DEATH VALLEY, Calif. — You land in Las Vegas and head two hours west, through the desert abyss and between the towering Spring Mountains. Cell phone service is sparse at best, but that does not matter. The stunning topography of the Nevada-California border grabs your attention like no other.
The same can be said for the scenery of your destination, which is more than 200 feet below sea level and perched beneath peaks that stand more than 8,000 feet tall. It’s a sight to behold. This oasis not only features incredible vistas but is home to an incredible resort and one of Golf Digest’s 50 Toughest Courses. That would be Furnace Creek, which has a rock-engraved sign next to the first tee that reads, “214’ Below sea level. The lowest Golf Course on Earth. DEATH VALLEY, CA.”
The par-4 1st hole is symbolic of the course itself. The scorecard reads 410 yards from the back tees for this gentle dogleg right, but it plays much longer than that. Because the course is closer to the Earth’s core, the gravitational pull is stronger—meaning your golf ball loses about three percent of its carry. The increased gravity also leads to inconsistent flight patterns, which helps explain why this course is so challenging.
Tamarisk and Palm trees line the fairways, as does wirey Bermudagrass, but the mountains in the distance guide you on your way. No real trouble exists on this opener—except for the bad lies that a misfire into the Bermudagrass may give you. That type of grass is always hit or miss: your ball sits on top of it as if it were on a tee, or it sinks right down to the bottom, leading you to ask, is this the U.S. Open?
The following 17 holes present a different level of difficulty aside from the aforementioned gravity and Bermudagrass. The par-3 2nd has a large pond sitting to the left, which leads many to label this hole as the course’s signature. The par-5 5th—my favorite—is a long, dogleg right par-5 that runs on the far side of the property, exposing you to the desert landscape. Its green is the size of a postage stamp, not unlike the 8th hole at Royal Troon. The par-4 6th plays into the prevailing wind and features a blind tee shot over cat tails. Those types of shots make any player uncomfortable.
Then you have the par-5 10th, which plays more than 600 yards instead of the 576 yards listed. The tee shot on 11 is as difficult of a drive as you will find anywhere, as trees loom right and left, giving you a narrow window to find the fairway. You then have a few holes on the back nine that are short and scorable, but the unpredictability of your ball flight makes them more complicated than they appear. Throw in the par-3 14th, which measures 220 yards, and you suddenly find yourself having a hard time saving par on the back nine.
The closing hole, meanwhile, is a gem. A gentle dogleg left par-4 that runs parallel to the opener, the 18th is a brute, with its green sloping severely from back to front. It’s the most challenging green on the course that loves to produce three-putts, an aggravating way to end the round.
The sign that greets you on the first tee.
Jack Milko/SB Nation
The topography is stunning. Pictures do not do it justice.
Jack Milko/SB Nation
The par-3 4th hole.
Jack Milko/SB Nation
Your round begins with a stunning visual.
Jack Milko/SB Nation
My second shot on the par-5 5th went a little wayward and found the desert.
Jack Milko/SB Nation
The 18th is a terrific finishing hole.
Jack Milko/SB Nation
But once you step onto the 1st green, you realize these putting surfaces do not have lightning-quick speed. That’s by design, though. Since it gets so hot in Death Valley, with temperatures routinely soaring above 115 degrees Fahrenheit on any given day, the grounds crew at Furnace Creek cannot set the mower blade down and roll the greens any faster. The sun, heat, and dry climate would burn the putting surfaces to a crisp if green speeds reached beyond 10 on the stimpmeter. That, of course, would prevent anyone from playing.
Which probably leads you to ask, how can there possibly be a golf course in the middle of Death Valley, widely regarded as the hottest place on Earth? Let alone in California, where a water crisis has plagued the state for years?
In this part of Death Valley, a freshwater spring sits beneath the golf course and the accompanying Oasis Resort. Therefore, the course and the resort have all the water and irrigation they need, even though the surrounding landscape is a scorcher.
But there are plenty of other activities to do besides golfing in this stunning spot.
Death Valley National Park has incredible places to visit, including Badwater Basin, 282 feet below sea level. Like the drive from Las Vegas, traversing around the park is captivating in and of itself. Another must-visit is Dante’s Point, which sits roughly 6,000 feet above sea level. This is a perfect place to watch the sun—or moon—rise above the mountains. Or you could take in the view of Death Valley below. Countless places for hiking and sightseeing are all around, but word to the wise: go out in the early morning before the heat of the day.
The same mantra applies to the golf course, where the Pro Shop closes around 2 p.m. every day. The sprinklers on the course turn on around this time, too. The shop opens its doors daily at 6 a.m. You want to play early in the morning when the temperature is perfect, and the winds are at bay. That time of day also makes for breathtaking visuals as you watch the sun rise and shine over the landscape, which leads you to ask, am I still on Earth?
Believe it or not, you are.
Of course, where you stay is exceptional, too. The Death Valley Ranch and Inn, the two parts of the resort, provide rooms for groups of all sizes. The Ranch sits adjacent to the golf course below, while the Inn is perched about a half-mile up the hill, overlooking the valley. Each spot has a pool on its property, a perfect place to cool off and refresh. Terrific restaurants and bars are at either location, too.
So, if you are a golfer planning a trip to Las Vegas, a popular destination for a million reasons, you should strongly consider making the trip West over the California border. Stay for a night or two. Play two or maybe even three rounds of golf. You will not be disappointed, but instead, you will be delighted. I know I had reservations about going to Death Valley. I had no idea what to expect. But when I arrived, I was stunned to see that a place like this existed in one of the most remote yet picturesque places on the planet. And now, I can proudly say that, yes, I played the lowest course on Earth, a fact that I can boast about to my friends and family alike. You can too if you make the trip. You won’t regret it.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
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