Laughlin/Bullhead City Area - Current conditions at the less popular courses?

[Bonneville85308]

I've already played the Laughlin Ranch and Mojave Resort courses several times...I like both, but looking to try something new-to-me when in town in a few weeks, as I'll try anything once. Can anyone comment on recent conditions at El Rio, Huukan, or Los Lagos? Trying to pick from one of those 3. Huukan looks easy to walk, can anyone confirm that as well as the ease of walking the other two? Looks like they have some longer walks through the neighborhoods based on the aerials. Thanks.

[Bonneville85308]

I ended up playing Huukan. Rate was $69 walk or ride. Fortunately I got out ahead of their extremely large men's club event and played in less than 3 hours behind a few twosomes.

 

They did a good job on the fairway overseeding, generally excellent grass coverage especially on the front nine. A few fairways on the back had some small bare spots. Tees were fine. Greenside bunker sand was good. Typical late winter AZ dormant rough that is matted down to hardpan (or is actual bare dirt) in many places. Greens looked great visually, but were slooooooooooooow. Course wasn't too heavily watered, ball was rolling well on drives.

 

I walked, it turned out to be a very easy to walk course by housing development course standards, a few minor street crossings but the green-tee walks were typically short.

 

I did drive-bys on El Rio and Los Lagos. From what I could see from the streets/parking lots, El Rio looked like it was in really nice condition. Los Lagos looked pretty rough around the edges, and like either they didn't overseed the fairways or did a real thin job of it. 

[Bonneville85308]

I was in the Fort Mohave/Needles area this past week; I played Rivers Edge in Needles and Los Lagos in Fort Mohave.

 

Rivers Edge is a muni owned by the City of Needles. Older course, pretty blah for the most part, looks like an easy walk in cooler weather. In terms of conditions, I'm guessing they are short staffed because they were way behind on mowing. Some fairways were almost rough height, most on the back nine cut to normal fairway height but only a couple on the front, some rough around the greenside bunkers was literally a foot deep, greens were shag carpet. Lots of ants & anthills in the bunkers, I pulled the ball out with the rake rather than tempt fate with them. There would be areas where they mowed part of a fairway and looked like they just quit after a few passes. Rough was thick and healthy. Green speeds were very slow, they apparently aerated the greens a few weeks ago, though there wasn't much evidence left of the holes. $30 to ride 18, wasn't crowded, a few slower groups of drunk guys let me through shortly after I caught them and I was done in 3 hours. I'm an aficionado of cheapo low end courses, but the lack of mowing here just killed any enjoyment that the couple of semi-interesting holes provided. This is a once and done for me.

 

Los Lagos is a housing development course designed by Ted Robinson Sr. and built during the mid 2000s housing bubble, the bust of which hit this area pretty hard. There are many new homes under construction in the community surrounding the course, but the peripheral areas of the course and a lot of the course infrastructure is very worn/neglected. I enjoyed the layout. There is a good variety of elevation change, a few risk/reward decisions out there. Fairways had decent grass coverage for the most part, though like at Rivers Edge, they are way behind on mowing the fairways, and I almost lost a ball in a few of them. Rough was healthy and lush. This course seems to have a lot of turf area for a relatively modern course in the desert. Greens were even slower than at Rivers Edge, very inconsistent in speed/height of cut from one to the other, like they only mowed 5 of them this morning and had skipped the rest for 4 days. One on a par 3 on the back nine seemed to be recovering from some kind of issue earlier in the year (see pic). The greens were firm but slow, which is an odd combo. Grass range tee was in great condition, no extra charge for range balls. I'd really like to try this course again when it is in better condition.

