A 630 Yard Par 3? Believe it!

That’s right, there are some pretty crazy golf courses and holes out there, but I recently heard from a friend about a hole that takes the prize for the fun to play factor at the very least. The hole is based at the Legends Golf and Safari Resort, within the Entabeni Safari Conservancy in South Africa’s Northeastern Limpopo Province. The course’s “Xtreme 19th” hole is a par 3. The tee box is atop a cliff on Hanglip Mountain, more than 1,400 feet above a green that is shaped like the continent of Africa. You’ve got to take a helicopter to get to the tee box, and from there it’s more than 630 yards to the pin. Once you tee off, it takes nearly 30 seconds for the ball to hit the ground! That’s a long time for most golfers to watch in agony as your ball sails offline…

Taking the shot also looks like it requires some courage. A player needs to teeter terrifyingly close to the edge of the mammoth hillside. I certainly would excuse the old fire and fall back move on this hole! The other 18 holes were designed by several well known golfers, including Trevor Immelman, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington and Robert Allenby. A round of golf will cost you R450 ($70 USD). The Extreme 19th costs $1060 per foursome. That includes the helicopter ride to the tee, souvenir cap, glove, and a DVD of you playing the hole. It might be worth it just for the helicopter ride!

So far, no one has even come close to pocketing the million-dollar hole in one prize, but Harrington became the first golfer to make a par on the hole. Harrington said, “This is the type of innovation and excitement we need to get more people playing golf. There aren’t many new innovative ways to play the game but this is certainly one of the best. I think this hole is awesome. I love the whole experience, the helicopter, the views, the drama and having the green the shape of Africa. And now I’ve got bragging rights over all the other professionals who have played this hole and not managed to make a three. I love everything about it.” Anybody want to fly over there and do a review with me? 🙂