Dragon Ridge Golf Club

Dragon Ridge occupies elevated terrain in the foothills southeast of Las Vegas, near Henderson, where the Mojave Desert landscape rises toward the McCullough Range. Jay Morrish, who collaborated with Tom Weiskopf on several notable desert designs, worked with David Druzisky to route this course through dramatic changes in elevation and natural desert washes. The property sits several hundred feet above the valley floor, providing long views across the Las Vegas basin while the routing moves through arroyos and over ridgelines characteristic of the high desert. The design makes extensive use of the natural topography, with holes that climb and descend through rocky outcroppings and native vegetation. Fairways are defined against the desert floor, and several holes play across or along deep ravines that cut through the property. The elevation changes create forced carries and approach shots that must account for significant altitude differences between tee and green. Rock formations and desert scrub frame many holes, and the routing takes advantage of the property's natural drama without excessive earth-moving. Dragon Ridge operates as a private club serving the Henderson area. The course opened in the late 1990s during a period of significant golf development in the Las Vegas valley, when designers sought properties with topographic interest beyond the flat desert floor. The layout reflects the era's emphasis on dramatic desert golf, where natural landforms and native landscape define the playing experience more than manufactured features.