Nullarbor Links

Last updated

Nullarbor Links
Rooey II, 2012.JPG
Hole 6: Border Kangaroo,
Border Village, South Australia, 2012.
Club information
Location Eyre Highway, Australia
Established2009;16 years ago (2009)
TypePublic
Owned byVarious owners
Operated byEyre Highway Operators Association
Total holes18
Events hostedChasing the Sun
Website Nullarbor Links
Designed by Robert Stock (consultant)
Par 72

Nullarbor Links [1] [2] is an 18-hole par 72 golf course, said to be the world's longest, situated along 1,365 kilometres of the Eyre Highway along the southern coast of Australia in two states (South Australia and Western Australia), notably crossing the Nullarbor Plain at the head of the Great Australian Bight. [1] [3]

Contents

History

The idea for the course came from Alf Caputo and Bob Bongiorno, both active in the Eyre Highway Operators Association, over a bottle of red wine at the Balladonia Roadhouse. The course was seen as a way of breaking up the long drive across the Nullarbor, reducing the dangers of driver fatigue, and increasing revenue for the roadhouses. [1] [3]

A feasibility study was completed in September 2006, and public play began in August 2009. [4] The course officially opened on 22 October 2009. [5] [6] [7] As of 2022, more than 20,000 travellers had officially played it, and bought a scorecard for stamping at the roadhouses en route. [3] Course officials have estimated that nearly as many travellers had played the course without paying any fee. [8]

The course

The course begins and ends (depending on the direction of crossing) in the goldmining town of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia and the coastal town of Ceduna, South Australia. Professional golfer Robert Stock, from Manchester, England, consulted on the design that incorporates 7 holes from existing courses and 11 holes created at roadhouses and roadside stops. [2]

The purposely constructed holes have tees and greens that use artificial grass, with natural desert land between. The average distance between holes is 66 kilometres (41 mi), with the largest gap being almost 200 kilometres (120 mi).

Due to its location, the course has many unusual natural hazards, including crows, emus, kangaroos, three species of deadly venomous snakes, wedge-tailed eagles, and wombat holes. [2] [3] A further complication is that the ambient temperatures can reach over 50 °C (122 °F) during the day. [2]

Nullarbor Links course layout
HoleNameLengthParTee name/dedicationLocation
Hole 1Oyster Beds485 metres (530 yd)5Graham HoffrichterCeduna Golf Club, Ceduna, South Australia
Hole 2Denial Bay370 metres (405 yd)4William McKenzieCeduna Golf Club, Ceduna, South Australia
Hole 3Windmills260 metres (284 yd)4Pioneer DrivePenong Golf Course, Penong, South Australia
Hole 4Wombat Hole520 metres (569 yd)5KarinkabieNundroo Roadhouse, Nundroo, South Australia
Hole 5Dingo's Den538 metres (588 yd)5Coral & Scobie BeattieNullarbor Roadhouse, Nullarbor, South Australia
Hole 6Border Kangaroo160 metres (175 yd)3Don HarringtonBorder Village Roadhouse, Border Village, South Australia
Hole 7Nullarbor Nymph315 metres (344 yd)4Steve PatupisEucla Golf Course, Eucla, Western Australia
Hole 8Watering Hole330 metres (361 yd)4McGill & KennedyMundrabilla Roadhouse, Mundrabilla, Western Australia
Hole 9Brumby's Run125 metres (137 yd)3Barbara and Brian PikeMadura Roadhouse, Madura, Western Australia
Hole 10Eagles Nest347 metres (379 yd)4BindyCocklebiddy Roadhouse, Cocklebiddy, Western Australia
Hole 1190 Mile Straight310 metres (339 yd)4Edward John Eyre & John BaxterCaiguna Roadhouse, Caiguna, Western Australia
Hole 12 Skylab 175 metres (191 yd)3Pat PrendivilleBalladonia Roadhouse, Balladonia, Western Australia
Hole 13Golden Horse385 metres (421 yd)4Laurie SinclairNorseman Golf Club, Norseman, Western Australia
Hole 14Ngadju463 metres (506 yd)5Mort HarslettNorseman Golf Club, Norseman, Western Australia
Hole 15Golden Eagle110 metres (120 yd)3George ListerWidgiemooltha Roadhouse, Widgiemooltha, Western Australia
Hole 16Silver Lake392 metres (429 yd)4Kevin HigginsKambalda Golf Club, Kambalda, Western Australia
Hole 17Golden Mile502 metres (549 yd)5Bob BongiornoKalgoorlie Golf Course, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Hole 18CY O'Connor356 metres (389 yd)4Alf CaputoKalgoorlie Golf Course, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

Playing the course

The course can be played in either direction. [9] A score card can be purchased in Ceduna or Kalgoorlie for A$70 (as of December 2023), plus an $8 maintenance fee. Players can either provide their own clubs, or hire them at each hole for a fee. To preserve the nature of the Nullarbor, players are required to tee their balls up on the course's fairways and are discouraged from driving vehicles on the fairways. On presenting the completed card they can claim a Nullarbor Links Certificate for playing "the World’s Longest Golf course". [10]

Tournaments hosted

The course is the host of the Chasing the Sun golf tournament, which was inaugurated in 2009. The tournament has been held every September since its inception, other than in 2020 and 2021, when it was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [3] [11] The 2025 tournament is scheduled for 1–10 May. [12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 McInerney, Sarah (10 September 2009). "Golfing heads to the outback". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Collerton, Sarah (13 October 2009). "Don't let Aussie outback putt you off". ABC News . Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Hamilton, Jodie (2 October 2022). "Australia's roughest golf course comes with wombat holes and ball-stealing crows, but these golfers love it". ABC News. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  4. ↑ "The World's Longest Golf Course: Nullarbor Links". Nullarbor Roadhouse . 20 August 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  5. ↑ McInerney, Sarah (10 September 2009). "Golfing heads to the outback". Traveller. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  6. ↑ "Golfers tee off on world's longest golf course". ABC News. 22 October 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  7. ↑ Riviera, Gloria (22 October 2009). "World's Longest Golf Course Open for Play". ABC News (USA) . Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  8. ↑ Lucas, Jarrod (4 May 2019). "World's longest golf course — all 1,365km of it — has just turned 10". ABC News. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  9. ↑ Hart, Jeremy (29 November 2009). "Gone to play golf at Nullarbor Links. I may be some time". The Guardian . Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  10. ↑ "Course Information" (PDF). Nullarbor Links. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  11. ↑ Monck, Carwyn (13 June 2022). "Chasing the Sun tournament returns to Nullarbor Links" . Kalgoorlie Miner . Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  12. ↑ "Chasing the Sun tournament returns to Nullarbor Links" . Retrieved 17 December 2024.
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