Las Vegas Golf Courses & Resorts

Las Vegas is home to some of the best golf courses in the world. Although best known for casinos and night life, Las Vegas also provides great day time recreation on the more than 50 quality golf courses. The majority of the Las Vegas golf courses are open to the public and some of the private courses will allow non-members to play under special circumstances.

Recently, ForbesTraveler listed Las Vegas as one of the top ten golf cities in America. First question: What makes a great golf city? When asked what makes a great golf city, Paul Rogers, senior editor at Travel & Leisure Golf stated in the Forbes article that "it starts with the concentration of courses—great golf cities have at least several good public courses along with private clubs that have history and some kind of golfing soul."  That comment fits Las Vegas to a tee.... pardon the pun.

The article went on to state that it's been almost twenty years since Steve Wynn opened Tom Fazio's Shadow Creek, an early example of a synthetic landscape linked to first-class golf—and eventually, the $500 round. His Steve Wynn Golf Club, retooled from the old Desert Inn on the strip, is the newest member of the Purple Chip Club, though Rees Jones' Cascata gets the nod from most golfers.

The Las Vegas golf courses offer a lush oasis in contrast to the surrounding desert sands and cactus. Most of the Vegas golf courses are open year round with the most comfortable playing conditions occuring during spring and fall. The diversity of golfing opportunities is immense. You can tee off along the shores of Lake Las Vegas or play the hazards of the arroyos and canyons in the mountain foothills.

On an economic level and benefit to the city, nearly 4,500 people are employed by Las Vegas golf courses. These golf courses result in more than a $1 billion tangible econimic impact that can be felt in the Las Vegas area. That number increases substantially when more intangibles such as real estate values, charitable impact, spending by tourists, etc. are factored into the economic equation. “Golf is a critical part of the economy and it’s important that we nurture it,” says State Senator Bob Coffin. “It’s too bad that it seems like we need to be protecting the industry on many fronts, but some believe that golf is just a whimsical recreational activity, but it’s very important for many reasons.”

Las Vegas golf courses are also pro-active when it comes to the conservation of Nevada's most valuable resource, water. Over the past several years, Las Vegas-area golf courses have removed millions of square feet of grass and conserved well more than 1 billion gallons of water. Also, the Vegas golf industry is a leader in irrigation technology and leads the way when it comes to best practices.

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