Popular Desert Course Shadow Creek Won't be on the 2026 LPGA Schedule

Last week during the FM Championship, new LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler called a player meeting, where he shared a preview of what the Tour's 2026 schedule could look like.

One of the most notable changes? An opening during the spring—where the T-Mobile Match Play event at Shadow Creek usually is.

Known for it's high-priced (and highly valued) greens fees that will run you over $1,000—Shadow Creek has become a dream destination for golfers and their buddy trips.

The green oasis carved into the flat desert floor north of Las Vegas is one of the most sought after luxury experiences our game has to offer. You must book a stay at the MGM in Vegas to even qualify for a tee time, but your fee includes a private limo pickup and transport to the course, a caddie for your round, and use of a locker...kinda sick.

We all got aquatinted with the desert course in 2018, when it was the host venue for The Match: Tiger vs. Phil and then once again for the Showdown that happened between Rory, Scottie, Bryson, and Brooks in December 2024. But the LPGA has been playing at Shadow Creek since 2021, back when it was the Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play.

So what gives? Why the switch up?

Well, Kessler believes that the schedule is one of the most critical things to iron out, and quickly. Reported by Golfweek, the commissioner opened up about the importance of routing these athletes just right. "What I'm learning is that the schedule is critical, but not solvable overnight because you're locked into geographies, multiyear agreements, and you can't unwind everything at once,” said Kessler.

"But know that as we think about ’27, ’28, ’29, we see a path to something that's even better than where we are for next year."

After debuting a new title sponsor for the Tour's Founders Cup, a celebration and commemoration of the 13 Founders of the LPGA, there's a desire to really build up a West Coast swing and bringing women's golf to Northern California.

As it stands, the gap where the match play once resided now reads "West Coast prospect".

As for the partnership with T-Mobile, it's been reported that Kessler "remains hopeful" that the organization will stay involved, beyond just a title sponsorship.

Back in June at the KPMG Women's PGA in Frisco, I saw tons of T-Mobile signage around, as the telecommunications company was capturing and exporting AI analytics and data on the range, and helping fans at home see player stats in real time.

It's also necessary to point out that for the first time in 40 years, the 2025 PGA TOUR schedule didn't have a Vegas stop, either.

How important is it to see professional golf in Vegas? Well, it seems like the governing bodies have spoken.