Shadow Creek Golf Course

Like most things in Las Vegas, Shadow Creek is sensory overload. Pulling through the gate, you are delivered into a setting more akin to North Carolina than the desert. This lush playground for the well-heeled isn’t tricked up. The green complexes are fully on tilt, but the landing areas off the tee - while pinched - are fair. The approach shots take top billing, as players can use backstops and gentle movement to feed balls toward the pin.

The headliner here is simply the hang. While exclusive, it isn’t pretentious. The cozy locker room gives way to a modest grill that offers great views of the closing hole. It’s not an easy tee time to secure, but MGM Resort guests should inquire about the potential to play if you don’t mind paying up. The MGM is bound to get your money anyway. So, better to have something to show for it.

It was one of the last courses in Vegas that I hadn't played previously and boy it did not disappoint! The service is top notch from the car service from the hotel to the pro shop to the course. It was pretty neat seeing the lockers of pros and celebrities.

Course conditions were great. Greens are pretty firm and hard to hold. Putts above the pin were fairly difficult. Pace was not an issue as we rarely saw anyone else around.

Our caddie, "Moose," was phenomenal. He was probably the best caddie I ever had from tee to green with where to lay up and how to read the greens. Unfortunately, the front tees still measure over 6,600 yards, but my girlfriend still had a great time.

The greens fee has increased to $600 so it hard to say that was the best value for the money. I will say it was better than losing $600 at the casinos.

So glad I took the opportunity to scratch this course off of my bucket list. Its my opinion that it is the overall experience that you are truly paying for. As others reviewers have stated, the feeling is one of having the entire course and facilities to yourself for the whole day. Our Caddie, Mike, was an incredible asset to have around the course both before and during the round. If you have the chance to play here, take it!

We actually considered playing a second round as we walked off 18, it’s that great. Considering our round of drinks and dinner later that night was $500, paying that for golf isn’t so ridiculous.

The entire experience is fun and relaxing. Any golfer can enjoy a day on SHadow Creek.

There is a lot of legend and lore out there surrounding Shadow Creek, and I can say with absolute certainty that the entire "experience" that is Shadow Creek is incredible. I say "experience" because Shadow Creek is much more than just a great golf course. To me, golf course reviews are a very subjective thing, as we all have our own individual preferences, but when it comes to SC, I can't imagine anyone walking away and not having their expectations met or more likely - exceeded.

Getting picked up from your hotel in a stretch limo sets the tone for what awaits. The facilities are first-class in every respect. The clubhouse is quiet and relaxing. The staff is the perfect combination of professional, friendly and welcoming. The locker room is one of the nicest I've ever been in, public or private - which is to be expected when you see names such as Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, Barack Obama, etc. etched in gold plates on the locker doors. SC provides you with a locker for the day, and I was given the locker of a very famous Olympic athlete, which was pretty cool. I'll also note that my friend and I had breakfast and lunch while we were there and the food was excellent.

Upon exiting the locker room and making the short walk over to the driving range, we were promptly greeted by our caddie "Moose" (all groups are required to take a caddie at SC). I've had many caddies over the years at some of the top courses in the country, and Moose was right up there with the best. He was very friendly, personable and extremely knowledgeable about the course (I forgot how many years he said that he had been caddying at SC, but it was a significant number). If you are going to SC, I would definitely recommend Moose as a caddie if you can request ahead of time - you will be guaranteed a good time.

My friend and I (two-some) had a 9:30 a.m. tee time on a Wednesday and pretty much had the entire property to ourselves. I cannot recall seeing another golfer except back near the clubhouse when we grabbed lunch at the turn and then afterwards in the locker room when we finished our round. That being the case, the pace of play was perfect. We took our time and enjoyed the vistas, which are amazing on pretty much every hole. My impression is that SC does not get a ton of play during the week. The weather that day was perfect, upper 65-70 degrees, sunny with not much wind. I hear that it can get breezy from time to time, which is expected in the desert, but the course is set up fair enough that it will still be enjoyable on windy days.

The golf course itself is simply fantastic. The conditioning of the fairways, greens, rough, bunkers, etc was perfect - 10 out of 10. I found it to be very playable from tee to green. It was the perfect combination of challenging but fun. By and large, the fairways are generous enough where you can be comfortable swinging away with the driver. I also was pleased to find that the rough was very manageable, almost to the point where there were some places on the course where I preferred being in the rough just off the fairway, as the grass propped my ball up, in contrast to being on a tight lie in the fairway. Yes, the fairways are cut tight and generally pretty firm, which is not a bad thing, but they are the type of fairways you'll find at major championship venues like Oakmont and Shinnecock. Another thing I like is the collars around the greens are cut super tight, which makes it easy to putt from off of the green if you come up short on your approach.

In my opinion, the most challenging aspect of the course is the greens, which were not only quick, but also had an above-average amount of undulation. The amount of undulation creates a number of tricky pin locations and on at least 3 or 4 holes, I found myself having a putt that first went uphill, and then downhill toward the hole. This made it difficult to get adjusted to the speed of the greens, which I finally started to figure out near the end of the round. It's definitely a course where I'll putt better the more I play it.

The variety of holes is also worth mentioning. No two holes are alike and with an excellent mix of long and short holes, you'll find yourself using all of the clubs in your bag, with chances to be creative in your shot-making. The amount of elevation change is also staggering when you consider the fact that the property was once flat desert floor.

I can see where some people say that $500 for a round of golf is expensive, but Shadow Creek is worth every penny. I have played a number of courses that are $400+ (that don't pick you up in a limo) and very few of them are actually worth the price of admission. Not so with Shadow Creek - I'd be happy to pay the $500 again and will certainly do so in the future. I'm actually ruined for playing golf now in Las Vegas - if I have my clubs there an I'm not playing Shadow Creek, I'll be thinking of where I could be...It's that good.

