If you don't end up in heavy timber you'll end up in one of the 7 ponds. Every pond can come into play at the Badlands. Number 16 is a perfect example. You need to clear 220 yards from the tips to reach a very small landing spot. You really need to knock it 20-30 yards further so your ball doesn't roll to the largest pond on the course.

"This course is definitely NOT boring," says Stephanie Morrow, clubhouse attendant who plays on a weekly basis. She is completely right. The design of the course is to give you a good balance from hole to hole, so you have a different look throughout your round. One hole is wide open, while the next hole gives you a landing spot the size of a postage stamp.

Number 5 on the front nine is 355 yards from the tips. Most decent drivers could be within 50 yards or less of the pin depending on how accurate you are because of the slop of the fairway. The entire hole goes down hill and funnels to the green, so you're tempted to hit your driver hard so you can tell your buddies about your 300 yard drive. Again, timber on both sides calls for a very accurate drive.

While the greens and tee-boxes aren't Pebble Beach quality, the atmosphere of the large trees and possibly hitting into deer or other wildlife on the course gives you that rural Iowa experience.

The staff at Cedar Valley is extremely welcoming and you want to come back just because they're so nice. Did we mention the timber?

Latest Update: 3/16/2011