What May Be the Best Bet in Las Vegas

Keep this name handy if you or someone you know is planning on playing golf in Las Vegas:

Boulder Creek Golf Club.

With all that's been written about golf in Vegas, I'm shocked more people don't know about this fun layout that is arguably the best combination of course, convenience, and cost.

Only a half hour or so from The Strip, this Boulder City, Nev., muni (not to be confused with sister course Boulder City GC) consists of three nines, Desert Hawk, Coyote Run, and Eldorado Valley.

Each nine is delightfully devoid of course-side housing, and designer Mark Rathert incorporated oasis-, desert-, and arroyo-style holes on each one.

With similar, off-Strip courses charging $100-$250, you might think Boulder Creek's $75-$85 greens fee would buy you a boring round.

Nope. One of the course's trademarks is its split fairways, and there are also plenty of lakes to carry, and strategically placed palm trees, waste bunkers, and traditional sand traps around which to navigate.

Conditioning is impressive, too; the bentgrass greens roll nicely with subtle breaks rather than dramatic undulations.

With as many as six sets of tees, anyone can enjoy this course. And that's not just lip service: this year the course was the Monday qualifying venue for Justin Timberlake's PGA Tour event.

Based on all this, it should come as no surprise that Boulder Creek is a favorite among locals...who probably hate that I just revealed their well-kept secret.

Have you played Boulder Creek or know another Las Vegas course high on quality, cost, and convenience?

Please share your thoughts or read what others are saying below.

Craig Better is one of the founding editors of Golf Vacation Insider. In addition to traveling to 15 foreign countries, he has twice traveled across America to play golf courses in all 50 United States. Prior to joining Golf Vacation Insider, Craig was a freelance writer who contributed to GOLF Magazine, Travel + Leisure Golf, Maxim Magazine, USAToday.com, and co-authored Zagat Survey’s book, America’s Top Golf Courses.
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Looks like a great track, but the rates have gone up (at least for non-residents) since this was published: twilight (after 1pm) is $65; 11am-1pm is $90; and before 11am is $110.

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Boulder Creek is great. I have a friend that uses it as his home course. The staff is great and the courses are excellent. It feels as if you're kind of in the middle of nowhere without all the houses around. It's well worth the trip given what else is out there.

Commented on

Played Las Vegas National in 2006, we played with rented clubs, and it was only $105. Much better than what I thought it was going to be, and the course was in great shape. We had a grand ol' time and probably saved a couple of hundred by staying out of the casino for 5 or 6 hrs.

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Went to Vegas in mid-November and was looking for a couple courses so I could play 18 in the morning and 18 in the afternoon. I happened on the Paiute website. There I found their "GolfAPalooza" special. I got 36 holes with lunch off the menu, cart and ranges balls all for $125 plus some tax. Presently the deal is now $159. The hospitality was extraordinary, the courses (played Snow Mountain and Sun Mountain) were in great shape, well manicured with fast, true greens. I also got to meet and play with some really great folks, one who is a member. I would highly recommend including this on your Vegas golf vacation.

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What May Be the Best Bet in Las Vegas