Dragon Ridge goes completely private for now: Las Vegas golf vacationers suffer a loss

Dragon Ridge Country Club - the showy Jay Morrish and Dave Druzisky design about 25 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip - closed it doors to outside play on Nov. 1. The owners have said from the beginning that Dragon Ridge would eventually be a strictly members-only club, but still there were golfers enjoying the course over the years (it opened back in 2000) who weren’t going to quite believe it until the day arrived.

Now, it’s here and well … you might want to make friends with a Dragon Ridge member. It’s not every day you see lava and a course with two split fairways in Las Vegas.

Of course, this being Vegas, there’s always hope.

“I could see a point down the road, where we’d be able to get a few guys on the course for $350,” said Scott Bowles of Las Vegas Golf Travel, a hotel and course packaging service that has more insider access than the average golfer. “And guys would pay that to play there. But right now, no.”

While Dragon Ridge revels in its closed course, I’d play the The Falls at Lake Las Vegas if you’re looking for dramatic golf amongst the rocks.