Where to Play Golf Near the Las Vegas Strip

If you're staying in a tower on the Strip and you want to play golf near the Las Vegas Strip without burning half a day in the car, the good news is that you have real options within fifteen minutes of your hotel — and two of them are literally on Las Vegas Boulevard. The less obvious news is that those options cover an enormous range, from a $500-plus resort round to a historic parkland course you can play for a fraction of that. This guide sorts the golf courses near the Strip by distance, access, and vibe, so you can match the course to your trip rather than just booking the first tee time you find.

How we report this: Our take is based on published course data, operator information, and player reviews — not on a first-hand round at each course on the same trip. We do not accept green fees or advertising in exchange for placement. Where a figure is reported rather than officially published, we say so, and we'd always suggest you confirm rates and tee-time policies with the club before you commit.

Golf On the Strip Itself: Bali Hai and Wynn

Two courses sit directly on Las Vegas Boulevard, and they could not be more different in price or feel.

Bali Hai Golf Club — The Closest Course to the Strip

Bali Hai Golf Club is the closest course to the Strip in the practical sense most visitors mean: it sits on the south end of Las Vegas Boulevard at 5160 Las Vegas Blvd S, beside Mandalay Bay, so for many south-Strip hotels it's a short rideshare or even a long walk. It's a public daily-fee course — no membership, no resort gatekeeping — designed by Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley (Schmidt-Curley Design) and opened in 2000. The concept is unapologetically tropical: seven acres of water, 2,500 palms, 100,000 Balinese plants, and black volcanic rock, all set against Strip skyline views from multiple fairways. It plays to a par-71, 7,002 yards from the tips, and Golf Digest has ranked it among its Top 50 Resort Courses. The par-3 island-green 16th is one of the most photographed holes in the city. If you want one round that screams "I played golf in Las Vegas," this is the obvious pick. Green fees are premium but not stratospheric; book at the club's site or call (702) 597-2400.

Wynn Golf Club — The Walk-Out-Your-Room Option

Wynn Golf Club is the other on-Strip course, and it's a completely different proposition. Tucked inside the Wynn Las Vegas resort grounds at 3131 Las Vegas Blvd S, it's a Tom Fazio championship redesign (with his son Logan) that reopened on October 11, 2019, on 129 acres. The result is a lush parkland round — manicured turf, dramatic elevation, six par 3s across a par-70 layout — that feels worlds away from the desert and the casino floor a few hundred yards off. The catch is the price: green fees are among the highest in the United States, reported at roughly $500 to $600 per player and as high as $800 in peak demand, with complimentary Callaway club rental included. Reservations are by phone only at (702) 770-4653; Wynn and Encore hotel guests book up to 90 days out, while the general public books within 30 days. If you're a resort guest with the budget for one bucket-list round, this is the most theatrical golf on the Strip — and the easiest to reach, since you can practically walk from your room.

Central Las Vegas: 10–15 Minutes Off the Strip

Drive a few minutes east of the Strip and the value picture changes completely. Two central Las Vegas courses give you a genuinely different round at a far gentler price, with more open tee-time inventory than the on-Strip pair.

Desert Pines Golf Club — A Carolina Escape Near Downtown

Desert Pines Golf Club is the best surprise on this list. Designed by Perry Dye and Cynthia Dye McGarey (Dye Designs) and opened in 1996, it's the only Las Vegas course built to evoke the Carolina Sandhills — nearly 4,000 mature pines, imported white sand, and railroad-tie bunkering that make the desert disappear entirely. It plays par-71 at 6,810 yards, and the pine corridors deliver a welcome bonus in a desert city: shade. It sits at 3415 E Bonanza Rd in central Las Vegas, about 15 minutes from the Strip and under 10 from downtown, so it pairs naturally with a Fremont Street night. Pace of play is famously brisk — most rounds finish in under four hours — and green fees are mid-range, well below the Strip premiums. For a visitor who wants quality golf without the resort markup, this is our value pick near the Strip. Book at the club's site or call (702) 388-4400.

Las Vegas National Golf Club — Where Las Vegas Golf Began

Las Vegas National Golf Club is the history play. A Bert Stamps design that opened in 1961, it's one of the oldest surviving public courses in the valley — a classic tree-lined parkland layout that stands in deliberate contrast to the desert-links style dominating modern Las Vegas golf. It sits at 1911 E Desert Inn Rd, roughly 15 minutes from the Strip and about the same from Summerlin. It isn't the most dramatic course in the region and it doesn't pretend to be; what it offers is genuine local history underfoot and a traditional, walkable parkland round without premium pricing. For golfers who care about where Las Vegas golf came from, not just where it is today, it's worth the short trip. Book through the club or call (702) 889-1000.

