Devil's Golf Course, Salt pan in Death Valley National Park, United States.

Devil's Golf Course is a salt pan in Death Valley featuring thousands of sharp, jagged salt crystals scattered across the terrain. The crystalline structures form a rough and uneven surface that extends over a significant area.

The salt layer was laid down by lakes, including the vanished Lake Manly, which was 130 km long and up to 180 m deep; at this spot the water stood about 9 m deep. Wind and water have since eroded the halite into the broken crust seen today. The name appears in a 1934 Death Valley guidebook, which described a terrain where only the devil could play golf.

The name comes from a 1930s guidebook comparing the jagged surface to an impossible golf course that only the devil could use. This playful nickname has stuck around and shapes how visitors think about the place today.

Bring plenty of water and wear sturdy footwear, as the sharp crystals make the ground extremely rough and difficult to walk on. Summer months with extreme heat require early morning visits and extra caution when moving around the formation.

The salt layer was left by ancient lakes, including Lake Manly, which reached 130 km in length and 180 m in depth in places. At this spot the original lake was about 9 m deep. The crust is halite, eroded by wind and water into the jagged surface seen today.