A Lake Havasu golf trip: three days based by the London Bridge

A Lake Havasu golf trip fits neatly into three days: Lake Havasu Golf Club's Desert West course, Iron Wolf in the north-end hills, and Emerald Canyon's red-rock canyon holes near Parker. Stay near the London Bridge, where the two town clubs are 8 to 14 minutes away, and eat by the channel at night.

Lake Havasu City sits at the south end of our Laughlin map, about 94 minutes from the Laughlin casinos. It has a different feel: a lake town with a channel, a famous bridge and busy boating seasons, and its golf runs on Arizona time all year. This plan assumes you arrive the evening before day one. Rates were seen in October 2026 and change, and several courses overseed in October, so check the dates before you book.

Quick facts

• Courses: Havasu Desert West, Havasu Desert East, Iron Wolf, and Emerald Canyon near Parker.
• Base: near the London Bridge; the Lake Havasu Golf Club courses are about 8 minutes away.
• Public rates: $94 on Desert West and $82 on Desert East before noon, about $48 to $50 after 3 PM.
• Airports: Phoenix (about 205 miles) or Las Vegas (about 156 miles); no airline service at Havasu's own airport.
• Clock: Arizona time all year, one hour ahead of Laughlin from Nov 1, 2026 to Mar 14, 2027.
• Closed: the Island Golf Club at the Nautical (about 2018).

The Lake Havasu golf trip at a glance

Drive times are free-flow estimates from our research. Lake Havasu Golf Club rates are before noon, after noon and after 3 PM on its 2026/2027 table.

Day 1: Lake Havasu Golf Club, Desert West

Start at the town's original course. Havasu Desert West, formerly London Bridge Golf Club West, opened in 1967 as Lake Havasu City's first course: a traditional hillside layout above the lake with water hazards and sand bunkers throughout. From the Championship tees it is 6,466 yards with a 127 slope, and the women's Middle tees play to a 133 slope. It is the tougher of the club's two courses.

The public rate is $94 before noon, $82 after noon and $50 after 3 PM. A VIP Discount Card ($209, or $189 if bought in September) cuts the morning rate to $75. Book on the club's Quick18 sheet, which shows about a week at a time. The courses are overseeded in turn, and in late October 2026 the West had no public tee times while it grew in; call 928-855-2719 if your dates are in October or early November. The Desert West course guide has the full rate table.

If the West is closed, play Havasu Desert East instead: 6,140 yards, a 118 slope, narrower fairways and a lake touching three holes, at $82 public before noon or $48 after 3 PM. Both share the clubhouse and the Lake View Bar & Grill.

Day 2: Iron Wolf

Iron Wolf is the former Refuge, a private Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay design inside a gated community on the north end of town. Under new management since 2021, it reopened as Iron Wolf and the club now says its 18 holes are open to the public. It is a short par 70, 6,434 yards with a 119 slope from the Black tees, but hilly, with water features, lake views and white sand in the redesigned bunkers.

No official rates are posted. An aggregator gave about $85 in peak season, and a GolfNow deal showed $33.26 for October 8, 2026, so call the shop at 928-764-1404 or check TeeItUp. A cart is required. The course reopened from overseed on October 7, 2026, and an earlier listing said it was closed Tuesdays, so confirm the days it is open. The Iron Wolf course guide covers the layout.

Stay for the Toptracer driving range (open Wednesday to Sunday) and lunch at the restaurant and bar, which is open to the public. In the afternoon, walk the London Bridge and the channel path.

Day 3: Emerald Canyon on the way out

Emerald Canyon is a La Paz County course in the canyons off AZ-95 on the Parker Strip, about 40 minutes south of the London Bridge. Red-rock walls and elevation changes above the Colorado River make it the most scenic round of the trip, and at a 132 slope from 6,437 yards it is also the tightest. It is a good last round for anyone driving home to Phoenix, since one route from Havasu runs south on AZ-95 via Parker to I-10.

In winter 2025-26 it charged $80 for 18 with cart, or $90 if booked more than 7 days ahead, with $59 from 1 PM. The 2026-27 rates were not posted yet. It was closed for overseed from October 1 to November 1, 2026, so do not plan it for October. Our Emerald Canyon and Parker golf guide has more on the Parker Strip.

A note on Bridgewater Links and the Island

London Bridge Resort owns Bridgewater Links, a 9-hole, par-30 executive course along the channel. Its status is unclear: the resort still lists it, but no dated 2026 tee sheet or rate card was found. Call 928-855-4777 first. The Island Golf Club at the Nautical is closed; it shut around 2018 and its land was sold in 2023 for redevelopment.

Where to stay

London Bridge Resort has studio, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom suites (the 2-bedroom sleeps up to six), which suits a group. Its golf page mentions a 3-night stay with a play credit, but the amount is stated inconsistently ($100 or $150), so confirm. The Nautical Beachfront Resort on the Island is lakefront but has no golf now. For the full comparison, see where to stay in Lake Havasu for golf.

When to go

Lake Havasu City normals are close to Laughlin's: about 74.9F in November, 65.2F in January and 78.1F in March, with mornings in the low 40s in December and January. Avoid March spring break if you want quiet, cheaper rooms, and late-April Desert Storm powerboat week, when Havasu hotels fill and prices rise. The Havasu Balloon Festival (January 21-24, 2027) also makes for a busy weekend. Our Lake Havasu weather by month guide has the full table.

Evenings by the bridge

Shugrue's sits at the foot of the London Bridge with views of the bridge and the Bridgewater Channel, and Barley Brothers Brewery, also beside the bridge on McCulloch Blvd, brews its own beer. On a windy or wet day, Back Nine Golf on McCulloch Blvd runs indoor simulators. See things to do in Laughlin for Topock Gorge and other stops between Havasu and Laughlin, and Lake Havasu golf for the courses in more depth.

Plan it on the map

Every course and stay in this itinerary is on the Laughlin 3D map, which runs from Laughlin down to Lake Havasu City, with drive times and rates seen in October 2026. Add or swap courses and the $30 plan lays out the trip day by day.