If you like what we put out on trip or destination ideas, you might also want to check out Links Magazine. Links just came out with this article “10 Remote Courses That Are Worth the Trip” that we have linked you to below. Great idea and I have been lucky enough to visit one of the Links picks, the southernmost golf course in the world, Ushuaia Golf Club—Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.
With that it made me want to add 4 more to that list which I had the good fortune to visit and excited to share with you.
As note above I have been to the most southern golf course on the world in Argentina. Before that and twice I visited the most northern golf course in the world, on the second occasion it was to participate in the 25th Annual Billy Josh Open in the Canadian Arctic. Ulukhaktok, formerly as Holman is a small hamlet on the west coast of Victoria Island, in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. To put it into perspective it is about a 1-hour plane ride from Santa Clauses home, in the North Pole.
Granted it is only a 9-hole course, it may not even have an official name. Greens are artificial and not a bunker in sight, the surrounding hillside rarely loses its snowcapped peaks and even though in the Arctic I have played in shorts. Fairways are predominately tundra with many patches of small stones and pebbles, with the local rule being they you are allowed to move your ball from the stones to the closest piece of tundra, no closer to the hole. There was only one hotel (8 rooms) when I was there. It is a cool (Pardon the pun) thing to do. Spectacular sights, fishing beyond compare, I caught 2 – 15-pound Arctic Char right off the town dock, and in mid-summer it is 24hours of daylight.
Ulukhaktok | Spectacular Northwest Territories (spectacularnwt.com)
Kanchanaburi, Thailand
Think Bridge Over the River Kwai
On my last visit to Thailand although we played the high-profile golf that Bangkok, Hau Hin and Pattaya have to offer, we also strayed to a lesser known but should not be overlooked region with the city of Kanchanaburi as it’s center point. The Town of Kanchanaburi, 128kms to the west of Bangkok is home to one of the most infamous bridges in time! World War II gave The Bridge over River Kwai a historic identity and has since become famous all over the world, when it was featured in movies and books. The cliff-hugging tracks and the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains and valleys. We had the opportunity to ride the only train that still runs over the famous bridge.
Golf Courses of note are; Grand Prix Golf Club, a course that celebrates Formula 1 Racing with all holes sponsored by its leading automobile companies. Signage is delicately placed throughout the course. http://www.grandprixgolfclub.com/main.php
At the Royal Ratchaburi Golf Club, don’t be surprised if you see a couple of hundred monkeys during your round. They may abscond with your ball or anything else that you unattended to. The course is definitely a hidden gem in the Burmese Mountains. http://www.royalratchaburigolfclub.com/
Boracay, Philippines
A Hidden Gem on an Island in the Sun
Hidden amongst 7,000 or so islands that make up the Philippines is the Fairways and Bluewater Resort on the Island of Boracay. Within the resort is a hidden gem designed by Aussie Graham Marsh. A little on the short side by today’s standards, rolling out to only 6,500 yards from the tips. It is really fun to play, a great collection of par 5’s that allow for a little risk reward. A couple of memorable par 3’s include the signature 16th, only 143 yards but with some significant elevation change to a green below. A favorite place of Ernie Els and often frequented by Jesper Parnevik we’ve been told.
The resort itself takes up approximately 15% of the island and has everything that one could want from a tropical island resort. Getting there from Manilla is very inexpensive with several flights a day.
Just so you know, Boracay was awarded as the 2012 best island in the world by Travel + Leisure Magazine and in 2014, the resort island was at the top of the Best Islands in the World list published by Condé Nast Traveler.
Getting around the island is dirt cheap, a buck gets you a tuk tuk ride to White’s Beach with all the bars, restaurants, shopping and everything and anything a traveling golfer may care to indulge in!
Fairways and Bluewater Newcoast Boracay
www.fairwaysandbluewater.com.ph
Bali Indonesia – Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort
Another island in the sun, Bali is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. Only 17,000 islands make up Indonesia! Bali is Indonesia’s main tourist destination, with a significant rise in tourism since the 1980s.
The Pan Pacific is a luxurious 5 Star Resort about an hour or so northwest of the hustle and bustle of the big city nightlife. Best to go with a significant other as there is not much happening in the way of entertainment. Built along a rugged coastline with breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean you will find the award-winning Greg Norman designed Nirwana Bali Golf Club. The course, which in 2014 was named by Golf Digest as #52 of the “World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses”, winds you through manicured gardens and rice paddies with at least 5 ocean-side holes. Your cliff side tee shot on the par 3, 7th has you staring down on the Tanah Lot Temple and I would bet that not one golfer with a camera has ever passed up shooting this hole. A must play in Bali!
http://www.nirwanabaligolf.com/
…….and from Links Magazine – the rest of the story….