 

Weird pricing at Los Lagos, their website was showing $80 for "non-residents" a week ago when I went to book the time, with no definition of what a resident is; resident of Los Lagos? Of Mohave county? Of Arizona? Of Earth? So instead of paying the insane price of $80 in July for this when Laughlin Ranch is charging $45 (a steal for LR), I booked a GN deal time for $25. Oddly enough, when I checked the course website tee times online the day before I played, the prices were now something like $33 non-resident, $22 resident. Course was absolutely empty, flew around by myself in 2.5 hours early morning, playing through one foursome, and the lot only had like 9 cars in it including the ~3 staff when I left.

 

I had some free time after playing Los Lagos and though I'd possibly try a short 9 hole course in Bullhead City called Chapparal, but what I could see from the road/parking lot looked pretty bare/dead so I didn't bother.

 

What I could see of Cerbat Cliffs in Kingman from the highway as I drove by looked very green and healthy. I really like that course but didn't have time to stop on that part of the trip.

 

The one remaining full-length course in this area I have yet to play is El Rio. They only have 9 holes open now due to maintenance so I skipped it this time. Huukan, which I liked when I played it earlier this year, is apparently closed for some period of time as well. Website shows no tee times available any day, I drove by on Friday morning and the parking lot was empty, but the course looks maintained.

 

Rivers Edge:

 

 

Los Lagos:

Edited August 1, 2022 by Bonneville85308

[mikedejong33]

Has anyone played in this area in January? I was thinking it might be a bit of a cheaper option for a winter trip as opposed to Phoenix or Palm Springs. We played there once a few years ago, and there were a few good courses as mentioned above. But I just wonder about the weather, course conditions, and prices in January? Any input from people that have been? I think when we were there last we played Laughlin Ranch and Mojave Resort, which were both good. And quite a bit cheaper than Vegas, Phoenix or Palm I would guess.

[Bonneville85308]

23 minutes ago, mikedejong33 said:

Has anyone played in this area in January? I was thinking it might be a bit of a cheaper option for a winter trip as opposed to Phoenix or Palm Springs. We played there once a few years ago, and there were a few good courses as mentioned above. But I just wonder about the weather, course conditions, and prices in January? Any input from people that have been? I think when we were there last we played Laughlin Ranch and Mojave Resort, which were both good. And quite a bit cheaper than Vegas, Phoenix or Palm I would guess.

 

Yes. Laughlin Ranch will have the best conditions by far. It is a well run and well kept facility. Mojave will be a big step down from there in conditions, but usually still good. The others (Huukan, El Rio, etc.) will be another, smaller step down. All of this golf is reasonably priced and a fair value for what you pay in peak season. Who knows what this winter will bring, but I don't think any of these courses charged much over $100, if that, during peak times last winter. Riverside Resort has or had deal last winter where if you stay there, you can play Laughlin Ranch for $75 which saved a few bucks over rack rate.

 

It does get very windy on some days, but is generally calmer in the morning if you don't mind starting in colder weather.

 

Apparently Los Lagos isn't overseeding this year, so by January the entire course will probably be brown, firm, and fast. It was poorly kept when I played it a few months ago, but maybe they do a better job when all of the snowbirds and their money are in town.

 

Rooms at the casino hotels should be dirt cheap especially on weeknights, but the rooms will look like Vegas rooms from the 1990s. 

[Bonneville85308]

I played El Rio and Chaparral in the past week while in the area. Couldn't get on Laughlin Ranch due to events/mini-outings they were having.

 

El Rio was a pleasant surprise for the area, first time I played it. Nice Matt Dye routing through a housing development that was left like 90% unbuilt after the great recession, so most holes are isolated from each other with no houses lining them except for a few near the clubhouse. Layout was pretty fair but offered some good risk/reward decisions along the way, particularly off the tee. Lots of undulation on the greens made for some fun putts. Fairways and greens were in good condition by standards for this area. Good deal for ~ $58 with tax for a weekend morning. Was second off behind a quick twosome and finished before the wind picked up. I'd definitely play this one again, especially instead of Los Lagos which looked to be in awful condition based on a drive-by I did after the round at El Rio.

