Read about Las Vegas golf from the locals view and get opinions from people who play the courses before you decide where you’d like to play. It won’t improve your game, but it could make a big impact on how much you enjoy the game. The information I gathered came from local men and women who play regularly, have various degrees of skill and various ages. Some are friends, casino hosts (who take guests out regularly) and people who know the courses.

Favorite Courses of Locals

Although there is beauty on every course in Las Vegas and the surrounding areas Bear’s Best, Rio Secco and Revere have particularly outstanding views of the city. Rio Secco is a little pricey but they make you feel special and give you a first class Vegas style golf experience and the course is very well maintained.  The course at Lake Las Vegas is a favorite among those locals lucky enough to have access to it for its unique lakeside tranquility and prestigious surroundings.

The Chase at Coyote Run –  A long drive to the middle of nowhere and minimal amenities but a fabulous golf course.  No restaurant but some food/snacks are available.    They have an excellent practice area. There are bunkers and a green for chipping and practicing sand shots from the best sand of the courses in the Las Vegas area. The course is beautiful to look at with mountains in the backdrop and no homes to distract from the surrounding wilderness. Fairways here are very wide on most holes and drives will run a little further than normal.

Rhodes Ranch- offers something for every skill level; making it an excellent choice for older players who aren’t up for the challenge of Rio Secco or Paiute Wolf courses, but want a round they can feel good about.

Boulder Creek -  A bit of a drive but 3 great nine’s available at this facility.  No housing encroaching on the beautiful design.  Every hole has unique character.  It’d be hard to get bored with this track.  It has some traces of a links course with some high wispy grasses in places that threaten to swallow your ball.  Your brain will get a thorough workout devising a plan for every hole and revisions for every shot gone awry.

Silverstone – has a couple of long par 5′s (over 600 yards) that are challenging and is a favorite for those working to improve their long game.

Stallion Mountain – Nice views and very nice conditions.  Greens are fast with very good grass coverage.  Fairways are in very good condition and fairly wide. Course design is interesting with a nice mix of long and shorter holes.  The par 5′s are not terribly long so offer good scoring opportunity. Driving range offers real turf for practice and is included with green fee.  Chipping area. Course is adjacent to housing but not a cause alarm most golfers.

Most Challenging Courses

Rio Secco, Paiute Wolf, Badlands; these courses were widely regarded as difficult by all the golfers I interviewed and would be best for the low handicap golfer. The Badlands is what I like to call a “Rock n Roll” course. If you don’t get a good roll…..you’re in the rocks. Very unforgiving and requires target golf style of play. Better use brightly colored balls and bring plenty. Royal Links is a compilation of some the toughest holes from 11 different British Open rotation courses and has some of the deepest bunkers ever! You literally can’t see out the top of some of them, so unless you have a very good relationship with your sand wedge, you might want to skip this course. In general it’s a royal pain in the score card and can make liars out of the most honest men and women. Oh, and like it’s not hard enough they have hot chicks called “Parmates” that go out with you to caddie……”Hi. My name is Cassie and I’d love to hold your club.”  Good luck with  the concentration guys.

Easiest Courses

Angel Park’s Palm Course is relatively easy as well as Sienna and Painted Desert. One of the great things about Angel Park is the many family friendly choices the Golf Club has to offer. Besides it’s two regular 18 hole courses; Palm or Mountain, they have a fun and challenging putting course, a 12 hole par three course; Cloud Nine (great for kids or adults just taking up the game) and is open at night as a nine hole course; great when it’s too hot during the day.  A word of advice to new players at Angel Park, whether it’s the Mountain Course or the Palm Course, the greens always break toward the Strip. Believe it. Palm Valley Golf Course in Summerlin offers good conditions and a straight forward layout that doesn’t require a lot of forced carries though there is water on a few par 3′s that can be intimidating but can be played around.

Best Value for Locals

Tuscany, Silverstone and  Angel Park are good values especially if you get the club card (OB Sports Card). Primm is a long drive but offers excellent courses for a good price and ladies…… they have a great Outlet Mall that has one of my favorite places to shop; Neiman Marcus Last Call. Badlands has some good deals. Rhodes Ranch has rates as low as $25 after 3:30pm and includes 2 draft beers!

Ask about twilight rates, or as I like to call it “sunstroke golf rates” in summer at any course for a great bargain.

Best Value for Visitors

Revere, Silverstone, Desert Rose; basic good golf on a budget from $39 – $59. Rhodes Ranch for multiple days of play has a good deal. Boulder Creek has good rates for visitors compared to many other courses.

Least Favorite Course

Answers varied from all the golfers I spoke with about every other question except this one. I got the same answer from all; Badlands. Here what one had to say, ” Too many shots seem to be all or nothing.  Probably a good test for good golfers but moderately poor shots get penalized the same as really bad misses.  If you spray the ball around, as most amateurs do,  you often find yourself in unplayable rather than difficult situations.  Target golf.  If I played golf like Johnny Miller, the designer, I might like the course but . . .   masochists and single digit handicappers may enjoy Badlands, but I avoid it until I see a great deal or think I warrant punishment for some untoward deed.”

Most Luxurious Courses

Cascata, Wynn, Shadow Creek are the premier courses to play in Las Vegas. Cascata is surrounded by natural beauty. There are waterfalls, and streams that make for a very tranquil setting. Cascata Golf Course has been the winner of many awards and always receives rave reviews from locals and visitors alike. The Wynn is only available to guests with rooms at the Wynn Hotel & Casino. No expense was spared in the design of this amazing golf course. Trees and waterfalls add beauty and diversity to the landscape. Shadow Creek is so luxurious and green you won’t believe you’re in the desert. Wildlife such as peacocks, desert foxes and rabbits are commonly seen during play. This course is a pleasure to play and a feast for the eyes. It was once hailed as the “most exclusive golf course in the US.”

Players Advice