Sandia Resort And Casino Golf Course
The Pueblo of Sandia Tribe runs the golf operation at Sandia Golf Club as a sporting facility for guests of their Sandia Resort & Casino. Designed by Scott Miller of We-Ko-Pa Golf Club fame and opened for play in 2005, the Sandia course is set in rugged high desert territory with water hazards only ever in play at four of the holes.
Sandia Resort golf course, Albuquerque, NM — Photo courtesy of Sandia Resort and Casino. The Sandia Resort and Casino (owned by the Sandia Pueblo) is one fine example, opened in 2005. Sandia Golf Club was developed by the Pueblo of Sandia as an amenity of the Sandia Resort & Casino. The Club features a 7,772-yard golf course designed by Scott.
Welcome to Golfweek’s Best Casino Courses in the United States, first published in the November/December print issue of Golfweek.
The top 10 on this list held steady since 2018, but there was plenty of movement in the rest of the rankings as 33 courses changed position, including three that moved onto the list.
Kalispel Golf and Country Club in Spokane, Washington, formerly Spokane Country Club, jumped onto the list at No. 30. The Champions course at Thornberry Creek in Oneida, Wisconsin, also moved into the top 50 at No. 40, and Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Flintstone, Maryland, made it onto the list at No. 44.
Worth noting, the names of the courses at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Ariz., have changed. The North course is now the O’odham course (No. 34), and the South course was renamed Piipaash (No. 46). Also, Sevillano Links in Corning, Calif., was renamed The Links at Rolling Hills (No. 42).
The hundreds of members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on our 10 criteria. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings on each course are averaged to produce a final rating for each course. Then each course is ranked against other courses in the region.
We hope you enjoy poring over these rankings, and we look forward to hearing your thoughts on this list. Each course is listed with its 2020 ranking, its location, architect(s), the year it opened and an average ranking from all the Golfweek Raters who reviewed it.
Golfweek’s Best: Top 50 Casino Courses
| Rank | Course | Location | Designer(s) | Year Opened | Avg. Rating |
| 1 | Shadow Creek | North Las Vegas, Nev. | Tom Fazio | 1990 | 8.09 |
| 2 | Fallen Oak | Saucier, Miss. | Tom Fazio | 2006 | 7.25 |
| 3 | The Greenbrier (Old White TPC) | White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. | Charles Blair Macdonald, Seth Raynor, Lester George | 1914 | 6.86 |
| 4 | French Lick (Pete Dye Course) | French Lick, Ind. | Pete Dye | 2009 | 6.75 |
| 5 | We-Ko-Pa (Saguaro) | Fort McDowell, Ariz. | Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw | 2006 | 6.67 |
| 6 | Salish Cliffs | Shelton, Wash. | Gene Bates | 2011 | 6.55 |
| 7 | Wilderness at Fortune Bay | Tower, Minn. | Jeff Brauer | 2004 | 6.54 |
| 8 | Barona Creek | Lakeside, Calif. | Gary Roger Baird, Todd Eckenrode | 2001 | 6.50 |
| 9 | Nemacolin Woodlands (Mystic Rock) | Farmington, Pa. | Pete Dye | 1995 | 6.44 |
| 10 | Spirit Hollow | Burlington, Iowa | Rick Jacobson | 2000 | 6.41 |
| 11 | The Preserve GC | Vancleave, Miss. | Jerry Pate | 2006 | 6.34 |
| 12 | Turning Stone Resort (Atunyote) | Verona, N.Y. | Tom Fazio | 2004 | 6.21 |