 

Chaparral is a 9-hole par-32 course in Bullhead City. It has different sets of tees for "front" and "back" nines if you go around twice, and the 9th hole has two separate greens (since I was only playing 9, I just played a different ball into each green). Garbage conditions. Completely forgettable layout.  Many fairways were half dirt, particularly on the back nine, only the last 50 yards or so of each hole has decent grass. Supposedly they "overseeded" but I saw little evidence of it besides the aforementioned ~ 50 or so last yards of each hole. Greens looked like they hadn't been cut in a few days. I'm guessing maintenance here is a part-time operation by one person. No official bunkers on the course that I recall, though there were plenty of natural depressions bare of grass that played like fairway waste bunkers. Overpriced at ~$27 with tax to walk 9 holes on a weekend morning, $13 would have been more like it. Once and done for me. At least the place was completely empty except for a couple other singles and I didn't have to wait on anyone.

 

El Rio:

 

 

 

Chaparral:

 

Edited October 24, 2022 by Bonneville85308

[sunbeltgolfer]

On 9/19/2022 at 3:15 PM, mikedejong33 said:

Has anyone played in this area in January? I was thinking it might be a bit of a cheaper option for a winter trip as opposed to Phoenix or Palm Springs. We played there once a few years ago, and there were a few good courses as mentioned above. But I just wonder about the weather, course conditions, and prices in January? Any input from people that have been? I think when we were there last we played Laughlin Ranch and Mojave Resort, which were both good. And quite a bit cheaper than Vegas, Phoenix or Palm I would guess.

My wife and I have been staying in Fort Mojave the last six weeks. We are from the mountains of Western North Carolina and have enjoyed the weather and moderate temperatures here during our stay. There has only been a couple days with some rain. There has been a lot of windy days that made golf a challenge  and a few dust storms. Still better than home. I've managed to play Los Lagos, El Rio, and Mojave at Avi Resort. Los Lagos is overseeded and the tee boxes and fairways were in pretty good shape. The greens were fuzzy and a bit bumpy, but still playable. El Rio was a little disappointing for conditioning. Dormant fairways and a quite a few areas with no grass. Greens were a little rough as well. Got stuck behind a fivesome that wasn't interested in letting me through and had a cart that went dead around the 14th hole. Fort Mojave is overseeded and in pretty good condition tee through greens. I play as a single and haven't been able to get on Laughlin Ranch, maybe Monday. Cost for the three I've played, Los Lagos $59, El Rio $49 and Mojave $79. I was playing in the afternoon, so those rates may be slightly higher in the morning. Laughlin Ranch looks to be $125 regardless of time of day.

Edited February 22, 2023 by sunbeltgolfer

[Bonneville85308]

I played Laughlin Ranch and El Rio in the last few days.

 

Laughlin Ranch did an excellent overseed job. I think it re-opened maybe 2 weeks ago and no CPO. Fairways were lush and uniform, the ball was rolling decently in the fairways. Greens still a little on the slow side, average firmness. Greenside bunker sand was great. Bermuda rough is still green and high except in some of the areas where cart traffic has matted it down where the carts have to leave the fairways. Well maintained property all around.  Played early with another single behind some other rabbits and flew around. $79 is a steal for this course. It got crazy windy on the back nine and my score ballooned up. 

 

El Rio, like nearby Los Lagos and Huukan, clearly doesn't have the maintenance budget of Laughlin Ranch, and the conditions reflect that. The fairways looked like they only overseeded the last 50 yards or so and the rest were bermuda starting to go dormant. Greens were faster here compared to Laughlin Ranch. The rough here is closer to dormant and not in great condition to start with. Bunkers were a mixed bag.  Some larger bare patches in the fairways here and there. Still a fair deal for $49 with range balls included, just need to set your expectations correctly. I was first off the tee and flew around. I like the layout of this course and it has some fun greens.

