Las Vegas National Golf Club

Few American golf courses can claim the layered history that Las Vegas National carries. Opened in 1961 and designed by Bert Stamps, the course later underwent significant work by noted architect Billy Casper — yes, the Hall of Fame player turned course developer — giving it a pedigree unusual for a city better known for blackjack than birdies. Tiger Woods won his first PGA Tour title here at the 1996 Las Vegas Invitational as an amateur turned pro, a moment that makes this layout a genuine footnote in the sport's modern history. The Tour returned repeatedly through the late 1990s and into the 2000s, and the course holds its reputation as one of the more serious, traditional tests on the Las Vegas strip corridor.

The setting is classic desert parkland — mature trees lining fairways, water coming into play on several holes — a contrast to the target-golf desert-scape style that defines many newer Nevada courses.

For golfers visiting Las Vegas who want something beyond the resort spectacle, this is where the city's real competitive golf history lives.