The best golf courses in Laughlin, ranked with the trade-offs
The best golf courses in Laughlin ranked: Laughlin Ranch first, then Mojave Resort and the Havasu courses, with slope, fees seen October 2026 and trade-offs.
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The best golf courses in Laughlin start with Laughlin Ranch, the hilly, demanding Bullhead City course with the highest slope and the highest price. Mojave Resort on the Nevada side is second. If you will drive south, Desert West and Iron Wolf earn a night in Lake Havasu City. The rest are value or convenience picks.
Our ranking of the best golf courses in Laughlin weighs difficulty, design, condition reports and price, using only what was published or seen in October 2026. Several courses only quote fees by phone, so the trade-offs below say where a price is missing.
Quick facts
- No. 1: Laughlin Ranch, slope 143 from 7,155 yards, $137 to $169 with cart in winter and spring.
- Best Nevada-side course: Mojave Resort, slope 136 from 6,939 yards; fees by phone.
- Best in Lake Havasu City: Desert West, $94 public before noon or $50 after 3 PM.
- Gentlest 18: Huukan, slope 115.
- Best day trip south: Emerald Canyon near Parker, slope 132.
- Watch the clock: Arizona courses are one hour ahead of Laughlin from November 1, 2026 to March 14, 2027.
The best golf courses in Laughlin, ranked
| Rank | Course | Back tees: yards, slope | Fees seen | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laughlin Ranch | 7,155, 143 | $80 to $169 by season | Most expensive; cart mandatory |
| 2 | Mojave Resort | 6,939, 136 | Not published | Flat and windy; Pacific time |
| 3 | Havasu Desert West | 6,466, 127 | $50 to $94 | 94 min from Laughlin |
| 4 | Iron Wolf | 6,434, 119 | About $85 peak (unofficial) | Rates not posted; short par 70 |
| 5 | Los Lagos | 6,921, 126 | "From $30.99" (undated) | Storm damage, mixed reviews |
| 6 | El Rio | 7,143, 126 | $45 with cart (Aug 2026) | Fair conditions; off GolfNow |
| 7 | Huukan | 6,444, 115 | Not published | Easier test |
| 8 | Rivers Edge | 6,500, 117 | Passes from $285 a month | Daily fees not published |
Fees are as seen in October 2026 and change through the season.
1. Laughlin Ranch: the clear first choice
Laughlin Ranch is a 2005 David Druzisky design in the foothills east of Bullhead City, nine minutes from the Laughlin-Bullhead City Bridge. Expect big elevation changes, arroyos, forced carries over desert washes and Colorado River views. It was No. 14 on Golfweek's Best Courses You Can Play in Arizona in 2019, and the club reports a No. 2 Arizona public course ranking in GolfPass Players' Choice 2025.
The trade-off is price. The 2027 table on the rates page charges non-residents $147 Friday to Sunday and $137 Monday to Thursday from November 20 to January 31, rising to $169 and $159 from February 22 to April 11. A cart is mandatory, and walking is not allowed. Local residents with a local ZIP code pay $95 to $105 in winter. Our Laughlin Ranch Golf Club guide and the Laughlin Ranch course guide go deeper.
2. Mojave Resort: the Nevada-side test
Mojave Resort is a flat, links-style course on the river floodplain by the Avi, designed by Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley and opened in 1997. Fairways are wide, dunes are wind-shaped, and wind is the real defence. The Black tees play 6,939 yards with a slope of 136, the second-highest here.
It ranks below Laughlin Ranch because it is flat and open rather than hilly, and because no 2026-27 rate card is published. It also runs on Pacific time, which catches out Arizona-side guests in winter. Read our Mojave Resort Golf Club guide.
3 and 4. The Lake Havasu pair: Desert West and Iron Wolf
Desert West at Lake Havasu Golf Club is the town's original 1967 course, a hillside layout with water, bunkers and lake views. It is the stronger of the club's two courses and costs $94 public before noon, $82 after noon and $50 after 3 PM. The Desert West course guide has the details.
Iron Wolf is the former Refuge, a private Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay design now open to the public. It is a hilly par 70 with water and lake views, a Toptracer range and redesigned bunkers. It ranks fourth only because it is short at 6,434 yards and posts no official rates; one aggregator gives about $85 in peak season, and a GolfNow deal for October 8, 2026 was $33.26. It is also the closest Havasu course for groups coming down AZ-95 from the north.
5 to 8: value and convenience
Los Lagos is a long Ted Robinson Sr. desert course in Fort Mohave with a slope of 126 from 6,921 yards. On length alone it would rank higher, but storm damage in 2025 and patchy reviews mean you should ask about conditions before booking.
El Rio in Mohave Valley is the second-longest course here at 7,143 yards, after Laughlin Ranch, and was cheap in summer 2026 at $45 with cart. Reviews call conditions only fair, and it has dropped off GolfNow, so call 928-768-3574.