A Note on Bear's Best Las Vegas

If you've seen Bear's Best Las Vegas on an older list of Las Vegas courses, here's the honest update: it's gone. The Jack Nicklaus replica-hole course in The Ridges on the western edge of Summerlin permanently closed to public play on June 30, 2025. The site is under full demolition and reconstruction as Amara Golf and Social Club, a strictly private, members-only facility owned by Mulligan Holdings LLC, with a reported $300 million investment and an October 2026 opening that has been reported but not independently confirmed. To be clear, Bear's Best was never really a "near the Strip" course — it sat well west, in Summerlin — but it appears in enough visitor searches that it's worth flagging: you can no longer play it, and what replaces it won't be open to the public.

How to Choose: Distance, Access, and Vibe

Here's the quick decision tree for matching a course to your stay:

• Closest and most "Vegas": Bali Hai, right on the south Strip, public access, premium-but-reasonable fee, unbeatable spectacle. The default pick for most visitors.
• Most luxurious (and most expensive): Wynn Golf Club, on the Strip inside the resort, ~$500–$600+ per round, phone booking only, priority for hotel guests.
• Best value with character: Desert Pines, ~15 minutes east, mid-range fees, fast pace, a pine-framed escape from the desert.
• Best for history buffs on a budget: Las Vegas National, ~15 minutes east, classic 1961 parkland, traditional and affordable.
• Willing to drive 20–30 minutes west? The Summerlin corridor opens up a deeper bench of public golf — the Summerlin golf course map plots every option, and our guide to booking Las Vegas tee times covers when and where to lock in the best rate.

One booking tip that applies to all four: Las Vegas runs on dynamic, seasonal pricing. The same tee time can swing dramatically between a summer twilight slot and a spring morning. If your dates are flexible, an early-morning or twilight start in the shoulder seasons is almost always the better deal — and on the on-Strip courses, that early light off the skyline is the photograph you came for anyway.

The Verdict on Golf Near the Las Vegas Strip

For most visitors, the practical answer is simple. If you want the closest, most photogenic round and you don't want to overthink it, play Bali Hai — it's the closest course to the Strip and the most distinctly Las Vegas. If money is no object and you're staying at Wynn or Encore, Wynn Golf Club is the bucket-list splurge. If you'd rather keep the green fee sensible and still play something memorable, drive the fifteen minutes to Desert Pines or, for a quieter and more historic round, Las Vegas National. Whatever you choose, confirm the rate and tee-time policy with the club before you book — and leave the former Bear's Best off your list, because that one closed for good in 2025.

Frequently asked questions about golf near the Las Vegas Strip

What is the closest golf course to the Las Vegas Strip?

Bali Hai Golf Club is the closest course to the Strip — it sits directly on Las Vegas Boulevard at the south end, next to Mandalay Bay, at 5160 Las Vegas Blvd S. Wynn Golf Club is also on the Strip, inside the Wynn Las Vegas resort grounds at 3131 Las Vegas Blvd S, making it walkable for resort guests. Both are the only championship courses on the Strip itself.

Can you golf right on the Las Vegas Strip?

Yes. Two courses sit on the Strip: Bali Hai Golf Club, a public daily-fee tropical-themed course on the south end, and Wynn Golf Club, a Tom Fazio resort course inside Wynn Las Vegas. Bali Hai is open to anyone; Wynn accepts public tee times by phone but gives resort guests priority booking. Based on published course data and operator information, these are the only two full-length courses directly on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Which golf course near the Strip offers the best value?

Among courses near the Strip, Desert Pines Golf Club and Las Vegas National Golf Club are the most affordable, both sitting in central Las Vegas roughly 10 to 15 minutes from the Strip corridor. Desert Pines is a mid-range Dye Design course; Las Vegas National is a historic 1961 parkland layout. Bali Hai and especially Wynn carry premium green fees. Confirm current rates with each club, as Las Vegas pricing is seasonal and demand-based.

How much does it cost to play Wynn Golf Club near the Strip?

Wynn Golf Club is one of the most expensive public-access courses in the country. Published and reported green fees are approximately $500 to $600 per player for a standard round, with some player reports citing fees up to $800 during peak demand. Reservations are by phone only at (702) 770-4653; confirm current pricing with the club when booking.

Is Bear's Best Las Vegas still open to play near the Strip area?

No. Bear's Best Las Vegas, the Jack Nicklaus replica-hole course in The Ridges on the western edge of Summerlin, permanently closed to public play on June 30, 2025. It is being redeveloped as Amara Golf and Social Club, a private members-only facility. It was never a Strip-area course — it sat well west of the Strip — but visitors searching for it should know it can no longer be played.

How far is Summerlin golf from the Las Vegas Strip?

Summerlin's west-side courses sit roughly 20 to 30 minutes from the Strip by car, depending on traffic. If you are staying on the Strip and want golf without a long drive, the courses in this guide — Bali Hai, Wynn, Desert Pines, and Las Vegas National — are all closer. For west-side options once you are willing to drive, see the Summerlin golf course map.