| 13 | French Lick (Donald Ross Course) | French Lick, Ind. | Donald Ross | 1917 | 6.19 |
| 14 | Ak-Chin Southern Dunes | Maricopa, Ariz. | Brian Curley, Lee Schmidt | 2002 | 6.17 |
| 15 | Edgewood Tahoe GC | Stateline, Nev. | George Fazio | 1968 | 6.17 |
| 16 | We-Ko-Pa (Cholla) | Fort McDowell, Ariz. | Scott Miller | 2001 | 6.15 |
| 17 | Firekeeper | Mayetta, Kan. | Jeff Brauer, Notah Begay III | 2011 | 6.13 |
| 18 | Meadows at Mystic Lake | Prior Lake, Minn. | Garrett Gill, Paul Miller | 2005 | 6.12 |
| 19 | Yocha Dehe at Cache Creek Casino | Brooks, Calif. | Brad Bell | 2008 | 6.10 |
| 20 | Sweetgrass GC | Harris, Mich. | Paul Albanese | 2008 | 6.07 |
| 21 | Circling Raven | Worley, Idaho | Gene Bates | 2003 | 6.05 |
| 22 | Sandia Golf Club | Albuquerque, N.M. | Scott Miller | 2005 | 5.95 |
| 23 | Tatanka GC | Niobrara, Neb. | Paul Albanese | 2015 | 5.94 |
| 24 | Lake of Isles (North) | North Stonington, Conn. | Rees Jones | 2005 | 5.93 |
| 25 | The Greenbrier (Greenbrier) | White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. | Seth Raynor, George O’Neil, Jack Nicklaus | 1924 | 5.92 |
| 26 | Sewailo GC | Tucson, Ariz. | Notah Begay III, Ty Butler | 2013 | 5.89 |
| 27 | Belterra GC | Florence, Ind. | Tom Fazio | 2001 | 5.82 |
| 28 | Journey at Pechanga | Temecula, Calif. | Steve Forrest, Arthur Hills | 2008 | 5.81 |
| 29 | Turning Stone (Shenendoah) | Verona, N.Y. | Rick Smith | 2000 | 5.81 |
| 30 | Kalispel G&CC | Spokane, Wash. | Jim Barnes | 1910 | 5.79 |
| 31 | Seneca Hickory Stick Golf | Lewiston, N.Y. | Robert Trent Jones Jr. | 2010 | 5.78 |
| 32 | Riverside (Blue Top Ridge) | Riverside, Iowa | Rees Jones | 2007 | 5.78 |
| 33 | Dancing Rabbit GC (Azaleas) | Philadelphia, Miss. | Tom Fazio, Jerry Pate | 1997 | 5.75 |
| 34 | Talking Stick (O’odham, formerly North) | Scottsdale, Ariz. | Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw | 1998 | 5.73 |
| 35 | Dancing Rabbit GC (Oaks) | Philadelphia, Miss. | Tom Fazio, Jerry Pate | 1999 | 5.72 |
| 36 | Apache Stronghold | San Carlos, Ariz. | Tom Doak | 1999 | 5.71 |
| 37 | Eagle Falls | Indio, Calif. | Clive Clark | 2008 | 5.70 |
| 38 | Turning Stone (Kaluhyat) | Verona, N.Y. | Robert Trent Jones Jr. | 2003 | 5.70 |
| 39 | Sequoyah National GC | Whittier, N.C. | Robert Trent Jones Jr., Notah Begay III | 2009 | 5.65 |
| 40 | Thornberry Creek at Oneida (Champions) | Oneida, Wis. | Rick Jacobson | 2004 | 5.63 |
| 41 | Inn of the Mountain Gods | Mescalero, N.M. | Ted Robinson | 1976 | 5.59 |
| 42 | The Links at Rolling Hills | Corning, Calif. | Mike Stark | 2007 | 5.53 |
| 43 | Shell Landing GC | Gautier, Miss. | Davis Love III | 2002 | 5.50 |
| 44 | Rocky Gap Casino Resort | Flintstone, Md. | Jack Nicklaus | 1998 | 5.50 |
| 45 | Whirlwind GC (Cattail) | Chandler, Ariz. | Gary Panks | 2002 | 5.48 |
| 46 | Talking Stick (Piipaash, formerly South) | Scottsdale, Ariz. | Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw | 1998 | 5.44 |
| 47 | Whirlwind GC (Devil’s Claw) | Chandler, Ariz. | Gary Panks | 2000 | 5.42 |
| 48 | Mohegan Sun GC | Baltic, Conn. | Geoffrey Cornish, Robert McNeil | 1960 | 5.30 |
| 49 | Cherokee Hills | Tulsa, Okla. | Tripp Davis, Perry Maxwell | 1924 | 5.16 |
| 50 | Windance CC | Gulfport, Miss. | Mark McCumber | 1986 | 5.13 |
Welcome to Golfweek’s Best Casino Courses in the United States, first published in the November/December print issue of Golfweek.
