Las Vegas: A legend for a reason 

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first – Vegas has many of the best casinos and resorts in the world and a plethora of great courses within a short distance from those properties. But you knew that already. 

Two of our favorites in the area are Bali Hai Golf Club, which is right on the Strip close to McCarron International Airport and Allegiant Stadium, and the 54 holes at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort about a half-hour northwest of downtown. 

Bali Hai is a whopping slice of Polynesia, with lush surroundings, more than seven acres of opulent water features with 2,500 stands of towering palms and over 100,000 tropical plants. If there was ever a golf course worthy of being named after the famous Indonesian land of enchantment, this is it. 

Designed by Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley and opened in 2000, the par-71 layout plays to 7,002 yards from the tips. Transition and out-of-play areas are accented with gleaming white-sand and black volcanic rock outcroppings. Slow-running streams, ponds and waterfalls run through various holes, adding to the scenery and contributing to the challenge.  

At its highest point the course offers beautiful views of green hills and trees and distant mountains as well as the towering mega-hotels on the south end of the Strip.  

From the smooth bunkers to the endless foliage, a trip around Bali Hai can be mesmerizing. The best thing is that it is fun to play as well, with huge, often bowl-shaped fairways with bunkers that are forgiving in their placement and easy to drive over. And there are plenty of good chances to make things happen on the putting surfaces as well, as the greens were built to hold short-irons and wedges. 

Bali Hai’s hotel partner is the all-new Resorts World, with stay-and-play packages starting at $169 per person. 

The Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort’s three courses – Snow Mountain, Sun Mountain, and the Wolf – were all designed by the legendary Pete Dye. Snow Mountain and Sun Mountain, opened in the mid-1990s and are decidedly kinder, gentler, and sensible Dye routings. Both courses hug the land with generous, rolling fairways bordered by native vegetation and wildflowers. It’s almost like the courses were found on the site rather than fashioned. 

The Wolf Course, opened in late 2001, and is known as the longest course in Nevada and the most challenging course at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort.  Tipping out at a whopping 7,604 yards, this signature course of the property will test every facet of your game. Wolf is set on a higher portion of the property, with less elevation change, but its mounding gives each hole a feeling of isolation and you’ll notice that this course features a difficult yet beautiful island green on the par-3 15th hole that tends to be the picture of choice that gets posted on social media by golfers who play here. 

The Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort is a partner with MGM Resorts International for stay-and-play packages beginning at $149 based on hotel and course choice, day, and season, so needless to say the value is incredible here.