course: Bali Hai golf club.

Located right in the shadows of some strip resorts, Bali Hai golf club is where you should go if you’re looking for all of the fun in a Las Vegas experience, all bundled into a single round of golf.

Bali Hai golf club offers a high-end restaurant for all players to enjoy, VIP food, and club service, so you’re treated like a genuine member, music available in every golf cart, and some delicious food on and off the course.

5. Las Vegas Paiute Golf Club

Designed by famous golf architect Pete Dye, Las Vegas Paiute Golf Club is home to the famous “Vegas Trifecta.” This golf club consists of three separate courses: Snow Mountain, Sun Mountain, and WOLF. Each offers players a unique take on Nevada golf, and together they comprise some of the best Las Vegas golf courses. 

A few words that might come to your mind when you play Las Vegas Paiute Golf Club are: “stunning,” “unique,” and “beautiful.” Sun Mountain is the most natural of all three courses, with its design seemingly blending into nature.

Snow Mountain is Pete Dye’s original design and withstands the test of time when it comes to staying popular and current. Finally, WOLF is the signature golf course at Las Vegas Paiute Golf Club and continues to reign as the longest golf course in all of Nevada.

6. Cascata

This golf course is the place to go if you want to relax and escape all the noise and hype of Las Vegas. Loud music and flashy lights are fun, but sometimes you need a break.

Cascata, named after the Italian word for “waterfall,” is a golf course that takes natural beauty to another level. This par-72 course provides players with stunning views at every turn and uses the spectacular landscape to its advantage. These views include a natural waterfall that runs through the practice facility and a 3600-foot peak at Red Mountain, the hill that supports the golf course.

Bonus: the clubhouse and golf shop are in great shape as well. Stepping into either of these locations will transcend you into a world of old luxury you’re unlikely to find anywhere in Las Vegas.

7. Shadow Creek Golf Club

Designed and sculpted by Tom Fazio, Shadow Creek is a golf course that one can not describe with any degree of faithfulness. Instead, you must play Shadow Creek to experience its true beauty. Shadow Creek is the only golf course on this list where you could bring a non-golfer, and they’d still find it beautiful and spectacular.

Shadow Creek is a breathtaking golf course molded out of the environment and continues to astonish people today with its beauty. To play, you’ll need to register as a guest of MGM Resorts. You’ll get transported to the golf course in a private limousine, and your caddie will be waiting for you at the bag drop area.

Truly one-of-a-kind, Shadow Creek is a golf course that is captivating and highly distinctive. Every golf lover should have a chance to visit Shadow Creek if they get the chance.

8. Las Vegas National Golf Club

Located only ten minutes from the Las Vegas strip, Las Vegas National Golf Club is a classic and fun experience providing golfers of all skill levels with an enjoyable round.

Nicknamed “The National,” this course has hosted many PGA and LPGA events, including the Tournament of Champions, Sahara Invitational, and the Las Vegas Invitational.

Built on a foundation of good customer service, an enjoyable and quick pace of play, and rich history, Las Vegas National Golf Club is a course that has held its own throughout the years and will likely continue to grow in popularity for years to come.

9. Desert Pines Golf Club

Featuring over 4000 pine trees lining the course, Desert Pines Golf Club offers players an award-winning track right in the heart of Las Vegas. Substantial white sand bunkers surround the greens and protect tiny undulating putting surfaces. These greens are so smooth and quick that they are supposed to take after Augusta National!

Not only that, but Desert Pines also has an extra-popular practice facility with over 50 hitting bays. This way, you’ll never be able to use the excuse “I wasn’t warmed up” if/when your shot goes awry.

Tucked away from the Las Vegas strip, Desert Pines Golf Club is located in the Carolina sandhills and represents somewhere away from closed-in casinos. If you want to enjoy nature and reconnect with your surroundings during your vacation, Desert Pines Golf Club is the place to go.

10. Spanish Trail Country Club

Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., Spanish Trail Country Club will test whether you’re an avid golfer or just a weekend warrior.

Deep collection spots around the green create a bunch of tough pitching and chipping situations. Furthermore, random bunkers will catch wayward shots and provide for difficult approach shots.