The top 10 on this list held steady since 2018, but there was plenty of movement in the rest of the rankings as 33 courses changed position, including three that moved onto the list.
Kalispel Golf and Country Club in Spokane, Washington, formerly Spokane Country Club, jumped onto the list at No. 30. The Champions course at Thornberry Creek in Oneida, Wisconsin, also moved into the top 50 at No. 40, and Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Flintstone, Maryland, made it onto the list at No. 44.
Worth noting, the names of the courses at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Ariz., have changed. The North course is now the O’odham course (No. 34), and the South course was renamed Piipaash (No. 46). Also, Sevillano Links in Corning, Calif., was renamed The Links at Rolling Hills (No. 42).
The hundreds of members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on our 10 criteria. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings on each course are averaged to produce a final rating for each course. Then each course is ranked against other courses in the region.
We hope you enjoy poring over these rankings, and we look forward to hearing your thoughts on this list. Each course is listed with its 2020 ranking, its location, architect(s), the year it opened and an average ranking from all the Golfweek Raters who reviewed it.
Golfweek’s Best: Top 50 Casino Courses
Sandia Resort And Casino Golf Course Omaha
| Rank | Course | Location | Designer(s) | Year Opened | Avg. Rating |
| 1 | Shadow Creek | North Las Vegas, Nev. | Tom Fazio | 1990 | 8.09 |
| 2 | Fallen Oak | Saucier, Miss. | Tom Fazio | 2006 | 7.25 |
| 3 | The Greenbrier (Old White TPC) | White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. | Charles Blair Macdonald, Seth Raynor, Lester George | 1914 | 6.86 |
| 4 | French Lick (Pete Dye Course) | French Lick, Ind. | Pete Dye | 2009 | 6.75 |
| 5 | We-Ko-Pa (Saguaro) | Fort McDowell, Ariz. | Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw | 2006 | 6.67 |
| 6 | Salish Cliffs | Shelton, Wash. | Gene Bates | 2011 | 6.55 |
| 7 | Wilderness at Fortune Bay | Tower, Minn. | Jeff Brauer | 2004 | 6.54 |
| 8 | Barona Creek | Lakeside, Calif. | Gary Roger Baird, Todd Eckenrode | 2001 | 6.50 |
| 9 | Nemacolin Woodlands (Mystic Rock) | Farmington, Pa. | Pete Dye | 1995 | 6.44 |
| 10 | Spirit Hollow | Burlington, Iowa | Rick Jacobson | 2000 | 6.41 |
| 11 | The Preserve GC | Vancleave, Miss. | Jerry Pate | 2006 | 6.34 |
| 12 | Turning Stone Resort (Atunyote) | Verona, N.Y. | Tom Fazio | 2004 | 6.21 |
| 13 | French Lick (Donald Ross Course) | French Lick, Ind. | Donald Ross | 1917 | 6.19 |
| 14 | Ak-Chin Southern Dunes | Maricopa, Ariz. | Brian Curley, Lee Schmidt | 2002 | 6.17 |
| 15 | Edgewood Tahoe GC | Stateline, Nev. | George Fazio | 1968 | 6.17 |
| 16 | We-Ko-Pa (Cholla) | Fort McDowell, Ariz. | Scott Miller | 2001 | 6.15 |
