MGM Resorts Increases Shadow Creek Greens Fee On Most Expensive Public Course

Posted on: July 2, 2021, 03:51h. 

Last updated on: July 3, 2021, 11:33h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

MGM Resorts just made the nation’s most expensive and exclusive public golf course even pricier. 

MGM Resorts Shadow Creek golf rate
Tiger Woods walks the fourth fairway at Shadow Creek Golf Course in North Las Vegas. MGM Resorts allows its guests to play the course, but at a steep cost. (Image: Las Vegas Review-Journal)

MGM, Las Vegas’ largest casino operator, recently unveiled new rates for its esteemed Shadow Creek Golf Course. An 18-hole round of golf now costs a mind-blowing $1,000. That rate is for the peak season, which is March to May, plus October and November. Off-peak rates are $750.

Shadow Creek’s greens fee is easily the most expensive of any public course in the US. Pebble Beach is a distant second at $575. 

Designed by golf architect Tom Fazio and built at a cost of $60 million, Shadow Creek was completed in 1990. It was originally the personal golf course of billionaire Steve Wynn, who entertained his friends and celebrities at the venue.

MGM acquired the course when it paid $4.4 billion for Wynn’s Mirage Resorts in 2000.

Out of the Shadows

Shadow Creek has long been known by golf aficionados. But for the casual weekend hacker, the famed site certainly didn’t come with the notoriety of, say, Pebble Beach, Bethpage, Torrey Pines, TPC Sawgrass, or Pinehurst. That changed in the fall of 2018 when superstars — and longtime rivals — Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods squared off in “The Match” at Shadow Creek.

The pay-per-view event was a winner-take-all $9 million match between the legends. While Woods was the betting favorite at -200, Mickelson prevailed in extra holes. 

Shadow Creek was put in the national spotlight during the event, and MGM has since opened up the course to other premier tournaments. Last October, Shadow Creek hosted the CJ Cup, a PGA Tour event scheduled for Jeju Island, South Korea, but was played in the US because of COVID-19. 

Shadow Creek additionally was the site of the LPGA Tour’s Bank of Hope Match-Play in May. 

Vegas Golf

For many Las Vegas visitors, a round of golf is just as vital to a great experience as spinning a slot machine or playing a few hands at a blackjack table. And Southern Nevada has tracks to suit every golfer’s budget.

To get on Shadow Creek, one must stay at an MGM Resorts property. The $1,000 fee includes roundtrip limousine transportation from the Strip to the course, which is located some 10 miles north of MGM’s Bellagio and MGM Grand. 

Las Vegas’ second-most expensive is the Wynn Golf Club. Located conveniently behind Wynn Las Vegas and Encore, a round goes for $550. The course was also designed by Fazio. Guests at the two Wynn properties can book tee times 90 days in advance. Those not staying at Wynn can book times 30 days out.

Cheaper options include Bali Hai Golf Club, which can be played for roughly $100 to $170. The Jack Nicklaus-designed Bear’s Best Golf Club is another affordable option that ranges from $100 to $250 per round.