Las Vegas Golf Club

Las Vegas Golf Club, designed by William P. Bell and opened in 1938, holds the distinction of being the city's oldest golf course. Bell, a prolific Southern California architect who shaped numerous courses throughout the Southwest during the early-to-mid twentieth century, routed the layout on relatively flat desert terrain that has since been surrounded by the city's urban expansion. The course predates the Strip's development and represents a piece of Las Vegas history from an era when the city was still a small desert town. The design reflects Bell's straightforward approach to desert golf, with tree-lined fairways—primarily mature cottonwoods and other species that have grown over decades—providing definition and shade in the arid climate. The layout plays as a traditional parkland-style course rather than embracing the raw desert aesthetic that would characterize later Las Vegas designs. Water comes into play on several holes, and the flat topography means strategy revolves around accuracy off the tee and approach shot placement rather than elevation changes. As a municipal facility, Las Vegas Golf Club serves a broad cross-section of local golfers and visitors seeking an affordable alternative to the resort courses that dominate the region. The course has undergone various updates over the years to maintain playability and accommodate modern equipment, though it retains the basic routing and character of Bell's original design. Its location near downtown Las Vegas makes it accessible for those staying in the older parts of the city.