Famous Designers – Las Vegas Golf Courses
On your next Vegas vacation, shop for a designer event. No, I am not a fashion designer. Play a round of golf at one of Las Vegas’ golf courses designed by famous golf architects. Who could they be? Let’s review who designed several of Las Vegas’ famous golf courses.
For starters, the Paiute Resort in Las Vegas offers the unique beauty of a golf course in the Southern Nevada desert at the foot of the Spring Mountains. Designed by the world-renowned Peter Dye, the resort’s three golf courses offer challenging holes and wild landscapes. For example, the Snow Mountain course is marked with railroad ties and water hazards that complement the lush fairways among the natural desert terrain. Golf Digest named Snow Mountain the “Number One Public Access Course in Nevada.” The Sun Mountain Course and the Wolf Course at Paiute Golf Resort offer similar amazing rounds.
Another Peter Dye course is the Desert Pines Golf Course. If he’s looking for the wooded charm of a Pinehurst golf course in the middle of desert country, he’ll play a round at Desert Pines Golf Course. The course is one of four Las Vegas golf courses operated by Walters Golf. The other three include Bali Hai Golf Course, Royal Links Golf Club and Stallion Mountain Country Club. It has thousands of adult pine trees that line the streets. White sand bunkers protect the wide, undulating greens. Despite the arid environment of the Las Vegas desert climate, nine of the 18 holes have water in play.
Jay Moorish designed the Painted Desert Golf Club. This golf architect worked with Robert Trent Jones, George Fazio and Jack Nicklaus. He designed Dragon Ridge Golf Club with David Druzinsky. Mr. Morrish partnered with Tom Weiskopf to design and build several golf courses, some of which are listed among the top 100 golf courses in the US.
The Las Vegas National Golf Club was designed by Bert Stamps. The course opened in 1961 and is one of the oldest golf courses in Las Vegas. Mr. Stamps has designed several other golf courses in the US, including Mesquite Golf & Country Club in Palm Springs and De Leveaga Golf Course in Santa Cruz, California. Tiger Woods won his first PGA win at the 1996 Las Vegas International. Mickey Wright won two LPGA championships on this course. Rub shoulders with history and play a round at the Las Vegas National Golf Club.
The Silverstone Golf Course in one of the outstanding golf courses in Las Vegas. This course is home to the Las Vegas Celebrity Players Tour and offers a world-class golf experience on three courses for all players, all ages and all levels. Silverstone Golf Club was designed by Robert Cupp, who has built public and private courses from Boca Raton, Florida to Palmetto Plantation Hall in Hilton Head. Mr. Cupp designed other local Las Vegas golf courses such as the Wildhorse Golf Course in Henderson, Nevada and the Angel 9 Course at Angel Park Golf Course in Las Vegas.
The Badlands Golf Club was designed by professional golfers Johnny Miller and Chi Chi Rodriguez. The name of the golf course reflects the experience: beautiful landscapes contrasted with narrow and dangerous fairways that cross a very thorny desert landscape.
Last but not least, there are the golf courses designed by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Arnie designed two beautiful 18-hole courses at Angel Park and the Arroyo course at Red Rock Country Club.
Jack Nicklaus designed the Bear’s Best Golf Club, which has 18 holes of golf; each hole is modeled after the best holes he built on other courses he designed. The Golden Bear’s signature course is picturesque and challenging to play. The course started operating in 2001.
Be sure to play a round at any or all of these courses during your next Las Vegas golf vacation. Just telling your friends you’ve played a designer course is worth the green fees.