Shadow Creek Golf Course
Steve Wynn and Tom Fazio took a flat patch of Mojave desert and built a course that has no business existing, a secluded canyon of pines, creeks and waterfalls that visitors reach by limousine. It remains one of the most extravagant constructions in golf, and one of its hardest tee times to come by.
Photo: Shadow Creek Golf Course via Google.
The verdict
Shadow Creek opened in 1989 as Steve Wynn's private fantasy, a course Tom Fazio carved out of featureless desert north of the Strip at a reported cost north of 60 million dollars. Thousands of mature trees were trucked in, the land was moved to create rolling topography where there was none, and a stream was made to run through it. Step onto the first tee and the desert simply disappears, replaced by something that looks like North Carolina dropped into Nevada.
MGM Resorts now owns it, and access runs almost entirely through stays at the company's Las Vegas hotels, with a green fee that has climbed toward 1,000 dollars and includes a limousine transfer and a caddie. It is expensive theater as much as a golf course, but the par 72 holds up, it has hosted The Match and a PGA Tour event, and for the once in a lifetime Vegas round it is the name everyone wants on the scorecard.
Shadow Creek at a glance
- Opened
- 1989
- Designer
- Tom Fazio
- Type
- Parkland
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 7,560 yds
- Green fee
- About $1,000
Design history, par and yardage verified June 2026 from the course databases. Shadow Creek plays to par 72 over roughly 7,560 yards. The green fee is indicative, around 1,000 dollars for guests of MGM Las Vegas properties, typically including a limousine transfer and caddie. Access and pricing change, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The closing stretch is the showpiece. The par 3 17th plays to a green ringed by a waterfall, and the par 4 18th runs home alongside the creek with the mountains behind, holes designed to give a high roller a memory worth the price. Whether they are the best golf holes on the property is beside the point, because they are the ones the cameras find.
What surprises first time players is how serene it is. The routing keeps each hole in its own corridor of trees, so you rarely see another group, and the sense is of a private canyon rather than a course minutes from the Strip. The conditioning is flawless, as you would expect at the price.
Caddies are part of the deal and they earn it, reading greens that were built with subtle borrows and guiding you around a course with no homes, no signage and few obvious sight lines. It is a round to savor slowly rather than chase a number on.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A private course owned by MGM Resorts, playable almost exclusively by guests of MGM's Las Vegas hotels, by reservation through the property |
| Green fee | Around 1,000 dollars, typically including a limousine transfer from your MGM hotel and a caddie (indicative) |
| Booking | Reserve through the concierge of an MGM Las Vegas property; tee times are limited and book out, especially around big events |
| On the day | Caddies mandatory, a limousine collects you from your hotel, a clubhouse and locker service; no public walk up play |
| Getting there | In North Las Vegas, around 20 to 30 minutes by the included transfer from the Strip |
| Best months | October to May for comfortable desert temperatures; high summer is hot but quieter |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with the club or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
Access is the reason to choose your hotel carefully. Staying at one of the MGM Resorts properties on the Strip, the Bellagio, ARIA, MGM Grand and their siblings, is effectively the ticket to a Shadow Creek tee time, with the limousine transfer built into the round.
From the same base you are minutes from the rest of the Las Vegas golf scene, so Shadow Creek anchors a Vegas trip that can take in the desert layouts and the mountain courses around the valley.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Shadow Creek.
Build a Las Vegas golf trip
We line up Shadow Creek with the right MGM hotel for access, then add the best of the Vegas valley around it and handle the bookings. Tell us roughly when and who is traveling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Shadow Creek questions
What is the par and length of Shadow Creek?
Shadow Creek plays to par 72 over roughly 7,560 yards, a Tom Fazio parkland course built from flat desert with tree lined corridors, creeks and waterfalls.
Who designed Shadow Creek?
Shadow Creek was designed by Tom Fazio for Steve Wynn and opened in 1989, conjured from featureless Mojave desert north of the Las Vegas Strip at a reported cost above 60 million dollars.
Can visitors play Shadow Creek?
Access is almost entirely through stays at MGM Resorts Las Vegas hotels, booked by reservation through the property. The round typically includes a limousine transfer from your hotel and a mandatory caddie.
How much does it cost to play Shadow Creek?
The indicative 2026 green fee is around 1,000 dollars for MGM hotel guests, usually including the transfer and caddie. Access and pricing change, so always confirm directly before booking.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Design history, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.