Insights
Golf After Dark
The latest version of “The Match” was played a few weeks ago and featured four of the game’s biggest stars: Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy versus Jordan Speith and Justin Thomas. Perhaps the most intriguing part of the event was not the stars but the lights. This was one of the first times in recent memory that we’ve been able to watch top professionals play under the lights. Playing after dark is not something reserved for just the pros— you too can play golf under the lights. In this article, we’ll highlight courses in the United States and around the world where you can play after dark. We also include a list of lighted courses that are accessible to the public at the bottom of this article.
Tiger Woods teeing off at “The Match 2022” at Pelican Golf Club on December 10th. Photo: Golf.com
According to our database, there are 41 courses across the U.S. that offer lighted play. Most of these courses are either par-3 or putting courses (see image below). California offers the most public lighted courses of any state with six. Meanwhile, Las Vegas offers three lighted courses near the strip— Angel Park (Cloud Nine and Devine Nine) and the Las Vegas Golf Center— a perfect place to start a fun night out. There’s a lighted par-3 course that is right next to LAX and operated by TopGolf El Segundo, which is located next door, called The Lakes at El Segundo. Other popular golf trip destinations that offer lighted play include Myrtle Beach (Aero Club) and Orlando (ChampionsGate- Champions, Orange Lake Resort- Legends Walk).
The Lights at Indio is an 18-hole par-3 course near La Quinta, California that you can play for under $50. Photo: Patrick Koenig
Recently, 3’s in Greenville made headlines as they secured an investment to expand their par-3 offering across the south from a group that includes Justin Timberlake. Their flagship Greenville location offers a lighted par-3 course and putting course. We are crossing our fingers that all of the courses they open in the future also offer play after dark! This would make them the only chain of potential lighted courses that we know about.
3’s Greenville under the lights. Photo: Greenville Journal
Lighted courses are becoming more popular at private clubs, too. Eleven have been built in the past five years, including new putting courses at Castle Pines and The Concession. More and more national private clubs are offering lighted play, whether it be across a short course or a putting course, to keep up with the competition. The Playground at Bluejack National and The Saddle at GlenCove are two private par-3 courses where you can play after dark. Uber-exclusive Sage Valley near Augusta, Georgia offers three holes where members and their guests can turn on and off the lights as they choose. Not a bad perk of membership!
The Playground at Bluejack National outside of Houston was designed by Tiger Woods. Photo: Course Website
However, the best courses that offer lighted play may be outside of the U.S. Yas Acres, a new 9-hole regulation course that was designed by Dana Fry and Jason Straka, and the short course at Yas Links both offer lights. Both are located in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, which has a handful of lighted courses, including the aforementioned and also Gil Hanse’s par-3 course at Trump International Dubai and the Academy course at Emirates. Vietnam, a region that is exploding with new course builds, currently offers multiple regulation courses with lighted play, including Luke Donald’s Ba Na Hills. The Lakes course at Nuevo Vallarta in Mexico was designed by Chet Williams in 2017 and offers wall-to-wall paspalum grass along its extremely interesting (and challenging) short holes. Please note that we recently added courses across the Caribbean and Mexico to our website and will soon be adding courses across Asia and the Middle East. Stay tuned!
Yas Acres is one of the many solid lighted courses in the UAE. Photo: Fry Straka Global Golf Design
Lighted Courses (U.S.)
Did we miss any courses that offer lighted play? Let us know in the comments below!