Harsh Weather, Wild Animals and Even Landmines: Top 10 Most Hazardous Golf Courses to Look Out For

Golf is a very mellow sport. Golf courses are designed to provide a pleasing and serene experience for the golfers as well as the spectators. Most golf courses do provide the kind of aesthetic experience that they are meant to provide, but that isn’t true for all golf courses. Some of the luscious green courses out there are extremely dangerous.

The factors that make them dangerous are ice-cold weather, extreme heat, landmines, and whatnot! Let us look at some of the most dangerous golf courses that have been built so far!

The most hazardous golf courses in the world

1. Kabul Golf Club, Afghanistan

There was a time in the 1970s when Afghanistan was just a dry land, but the Kabul Golf Club was thriving. Anything foreign, such as golf, music, and kiteflying, was banned when the Taliban came into power. The golf club was at that time owned by Mohammed Afzul Abdal. The owner was beaten with telephone wires when his golf trophies were found by the regiment.

Read More: 2023 KLM Open: Prize Money Breakdown and Winner’s Payout

The course was reopened in 2004, but it has struggled to get any funding for its development ever since. The Kabul Desert Classic was initiated by aid workers in 2005, but it faced ongoing challenges due to the frequent occurrence of suicide bombings along the route leading to the golf course.

The main hazards of the course are land mines, burned-out tanks, oil-drenched sand, and a lot of unrest in the area.

2. Skukuza Golf Course, South Africa

Skukuza Golf Course in South Africa is home to many wild animals such as lions, hyenas, elephants, leopards, wild dogs, and giraffes. It is more like a wildlife sanctuary than a golf course. The presence of such wild animals on the course is what makes it extremely dangerous for golfers to play.

A golfer can encounter these animals while teeing them up on the course. The golf course has boards asking golfers to be aware of the animals on some of its holes.

3. Lost City Golf Course in Sun City, South Africa

If you were thinking that South Africa just has one dangerous course, you were wrong. This course was designed by the legendary golfer Gary Player. The Lost City Golf Course is one of the scariest courses out there. Why? Because the 13th hole on this course is home to the most vicious breed of crocodile on the face of the earth.

These crocodiles are so large that they can take down humongous animals such as rhinos and buffaloes. It seems animals in South Africa find their habitat on the courses!

4. Legends Golf and Safari, South Africa

South Africa is home to one more extremely scary golf course in the world. But this one is not dangerous because of the wild animals. What makes this course hazardous is the helicopter ride. The 19th hole on this course is named the most difficult par-3.

To experience this specific hole, one must take a thrilling helicopter ride up to the tee box situated atop Hanglip Mountain. Interestingly, when you hit the ball from such an elevated position, it takes approximately twenty seconds for it to descend and land!

5. Uummannaq Golf Course, Greenland

What makes this course difficult and dangerous is not the presence of wildlife, helicopter rides, or landlines, but the thrilling cold. This golf course is home to one of the most unique golf championships, the Drambuie World Ice Golf Championships.

This course is reconstructed every year depending on the shifts that have occurred in the icebergs. The temperature can go as low as -50 degrees Celsius at this course.

6. Furnace Creek Golf Course, California, USA

Well, the name of this course says it all. It is indeed a furnace. Known for its harsh heat, this green course is situated in Death Valley National Park. The highest recorded temperature on this course is a whopping 57.6 degrees Celsius. The course is situated at a depth of 214 feet below sea level, resulting in reduced ball distance compared to normal.

7. Prison View Golf Course, Angola, LA

What makes this course so difficult is the strict background check that a golfer is required to get done before they can play a round here. The golfer who wants to play here has to give 48-hour advance notice. The warden of the prison can suspend the game at any point in time if they want. Prison View Golf Course is a public course and is located on the grounds of the Louisiana State Penitentiary. The course is maintained by the inmates who are in prison. The inmates in this prison are on death row or are serving life sentences. The people in jail are not allowed to play on this course.

8. Merapi Golf Club, Indonesia

Active volcanoes look absolutely scenic in pictures, but not so much in reality, and that too on a golf course. The Merapi Golf Club, located in Indonesia, Asia, is home to one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. People can see smoke repeating from Mount Merapi for 300 days a year. The last significant and major eruption of this volcano was recorded in 2010.

9. Camp Bonifas, South Korea

Most golf courses we have mentioned are naturally dangerous, but this golf course located in South Korea is dangerous and was made that way by man. The course is surrounded by land mines, and it’s a “play at your own risk” course. This course is located in the demilitarised area of South Korea. The potential to cause an explosion while playing this course is real!

10. Scholl Canyon Golf Course, California

This California course was built on top of an old landfill site. Extremely beautiful golf course, but golfers complained about methane outbursts from the down surface and snagging their clubs on the old tires. A little bit more planning and better execution would have made this golf course less dangerous!

Well, this goes to say that not all the golf courses in the world are as aesthetic as they are meant to be. Some out there can be extremely dangerous and hazardous to play on!

Watch this story – Michael Block reveals the implications of Brooks Koepka’s warning after $288,333 PGA Championship finish