Betting on the Fairway: How Tribal Casinos Won Big in Golfweek’s Latest Rankings

Golfweek’s 2026 ranking of top casino golf courses once again highlights Native American tribes’ commitment to world-class championship golf destinations. We-Ko-Pa Golf Club’s Saguaro Course is ranked No. 6 on Golfweek’s top 50 casino golf courses list. Many tribal casino golf courses provide exceptional value compared with commercial resort casino golf courses. (Image: We-Ko-Pa Golf Club) Despite its name, Golfweek is published monthly, recapping the biggest stories from the game. The magazine is widely known for its course rankings, which have expanded in recent years to include a variety of specific categories, with one being “casino golf courses.” Once again, tribal casinos dominate the top 50 casino golf course rankings, with courses owned by Native Americans accounting for 30 of the 50 courses. Since most tribal casinos aren’t located in urban metropolises, the resorts have more land to build golf courses. Many Indian casinos also use golf as a lure to attract groups to their remote settings. Cache Creek Casino, for instance, is a gaming resort located in Brooks, Calif., a remote town in the Capay Valley that has a population of less than 50 residents. But each year, Cache Creek Casino’s Yocha Dehe Golf Club (ranked No. 3) attracts thousands of golfers to the esteemed course. Tribal Casinos Provide Golf Value Commercial casinos continued to control the top five spots on the Golfweek casino golf courses list. MGM Resorts’ Shadow Creek in Las Vegas and Fallen Oak in Mississippi at Beau Rivage Biloxi once again held the top two spots. The Greenbrier’s Old White Course in West Virginia was No. 4, and the Pete Dye Course at Indiana’s French Lick Resort was No. 5. While a round at Shadow Creek for those who can get on—typically MGM VIP guests—will run more than $1,200, making it the most expensive public-access tee time in the country, tribal casino golf courses are often considerably less. Fallen Oak, exclusive to Beau Rivage guests, averages over $300 per round, but Yocha Dehe is typically under $150, with midweek rates available for less than $100. Rounds at We-Ko-Pa’s Saguaro course near Phoenix, ranked No. 6, are available for under $150. Meanwhile, a tee time on the Greenbrier’s Old Course ranges from $200 to $665 depending on the season and day of the week. The Wilderness at Fortune Bay, ranked No. 7, offers guests traveling to the Minnesota casino resort greens fees of $125 during the prime summer months. Replay rates are just $100. Wynn Golf Club, ranked T12, is $750 to $800 during peak season, and $500 during off-season/weekdays. Even a round at Bali Hai Golf Club on the Las Vegas Strip, which is associated with MGM Grand and ranked T48, costs $349 this morning. Tribal Casinos Flourishing Though higher costs caused by inflation have eaten into bottom lines, the health of the Indian gaming industry has never been better. In July, the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) reported that Native American casinos generated a record $46.2 billion in gross gaming revenue during the 2025 fiscal year (Oct. 2024-September 2025). The post Betting on the Fairway: How Tribal Casinos Won Big in Golfweek’s Latest Rankings appeared first on Casino.org.