Beating the heat at Badlands

All of the golf carts at Badlands Golf Club are fitted with two G2 air-conditioning units that can blow cold air, up to 45 degrees below the ambient temperature. Cold air is funneled through hoses that can be hand-held or positioned on the back of the neck. Photos by ARTURO DE LA ROSA/SPECIAL TO VIEW

Call me soft around the edges. Check that, just call me soft.

One morning as I was driving in to work and listening to ESPN radio, 920-AM, an interesting commercial came on.

You know how sometimes you really don't fully listen to commercials but something in the message catches your attention?

Mine was caught by four words -- "air-conditioned golf carts." I had to wait for a replay of that commercial later in the day to recognize the advertiser, Troon Golf, and more specifically, The Badlands Golf Club.

Let's see, I was around when color TV was introduced, with remote control. Microwaves, microwave pizza, the four-track and eight-track cassettes, CDs and Post-It notes. But none of these compare to an air-conditioned golf cart.

That would be like the magnitude of the invention of air conditioning to the growth of the Las Vegas Valley. Thanks to air conditioning, a generous water supply and gambling, Las Vegas has become a major tourist destination in a reasonably short amount of time. Well, maybe not that much impact.

But I had to check it out. So, one hot, 108-degree afternoon, a friend and I went out to test the second greatest invention of the last two centuries.

Andy Payne, golf pro at Badlands, greeted us and explained how the system works. There are two units per cart, and each looks like a small canister vacuum cleaner complete with a 3-foot hose. The units are mounted on the cart's back fenders, filled with ice and activated when a golfer sits down on the seat. They then blow cold air to wherever you direct the hose.

Rich Carter, vice president of sales for the manufacturer of the units, Coolwell Inc., explained on the company's Web site that the air conditioners are more than just an evaporative cooler or misting system.

"The G2 system is a true air conditioner that strips heat and moisture from the air and blows cool, dry air on the back of each golfer's neck."

With the G2 units iced up, the cooler filled with colored Gatorade and yardage guides in hand, off we went, positioning our A/C units on the backs of our necks.

Built in 1996, Badlands Golf club consists of three 9-hole layouts, aptly named Desperado, Outlaw and Diablo. On our 108-degree day, we played the Outlaw/Diablo configuration, which is the second easiest of three. Rated 72.7, with a slope of 129, it plays just shy of 6,000 yards to a par 72. The staff at Badlands describes the course as a true target golf course, winding in and out of arroyos, canyons and natural washes, all in the shadows of the Suncoast resort.

The day we played, a steady wind drove up the wind-heat factor well above the actual temperature. However, the cart's A/C kept up with it. The G2s can blow cold air up to 45 degrees below the ambient temperature. Overall, the feeling was very similar to the air blowing from an automotive air-conditioning system. In other words, pretty cool.

The course was in good shape and is a challenge to all levels of golfers. Being a target course, the fairways are wide open and accessible. There's an abundance of wildlife present on the course -- rabbits, roadrunners, lizards, birds and, of course, the ubiquitous snake warning signs.

On this day, however, the wildest occurrences were in the tee box, with wild Titleist Pro V1s, the Nike Mojos and the Maxfli Noodles finding homes in the desert terrain.

At the turn, we iced up again and set out for the backside. We finished in 3 1/2 hours. The G2 units kept pace with us. Another feature on the unit is that you can hand-hold the hose and direct it onto your face, which I thought provided the most pleasant relief.

Badlands is the only course in the valley where golf carts are equipped with air conditioning.

Management at the course signed an exclusive agreement with Coolwell for a period of time. One more surprise is that the G2s can be reversed and converted into a heating unit capable of producing a temperature of 100 degrees over ambient temperatures. And you won't believe this, the units can be fitted with aromatherapy dispensers to improve performance.

I can see it now, "Need help with your driving accuracy? We recommend the eucalyptus scent. Putting jitters? Try the refreshing spearmint. Find it tough to get up and down from the sand? The relaxing coriander scent will solve that."

Troon Golf manages two courses -- Badlands Golf Club and Revere Golf Club. Both have special summer rates for residents. Badlands is $50 until 11 a.m.; $40 after 11 a.m.; and $25 after 3:30 p.m. Rates are in effect through Aug. 23. Revere Golf Club rates are $52 until 11 a.m.; $40 after 11 a.m.; and $32 after 2 p.m. through Aug. 31. Rates are effective seven days a week.

Fear heat no more, the G2s are here.

John Asay is a local freelance writer and golfer. Contact him at jasay@reviewjournal.com.