Badlands Golf Club – Outlaw, Desperado, Diablo Nine

Badlands Golf Club more than lives up to its name. The three nines of this Johnny Miller/Chi Chi Rodriguez design weave through deep canyons. Whether it’s the Outlaw, the Desperado or the Diablo nine, Badlands gives players shotmaking challenges.

The 27 holes offer dramatic shot values, so no matter which 18 holes golfers play, it will be a very memorable outing. Four sets of tees make the course playable for beginners to pros — just make sure to select the right set of tees for your handicap.

On the Desperado nine, the eighth hole, a 196-yard par 3, is a knee-knocker. Players face a tee shot that carries over a deep ravine. Shots short or right will wind up in the ravine, making a drop almost a necessity. Par here is a good number. If you wind up with a birdie on this tough hole, you’ve earned your bragging rights.

On the Diablo nine, the 389-yard, par-4 15th brings out the best — and sometimes the worst — in players. There are a pair of ways to attack this hole: Play conservative and hit the fairway to the left or — and here’s the tricky shot — grab the big stick and carry the ravine and take a short wedge into this green. This is another hole where a birdie is a possibility, but more often than not, par is a fine score.

On the Outlaw nine, the 27th hole — the grand finale — is everything a finishing golf hole should encompass. There’s challenge (511-yard, par 5), and it’s got risk/reward (go for it in two and try to avoid a watery grave). This hole will let golfers rip it off the tee, but then comes the dilemma.

A carry of 240 yards or so will get golfers onto the green, but there is a catch — anything less is wet. Playing conservative will leave players with a short iron into a green giving them a shot at a closing birdie — always a great way to head to the clubhouse.

This course is a solid test of golf and offers a rugged look at the beauty of the desert — a nice combination that will bring golfers back for more.  Source