Best golf courses near Las Vegas, NV

Nestled in the heart of the Vegas strip, Wynn Golf Club has become a go-to venue for Capital One’s “The Match,” hosting the match between Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau in 2021, the four quarterbacks in 2022, and in 2023 the teammates battle between Steph Curry/Klay Thompson vs. Patrick Mahomes/Travis Kelce. The Tom Fazio design features dramatic elevation changes, created by moving over 400,000 cubic yards of earth. Fazio and his son, Logan, renovated the course in 2019 to make room for a casino and hotel expansion onto the property, creating eight new holes and refurbishing the other 10. The par-70 layout features six par 3s, including the picturesque 18th, with a green perched at the base of a roaring waterfall.

Although Southern Highlands was billed as a co-design between Robert Trent Jones Jr. and his famous father, in truth the senior Jones, who would die in 2000, was retired by the time construction on this lavish Las Vegas layout began in 1998. Still, there’s a plaque on the 12th hole proclaiming it to be the last hole Mr. Jones ever designed. Regardless, Southern Highlands reflects his son Bobby’s design tenets and visuals. The Highlands was always intended to be Bobby’s answer to Tom Fazio’s Shadow Creek (ranked No. 27), but with a more financially sensible real estate component. It has the same Carolina-pines motif, the same sprawling, overly elaborate bunkers, the same kinetic water features and, if anything, even more elevation change, with the 11th tee box sitting ten stories above the fairway and providing an unobstructed view of the Las Vegas Strip several miles to the north.

Tom Fazio did his thing at one of his newer Discovery Land Properties, The Summit Club, maximizing exceptional views of the Las Vegas Strip on this land that sits about 3,000 feet above sea level. Fazio routed the course and molded the land in a way so that every hole is secluded from the next—similar to what he did at Shadow Creek. Summit Club, a runner-up for Golf Digest’s 2017 Best New private award, offers a strong variety of holes—with optionality particularly on the par 5s. You’ll find the typical Discovery Land offerings here—with multiple comfort stations including Jerry’s—which we got a sneak peek into last year as one of the best halfway houses in the U.S.

TPC Summerlin co-hosted the 1996 Shriners Children’s Open (then the Las Vegas Invitational), where Tiger Woods captured his first career PGA Tour victory. The Las Vegas desert layout, designed by Fuzzy Zoeller and Bobby Weed, winds through arroyos and canyons. As you’d expect from a TPC facility, the practice facilities are tremendous, covering 12 acres and including two short game areas and a 10,000 square-foot practice green.

Perhaps the most playable of the three courses at the Las Vegas Paiute Resort, Pete Dye’s Snow Mountain offers generous landing areas and plenty of risk-reward challenges. Given the desert setting, wind will likely play a factor. The course finishes strong, offering views of Sheep Mountain on the par-3 16th, traditional Dye railroad-tie bunkers on the 17th, and a stern test with water down the entire left side on the 18th.

You would never know you’re less than 30 miles from the hustle and bustle of the Las Vegas Strip at this Pete Dye design, surrounded by barren desert and jagged peaks. In typical Dye fashion, there are plenty of risk-reward holes, including the split fairways at the par-5 sixth and the par-4 17th. The island green at the par-3 15th closely resembles Dye’s signature 17th at TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course.

Just west of the strip, Bear’s Best Las Vegas is a Jack Nicklaus design with tremendous views of the nearby Spring Mountains. In designing the course, Nicklaus and his team referenced photos and plans from many of his previous designs to inspire the 18 holes dubbed “Bear’s Best.” Most fairways are flanked by desert, requiring quality ball-striking to score well. To enhance the round, their golf carts are equipped with Bluetooth speakers, as well as GPS and charging ports.

If the movie “South Pacific” could use the dramatic cliffs of Kauai’s Napali Coast to represent the mythical island of Bali Hai, why can’t Vegas turn it into an entertaining 7,015-yard par 72? Architects Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley took 145 acres of crushed rock and refuse across Las Vegas Boulevard from McCarran International Airport, imported thousands of palm trees, white granite sand from southern California for waste areas, Augusta white sand from Georgia for the bunkers, black volcanic rock from Utah for an accent and enough tropical honeysuckle, pampas grass and pineapple guava to complete the illusion. Adjacent to the airport, Bali Hai offers a unique setting in the heart of Las Vegas. For those seeking a Vegas-like experience, we’re told Jello shots and Golfboards are frequent options for guests here. The island green at the par-3 16th often features an audience from the nearby restaurant patio.

This Bobby Weed and Raymond Floyd design previously hosted PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions events when it was known as TPC at The Canyons. The nearby Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area provides a scenic backdrop for a course that features elevation changes and forced carries over canyons. Fairways are generally wide and forgiving, while the greens have subtle breaks influenced by the surrounding mountains. The course has six sets of tees to accommodate every level of player.

Las Vegas Country Club is one of the best courses in Nevada. Discover our experts' reviews and where Las Vegas Country Club ranks in our rankings

Water comes into play on just three holes at this Pete Dye design. Instead, the defenses of the Sun Mountain course are the strategically placed bunkers (including several pot bunkers on the back nine) and undulating fairways. The edges of fairways tend to pitch toward the middle, making them play more forgiving than they appear. The course provides impressive views of the Sheep Mountain range throughout.

On the west side of Las Vegas, Angel Park offers two Arnold Palmer designs, a lighted par-3 course and an extreme putting course. The Mountain Course opened in 1990 and fittingly plays up and down a mountain, offering fantastic views of the surrounding Red Rocks and Las Vegas Strip. Though the Mountain Course is playable, it’s slightly longer and more difficult than its sibling Palm layout.

The Arroyo Golf Club, designed by Arnold Palmer, is located at Red Rock Country Club, which also has a separate private course. The Arroyo, however, is open to the public and meanders through the Red Rock Canyon and Summerlin community. The 6,800-yard course offers a stern test from the tips, but four other sets of tees provide more playable options for everyone.

The Cloud 9 par-3 course at Angel Park complements two Arnold Palmer designs and an extreme putting course at this facility on the west side of Las Vegas. After sunset, the short course—with holes ranging from 80-130 yards—can be played under the lights, providing a unique Vegas experience. The holes were inspired by 12 of the most legendary par 3s in the world, including TPC Sawgrass’ island-green 17th and the “Postage Stamp” hole at Royal Troon.