Golf is a great game from dawn to dusk. But at a growing number of venues in this country, it’s also good fun after dark.
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Golfers often wax poetic about “chasing daylight” — racing to finish before the sun goes down. But who says the good times have to end after dark? Long popular in Asia, night golf has a growing foothold in the U.S. market. Here are 11 great places to peg it under the lights
Cabot Citrus Farms, Brooksville, Fla.
Spread across 1,200 acres of sand and pines, the first State-side project from the Cabot team can be a lot to grasp. So let’s look at Citrus Farms in segments. There are two juicy 18-hole courses (one just opened; the other will be finished later this year); a sweet 9-holer; and a tasty layout called the Wedge, an 11-hole par-3 course that is lit for night-time play.
Cloud 9 at Angel Park Golf Club, Las Vegas, Nev.
Elsewhere in Vegas, it can be hard to tell the difference between day and night. But not at Angel Park, which is home to two 18-hole courses and a 12-hole par-3 layout, nine holes of which light up like the Strip.
Heartwell Golf Course, Long Beach, Calif.
“It was lit at night, just like most of the people who were there,” Tiger Woods reportedly once joked about this 18-hole, par-54, where he played as a kid. We can’t speak for the regulars, but this fun-filled William F. Bell design still glows nicely after dark.
The Lakes at El Segundo, El Segundo, Calif.
The first and (for now) only muni in the country operated by TopGolf, the Lakes is a newbie-friendly 10-hole par-3 course with a distinctly TopGolf finishing hole: a Toptracer on the tee, which records the majestic arc of your shot and all the impressive stats, displaying them in real-time on a big screen.
Omni PGA Frisco Resort, Frisco, Texas
A flip-wedge from the PGA of America headquarters, this expansive new facility prides itself on being at the bleeding-edge of modern golf culture. Among its cool contemporary features: a lighted 10-hole par-3 layout (The Swing) and two-acre putting course (The Dance Floor).
Gary Kellner/PGA of America
The Lights at Indio Golf Course, Indio, Calif.
In the Palm Springs area, a lot of folks eat dinner at the blue-plate special hour. But that’s okay. It leaves more time for golf at night. And the local option is a fine one: an 18-hole par-3 course with holes that range in length from 110 to 230 yards.
Manor Valley Golf Course, Export, Pa.
In 1964, the year Pennsylvania native Arnold Palmer ran away with the Masters by six shots, 96 wide-beam mercury vapor lamps were installed here, making it the first regulation-length lit golf course in the world. Nine holes remain illuminated today, with vastly upgraded bulbs.
The Park at West Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Just last week, this freshly overhauled muni stole the spotlight when it hosted the latest iteration of The Match. But its grounds don’t just glow during televised events. Among the 27 holes at this Gil Hanse-Jim Wagner designed facility is a 9-hole par-3 course called The Lit. Its final hole is putter-only, and it spills into a 9-hole putting course that’s illuminated, too.
Connor Federico
Timpanogos Pasture Par 3 Course, Provo, Utah
Timpanagos traces its roots to the early 1900s when the First Ward Pasture Cattle Company built a 9-hole course. As the automobile came into fashion, locals often left their headlights on so they could play at night. The course has long since been updated. And, guess what? So have the lights.
Westchester Golf Course, Los Angeles, Calif.
The laws of supply and demand make it tough to land a tee time in L.A. But this laidback facility, next door to LAX, ups your chances, with an 18-hole par-64 layout that remains open for play until 10 p.m.
3’s Golf & Grill, Greenville, S.C.
Easy. Breezy. Threesy. So they like to say at this kick-back locale, where the clubhouse is so casual they call it the “grubhouse” and the music plays all day and night, much like the golfers, who enjoy access to a 12-hole par-3 track and a rollicking 18-hole putting course.
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