Revere Golf Club
If you’re planning a golf trip to Las Vegas, there are lots of great options, from high roller experiences like Wynn Golf Club, Cascata, and Shadow Creek, all the way down to daily fees that the locals enjoy for bargain rates.
Of course, if you’re a visitor, it’s unlikely you’re going to play a quality regulation golf course for a $39 green fee. After all, this is Las Vegas, but if you’re like most people you’ll want to stretch your golf budget as far as possible. Maybe that means playing one premium course and a couple more affordable tracks. Or you could go value all the way, and yes, there are courses in the Las Vegas area that represent good value. Let’s take a look.
TPC Las Vegas
Upper end values
Again, remember that we’re talking about a destination where visitors have no problem budgeting a few hundred dollars or more each day in the casinos. So green fees between $150 and $225 (instead of $500 or so for the above aforementioned high roller courses), can be a relative value, all things considered. These courses make up the vast majority of well-known Las Vegas golf courses, and in turn, you can expect exceptional service, dining, and atmosphere.
One of our favorites is Revere Golf Club, which has two terrific layouts — the Concord and the Lexington courses, both designed by Billy Casper and Greg Nash. Located in Henderson, there are great views of Red Rock Canyon as well as the Las Vegas Strip on the horizon. Most of all, both courses are excellent conditioned with a wide variety of holes. Practice facilities are top notch, and the Buckman’s Grille in the clubhouse is where you’re going to want to hang out afterwards with its incredible panoramic views and great menu. Priced just north of $150 during peak season (much less for locals, of course), it’s still a great value for the level of golf experience you get there.
The same could be said for Rio Secco Golf Club, also in Henderson. This stellar Rees Jones design was the site of the Wendy’s Three-Tour Challenge back in the day. Routed through steep canyons and desert washes, here you will find elevated tees, challenging greens, and lots of great scenery. It’s also home to the Butch Harmon Academy of Golf.
Siena Golf Club and its sister course Arroyo Golf Club at Red Rock are two more terrific options in Henderson. Siena is Schmidt-Curley design that’s interesting from start to finish and has a great clubhouse and restaurant. Arroyo is a terrific Arnold Palmer design that boasts impeccable conditions and lots of interesting holes. Play a little later in the day, and you can pay as little as $100 or so at both these courses, even less during the summer, of course.
And TPC Las Vegas is also a great choice. This stunning course, which affords great views of Red Rock Canyon, was designed by Bobby Weed and Ray Floyd. Nonresidents will pay north of $150 during peak season, but you can do better through packages and special promotions. This is a former PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions site, and it’s always fun to play where the pros play.
Rio Secco
More affordable Las Vegas gems
Again, while visitors aren’t likely to score $50 green fees in Las Vegas for regulation length courses, there are quite a few that are around the $100 rate or less, and offer up a quality experience.
One of the best value options is Las Vegas Paiute Resort, which is about a half hour from the Strip, but well worth the drive and effort. The resort has a trio of Pete Dye layouts that will knock your socks off and leave you plenty of extra cash for gaming. Sun Mountain, Snow Mountain, and The Wolf are all championship layouts with incredible mountain backdrops, imaginative and difficult holes, and perfect conditioning. Best of all, you can play them all for $100 or less.
Bear’s Best is also considered a good value play. The course is of some of Jack Nicklaus’ best holes from his many other desert courses from Arizona, Mexico, and even Spain. And if you happen to be a member of Invited Clubs (formerly Club Corp.) you can get some really good rates.
For a bit of nostalgia, though, check out Las Vegas National Golf Club. It opened as Stardust Country Club (owned by the Stardust Hotel and Casino) in 1961 and played host to the LPGA Championship in its first few years. It was called the Las Vegas Hilton Golf Club in 1996 when it was part of the rotation for the PGA Tour’s Las Vegas Invitational (the other courses were the TPC Summerlin and TPC Las Vegas). That was also the same year that the event was won by a player who would go on to 15 major victories. That player would be Tiger Woods, of course, and Vegas would be his first ever professional win. The course was also a former haunt of the Rat Pack, and there’s plenty of cool memorabilia in the clubhouse referencing the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. Best of all, visiting golfers can play this course for $100 or less.
Some other good value choices include Chimera (formerly Tuscany) Golf Club, and Rhodes Ranch, both designed by Ted Robinson, and Desert Pines, a Pete Dye creation that pays homage to the sandhills of North Carolina. (It’s not a desert course.)
Another good option, located in east Las Vegas, is The Club at Sunrise, a nice Dick Wilson/Joe Lee design that opened in 1964. Best of all, nonresident rates are well under $100, even in peak season. Other affordable choices include Highland Falls Golf Club, Palm Valley Golf Course, Los Prados Golf Club, and Aliante, as well as executive courses like Durango Hills and Eagle Crest.
Finally, there’s Angel Park, which has two championship courses — the Mountain and the Palm — and the short “Cloud 9” course, which everyone should check out if they get the chance. It’s 12 holes during the day and nine at night because nine holes are lit. Designed by Bob Cupp, the course features replicas of some of the finest short holes in the world, like the Postage Stamp hole at Royal Troon, and the island green 17th at TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course. Best of all, you can play this nifty walking course for $25 or less.
Chimera
Recommendation
There really is a wide spectrum of golf options in Las Vegas, and quite a few that are off the beaten path. You just have to know where to look.
Again, if you’re looking for bucket-list type golf, be prepared to ante up a bit. But you can certainly build an affordable golf vacation in Las Vegas, not only by choosing some lesser known courses, but perhaps by staying off the Strip at some of the less glitzy, but comfortable casino hotels in the area, too. You can get some great airfares into Vegas, too (or just drive from many destinations in the west), and there are so many great entertainment options, so it’s always a great time for Sin City golf vacation.
Palm Valley