Courtesy of Wolf Creek Golf Club

Wolf Creek is one Mesquite golf course that's worth a detour from a Las Vegas golf vacation.

Have you ever seen Loyal H. Chapman's famous paintings of ultra-extreme golf holes, ones where a tiny green dangles hundreds of feet in the air on the edge of vertical cliff wall or across an unfathomable chasm amid the crashing water of a massive waterfall?

Well, if you want to see the closest, real-life representation of Chapman's outlandish work, make a point of playing the Wolf Creek golf course on your next Las Vegas golf vacation. It's located in Mesquite, Nevada, about 90 minutes northeast of Las Vegas near the Arizona border, but you could easily mistake it for Mars.

Every tee or green commands a small, red sandstone precipice and looks out on a limitless desert golf panorama, where lush, green fairways are pierced by towering mounds and moguls jutting up from the ground. Playing over canyons, valleys and steep hills beside a winding creek, this is target golf at its most extreme.

Like Chapman's otherworldly images, this Mesquite golf course (originally designed/developed by Dennis Rider, now owned by Cory and Chad Clemetson) inspires equal parts awe and terror. But take heart; because there is so much rugged, untamed terrain looming beside its lush fairways and greens, Wolf Creek has a local rule permitting a free drop from the desert.

Yes, the holes can be tricky, but they are anything but "tricked up." In fact, Wolf Creek's layout was sculpted so it minimized disturbance to the natural desert landscape (traditionalists should send their complaints to: P.O. Box Heaven; ATTN: Mother Nature). And, not only are there five sets of tees to accommodate a range of skill levels, but they are arranged so that the thrills of the game aren't lost from a single one.

For example, since most holes play downhill from lofty perches, even short hitters will admire their soaring drives. From the tips, however, which carry a slope rating of 154, Wolf Creek is not only one of the hardest Mesquite golf courses, it's one of the hardest in the world.

At $85-$195, the green fee is steep, too, but we think it's well worth the money (and the drive) to play this unforgettable Mesquite golf course on your next Las Vegas golf vacation.

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