Anyone who loves golf and appreciates the game has created a bucket list of the golf courses they want to go to. There are many luxury golf resorts out there that offer many relaxing services other than playing golf, but for hardcore golfers, they want to try unique courses. If unconventional awesome golfing experience is what you want, here are the golf courses that can offer you that:
1. Merapi Golf Course – Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Have you ever dreamt of playing around at the base of an active volcano? The Merapi Golf Course in Indonesia will fulfill that fantasy. This golf course lies on the mountainside of Mt. Merapi, an active volcano that has recently erupted violently in 2010 and 2018, while smaller eruptions happen every two to three years. Put the imposing danger with the challenging greens that finish off the 18 holes of the course. The whole golf courses surrounded by lush, tropical jungle, giving golfers a feeling that they are playing in a special place.
2. Uummannaq Golf Course – Qaasuitsup, Greenland
If you’re in Greenland, what will you expect? Winter white. And that’s what you will be playing on if you decide to go golfing in Uummannaq Golf Course. This chilly and white golf course is the home of the World Ice Golf Championships, wherein temperatures can drop to as low as -18 degrees Celsius. Here, the holes are cut larger than regulation cups, plus balls are in fluorescent orange color instead of white to make it easier to spot. And the players get all the time they need to warm up, not just for the game, but most especially for the weather.
3. Nullarbor Links – Western Australia to South Australia
Spread out along an 848-mile stretch of the Australian road, the Nullarbor Links is undoubtedly the longest golf course in the world. An average round of golf in a typical golf course lasts about four hours, but a round on Nullarbor lasts around four days. This 10-hole, 72-par course has an average of 40 miles between each hole. The course itself spans two time zones with plenty of accommodations and service stations along the way. It means stopping off at 18 different towns and cities.
4. Panmunjom Golf Club – Camp Bonifas, near Korean Demilitarized Zone
The most dangerous golf course on the planet lies in Camp Bonifas’s military base beside one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world – the border between North and South Korea. The Panmunjom Golf Club, which is so close to North Korea, is a 192-yard, par 3 golf course. Minefields surround the green on three sides, so if you miss it right or left, don’t bother retrieving your ball because the rough is littered with land mines.
5. Himalayan Golf Club – Pokhara, Nepal
Lying on the western side of Nepal, the Himalayan Golf Club offers one of the most unique views a golf course can have. The Himalayan Mountain Range offers a picturesque view, as the golf course is located in a deep, natural amphitheater. Expect plenty of wildlife as they play off 70-foot hillside tees and an island fairway.
6. Prison View Golf Club – Louisiana, USA
The Prison View Golf Club is probably the only golf course where a background check is necessary in order to book a tee time. It’s a maximum-security golf course that offers you a view of it… well, prison. This nine-hole golf course is operated by the Louisiana State Penitentiary Employee Recreation, a facility that’s once known as the bloodiest prison in America. Firearms and convicted felons are, of course, forbidden in the property, but even law-abiding golfers are required to book at least 48 hours in advance. All vehicles are searched upon arrival, and play can be suspended at any time because of institutional needs or because of the Warden’s discretion.
7. La Jenny Golf Course – Aquitaine, France
La Jenny prides itself as the only golf course to allow golfers to play in the nude. Naturist golfers will surely enjoy their time here. Established in 1993, golfers can play the 6-hole course here. The thing is, nudity is actually a pre-requisite to play golf, and those who aren’t naked won’t be allowed onto the course. This naturist course even has its own professional tournaments throughout the year. So if you’re ready to get your kit off, get down in this French golf course.
8. Brickyard Crossing Golf Course – Indiana, USA
Designed by world-famous architect Pete Dye, the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course in Indianapolis, Indiana, is one of the most bizarre golf courses on the planet. It’s unique not because of the difficulty of the holes itself, but because of its outlandish location. Most of the holes run along the Indianapolis Motor Racetrack, but its four holes are placed right in the middle of the speedway. You have to step onto the track to play these four holes. Don’t worry, the golf course is closed if there are an Indy 500 or NASCAR events in the speedway.
9. Royal Colombo Golf Club – Colombo, Sri Lanka
For the most part, the Royal Colombo Golf Club is a typical golf course located in a beautiful suburb. Here you can enjoy the comforting warmth of the Indian sub-continent. It may not seem like a unique golf club until you’re waiting to drive your tee shot at the 2nd hole, a packed commuter train runs along the length of the fairway. The train tracks intersect four holes in this golf course, with a train delivering workers and hawkers alike to their place of businesses in Colombo. Some golfers may not enjoy loud trains as they try to make a crucial putt.
10. Kabul Golf Club – Qargha, Afghanistan
Golf may seem trivial to a war-torn nation, but don’t tell that to the owner and operator Mohammad Afzal Abdul. The Kabul Golf Club opened in 2004 and the owner had to scrape and fight for it. The ensuing years brought death threats for Abdul, as the Talibans killed his brother Khan (his hardworking partner for the nine-holer project) for his association with foreigners. But Abdul soldiered on to keep this golf course open to anyone brave enough to go and play here. It’s known as the world’s most dangerous and least played golf course, and it’s pretty obvious just looking at this grassless, grim-looking golf course. However, it’s a beacon of freedom for this country and an unlikely playground for thrill-seeking wealthy golfers who can bring their own chopper and military escorts to the first tee.