Wonderful Golf Course! I had an early tee time with an excellent golf pro and enjoyed this golf course.

I would highly recommend it.

Ciao Bella

I love Shadow Creek. I've played here a few times and if you're a golfer, it's just a treat to play. The caddies are always pretty good, the locker room staff is great, they have a great golf shop (and a great logo, which looks great on merchandise) and their food is excellent. The golf course was in great condition, as it has been every time I've played it. It's a cliché, but you never feel like you're in Las Vegas when you're at the Creek.

You must stay at an MGM property to play here, but if you're a golfer, it's worth if for you to experience this. The back nine is my favorite in all of Las Vegas (along with the back nine at Southern Highlands) which a great collection of Par 3's, 4's and 5's. My recommendation is to take your limo to take you to the Creek earlier than you'd usually go and go to their short game practice area. It's the best short game practice facility I've ever seen and I could spend hours out there. Then go play your ground and have a cocktail and lunch afterwards. You will not regret it.

Shadow Creek is not just about outstanding golf, it's about the overall experience. This course would not be the same place or have the same allure if it was not in Las Vegas. But it is, and it is perfect. From the limo ride, to the greeting at the front door, to the hospitality of everyone on the course....it's all about experience. Our caddy, Chris, was outstanding. The course itself was immaculate. There is something special about feeling like a VIP, without necessarily being one.

Absolutely, the cost is extravagant. What in Vegas isn't? I would love to play here over and over again and without a second's pause.

The course was challenging, but not impossible. Being from the midwest, this was only my second round in 4-5 months (the first being the day before.) But being in an oasis like this, there was some magic in the air.

The views are breathtaking. Pictures don't do them justice. The bloody Mary's were up there at the top as well.

Overall, top notch. I would recommend this to anyone just for the experience. Shadow Creek is so much more than golf.

Having already played Shadow Creek, I knew what to expect - a limo ride to the course from an MGM property, a fantastic caddie, immaculate course conditions, the waterfall on no. 17 and a great host in GM Mark Brenneman, who loves to tell stories about life at one of the world's most exclusive clubs. Visiting for a second time, it was all about trying to score. This made me pay close attention to the strategy of Tom Fazio's work. His par 3s and par 5s at Shadow Creek are as good as golf gets. Risky but fair. Awfully scenic, too. My only minor issue would be a few too many long par 4s. Most players tee it up at the 6,626-yard member tees, setting up four super-sized holes - the 449-yard third, the 442-yard sixth, the 442-yard 14th and stream-laden 433-yard 15th. A trio of shorter holes try to balance things out - the 344-yard first hole, the potentially driveable 284-yard 11th and 355-yard 12th. The point is - unless you're on your game - it's so hard to beat your handicap at Shadow Creek. It's kind of like Vegas. The house wins every tie.

Playing Shadow Creek is a true treat and an overall amazing experience. Definitely Top 100, sort of what I would imagine playing Augusta National would be like. The facilities are first rate and the staff is very friendly. The course is an oasis, hard to imagine that you are in Las Vegas. I am a fan of Tom Fazio's layout. To be able to play this course is certainly a good reason to stay at an MGM resort such as Aria.

If you’ve got a golf course bucket list and Shadow Creek isn’t at the top, you need to re-think the list. This Tom Fazio layout, from start (including a limo ride to the course) to finish, will surpass any and all expectations of a round of golf. Five stars isn't a high enough rating for this course. It’s not just one or two holes that will take your breath away…it’s all 18. Stunning water features, brilliant bunkering and true-rolling greens make this one worth the price of admission. If there’s one course in Vegas that I’d play every day, this is it.

This was possibly the best golf experience of my life. Playing Shadow Creek is something all avid golfers should experience. The unique setting of a manufactured environment in the Nevada desert is like nothing I have seen in golf. While manufactured, the course matches the environment perfectly. This is Tom Fazios best work as a course architect; playable, different and fair golf holes make the golf experience at Shadow Creek very memorable. The course condition is second to none and the clubhouse setting reminded more of Augusta National then the Las Vegas strip. If golf exists in heaven, I hope they've been to Shadow Creek.

Shadow Creek is hands down probably the most spectacular course I've ever played. I played there on my honeymoon and really didn't know too much about it. Everything about the day was amazing. You really feel like you are playing at Augusta National yet just over the tee box is a desert... There are creeks, water falls, cool wildlife and the greenest grass you've ever seen.
This is worth the money and should be on every golfer's bucket list. They do not have ladies tees but I was fine to play from the first set of men's tees.

It's not what you see - it's how you feel - that makes playing Shadow Creek Golf Club so special.
The air of exclusivity is so thick inside the gates at Shadow Creek, regular guys like you and me feel like we shouldn't be there. This is where Jordan, Clooney and Matt Damon hang out, away from the glaring spotlight of their very public lives.
Getting a glimpse of their Shangri-La is, in my opinion, worth the $500 price tag.
What the priciest green fee in America buys is a private experience where golfers feel like the Hollywood A-lister. Those who want to play Shadow Creek must stay at an MGM property, where they are picked up by limo and escorted to the club 20 minutes from the strip. Fore caddies (but not their tip) are included.
Tom Fazio built Shadow Creek for casino mogul Steve Wynn in 1989, transforming a featureless desert wasteland into a lush paradise of trees, ponds, babbling brooks, fast greens and one famous waterfall behind the 17th green. Excellent risk-reward opportunities abound on a surreal layout that's picturesque and fun to play.