9 ‘unusual’ Golf Courses around the world
In an average situation, when you hear people talking about golf, you can safely assume they are talking about the usual 9 or 18 holes.
But not always!
Going by what Wikipedia tells us, the stick and ball games have been evolving and progressing for many centuries. The Golf that we play today was invented back in the 18th century in Scotland. But those who invented sure didn’t imagine how ‘unconventional’ it would become over a span of years.
There are some who are a little more experimental with the green, the sand, or the waters. Here is a list of 9 golf terrains which will redefine ‘bizarre’ for you…
#9 The 19th Hole
If just the usual 18 holes were to be counted, this one clearly takes the trophy for being the longest golf course in South Africa. Then there’s the 19th hole that has brought this one on our list. To begin with, the green has been shaped like Africa, as an honour to the African Renaissance.
The next bit, the tee is 1410 meters high, and the players need a helicopter to reach there. If you wonder how they track the ball, there are video cameras and other tracking equipment. Really, the ‘heights’ players go to!
#8 Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course
We will begin by quoting the name first. Scott Miller is the man behind the design of this golf course. He was probably told to design a course that has “unlike any other”, and he did just that! Floating greens don’t happen very often, do they?
The 14th hold of this course is the world’s only floating green, which is about 150 yards offshore. The players need a Putter Shuttle to commute, the putting surface is 15,000 square feet. Now that’s one sadist designer, right? Thankfully the management is a little considerate. There’s a Certificate of Achievement which players get upon completing the hole.
#7 Merapi Golf Course, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
So when you secretly crib about how hot-headed your Golf buddy is, we have a little something to disclose. That’s probably the active volcano right behind you. Yes, Mt. Merapi is in the lava-spewing range of the first tee of this course, and can very well choose to erupt on a warm sunny evening.
The last time it erupted was back in 2013, when the projectile was upto 1 mile high. The vicinity (including the golf course) got laden with ash and dust. You never know it with nature!
#6 Brickyard Crossing, Indiana, USA
Speak to the Indiana tourists, and many would have gone there to witness the races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And the rest, they go to the golf course right next to, and inside, the same racing track.
The Brickyard Crossing is more or less an average golf course, with a ‘slight’ variation. Four of its 14 holes fall in the 2.5-mile racing track. Oh, that reminds, there’s a little lake in the track too. What fun!
#5 Nullarbor Links Golf Course, Australia
This one gets to be the longest course in the whole world. And why not! When you have swallowed an 800-mile stretch on the Eyre Highway in West Australia, you ought to be some kind of record-holder. It is an 18th-hole 72 par course, and measures about 40 miles amid each hole. A usual golf round lasts about 4 hours, but in this course, 4 days. Whoa! Let alone the gold course, one must go meet the crazy golfers!
#4 Coeur D’Alene Golf Resort, Idaho, USA
Okay, so this may look like a Honeymoon destination, but it is far from that. We doubt how the golfers retain their focus. 3 floating, movable green islands are all about it. A computerized hole has been placed on a floating garden, and is moved closer to or far from the tee. So what you do is tee off, and if you’re lucky enough to hit the green, then board a boat to finish it. Some optimists like us would happily settle with the lavish boat ride in the waters. Golf? Oh, that!
#3 Uummannaq, Greenland
This one isn’t as ‘proper’ a golf course as others, but then that is why this one features on our list! How many would want to play in a frozen land, after all! Plus, how much commitment would you spare when the ‘green’ is not green! Okay, keeping the jokes aside, the World Ice Golf Championship is held once a year, and this one gets to become the venue.
The holes are cut larger than the regulation cups elsewhere, and the balls used are orange in colour, so that their flight can be easily spotted against the all-white background. The catch here is, the mercury drops down to as low as -50 degrees.
#2 Lost City Golf Course, South Africa
So what happens when threatening turns violent? Well, something like “I’ll throw you to the crocodiles, and they can have their way with you.” But hey, that isn’t just a threat. It could very well turn true in the Lost City Golf Course. The 18-hole, par 72 cart course lies beyond The Palace at the Lost City, and covers all kinds of physical terrains. But what deserves a special mention is the water hazard at the 13th hole, which is home to 38 hungry Nile crocodiles. *Shudder*
#1 Prison View Golf Club, Louisiana, USA
Want a play? Keep your identification documents handy, get your past records checked, get verified by the police officials, and wait for at least 48 more hours before you can actually play. Yes, such is the security check at this course. This is the world’s only golf course that is maintained by the prisoners, and is located on the prison grounds. Also, the game is subject to be shut off at any time owing to the institutional needs, so be prepared for that too!
So these were nine golf courses that are anything but usual. Sportsmen have this innate capability to find the best feasible conditions to play their sport even when they are in a haunted spooky castle. Whatever sails their boat!