Lake Havasu golf: the courses in Lake Havasu City, and what happened to the Island

Lake Havasu golf comes down to three full-length courses: Desert West and Desert East at Lake Havasu Golf Club, the former London Bridge Golf Club, and Iron Wolf, the former Refuge. All are open to the public. The Island Golf Club at the Nautical closed around 2018, and Bridgewater Links has an unclear status.

Lake Havasu City is about 94 minutes south of Laughlin on AZ-95, so it works as its own base. This guide covers the courses, their 2026/2027 rates, winter memberships and where golfers stay.

Quick facts

• Courses open to visitors: Desert West, Desert East and Iron Wolf.
• Morning public rates: $94 at Desert West and $82 at Desert East (2026/2027 table).
• After 3 PM: $50 at the West, $48 at the East.
• Winter memberships: from $1,125 for one month, individual.
• Closed: the Island Golf Club at the Nautical (about 2018).
• Clock: Arizona time, one hour ahead of Laughlin from November 1, 2026 to March 14, 2027.

Lake Havasu golf courses compared

Rates seen October 2026; the Lake Havasu Golf Club page does not say whether a cart is included. Drive times are free-flow estimates.

Lake Havasu Golf Club: Desert West and Desert East

Lake Havasu Golf Club is a 36-hole membership club at 2400 Clubhouse Drive that sells public tee times on its own Quick18 sheet. Members book separately. Anyone can play at the public rate.

Desert West is the town's first course: the front nine opened in 1967 and the back nine in 1969, built by Robert P. McCulloch Sr. to sell land. It is a traditional hillside layout above the lake with water hazards and sand bunkers throughout, and the tougher of the two. See the Desert West course guide.

Desert East opened in 1977 because the West was so popular. It is shorter and friendlier, with narrow fairways, a lake touching three holes and city and lake views, and it costs $12 less than the West before noon. See the Desert East course guide.

Both are bermuda overseeded with rye in winter, done in turn so one course stays open. In late October 2026 only the East had public tee times; the West was off the sheet from October 28 to November 5. The clubhouse has the Lake View Bar & Grill, a pro shop and TaylorMade rental sets at $80 for 18 holes or $40 for 9. Our Lake Havasu Golf Club guide has the full rate table.

Iron Wolf: the former Refuge

Iron Wolf is an Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay design in the hills on the north end of town, once the private Refuge club inside a gated community. New management took over in 2021, the front nine reopened in spring 2023, and the club now says all 18 holes are open to the public. The nines are named Lakeview and Riverview.

It is a short, hilly par 70 at 6,434 yards with water features, lake views and white sand in the redesigned bunkers. A cart is required. The range has Toptracer bays, open Wednesday to Sunday, and the restaurant and bar are open to the public. No official rate sheet is online; a GolfNow deal for October 8, 2026 was $33.26. An earlier listing had the course closed on Tuesdays, and new visitor hours took effect with the October 2026 reopening, so check the days before you go. The Iron Wolf course guide and our Iron Wolf Golf Club guide have more.

The Island and Bridgewater Links

The Island, reached over the London Bridge, once had its own course. The Island Golf Club at the Nautical, also listed as Havasu Island Golf Course, was cut to nine holes and then closed around 2018. The land was auctioned by the Arizona State Land Department in 2023 for development. The Nautical Beachfront Resort is still a lakefront resort, but it has no golf now.

Bridgewater Links, the par-30 executive nine beside London Bridge Resort, still appears on the resort's pages, but no tee sheet or dated 2026 rate was found. Status unclear, call first. Our Bridgewater Links guide explains what is and is not confirmed.

Memberships and discounts for winter visitors

Lake Havasu golf suits a long stay because the club sells seasonal memberships: $1,125 for one month and $2,525 for three months for an individual, up to $3,425 for six months, and $1,625 to $4,625 for couples. The VIP Discount Card costs $209, or $189 bought in September, and takes the West morning rate to $75; at $19 saved per round it pays back in about 11 morning rounds. Local, Emergency Services and Military golfers pay $78 before noon at the West.

Where golfers stay in Lake Havasu City

London Bridge Resort sits at the foot of the bridge with suites and kitchens, 8 minutes from Lake Havasu Golf Club. It gives no rate at the club's courses. The HEAT Hotel is a boutique channel-side option, and the Home2 Suites has kitchenettes 7 minutes from the club.

For winter, Havasu Falls RV Resort is 8 minutes from Iron Wolf and offers $800 a month plus electric for November and December. Islander RV Resort on the Island starts at $88.88 a night in winter. Furnished Lake Havasu winter rentals were listed at about $1,300 to $2,500 a month for 2026-27. See where to stay in Lake Havasu for golf.

Getting to Lake Havasu City

Phoenix is the better airport for Lake Havasu golf: about 205 miles and 230 minutes by road on a free-flow estimate, and on the same Arizona clock all year. Las Vegas is about 156 miles and 204 minutes away. Lake Havasu City's own airport has no commercial airline service. From Laughlin, AZ-95 takes about 94 minutes over 71.5 miles, so a Laughlin trip can finish with two nights here.

Across the lake, Havasu Landing Resort & Casino is a 48-room tribal casino hotel on the California shore. It runs on Pacific time, an hour behind Lake Havasu City's tee sheets in winter, and every round means a ferry ride (weather permitting) or a long drive around. Our Lake Havasu RV resorts guide covers the long-stay parks in more detail.

When to play

Lake Havasu City's NOAA normals are within about 1F of Laughlin: about 75F in November, 65F in January and 78F in March, and drier, at about 4.2 inches of rain a year. March spring break and Desert Storm week in late April push up room rates. The Havasu Balloon Festival runs January 21 to 24, 2027. For a rainy or windy day, Back Nine Golf on McCulloch Boulevard is the only golf simulator found in the area.

Day trips work too: Emerald Canyon near Parker is about 40 minutes south (see Emerald Canyon in Parker), and Rivers Edge in Needles about 55 minutes north. Our Lake Havasu golf trip puts it together.

Plan it on the map

Open the Laughlin golf map to see the Lake Havasu courses and stays with drive times. The $30 plan builds a day-by-day golf trip, or a whole winter stay with a weekly rotation between Desert West, Desert East and Iron Wolf.