[mikedejong33]

I am considering another trip to Laughlin in March. I have played and really liked Laughlin Ranch and Mojave Resort, so I will for sure book those again. My question is, is there enough good golf to spend a whole week there? Are any of the other local courses worth playing? From your note above, maybe we try El Rio, Huukan or Los Lagos? Or would it be better to book something a little bit of a drive away, like Primm Valley, Boulder City, Cervat? I don't mind playing Laughlin Ranch twice, or Mojave twice, but if we are there 6 or 7 days, which other courses should we look into? I don't mind a bit of driving either. Any recommendations? thanks,

[Bonneville85308]

6 hours ago, mikedejong33 said:

I am considering another trip to Laughlin in March. I have played and really liked Laughlin Ranch and Mojave Resort, so I will for sure book those again. My question is, is there enough good golf to spend a whole week there? Are any of the other local courses worth playing? From your note above, maybe we try El Rio, Huukan or Los Lagos? Or would it be better to book something a little bit of a drive away, like Primm Valley, Boulder City, Cervat? I don't mind playing Laughlin Ranch twice, or Mojave twice, but if we are there 6 or 7 days, which other courses should we look into? I don't mind a bit of driving either. Any recommendations? thanks,

 

There is enough golf to fill a week, but probably not what many consider "good golf." If like me, you don't have high standards in terms of conditioning or architecture for something that might be a one-time play and just like to play different new-to-you courses, you can definitely fill up a week of golf within an hour and 15 minutes or so of Laughlin. Besides Mohave and Laughlin Ranch, your next closest 18-hole courses are El Rio, Huukan, and Los Lagos. I think El Rio has the better layout of those three. These are all lower end courses and pretty scruffy around the edges, with Los Lagos usually being in the worst condition of the three and it is probably the worst layout anyway.  I'd skip Los Lagos unless you are a completist like me and willing to try anything once. You can also do a drive-by to get a sense of what you would be in for.

 

Cerbat Cliffs - Definitely check this one out. Has some fun holes/interesting features, usually in good condition and an excellent value. 

 

Next closest course is Rivers Edge in Needles, it's an average muni course that has nothing offensive about it. See info in my post further up in this thread.

 

Primm - Has 36 holes, Desert and Lakes. Lakes is the way better course in my opinion, and usually in a little better condition, though both are quite scruffy, numerous maintenance issues, and have fallen greatly since their 1990s/2000s heyday. Lakes is sort of like a poor man's Shadow Creek in my mind. Their rack rates are a little nutty for the conditions/location ($99-$129) but you can often find a "pay now and save" or "hotdeal" price on Golfnow/Teeoff for $55-$65. I suspect these courses may no longer exist after the next recession so I probably wouldn't put off a visit too long if they are of interest to you. If you can only do one, I'd do Lakes, but these courses don't get much play and you could easily knock out both in a day.

 

Boulder Creek - 27 holes, been a long time since I played there. Pretty sure they no longer overseed during winter which is a negative to some. Non-resident rates are pretty high for what it is ($120+). Boulder City muni is an average parkland style muni that is a better value for a non-resident than Boulder Creek, but a completely different style course.

 

 

[mikedejong33]

16 hours ago, Bonneville85308 said:

 

There is enough golf to fill a week, but probably not what many consider "good golf." If like me, you don't have high standards in terms of conditioning or architecture for something that might be a one-time play and just like to play different new-to-you courses, you can definitely fill up a week of golf within an hour and 15 minutes or so of Laughlin. Besides Mohave and Laughlin Ranch, your next closest 18-hole courses are El Rio, Huukan, and Los Lagos. I think El Rio has the better layout of those three. These are all lower end courses and pretty scruffy around the edges, with Los Lagos usually being in the worst condition of the three and it is probably the worst layout anyway.  I'd skip Los Lagos unless you are a completist like me and willing to try anything once. You can also do a drive-by to get a sense of what you would be in for.

