Las Vegas Golf Courses: From TPC To Desert PinesThere is no shortage of golf courses in Las Vegas. However, before one considers picking up the sticks there are a few things to be aware of. The first is the weather, which is not to be taken lightly. Between the months of June and September, the temperature will almost definitely hit three figures every day, which can make for an uncomfortable, if not potentially health-threatening four hour experience. Wintertime can also be on the uncomfortable side, as Vegas can be quite biting and windy between December and February. Personally, I only like to play golf in Las Vegas from March through May and from October through November for the most part.
Weather aside; there are some awesome golf courses in Las Vegas, starting with the number one course in Nevada, and one of the finest courses in the US, Shadow Creek. One must be a guest of the MGM or Mirage to play, at a modest fee of $500, and that's weekdays only.
Rounding out the top two is the TPC in Summerlin. Also in Summerlin is the JW Marriott golf resort, which features nine golf courses. The only other true golf resort in Las Vegas is Lake Las Vegas, which features two truly excellent courses, Reflection Bay and The Falls.
Municipal courses include the Arnold Palmer-designed Angel Park Golf Club, which is a very popular and fun golf experience. The other municipal course of note is the Desert Rose golf course, which is a Jim Colbert course with wide-open fairways and is fairly reasonably priced.
The top of the list for public courses has to be Cascata, which can be played during the week for $500 if you are a guest of Harrah's Casino. Cascata is Italian for waterfall, and if you are fortunate enough to play this magnificent course, you will see why the name.
Another fine public course is Desert Pines golf club, which was inspired by the Pinehurst courses in North Carolina. Highland Falls golf club is set up in the mountains at over 3000 feet. The Las Vegas golf club is was the first golf club in Las Vegas, completed in 1938 it's a very popular course and is the site of many local amateur tournaments. The Las Vegas national is a championship course that has been a professional tour stop, Tiger Woods having won here.
Some of the other top public courses include the Legacy golf club, the semi-private Los Prados Country Club, the difficult Painted Desert golf course, such Palm Valley golf club, the Rio Secco which is open only to guests of Harrah's Casino, Royal Links, which is set out to emulate English Links courses, and finally Siena golf club in Summerlin. |