Las Vegas, NV--

When we went looking for one of the best value golf courses in the Las Vegas area we had to look not further than the 27 HoleBadlands Golf Club. With some of the most challenging holes in the Valley of Sin. Badlands offers some of the best challenges our staff has seen in a course in a long time.

As golfers arrive at the Badlands, they will have no problem seeing why this course is rated top for service. We barely could even turn our car off before the staff approached us and offered to grab both of our oversized bags from our car and take them to our air conditioned cars... that's right air conditioned carts, the only course in Las Vegas with this nice change for desert heat.

The amenities at the Badlands are top notch. A beautiful clubhouse with a full service pro shop, lounge and restaurant, and complete banquet facilities. The surrounding desert vistas, featuring views of the Strip in the distance, are spectacular. There is a practice green and expansive grass range for guests. A Nike Golf School and Ken Venturi Golf Academy are also on property. The conditions from tee to green, when we visited in early September, was outstanding. The grass on the tee boxes, fairways and greens was especially soft and obviously well watered. We found the service left nothing to be desired. The starters and rangers were extremely helpful, providing info and tips about the course.

For the avid golfers, three nines to choose from here, with the Desperado and Diablo involved in the usual 18-hole routing. Both of these nines are target golf with demanding tee shots and approaches on nearly every hole. The Outlaw is a bit more open and a great starter nine for those playing all 27 holes. We began our day on the Outlaw, crossing over to the Desperado.

There are four tees to choose from and the course plays up front at around 2,600 yards for each nine, up 3,500 yards for each nine from the back tees. What is more revealing are the slope ratings of the combinations of nines. The original pairing of the Desperado/Diablo has a slope rating of 122 from the men’s tees and 133 from the back, while a pairing of the Desperado/Outlaw brings those slopes down to 120 and 125 respectively.

The course controls which pairing of nines you will be playing that day by your tee time. Generally speaking, an early morning tee time (before 10 a.m.) can get you the original pair to play. As they run over 60,000 rounds a year through this facility, be sure to call well in advance If you want to play the original 18 hole layout.

While some will just enjoy the golf, we highly recommend stopping inside the clubhouse for a nice appetizer or sandwich after your round.

Our appetizers were some of the best we have sampled at a course in the past year. The Lone Mountain Nachos with homemade tortilla chips topped with black olives, tomatoes, scallions, jalapenos and shredded jack and cheddar cheese and served with sour cream and if you add the grilled chicken it is sure to fill the belly after a good or bad round. Its was a lot of food and the $10.00 price makes it one of the best values in Vegas.

If you like their appetizers, it just gets better with their sandwiches. The Sidewinder Sandwich with Beer Braised pork smothered in their own BBQ sauce served on a onion kaiser roll is nothing less than mouth watering.

Just when we thought their many choices could not get any better, then they delivered the Scorpion Chicken Wrap ad the grilled chicken breast with onions and jalapeno's rolled in a flower tortilla with sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, avocados and shredded cheese and served with homemade salsa.

After lunch or an evening snack, we encourage golfers to stop into the pro-shop and check out some the best apparel and logo merchandise from suppliers such as Nike and Adidas. They have a great selection for women as well.

The only thing we could find as a negative of the course is something they can not control at all. The demand for houses in the Summerlin area has caught up with the course since it opened in 1995. But if you are going to play golf in Vegas get used to this. It is a sight you will find everywhere. One advantage is that if you want to stay close to the Badlands you only have to go across the street to The Sun Coast Casino and get a room. Another casino to consider while booking your tee time is the newly opened Red Rock Casino and Resort just a few miles from the course.