Golf in Death Valley really can be hotter than hell!

When you think of golf road trips, playing golf in Death Valley, Calif. might not seem like something at the top of your list, but you might want to think twice. Furnace Creek Resort, smack dab in the middle of Death Valley, is a place that has plenty going for it – including a golf course that is the lowest below sea-level course in the world at 214 feet below sea level.

Furnace Creek is a place that offers a terrific desert experience. During the summer months it might be a bit warm, but throughout the year the weather is a constant dose of sunshine and cloudless skies. OK, truth be known, Death Valley recorded a temperature of 134 degrees in 1913, the hottest temperature ever recorded in the world. But usually, the temperatures are modest and never too hot to enjoy the area.

Furnace Creek sits 120 miles northwest of Las Vegas and is a resort with two hotels, an historic AAA Four-Diamond Inn at Furnace Creek with 66 rooms and a more rustic western themed place with the 224-room Ranch. If the place seems like a mirage in the desert you just might be right.

There’s the lodging, the golf course, the swimming, horseback riding, trails and the resort is the perfect place to take in the sights and sounds of Death Valley.

The 18-Hole Furnace Creek Golf Course, redesigned by Pete Dye, is surrounded by the desert, Vermillion Mountains, palm trees and of course, sits 214 feet below sea level.

• A few hours north of Death Valley, along Interstate-5 north of Sacramento, Sevillano Golf Links is a treat right off the freeway in Corning, Calif. The course opened seven years ago and has a John Daly design. Just check the yardages from the back tees: 7,823 yards. Only Daly might tee it up from there.

This is a course that plays to its name in true links form. It rolls through the countryside and offers enough sand, ponds and wetlands to get your attention on virtually every hole.

The place is spread over 450 acres giving you the feel like you have the course to yourself on just about every hole. The first hole, a 598-yard par-5 from the tips, gives you the solo feeling as you stand on the tee box.

The golf course is part of the Rolling Hills Casino layout, again located right off of I-5. It’s no wonder the place is a popular stop for travelers and golfers up and down I-5. There’s the hotel, the casino, restaurants, an equestrian events center and other entertainment.