Las Vegas Golf Courses
Written March 4, 2008 by Jack Jones
Some people like to gamble, others need a break and they will look for the best Las Vegas golf courses available. Let us be your guide if you are looking to get away from the casino for a bit and enjoy yourself in the Vegas sun. The guys from Bodog where more than happy to write us a review of some of their top choices.
When you come to Las Vegas you’re not looking to get the same old song and dance that you can get back home and Vegas understands this. The courses you find in this city are some of the most beautiful and challenging in the world. No wonder more and more people are going to Sin City and only gambling between rounds of golf.
Wynn Golf Course
If you haven’t been to Las Vegas since the Wynn opened it’s doors on April 28, 2005 then you might be surprised to find out that these grounds hold one of the best eighteen-hole courses in the state of Nevada.
Jointly designed by world renowned architect, Tom Fazio and Steve Wynn himself, this par 70, 7,042 yard course is a sight to behold. The course’s architecture was considered by many to be impossible to achieve on the Las Vegas Strip, but Steve Wynn doesn’t know what impossible means. He moved more than 800,000 cubic yards of earth to create the 40 feet of elevation change on the course.
There is 37-foot-tall waterfall on the 18th hole that makes it hard to believe that you’re in the middle of a desert, not to mention on the Las Vegas Strip.
The negative on this course is that it is exclusive to guests of the Wynn Las Vegas but that shouldn’t be a huge issue since there are already so many other good reasons to stay at the Wynn.
Bali Hai Golf Club
Located on the Las Vegas Strip near Mandalay Bay, this championship course is not only challenging but great to look at. Designed with a tropical theme the Bali Hai has over 4,000 trees and over 100,000 plants to give it that lush “welcome to the jungle” feeling, which is hard to do in the desert.
Transition zones are done with a combination of white sand offset with black volcanic rock which works well in conjunction with the tropical theme. A theme that is a little expensive when considering the $500,000 annual water bill this course pays.
Hole #16 is fairly unique. It’s a par-3 with an island green that comes with the added pressure of being in perfect view of the Cili Restaurant patio. Hitting it in the water will earn you a few laughs from the patrons.
While the course design is nearly perfect, with the beautiful and challenging layout packed pretty tight, but that is how it goes with courses on the strip. And while being directly under the approach path of McCarran Airport may offer air travelers a tantalizing peek at the course, the sound of plane engines can tend to be annoying.
Bali Hai is one of the most celebrated (and expensive) courses in Las Vegas. Most golfers would agree that you haven’t seen the best in Vegas until you’ve played here.
Dragon Ridge Country Club
Located in Henderson which is right outside of Las Vegas, the Dragon Ridge Country Club is a private 18-hole course and is only available for bookings through Stay & Play packages through various hotels.
The course earned it’s name from a rocky range that towers near the entrance of the course in the shape of a dragon’s back in the McCullough Range, Dragon Ridge is an interesting track. It has a traditional front nine, but the back nine holes are pretty narrow and flanked with volcanic rock. At Dragon Ridge, especially on the back nine, you are going to need to hit it straight.
Dragon Ridge was given a huge promotional boost when twice the Tiger Woods Foundation brought the annual fundraiser Tiger Jam to their fairways. Each year, Tiger Jam features a night of performances from various celebrities who then head out to the course. In 2002 Tiger Jam used Dragon Ridge for the second time as its course of choice and included such celebrities as Samuel L. Jackson, Kid Rock, Pamela Anderson and John Cougar Mellencamp.
TPC Canyons
The Tournament Player’s Club at the Canyons has been misrepresented as a flashy course that lacks depth. The TPC Canyons is beautiful, that part is true but it also has subtle challenges that you don’t find very often on other courses.
You won’t find the subtleties in the first part of the course though. The second hole seemingly floats on a green across a canyon. This 196-yard par-three is beautiful, challenging and the first in an early series of long canyon carries that will leave you hoping for some extra distance in your bag.
The macho tests soon subside and you’ll start to encounter the more subtle challenges; particularly the consistent obstacles set up to give a headache to any right-hander’s natural fade.
TPC Canyon’s beauty stems from the contrast between the rugged rock and canyon that embraces the perfectly manicured greens and fairways. Don’t let the gorgeous environment distract you from your game though or your score will pay the price.
TPC Canyon will play host to the PGA Tour this year between October 12th and the 15th.
Shadow Creek Golf Club
Another one of Tom Fazio’s designs, Shadow Creek is a standout amount elite courses. You would be hard pressed to find another course in Nevada with such massive pine trees, a beautiful lake, streams, and hardly any other golfers.
In order to get a tee time here you’ll either need to be spending a lot of money at an MGM Mirage™ hotel or get a hold of one of their limited tee times available for purchase at half a grand.
The exclusivity of the resort has resulted in a longer than average list of celebrity golfers. George Clooney and Matt Damon were reportedly daily players for a month while filming Ocean’s Eleven. Michael Jordan holds the celebrity course record and is alleged to be one of the longest recreational players out there.
And if the Vegas courses are all booked, too expensive or if you just feel the need to get out of Sin City for a while, there are some great courses just 2 hours drive in the south-west corner of Utah. The St. George, Utah area has about ten good courses, of particular interest are Coral Canyon and Entrada at Snow Canyon.
If you want a more detailed list of courses, are looking for discounts, or want to make a tee time then visit Las Vegas Golf Courses. They specialize in Las Vegas golf and can recommend a package that is right for you.
