Looking to play the best golf courses in Nevada? GolfReviewsGuide.com picks out the top courses to play in Nevada.

When you head to the arid state of Nevada be sure to avoid the roulette trap of Las Vegas and instead favor the sand traps of the leading golf courses.

With major airports in Las Vegas and Reno, it’s not hard to find flights to Nevada. Furthermore, Sacramento isn’t bad for getting to the Lake Tahoe area.

We’ve talked about the top Las Vegas golf courses, so here’s our take on the best golf courses in Nevada in a wider look at the state.

1. Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course

The Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course is one of the older courses in Nevada to make this shortlist.

The par-72 venue opened in 1968 following the design of George Fazio and his nephew Tom Fazio.

With yardage length totaling 7,529, this course is on the lengthier side and that promises to put the power driving of those that play it to the test. The altitude of the course will help generate lengthier drives as this venue plays at 6,200 feet for elevation.

Located near the famous Lake Tahoe, the Reno-Tahoe International Airport is one major airport that you can use to get to this course, which has a US Senior Open in its history from the 1980s.

Expect a marveling experience near nature as Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, a public course, has been rated well by the likes of Golf Digest in the past. Many have been very impressed with this top-quality course, including us.

2. Shadow Creek Golf Course

The Shadow Creek Golf Course, about 15 minutes north of Las Vegas, is the work of Tom Fazio, one of the foremost authorities in golf course design who makes his second appearance in this list.

The course first opened in 2008 and it has been very popular since that time, not unsurprisingly considering the location close to Vegas.

This course is part of the MGM and there are stay-and-play packages for that hotel chain’s guests.

The compliments for this par-72 course, with a yardage of 7,560 from the championship tees, are many from the celebrities that have visited this venue.

NHL Half-of-Famer Wayne Gretzky called it “Surreal” while former Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers claimed that “Shadow Creek doesn’t feel like Las Vegas. It is the toughest and prettiest I’ve ever played.”

3. Clear Creek Golf Course

Located in Carson City, Nevada (just south of Reno), the Clear Creek Golf Course opened in 2009 near the Tahoe National Forest.

A par-71 contest, the length of this course is a little below average at 7,005 yards. The architects, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, had to work with a rugged-mountain environment in completing a regionally significant golf achievement.

Offering views of the eastern slopes in the Sierra Nevada chain, Crenshaw wanted to design a course that felt “natural and not contrived.” Similarly, Coore claimed that they wanted an establishment that was “naturally gifted for golf.”

Those that attempt to beat their handicap at this course can expect to be tested and, according to Crenshaw, “creative thinking” is required.

4. Southern Highlands Golf Club

The golf course at the Southern Highlands Golf Club could take a couple of hits for not being very accessible. This club is not just high-end but exclusive: who you know will matter a lot.

Having opened in 2000, this par-72 venue is the 7,537-yard work of the father-and-son team of Trent Jones (Senior and Junior).

Located close to the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area, Southern Highlands Golf Club is hailed as “one of the top residential golf courses in the United States.”

In the past, it has hosted two PGA Tour events and if you get past the gates, expect mountain terrain, natural desert, stark elevation changes, beautiful ponds, waterfalls, and some high-profile fellow clientele.

5. Coyote Springs Golf Club

The course at the Coyote Springs Golf Club features amazing mountain views on the horizon.

The 7,471-yard affair from the back tees, it is an 18-hole route that is well known for water hazards. The course, which is 50 minutes north of Las Vegas and opened in 2008, has just shy of a dozen lakes.

With hole names like “Deuces Wild,” “The Flop,” and “4th Street,” it will be hard to forget that you are in a state where card games often reign supreme.