Since its beginning, the game of golf has been about much more than just the score. Beyond birdies and bogeys, the golf course itself is seen by many as the true heart of the sport. Some boast spectacular views and many have a great history, while others are world famous for their challenging terrain. Here are 10 beautiful, unique and unforgettable golf courses from around the world.
#1. The Monument (Boyne Mountain) – Boyne Falls, Michigan
The Monument (Boyne Mountain) – Boyne Falls, Michigan
The Monument Course was built in honor of some of America’s top golfers. Each hole has a bronze plaque memorializing some of the USA’s golf legends:
- Hole # 1 – Byron Nelson
- Hole # 2 – Melvin ‘Chick’ Harbert
- Hole #3 – Peggy Kirk Bell
- Hole #5 – Walter Hagen
- Hole #6 – Paul Runyan
- Hole #7 – Jim Flick
- Hole #9 – J.P. McCarthy
- Hole #10 – Kathy Withworth, Glenn Hamilton Johnson
- Hole #11 – Gene Sarazen
- Hole #14 – Bobby Jones
- Hole #16 – Everett Kircher
- Hole #17 – Chuck Kocsis
- Hole #18 – Sam Snead
#2. Seguin Valley Golf & Coutry Club – Parry Sound, Ontario
Seguin Valley Golf & Country Club – Parry Sound, Ontario (Image via seguinvalleygolfclub.com)
This course has an aviation theme. Founder Robert Mcrae and President Ron Dennis were RCAF Pilots and Air Canada Captains, so they named each hole after an aircraft they personally flew during their aviation careers.
- Hole # 1 – Anson
- Hole #2 – Tiger Moth
- Hole #3 – DC-3
- Hole #4 – North Star DC-4
- Hole #5 – 747 Jumbo Jet
- Hole #6 – Stranraer Whistling Pig
- Hole #7 – Catalina Flying Boat
- Hole #8 – DC-8
- Hole #9 – DC-9
- Hole #10 – Viscount
- Hole #11 – Fleet Canuck
- Hole #12 – Harvard
- Hole #13 – Vampire Jet
- Hole #14 – T-33
- Hole #15 – Aeronca 15AC
- Hole #16 – Mustang P-51
- Hole #17 – Mitchell B-25
- Hole #18 – Lockheed 18
# 3. Satuski Golf Course – Sano, Japan
Satsuki Golf Course – Sano, Japan
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, this course has the longest hole in the world: a 964-yard, par-7 whopper that players are sure to never forget.
#4. Akureyri Golf Club – Akureyri, Iceland
Akureyri Golf Club – Akureyri, Iceland
Akureyri Golf Club is the most northern golf course in the world and home to The Arctic Open.
#5. Al Ghazal Golf Club – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Al Ghazal Golf Club – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Image via Charle Wirtanen)
Al Ghazal is the world’s leading sand course with fairways and greens sculpted from desert sand.
#6. Ala Wai Municipal Golf Course – Waikiki, Hawaii
Ala Wai Municipal Golf Course – Waikiki, Hawaii
Ala Wai is the busiest golf course in the world with 500 rounds of golf played per day.
#7. Arctic Circle Golf Course – Uummannaq, Greenland
Arctic Circle Golf Course – Uummannaq, Greenland (Image via World Ice Golf Championship Committee)
This is the site of the World Ice Golf Championship, an extreme golf tournament that takes place 600 km. north of the Arctic Circle in Greenland. At this famous course, the greens are white, the golf balls are neon, and golfers can only play with steel shaft clubs because graphite clubs will shatter from the frozen temperatures.
#8. Augusta National Golf Club – Augusta, Georgia
Augusta National Golf Club – Augusta, Georgia
This stunning golf course is the home to the world’s most prestigious golf event: The Masters.
#9. Bear Mountain Golf & Country Club – Victoria, B.C., Canada
Bear Mountain Golf & Country Club – Victoria, B.C., Canada
This beautiful course features a 19th hole, which is played just after the 13th hole.
#10. Bluff Point Golf Club & Resort – Plattsburgh, New York
Bluff Point Golf Club & Resort – Plattsburgh, New York (Image via Bluff Point Golf Club)
Bluff Point is the third oldest golf course in the United States. Play this course and you will have walked in the footsteps of U.S. Presidents William McKinley, William Howard Taft and Franklin D. Roosevelt, baseball great Babe Ruth and members of the Astor/Vanderbilt family.
Every golfer should have a favorite course. Can you name yours? Tell us in the comments section below!
