3 Day Las Vegas Golf Itinerary
The Las Vegas golf trip done right: a round on the Strip at the Wynn, the bucket list day at Shadow Creek with its limousine transfer, and a desert finish at Las Vegas Paiute, all while basing in the heart of the action. Here is the day by day, with the 2026 green fees, the booking rules that catch first timers out, and the best time to play.
Photograph: Shadow Creek Golf Course, Eric Steigerwald, via Google
Who this trip suits
This is the Las Vegas trip for golfers who want the desert's headline courses without the logistics eating into the fun. Vegas golf is unusual: the best course in town, Shadow Creek, can only be played by guests of an MGM Resorts hotel and arrives with a private limousine; the Wynn Golf Club sits improbably behind the casino on the Strip itself; and the genuine desert golf is a short drive out past the city limits. Three days is enough to play one of each, base in one place, and still have the evenings free for everything else Las Vegas does well.
It suits a buddies group marking a milestone, a corporate incentive trip, or any golfer who has Shadow Creek on the list. The trip is built around the Strip, so the rounds bookend days that can include the shows, the restaurants and the rest of the city. Everything here sits inside our Las Vegas golf hub, and if the group wants more, the wider best courses in Las Vegas add Cascata, Reflection Bay and the rest to the menu.
The 3 day plan
Arrive and play the Wynn Golf Club
Land, check in, and play the most convenient great course in golf. The Wynn Golf Club is a Tom Fazio layout that sits directly behind the resort on the Strip, reopened in 2019 with waterfalls, elevation changes and a closing stretch that feels a world away from the casino floor it borders. Booking priority goes to Wynn and Encore guests, and tee times are taken by phone, so reserve as soon as the stay is confirmed. A walkable round to shake off the flight, then dinner on the Strip.
Shadow Creek, the bucket list round
The reason most golfers come to Vegas. Tom Fazio and Steve Wynn built Shadow Creek out of flat desert in 1989, importing thousands of mature pines and shaping a secluded, almost Augusta like parkland that hides the desert entirely. A private limousine collects you from your MGM Resorts hotel and returns you after the round, which you play as a guest with the course rarely busy. The 2026 green fee is 1,250 dollars per player, MGM hotel stay required. Treat it as the centerpiece, and keep the evening clear to enjoy it.
Las Vegas Paiute, real desert golf, then fly home
Finish with the genuine article. Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort, on tribal land about 25 minutes northwest of the Strip, has three Pete Dye desert courses, the Wolf the longest and most dramatic of them, with mountain backdrops and the open Mojave all around. It is public, bookable a few months out, and a complete change of scenery from the Strip courses. Play an early round in the cooler morning, then it is a straightforward run back past the Strip to Harry Reid airport for an afternoon or evening flight.
Green fees, transfers and booking rules
| Round | Indicative 2026 fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wynn Golf Club | Premium, confirm directly | On the Strip; booking priority to Wynn and Encore hotel guests, tee times by phone |
| Shadow Creek | 1,250 dollars per player | MGM Resorts hotel stay required; private limousine transfer included; book as early as the stay allows |
| Las Vegas Paiute | Mid range, by season | Three Pete Dye courses about 25 minutes northwest of the Strip; public, bookable a few months out |
| Add on: Cascata or Reflection Bay | Premium desert rates | Cascata at Boulder City and Reflection Bay at Lake Las Vegas extend a longer trip |
Fees vary by season, day and demand and change without notice; always confirm current rates and availability directly before booking. Check Las Vegas tee times · Find a Strip base.
When to go and how to run it
October through April is the season. Daytime temperatures are comfortable, the courses are at their best, and tee sheets fill, so book early. Spring and fall are ideal. Summer is desert hot, regularly well above 100 degrees, which means dawn tee times, a cart and plenty of water, though green fees often soften to match. Whenever you travel, the marquee rounds need locking in first: Shadow Creek the moment your MGM stay is confirmed, the Wynn as soon as your Wynn or Encore booking is in, and Paiute a couple of months ahead.
Base on or near the Strip and let the transfers be short. A rental car helps for the Paiute and the wider desert courses, though the Shadow Creek limousine and Strip walkability mean you do not strictly need one for the core three days. If the group wants to stretch the trip, Cascata's canyon setting at Boulder City and Jack Nicklaus' Reflection Bay at Lake Las Vegas are the obvious additions, and the full menu sits in our best Las Vegas courses guide. For the fully handled version with the access arranged, see our Las Vegas golf hub.
Plan your 3 day Las Vegas trip
Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge locks the Shadow Creek and Wynn tee times, books the right Strip hotel for the access, arranges the desert rounds and costs the trip to the head, with no obligation.
Las Vegas itinerary questions
What is the best 3 day golf itinerary in Las Vegas?
Build it around Shadow Creek, the Tom Fazio masterpiece you can only play as an MGM Resorts hotel guest. Open with the Wynn Golf Club, the Tom Fazio course right on the Strip, take on Shadow Creek on day two with its limousine transfer, and finish in the desert at Las Vegas Paiute. Base on or near the Strip and book Shadow Creek and the Wynn the moment your hotel stay is confirmed.
How much does it cost to play Shadow Creek in 2026?
Shadow Creek's green fee is 1,250 dollars per player in 2026, and you must be staying at an MGM Resorts property in Las Vegas to play. The fee includes the private limousine transfer to and from the course. It is the headline round of any Las Vegas golf trip and books up, so reserve as early as your hotel allows. The figure is indicative and changes, so always confirm directly before booking.
When is the best time to play golf in Las Vegas?
October to April is the prime window, with comfortable daytime temperatures and the courses in peak condition. Spring and fall are the sweet spot. Summer brings desert heat well above 100 degrees, so early tee times and a cart are essential, and green fees often drop to reflect the conditions.
Do you need to stay at a specific hotel to play Las Vegas courses?
For Shadow Creek, yes, you must be an MGM Resorts hotel guest. The Wynn Golf Club gives booking priority to Wynn and Encore guests. Desert courses such as Las Vegas Paiute and Cascata are open to the public by tee time booking. Staying on the Strip keeps transfers short and the marquee courses bookable.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designers, access rules and indicative 2026 fees verified June 2026 against course and resort information. Last reviewed June 2026.