Most Outrageous Golf Courses Not Worth the Money

Location: Greenland
Entrance Fee: $349*

Ever since 1999, people have been gathering on a small island off the west coast of Greenland’s mainland for a 2-day 36-hole golf tournament. The thing that holds this tournament apart from others is that instead of trying to avoid trees and long grass, golfers have to deal with icebergs and deep powdery snow.

World Ice Golf Championships @bruced / Gettyimages.com

As a result of the sub-arctic conditions, those who enter the World Ice Golf Championship are taught how to deal with the unfavorable weather conditions as well as how to recognize frostbite. $350 per entry seems like a rather hefty price to pay for the possibility of becoming hypothermic.

Location: Mexico
Entrance Fee: $345*

The Pacifico Golf Course can be found within the borders of the Punta Mita resort and was one of two courses that were designed by golfing legend, Jack Nicklaus. The magnificent view of the Sierra Madre Mountains, that tower high above the course, is just one of the many beauties of the Pacifico.

Pacifico Golf Course at Four Seasons @Wikipedia

Golfers tend to take their time as they walk down the fairways because there’s always a possibility that they might see a whale or two off in the distance in the Pacific. After taxes and mandatory service fees are added to the price of admission golfers are looking at a $345 bill for a round of golf and a bit of a show.

Location: USA
Entrance Fee: $615*

Pebble Beach was built more than 100 years ago, in 1919, and is home to some of the most beautiful views one could find while golfing. With a location like the one it has, there’s no wonder Golf’s U.S. Open has been hosted by Pebble Beach six times.

Pebble Beach @EmpireTVSeries / Pinterest.com

Sitting on the California coast and looking down over the Pacific Ocean, Pebble Beach truly is one of the world’s most serene golfing experiences, and it has the price tag to show for it. The minimum fee for a round is $615 (after taxes), but when asking golfers if the hefty price is worth it, the answer is, usually, “yes”.

Location: Camp Bonifas
Entrance Fee: N/A*

As far as golf courses are concerned, the one at the Camp Bonifas military base is anything but ordinary. Some golf courses possess the hazards of frigid weather while others have dangerous wildlife lurking around. Camp Bonifas is more dangerous than all of the others. In fact, it is known as “the world’s most dangerous golf course”.

Panmunjom Golf Club @Grooved Ware People / Flickr.com

There’s a good reason why the Panmunjom Golf Club is surrounded by minefields on three sides and fitted with an 18-foot-high wire-topped fence. It’s located just one lap of a track away from the southern boundary of North Korea’s demilitarized zone. A stray golf ball flying through those skies is not going to help the already volatile situation.

Location: Australia
Entrance Fee: $17-$23*

Some golf courses are known for their tough terrain or nearly intolerable weather conditions. Some, however, have become renowned for the hazards that occupy various holes on the courses. Very few hazards are quite as dangerous as the 10-foot bull sharks that call the lake on the 15th hole “home”.

Carbrook Golf Club @TheeDougFather / Twitter.com

It’s believed that the sharks arrived during the floods that plagued the Queensland landscape back in the early to mid-’90s, and they have been left to thrive ever since. Many golfers opt to bring a few extra balls, just in case, but others are willing to take their chances with the sharks in order to save a few strokes on their scorecards.

Location: USA
Entrance Fee: $100*

It’s not very often that first responders are needed on the scene for a golf event, however, the Elfego Baca Shootout is no ordinary event. It’s a 3-mile long, one-hole course that starts 2,550-feet above the green, where contestants tee off from the top of Socorro Peak, 7,284-feet above sea level.

The Elfego Baca Shootout @uradioshow / Youtube.com

Participants are given 10 marked balls and must still have, at least, one in their possession by the time they arrive at the flag, which could be found at the New Mexico Tech Golf Course. Among the hazards that players must be wary of while navigating the course, are rattlesnakes, mountain lions, and, of course, life-threatening falls from the mountain while descending.

Location: New Zealand
Entrance Fee: $219-$333*

Almost anywhere one were to travel in New Zealand, they would be sure to find places that are so magically picturesque that is hard to believe they’re real. The North Island’s Hawke’s Bay is a great example of one of those places and an incredible place for the Cape Kidnappers Golf Club to reside.

Cape Kidnappers @hubpages.com / Pinterest.com

The narrow cliff-edge fairways aren’t the only hazards one will find while playing a round at Cape Kidnappers. In New Zealand, there is always the possibility of a sheep migrating into the ball’s path. The golf course is in such a remote location that in order to get there, by anything other than a helicopter, an $11 million road was built.