 

Cerbat Cliffs - Definitely check this one out. Has some fun holes/interesting features, usually in good condition and an excellent value. 

 

Next closest course is Rivers Edge in Needles, it's an average muni course that has nothing offensive about it. See info in my post further up in this thread.

 

Primm - Has 36 holes, Desert and Lakes. Lakes is the way better course in my opinion, and usually in a little better condition, though both are quite scruffy, numerous maintenance issues, and have fallen greatly since their 1990s/2000s heyday. Lakes is sort of like a poor man's Shadow Creek in my mind. Their rack rates are a little nutty for the conditions/location ($99-$129) but you can often find a "pay now and save" or "hotdeal" price on Golfnow/Teeoff for $55-$65. I suspect these courses may no longer exist after the next recession so I probably wouldn't put off a visit too long if they are of interest to you. If you can only do one, I'd do Lakes, but these courses don't get much play and you could easily knock out both in a day.

 

Boulder Creek - 27 holes, been a long time since I played there. Pretty sure they no longer overseed during winter which is a negative to some. Non-resident rates are pretty high for what it is ($120+). Boulder City muni is an average parkland style muni that is a better value for a non-resident than Boulder Creek, but a completely different style course.

 

 

Great info, and that is exactly what I was looking for! I think we are going to go... why not, I am not a super snob when it comes to golf. Any golf is fun golf. Maybe we play Laughlin Ranch a few times, since it is really nice. Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

[Bonneville85308]

3 minutes ago, mikedejong33 said:

Great info, and that is exactly what I was looking for! I think we are going to go... why not, I am not a super snob when it comes to golf. Any golf is fun golf. Maybe we play Laughlin Ranch a few times, since it is really nice. Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

 

Forgot to mention, the Riverview RV Resort in Bullhead City has a little 9-hole course that is usually in excellent condition during winter, could be a good way to fill out a day after playing somewhere else local. 

[mikedejong33]

We are booked for March. Yeah, the quality golf may be a bit limited, but I am open to trying anything once. And the prices are super cheap, so why not. We will play Laughlin Ranch probably quite a few times as it is the best course in the area. Then I have booked Mojave Resort, El Rio, Los Lagos, Cerbat Cliffs, and we may even take a little roadie and play in Parker, my Father in law has played a course there that is supposed to be just awesome. So, we will see how it goes, either way golf at that time of year is a treat for someone coming from the great white north. 

[mikedejong33]

On 12/13/2023 at 9:12 AM, mikedejong33 said:

We are booked for March. Yeah, the quality golf may be a bit limited, but I am open to trying anything once. And the prices are super cheap, so why not. We will play Laughlin Ranch probably quite a few times as it is the best course in the area. Then I have booked Mojave Resort, El Rio, Los Lagos, Cerbat Cliffs, and we may even take a little roadie and play in Parker, my Father in law has played a course there that is supposed to be just awesome. So, we will see how it goes, either way golf at that time of year is a treat for someone coming from the great white north. 

Just a shot in the dark, but has anyone played any of these Laughlin area courses recently? Our trip down south is coming up and I am just wondering if there are any we should skip or any we should add? Any insight is appreciated, thanks. 

[mikedejong33]

Just got back from a week in the Laughlin area. Laughlin Ranch was perfect as always, very nice condition and very relaxed attitude out there. We were a twosome and never even got paired up with anyone, we would just show up early and they just let us go whenever we were ready, it was really nice. Second best course in the area is Mojave Resort, but it was busy. Line up of carts going off the first tee everyday. The morning rounds were good, but the afternoons were 5 hours. Still a decent course, and in decent shape, but way busier and more hectic. We also played El Rio, Los Lagos, and the course in Kingman (Cerbat Cliffs). None of those were really worth playing, we gave them a shot, but ended up cancelling the other rounds there and stuck to the two major courses. Overall, it was a fun trip with good weather and decent golf. Definitely not as much of a golf destination as Phoenix or Palm Springs, etc. but the prices were way lower, so it was worth a shot.