Huukan, the former Desert Lakes, is flat and tree-lined with water on several holes. It is a gentler test for couples and higher handicaps. It shares an operator and booking system with Mojave Resort, but keeps Arizona time, so in winter a Huukan tee time is an hour ahead of a Laughlin casino clock.
Rivers Edge is the Needles municipal course: flat, easy to walk and on Pacific time. Its value is the passes, $1,200 for three months with cart and range. Our cheap golf in Laughlin guide compares the budget options.
Best for each kind of golfer
- One splurge round: Laughlin Ranch.
- Staying at the Avi: Mojave Resort, next door.
- Higher handicaps: Huukan, or Desert East in Lake Havasu City (slope 118).
- Snowbirds on a budget: Rivers Edge passes, or the Lake Havasu Golf Club seasonal memberships from $1,125 a month.
- Quick, cheap nine: Riverview, the par-3 course in Bullhead City.
- Worth the drive south: Emerald Canyon near Parker. The Emerald Canyon course guide has the rates.
Our Laughlin golf courses guide lists every course beyond the best golf courses in Laughlin, and the Laughlin golf trip itinerary turns these courses into a four-day plan. For another river-desert town's ranking, see the best golf courses in Mesquite.
Where to stay for the best golf courses in Laughlin
The top course decides the base. Laughlin Ranch sells stay-and-play packages through several casinos on Casino Drive: Don Laughlin's Riverside, Harrah's, the Aquarius, the Edgewater, Tropicana and Golden Nugget. Prices are not published, so ask when you book the room. The Riverside, the Aquarius and the Edgewater are closest, about 11 minutes by road.
For Mojave Resort, the Avi Resort & Casino is next door, about three minutes away, and its site says Avi guests get reduced rates at the course without giving an amount. For Desert West and Iron Wolf, stay in Lake Havasu City: the London Bridge area hotels are 8 to 14 minutes from both.
When the best golf courses in Laughlin are at their best
November is one of the best months, with mid-70s highs and fresh rye. January to March is peak season, when morning tee times go first. Laughlin Ranch charges its top rate from September 21 to November 19, right after overseed, so the fresh fall course costs as much as March. See best time to golf in Laughlin for the month by month view.
Plan it on the map
Open the Laughlin golf map to see these courses with drive times from the casinos and the Arizona side. The $30 plan fits the best courses into a day-by-day trip around overseed dates and the two clocks.
Courses in this guide
Questions golfers ask
What is the best golf course in Laughlin?
Laughlin Ranch, just across the river in Bullhead City. It is the hardest course in the area, at 7,155 yards with a slope of 143 from the Gold tees, and GolfPass Players' Choice named it the No. 2 public course in Arizona in 2025. It is also the most expensive, at $137 to $169 with cart in winter and spring.
Is Mojave Resort or Laughlin Ranch better?
Laughlin Ranch is the bigger test, with elevation changes and forced carries over desert washes. Mojave Resort is flat and open with wind as its main defence, and it is the only course on the Nevada side. Mojave Resort does not publish its fees, so call 702-535-4653 to compare prices.
Which Laughlin-area course is best for higher handicaps?
Huukan in Fort Mohave is among the gentler tests, with a slope of 115 from its 6,444-yard Black tees. In Lake Havasu City, Desert East has a slope of 118 from 6,140 yards and costs $12 less than the West before noon. Riverview's 1,160-yard par-3 nine is the easiest of all.
What is the best value golf near Laughlin?
Laughlin Ranch in late summer is the best value for a top course, at $80 Monday to Thursday and $87 Friday to Sunday from July 12 to September 20 on the 2027 table. El Rio charged $45 with cart in August 2026. In winter, the Lake Havasu Golf Club courses drop to $48 to $50 after 3 PM.
Is it worth driving to Lake Havasu for golf from Laughlin?
As a day trip it is a long one: Lake Havasu Golf Club is about 94 minutes from the Laughlin-Bullhead City Bridge and Iron Wolf about 86. Most golfers who want those courses spend a night or two in Lake Havasu City. Desert West and Iron Wolf are the two worth the trip.
What is the best course south of Lake Havasu?
Emerald Canyon near Parker, a county-owned canyon course with a slope of 132 from 6,437 yards. It cost $80 with cart in winter 2025-26, or $90 if booked more than seven days ahead. It is closed October 1 to November 1, 2026 for overseed.
Do the best Laughlin courses close in the fall?
Yes, for overseed. Laughlin Ranch closed September 9 to 27 in 2024, Mojave Resort was closed September 8 to October 8, 2026, and Lake Havasu Golf Club's Desert West was off the public sheet in late October 2026. Check each course before booking September or October golf.
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