Las Vegas nightlife: Lighted Angel Park Golf Club has everything covered

• Mike Bailey
• Nov 8, 2011 12:00 AM ET

LAS VEGAS -- At Angel Park Golf Club, you could play 18 holes in the afternoon, get a bite to eat, watch "Monday Night Football," and then head back out for a quick nine holes -- in the dark.

That's because Angel Park has you covered -- with plenty of holes and lights if you need them. It may be the most complete golf experience in Las Vegas. Not only does it offer two regulation-length golf courses, but it has a short course and a putting course as well, and both of those are under the lights. Even the driving range is lighted.

The bottom line is that Angel Park is all about golf, and there are plenty of choices.

"We can accommodate corporate golf tournaments, high school golf or the First Tee of Southern Nevada, for example," said Greg Brockelman, director of golf at Angel Park. "And a lot of times, two or three of those can be going on at the exact same time without any of them knowing that the others are here, just because it is so big with a lot of space and a lot going on."

At the heart, though, are its two 18-hole courses, both designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay. Angel Park's Mountain Course is the longest and the most challenging. At nearly 3,000 feet, it offers great views of Red Rock Canyon and the Las Vegas Valley, and it's a pretty good test. While not particularly long at 6,722 yards, this par 72 certainly has its difficult and challenging holes.

In fact, golfers get a taste of that right away. The first hole, from the back tees (there are four sets), is 447 yards long, so even a solid drive by a good player will leave a long iron or longer into the green. The par 3s are a pretty good test, too, with three of them coming in at more than 200 yards. And the par-5 17th, with a small landing area off the tee, an arroyo to carry on the second shot and a smallish sloping green, is one of the tougher holes in the Las Vegas area. The finishing hole is no bargain, either, with a lake running along the right side on the approach.

Angel Park's Palm Course is a little shorter at 6,500 yards and a little more open off the tee. While both have undergone turf-reduction programs to help save water, the Palm Course's reduction was less severe, which means fewer forced carries and bigger landing areas.

The par-3 course, called Cloud Nine, is one of the most intriguing golf courses in Las Vegas, though. It actually has 12 holes, but nine of them are lighted. That means you can play 12 during the day and nine at night. The holes are loose replicas of some of the most famous par 3s in the world. There's an island green, ala TPC Sawgrass, a Postage Stamp hole reminiscent of Royal Troon in Scotland, the Valley of Sin like St. Andrews' Old Course, and a green with a bunker in the middle of it, similar to Riviera Country Club.

Another fun option after dark or in the daytime, is the nine-hole putting course, which is also lighted. Great for beginners and good players alike, the holes are next to the golf shop and grill and overlook a pond. They wind around little bunkers and palm trees with doglegs, rock outcroppings and even rough.

Angel Park also features the aforementioned lighted range, an extensive short-game area that includes chipping greens, practice bunkers and putting greens. There's a well stocked golf shop, and the grill is a great place (try the fish tacos) to catch golf or other sports on TV with 14 flat-screen monitors.