Location: USA
Entrance Fee: $130*

There have been some odd combinations of sports over the years, but one that people would probably not expect is golf and car racing. No, there won’t be drivers putting while driving, but there will be golf balls flying over the top of the most famous race tracks in the world.

Brickyard Crossing Golf Course (Holes 7-10) @GolfTrips.com / Flickr.com

As amazing as the Indianapolis Speedway is for a backdrop to a golf course, what makes Brickyard Crossing Golf Course so unique are the 7th-10th holes that get played in the infield of the track that is home to F1’s Indy 500 and Nascar’s Verizon 200. Don’t worry, the track is closed while there are golfers on the course.

Location: Republic of Ireland
Entrance Fee: $400*

Covering close to two miles of the Atlantic coastline the Old-Head Golf Links is made up of 18 holes, each with its own uniquely breathtaking view. It’s easy for golfers to lose themselves in the magnificent scenery of cliffs, valleys, and the sea, but considering the $400 entrance fee, it’s probably best to save the sightseeing for after the round.

Old-Head Golf Links @Bleacher Report / Pinterest.com

Even if someone is able to stay focused for long enough to play, they better make sure their accuracy is second-to-none, because hooking or shanking a drive can easily cause a ball to end up over the side of the cliff on which this course is situated.

Location: South Africa
Entrance Fee: $22-$28*

One would hope, that when playing golf on a course that’s been built in the African wilderness, that there would be safety fences in order to keep the wildlife off the course and away from making a meal of the golfers. That hope would be ill-fated when playing a round at Skukuza Golf Course.

Skukuza Golf Course @Skukuza Golf Club / Facebook.com

It’s not uncommon to see giraffes, hippos, or even the occasional lion spectating from afar on this fenceless par 72. And forget about going after a ball that ends up in the water either. Back in 2014, a golfer was dragged in by a croc and killed. It might be a good idea to spend a few extra rands on some replacement balls.

Location: Indonesia
Entrance Fee: $66-$83*

Considering how much time one spends walking around on the golf course, it’s nice to have something beautiful to look at along the way. The Merapi Golf Club in Indonesia has a full view of Mount Merapi and offers golfers one of the most unforgettable rounds of golf they’ll have the opportunity to play.

Merapi Golf Club @merapigolf / Twitter.com

It’s not just the million years old tropical landscape that will take one’s breath away. After finishing the 18th hole of the par-72 course at the Merapi Golf Club, a historical journey to the ancient city of Yogyakarta, and into 18th-century Indonesia, is only a 30-minute drive away and is certain to drop jaws.

Location: Australia
Entrance Fee: $158*

If traveling across the “land down under” and the urge for an unexpected adventure should happen to arise, look no further than the unofficial “longest golf course in the world”, Nullarbor Links. 7 of its 18 holes belong to pre-existing courses, however, the other 11 were built especially for the Nullarbor adventure.

Nullarbor Links @Golf Digest Magazine / Pinterest.com

Stretching across the 850 miles of Australia’s southern coast from Kalgoorlie, WA, to Ceduna, SA, Nullarbor’s 18 holes have an average of 41 miles between them, with the furthest apart of the two being about 125 miles apart. Most people need four days to complete this one epic round of golf, so bring extra sunscreen and a large ‘esky’ for the beers.

Location: Afghanistan
Entrance Fee: $15*

When people think of Afghanistan, golf probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. And when people think of golf courses, ones that look like the Kabul Golf Club’s 9-hole course are probably not what they envision either.

Kabul Golf Club / Gettyimages.com

Built in 1967, about 7 kilometers from Kabul, in one of the stunning valleys near Lake Qargha, the Kabul Golf Club is definitely unique. Its greens aren’t even green, they’re more of a brownish-black. Not for any weird reason, of course, but only because oil is mixed with the sand in order to prevent a storm of blowing sand from taking over the golf course. That’s not odd at all…

Location: South Africa
Entrance Fee: ~$970 per four golfers*

Sitting 470 yards up, atop Hangklip Mountain, the 395-yard hole is the longest par 3 in the world. There’s even a $1 million dollar prize for the first person to get a hole-in-one. Since the hole’s creation, only 15 have been skilled (lucky) enough to even achieve birdies, but with a good gust of wind, anything can happen.

19th Hole, Legend Golf Course @Dunkerque Golf Course / Pinterest.com

The cost of almost $250 per person to play the hole is well worth it when taking into account that a helicopter is needed to get to the tee-off box. Included in the fee are also six well-needed GPS-tracked golf balls, a variety of swag, and a DVD of each player’s drive — for the memories, of course.