Nevada, Las Vegas Golf Course Reviews
Badlands, Desperado-Diablo Review (Deceased 2017)
Las Vegas, NV
73.1 rating; 149 slope |
Badlands Golf Course Scorecard from the longest tees, as of the date of last review
Looking for a different golf course review? Try...
Angel Park Golf | Paiute Golf (Sun Mountain) | Paiute Golf (Wolf Course) | TPC Las Vegas
Angel Park Golf | Paiute Golf (Sun Mountain) | Paiute Golf (Wolf Course) | TPC Las Vegas
|
Badlands (Desperado - Diablo) Overview: There are three nines at Badlands, and this is the longest and hardest combination on the scorecard from the tips (the Outlaw nine is not reviewed yet). The course is best described as desert golf, bordering on some holes as target golf. It is very challenging with small, undulating greens on many holes adding even more of a premium on accuracy. The course also can lay claim to some of the largest homes anywhere built surrounding it, although very few are in play, save for a really wild shot. The most memorable golf holes are described below:
Badlands (Desperado) Hole 2: This is a classic risk-reward par five with an angled tee shot over the desert. The conservative drive to the left is fairly wide but the more aggressive the player gets to the right, the tighter the landing area with desert short and groomed desert long of the fairway. From there, the approach (whether second or third) is fairly benign with only a couple of bunkers to avoid. 
|
|
Badlands (Desperado) Hole 3: The only hole with water hazards and a non-desert feel is this short par four. The rational play is to lay-up to the left of the first lake and short of the second lake, which will only leave a short to mid iron for most golfers. However, the aggressive golfer can play a shot over the first and short of the second lake to leave just a pitch to the green, but the landing area is tight.
Badlands (Desperado) Hole 6: The first terrifying shot of the day comes at this dogleg left par four. It must be hit over a deep arroyo which guards the left side of the fairway. A bailout right can yield a shot from the trees or OB, and a longer approach to the green, which is situated to the left, back over the arroyo.
Badlands (Desperado) Hole 7: I imagine this hole to be the one that invokes the most cursing as it is true target golf and has a blind, downhill tee shot. The drive requires accuracy, not length, so an iron or fairway wood is the way to go here. The second shot is to a sunken pocket of green with desert right off its surface short, left and long and a hill to the right. It is a really tight shot, and it is even blind for the golfer who goes too far left off the tee.
Badlands (Desperado) Hole 8: The string of difficult holes continues at the par three 8th. The front pin placement allows for a relatively docile experience if the golfer can avoid the bunker just to the left of the putting surface. Any pin middle or back brings the deep arroyo short of the green into play, and from there, escape is improbable. Long and left are available for bailout, but chips will be tough from there.
Badlands (Desperado) Hole 9: The final hole of the Desperado nine is again target golf, but this time features an uphill tee shot over an arroyo to a fairway riddled with bunkers and surrounded by desert. The approach then turns right with the desert all the way down the right side and flanking the green.
Badlands (Diablo) Hole 3: The longest par four on the course is named Redrock for the great vista of that National Conservation Area, which, as a side note, has some fantastic hiking. However, the hole is brutal as it is also uphill and has OB left and desert right, the entire length of it.
Badlands (Diablo) Hole 6: The drive on this downhill par four requires accuracy to the island fairway, as the desert surrounding is not the place to be. The approach turns right over the desert to a green protected left by desert and a deep, long bunker and right by another sand trap.
Badlands (Diablo) Hole 8: Yet another target golf experience, this hole jumps from landing area to landing area with the second shot being extra tricky as the slope is heavy from left to right and even a seemingly good shot to the right-center of the fairway can lead to the desert on the right. The approach is also tough with the green's left side up against the desert once again.
Badlands (Diablo) Hole 9: The final hole of the Diablo nine earns the track its name as it is devilishly difficult and very long. Driver is required to reach the green in two and there is desert left and right. Then, the approach must clear desert again and avoid it to the left just off the surface. There is also a big bunker right and a steep upward hillside to the right of that. Also, the green is tiered, making putting a challenge.
