Badlands Golf Club will be expanded by 9 holes

Tuesday, June 18, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

The Badlands Golf Club, one of Las Vegas' most unique golf courses, has announced plans to add an additional nine holes to the existing 18 already open for play at Peccole Ranch.

The nine-hole expansion will be designed by Johnny Miller, who was responsible for the first 18 holes. It will be less of a target course than the original one, according to Badlands general manager Eric Dutt.

"The (new) nine will be similar to the existing 18," Dutt said. "The terrain we have to work with isn't quite as severe as the original 18, so it will be somewhat softer and have wider landing areas in certain areas.

"It won't be a radically different nine holes than what's out there now. The wash we have to work with out there isn't as deep in certain places so there probably won't be the forced carries that you have on the other 18."

Unlike many private facilities that feature 27 holes, The Badlands plans to keep all three nines open year-round and put in place a rotation schedule that will increase capacity from 60,000 rounds a year to nearly 100,000.

"A lot of courses with 27 holes generally shut a nine down and only play two of the three nine," Dutt said. "We will probably maintain play on all three nines at all times. We may shut one down for maintenance considerations every once in a while, but we'll pretty much keep all three nines going at one time."

Dutt said plans call for construction on the third nine to begin this fall. The additional nine is scheduled to open in the fall of 1997.

"This increased capacity will help us to meet the strong unmet demand for tee times in Las Vegas," said Stan Abrams, president of Boston-based Senior Tour Players Development, Inc., which operates The Badlands.

The Badlands, which opened for play last October, has been met with mostly favorable reviews and has been nominated by Golf Digest magazine as one of the best new resort courses. Dutt said everyone involved with the project has been pleased with its acceptance by the golfing public.

"The golf course is in excellent shape; it has matured dramatically in the nine months we've been open," he said. "All of us involved are very pleased with the progress that has been made."

Chip shots ...

* AROUND THE GREEN: Former Las Vegas Hilton Country Club head professional and manager Bruce McNee has joined The Badlands as head pro. ... Officials at Lake Las Vegas have broken ground on their second Jack Nicklaus-designed course, to be located on the development's North Shore. The 7,100-yard, par-72 resort course will be the first Nicklaus design in Nevada to be open to the public. The course is expected to open in late 1997. ... Las Vegas Golf Magazine has established a web site on the Internet. The address is http://www.vegasgolf.com.

* UPCOMING EVENTS: The PGA Tour is in Memphis, Tenn., this week for the FedEx St. Jude Classic at the TPC at Southwind. Jim Gallagher Jr. is the defending champion of the $1.25 million event, which will be televised Saturday and Sunday by CBS. ... The Senior PGA Tour is in Malvern, Pa., for the $900,000 Bell Atlantic Classic. Las Vegas resident Jim Colbert won last year's event. ESPN will televise. ... The LPGA Tour will hold the $550,000 Rochester International at Locust Hill Country Club. Patty Sheehan is the defending champ. ... The Nike Tour is in Springfield, Mo., for the Ozarks Open. ... Sectional qualifying for the 71st United States Amateur Public Links Championship will be held Saturday and Sunday at The Badlands Golf Club. The 1996 U.S. Public Links Championship will be played July 15-20 at Wailua Golf Course in Lihue, Hawaii.