The world's longest golf course ( Down Under,...must drive between holes )

BBC ^ | Thursday, 22 October 2009 08:10 UK 07:10 GMT, | Nick Bryant

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

By Nick Bryant

BBC News, Ceduna, Australian outback

One of the holes is called 90 Mile Straight

The vast Australian emptiness of the Nullarbor Plain is famous already as one of the world's most gruelling car journeys.

Now it has become the proud home of the world's longest golf course.

Eighteen holes spread over 1,365 km (848 miles) of outback terrain that can take as long as seven days to play - longer even, if you keep on hitting your balls into the scrubland or suffer the indignity of having them stolen by an errant dingo.

But more of the hazards of playing this mega-course later. Let's deal first with the mega-logistics.

This is a course which favours patient drivers, because you will be spending an awful lot of time behind the wheel.

Some holes are 100km apart, so you need more than a golf buggy

The idea is that after playing one hole, you drive to the next... and then the next. The problem is that they are often 100km further down the highway.

So long is the course, in fact, that it is spread over two states, South Australia and Western Australia.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

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It's a par 72 course, and bright yellow warning signs alert you to wayward wombats and even kangaroos on the way.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Map at the BBC Site.

[JoeProBono]

Aerial view of the Nullarbor Plain

[guitarplayer1953]

Listened to a news report on this on NPR BBc and it was quite interesting they have one hole think it's #5 that already has a crow who steals balls and the dingos will swoop in and steel them too. It's a par 3-5 day course.

[Fred Nerks]

The wildlife you will almost inevitably encounter is one of the great attractions of the course. The fourth hole at Nundroo claims to have the largest population of southern hairy-nosed wombats anywhere in Australia - surely a golfing first.

At the Dingo Den hole, there's a resident crow which likes to steal stray golf balls. Not to be outdone, dingoes have started muscling in on the act, as well. It is like a golfing safari...

[MrPiper]

Cool...... I just started playing golf. I bought 4 clubs at goodwill for $15 bucks. I go on Tuesday mornings when no one is there. I hit two or three off the first spot and pick the furthest to hit next. I keep score by how many balls I lose.

My last game, I found more than I lost, so therefore,,, I did well :-)

Golf is fun if you don't take it to seriously.

[randomhero97]

Golf is fun if you don't take it to seriously.

I'm lucky to be sober by the time I get to the seventh hole.

[Big Giant Head]

Heh! I bought a complete set of irons, a three wood, bag, and practice balls at our local goodwill for $15. Yeah! The irons all had brand new grips so it was cheaper than regripping my old irons.

Too bad I can’t play enough to keep my game in good shape. I used to shoot in the low to mid 80’s but now anything below 100 is a great day.

[MrPiper]

I used to shoot in the low to mid 80’s but now anything below 100 is a great day.

How many lost balls is that.......?

I haven't learned this score keeping thing yet.

[getarope]

Yeah, but is it Tiger-proof?

[Viking2002]

I've got a fat Dachshund that looks just like that thing. And she's currently reclining in that general position on the end of the sofa, waiting for the BBQ chicken to come out of the rotisserie.

I don't call her 'Pigg' (yes, double 'g') for nothing.

[LucyT]

Thanks for the thread and photo. Oh, what a fun course. I’d like to give it a try someday.

[LiberConservative]

Golf is fun if you don't take it to seriously

Golf is even more fun after giving it up after taking it too seriously.

Giving up golf is the most fun I've ever had in life.

[Rome2000]

I take it there aren’t any beer cart girls on this course.

[Ready4Freddy]

And here:

Basically the entire coastline of the Great Australian Bight. Spencer Bay / Adelaide are covered up by the Ceduna start / finish sign.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

What is that critter?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

If it had some trees it would be beautiful....

[Marine_Uncle]

This is insane. It’s a true ROFL moment.

[Fred Nerks]

It’s a hairy nosed wombat...lives in a burrow.

http://weirdimals.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/wombat/

[Fred Nerks]

That’s why it’s called NULLARBOR = NO TREES.