Finally, the average green speed of 12 here guarantees that any golfer who plays this golf course will learn a valuable lesson: stay below the hole. In addition, you might find that you need some putting tips after you play Spanish Trail.

Spanish Trail Country Club is a beautiful track Trent designed to challenge the beginner golfer and the seasoned pro. So try Spanish Trail to see how your golf game holds up against some pressure.

Bonus: Four More Golf Courses in The Area

If you’ve played all of these Las Vegas Golf courses, or want to stop at a stellar course on your road trip to Las Vegas, here are two more to consider.

1. Boulder City Golf Course

Nestled within three mountain ranges and adjacent to the nationally recognized Hoover Dam, Boulder City Golf Course is more than just a stunning 18-hole golf course. It’s about 30 minutes outside of the Strip near the Arizona border.

Acclaimed golf course architects Billy Casper and David Rainville established the golf course in 1973 as a 6,600-yard, par 72 layout that provides a haven for native plants, abundant treescapes, and several integral water features.

A traditional layout, the Boulder City Golf Course features tree-lined fairways and large receptive greens with water features on seven holes. This par 72 golf course measures 6,600 yards from the back trees and has a slope of 117 for men and 123 for women. The course is very enjoyable to play by all levels of ability, so bring your friends. Rounds are usually played in 4 1/2 hours or less.

2. CasaBlanca Golf Club

Eight miles from The Strip and right off Highway 15 is the Cal Olsen-designed course etched into the wetlands of the Mesquite Valley. This beautiful course winds in and out of the Virgin River basin offering a new experience on every tee.

Five sets of tees allow golfers of all skill levels a fair chance on this championship golf course, which annually hosts the Nevada Open. In addition, golf packages are available with the CasaBlanca Resort if you want to make an overnight stop.

3. Conestoga Golf Course

Neighboring CasaBlanca is an 18-hole scenic masterpiece artfully interwoven with the character and contours of Sun City Mesquite’s spectacular landforms. Undulating through canyons with gently ascending and descending elevations, rugged rock outcroppings, and tranquil water elements, the integrity of the land is preserved at every opportunity.

The masterful design and vision of famed golf course designer Gary Panks creates the appearance of a course crafted by nature and forged over time. Troon Golf professionally manages Conestoga.

4. Wolf Creek Golf Club

It’s been called one of the most remarkable and visually spectacular courses in the world. And, from the very first glance, every thoroughly pampered visitor to Wolf Creek Golf Club understands why. An easy one-hour drive northeast of Las Vegas in Mesquite, Nevada, this fantastic facility was called the “Most Spectacular New Course in America” by Affluent Golfer magazine when it opened for play in 2000.

It ranked No. 28 on Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses 2011/2012” and ranked No. 2 on Golf Digest’s “Best In State.” The course winds up, down, and through dramatic red rock canyons, and from the back, tees require generous quantities of both power and precision.

One of those back tees stands as tall as an 11-story building. Yet even the novice player can have a round chock full of smiles by selecting the front set of tees where forced carries are few and far between. Perhaps the ultimate challenge for all players is focusing on every shot while constantly surrounded by breathtaking vistas.

The vistas are equally mesmerizing from the Terrace at Wolf Creek, the club’s restaurant and banquet facility designed to accommodate the foursome and all varieties of formal and casual events.

Which One of These Las Vegas Golf Course Will You Try?

Las Vegas is undoubtedly a city of noise, nightlife, great hotels, and dazzling lights, but it is also an excellent spot for golf. With over fifty beautiful Las Vegas golf courses(and plenty of indoor golf spots as well), it is tough to pick some of the best.

With the ease of travel and 150,00 rooms at every price point, attractions, world-class entertainment, expansive dining options, and abundant outdoor and adventure experiences, those in the group who may be non-golfers will always have endless things to do in Las Vegas while the rest are on the fantastic greens.

If you’re in the area and can play one of these Las Vegas golf courses, you’ll be treated to a world-class golfing experience and get to stay close to all the action of the City of Sin.

This article was produced by Planner at Heart