| 17 | Firekeeper | Mayetta, Kan. | Jeff Brauer, Notah Begay III | 2011 | 6.13 |
| 18 | Meadows at Mystic Lake | Prior Lake, Minn. | Garrett Gill, Paul Miller | 2005 | 6.12 |
| 19 | Yocha Dehe at Cache Creek Casino | Brooks, Calif. | Brad Bell | 2008 | 6.10 |
| 20 | Sweetgrass GC | Harris, Mich. | Paul Albanese | 2008 | 6.07 |
| 21 | Circling Raven | Worley, Idaho | Gene Bates | 2003 | 6.05 |
| 22 | Sandia Golf Club | Albuquerque, N.M. | Scott Miller | 2005 | 5.95 |
| 23 | Tatanka GC | Niobrara, Neb. | Paul Albanese | 2015 | 5.94 |
| 24 | Lake of Isles (North) | North Stonington, Conn. | Rees Jones | 2005 | 5.93 |
| 25 | The Greenbrier (Greenbrier) | White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. | Seth Raynor, George O’Neil, Jack Nicklaus | 1924 | 5.92 |
| 26 | Sewailo GC | Tucson, Ariz. | Notah Begay III, Ty Butler | 2013 | 5.89 |
| 27 | Belterra GC | Florence, Ind. | Tom Fazio | 2001 | 5.82 |
| 28 | Journey at Pechanga | Temecula, Calif. | Steve Forrest, Arthur Hills | 2008 | 5.81 |
| 29 | Turning Stone (Shenendoah) | Verona, N.Y. | Rick Smith | 2000 | 5.81 |
| 30 | Kalispel G&CC | Spokane, Wash. | Jim Barnes | 1910 | 5.79 |
| 31 | Seneca Hickory Stick Golf | Lewiston, N.Y. | Robert Trent Jones Jr. | 2010 | 5.78 |
| 32 | Riverside (Blue Top Ridge) | Riverside, Iowa | Rees Jones | 2007 | 5.78 |
| 33 | Dancing Rabbit GC (Azaleas) | Philadelphia, Miss. | Tom Fazio, Jerry Pate | 1997 | 5.75 |
| 34 | Talking Stick (O’odham, formerly North) | Scottsdale, Ariz. | Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw | 1998 | 5.73 |
| 35 | Dancing Rabbit GC (Oaks) | Philadelphia, Miss. | Tom Fazio, Jerry Pate | 1999 | 5.72 |
| 36 | Apache Stronghold | San Carlos, Ariz. | Tom Doak | 1999 | 5.71 |
| 37 | Eagle Falls | Indio, Calif. | Clive Clark | 2008 | 5.70 |
| 38 | Turning Stone (Kaluhyat) | Verona, N.Y. | Robert Trent Jones Jr. | 2003 | 5.70 |
| 39 | Sequoyah National GC | Whittier, N.C. | Robert Trent Jones Jr., Notah Begay III | 2009 | 5.65 |
| 40 | Thornberry Creek at Oneida (Champions) | Oneida, Wis. | Rick Jacobson | 2004 | 5.63 |
| 41 | Inn of the Mountain Gods | Mescalero, N.M. | Ted Robinson | 1976 | 5.59 |
| 42 | The Links at Rolling Hills | Corning, Calif. | Mike Stark | 2007 | 5.53 |
| 43 | Shell Landing GC | Gautier, Miss. | Davis Love III | 2002 | 5.50 |
| 44 | Rocky Gap Casino Resort | Flintstone, Md. | Jack Nicklaus | 1998 | 5.50 |
| 45 | Whirlwind GC (Cattail) | Chandler, Ariz. | Gary Panks | 2002 | 5.48 |
| 46 | Talking Stick (Piipaash, formerly South) | Scottsdale, Ariz. | Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw | 1998 | 5.44 |
| 47 | Whirlwind GC (Devil’s Claw) | Chandler, Ariz. | Gary Panks | 2000 | 5.42 |
| 48 | Mohegan Sun GC | Baltic, Conn. | Geoffrey Cornish, Robert McNeil | 1960 | 5.30 |
| 49 | Cherokee Hills | Tulsa, Okla. | Tripp Davis, Perry Maxwell | 1924 | 5.16 |
| 50 | Windance CC | Gulfport, Miss. | Mark McCumber | 1986 | 5.13 |