[mikedejong33]

Has anyone played the Laughlin area courses lately? We are thinking about coming back in March. Just wondering if anyone has played recently and has any suggestions for other courses in the area to play. I looked at Primm, but it seems those courses are closed now. We were also thinking about making a day trip to Parker to play Emerald Canyon, I have heard good things about that one too. We will play Laughlin Ranch, Mojave Resort, but looking for another decent course or two in the area. Any suggestions?

[teejaywhy]

On 1/15/2025 at 7:32 AM, mikedejong33 said:

... I looked at Primm, but it seems those courses are closed now...

 

Wow, what's the story there?

 

From   https://primmvalleygolf.com/

"COURSE NOTICE

Primm Valley Golf Club is closed for the foreseeable future. "

 

Middle of nowhere I guess. I had heard some of those stateline casino/hotels were struggling.

 

[mikedejong33]

Just got back from another week in Laughlin. I hate to advertise it, but I think it is the best hidden gem golf destination at this time of year. Cheap direct flight into Vegas, rooms for under $50 per night, and the weather was unreal. We played 3 rounds at Laughlin Ranch, 3 at Mojave Resort, and then sprinkled in a few of the cheaper options for afternoon 36 hole rounds (El Rio and Las Lagos... neither of which were perfect, but enjoyable and under $40 to play). We took a little road trip down south to Parker to play Emerald Canyon. It was pretty fun.. some really neat holes in the cliffs, and it was in great shape, and again under $80 to play. Again, hate to advertise, but that area is not a bad little spot to get some good weather and cheap golf. Laughlin Ranch might be one of my favorite places to play. The course is always in such great shape, and its very fun and interesting to play. I think its comparable to a Troon North for about a quarter of the price. They even have a nice locker room, so we always book early the day we fly home and then you can shower and change and head to the airport. Worth a look if anyone from up north is looking for a cheaper alternative to Phoenix or Palm. 

[mikedejong33]

Here's the old man about to rip one on #12 at Laughlin Ranch:

 

[teejaywhy]

On 3/24/2025 at 8:13 AM, mikedejong33 said:

Just got back from another week in Laughlin. I hate to advertise it, but I think it is the best hidden gem golf destination at this time of year. Cheap direct flight into Vegas, rooms for under $50 per night, and the weather was unreal. We played 3 rounds at Laughlin Ranch, 3 at Mojave Resort, and then sprinkled in a few of the cheaper options for afternoon 36 hole rounds (El Rio and Las Lagos... neither of which were perfect, but enjoyable and under $40 to play). We took a little road trip down south to Parker to play Emerald Canyon. It was pretty fun.. some really neat holes in the cliffs, and it was in great shape, and again under $80 to play. Again, hate to advertise, but that area is not a bad little spot to get some good weather and cheap golf. Laughlin Ranch might be one of my favorite places to play. The course is always in such great shape, and its very fun and interesting to play. I think its comparable to a Troon North for about a quarter of the price. They even have a nice locker room, so we always book early the day we fly home and then you can shower and change and head to the airport. Worth a look if anyone from up north is looking for a cheaper alternative to Phoenix or Palm. 

 Been wanting to visit.  Where do you stay?

 

[mikedejong33]

10 minutes ago, teejaywhy said:

 Been wanting to visit.  Where do you stay?

 

We stayed at the Riverside Resort... kind of an older casino hotel, but staying there gets you a deal on tee times at Laughlin Ranch. 

[mikedejong33]

Also, if you stay at the Avi Casino, you get a deal on tee times at Mojave Resort. But Laughlin Ranch is far and away the best and most expensive course, so we stay at Riverside to save there.

[GolfGuy321]

Going to be passing through Laughlin next month.  Laughlin Ranch still the best?  How are conditions in July/Aug?

 

Been to Laughlin many many times, just never golfed there.