Golf is usually thought of as manicured greens, quiet fairways, and polite applause. But around the world, some courses break all the rules. From frozen lakes to volcanic slopes (and even an airport runway) these are the most unusual, and sometimes downright dangerous, golf courses ever built.
Demilitarized Driving
Camp Bonifas Golf Course, South Korea
Forget bunkers and water hazards. At Camp Bonifas, the single par-three hole comes with a much deadlier risk: land mines. Located just 200 yards from the heavily armed DMZ dividing North and South Korea, this “course” has a 192-yard hole with an artificial turf green, barbed wire rough, and trenches along the fairway. Warning signs remind players not to retrieve lost balls, because at least one stray shot has reportedly set off a mine. It’s less about perfecting your swing and more about surviving the round.
The Helicopter Hole
Legend Golf & Safari Resort, South Africa
Most golfers finish 18 holes and head to the clubhouse. At Legend Golf, the real challenge starts after the round. Here lies “The Extreme 19th,” a par-three tee perched on the edge of a cliff, 1,300 feet above the fairway. The only way to reach it is by helicopter, and from the tee to the green (shaped like the African continent), your ball stays in the air for nearly 30 seconds. Cameras and trackers are used to see where it lands, if it does at all. It’s the kind of hole that makes even pros nervous.
Chilly Chipping
Lake Baikal, Russia
Every March, Siberia’s Lake Baikal — the world’s deepest freshwater lake — turns into a frozen fairway for the Baikal Prize Open. Players bundle up in coats and gloves to tee off across the thick ice, using brightly coloured balls to spot shots against the snow. Holes are made larger to account for unpredictable bounces, and in 2020, the lake even hosted the World Ice Golf Championship. It’s golf stripped of its green lawns, replaced by a surreal, icy landscape.
Volcano Views
Merapi Golf Course, Indonesia
Few hazards compare to playing at the base of an active volcano. Just outside Yogyakarta, the Merapi Golf Course offers 18 holes with constant smoke curling from Mount Merapi, one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes. Sitting 800 metres above sea level, the course provides stunning views when it’s not disrupted by eruptions that periodically damage fairways. It’s a round of golf with geological drama thrown in.
Runway Rounds
Don Mueang Airport Golf Course, Thailand
Respectful silence is part of golf etiquette — unless you’re playing in the middle of Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport. Built between two runways, this 18-hole course forces players to tee off while jets roar overhead. Noise-cancelling headphones are recommended, though they do little to shake the surreal feeling of hitting a drive as a Boeing 747 screams past. It’s airport layover entertainment on a whole new level.
Arctic Aiming
Uummannaq Ice Golf, Greenland
Known as the original “ice golf” course, Uummannaq hosts the World Ice Golf Championship on a frozen fjord. The course changes shape every year due to shifting ice, and hazards include crevasses and polar bears. Temperatures plummet below -30°C, and players must swing in full Arctic gear. Golf doesn’t get more extreme than this.
Island Paradise
Shura Links, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia recently opened Shura Links, a one-of-a-kind island golf course winding through mangroves and rolling dunes, all along the incredible Red Sea coast. The course is a par 72 masterpiece designed by Brian Curley, featuring a mix of stunning terrain and strategic challenges that make it a standout golfing experience for everyone.
Clifftop Links
Lofoten Links, Norway
At the edge of the Arctic Circle, Lofoten Links might be one of the most beautiful golf courses in the world — and certainly one of the strangest to play. In summer, you can tee off at midnight under the never-setting sun. In winter, you might catch the Northern Lights as you line up a putt. Each shot comes with jaw-dropping ocean views and the possibility of gale-force winds.
