Halloween Special: Golf's Scariest Courses
We pay a visit to 10 of the spookiest courses on the planet.
In honour of Halloween, we have carved out what we consider to be the 10 scariest golf courses in the world.
First stop, Korea.
Don't have too many nightmares...
Camp Bonifas, DMZ, Korea
The most dangerous course in the world has to make it into our list.
Situated in the DMZ between North and South Korea, the single-hole course gave GolfMagic’s Charlie Lemay the spooks when he visited it last year while on holiday.
The 192 yard, par-3 is just yards from North Korea and is surrounded by land mines and trenches. Propaganda can be heard blaring out and unless you’re on the green, it’s not worth playing your second shot.
As Charlie found out, firing ranges situated nearby can cause havoc in your backswing so a couple of mulligans are in order on this hole.
Bjorkliden, Lapland, Finland
What do you do when your local course is covered in snow for nine months of the year? Play snow golf, of course.
GolfMagic made the trip to Lapland to try this sport out first-hand and encountered a brutal yet rewarding version of our game.
Looking around and seeing nothing but blankets of white snow and mountains is eerie enough, but image a plugged ball in the snow – terrifying!
We all have cold streaks, and reversing one on this layout could be a tough task.
La Jenny, France
Mention the word 'nudists' and your average person will recoil in horror at the though of elderly men and women enjoying each other's company...naked.
The 6-hole course course allows naturists to stroll the fairways with it all hanging out and it is thought to be the only place in Europe which allows this.
I wonder what the clubhouse dress code is…
TPC Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach is a Golfers’ haven. It has over 100 courses, it's bathed in sun with miles of beaches and warm water, so you wouldn’t readily associate it with a Halloween list.
But I’ll tell you one thing, when a 10 foot alligator cosied up behind me as I tried to hit my wedge shot at TPC Myrtle Beach, it gave me one hell of a fright.
Most of the courses house alligators, venomous snakes and an array of insects that hurt you more than a double bogey on the last.
Abbottabad Golf Club, Pakistan
Abbottabad Golf Club, also known as Piffer Golf Club, is located about 1.5 miles away from the compound where al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in a covert operation undertaken by SEAL Team Six in May of 2011.
I guess the only positive is that the pace of play would be pretty quick here.
Merapi Golf Course, Indonesia
If you’re a player who gets hot under the collar then I suggest you don’t make the trip to the Yogyakarta Special Region to play the Merapi Golf Course because things get heated before a club has even been swung.
Smoke can been seen emerging from Mount Merapi 300+ days a year and small eruptions occur around every two to three years, while large eruptions happen every 10-15 years.
Coeur D’Alene Golf Resort, Idaho, USA
Think the 17th at TPC Sawgrass is nightmare-inducing? Think again. The 14th at Coeur D’Alene will not only ruin your round, it can ruin your game, full stop.
The par-3 boasts a 15,000 foot "FLOATING" island green, which can be extended to 218 yards.
If you do manage to get on the green, the ferry journey to the dance floor is a very rewarding one. If you ever find it.
Kabul Golf Club, Afghanistan
When the entrance to your golf club has multiple machine guns around it, you know the course is on the dangerous side.
Owner, operator and head pro Mohammad Afzal Abdul’s brother was murdered by the Taliban for his association with foreigners, which sets the tone.
Offering an oasis in a war-torn country, the 5-hole course will have players on high alert.
Nullarbor Links, Australia
Aussies Adam Scott and Jason Day probably haven't even heard of this golf course, and I'm ready to bet a lot of money they haven't played it.
Situated in the middle of the outback, Nullarbor Links stretches across 848 miles of harsh terrain and the longest walk between holes is a mammoth 90 miles - make sure you take your walking boots!
While you’ve got lots of room to spray it off the tee, watch out for the countless poisonous snakes, such as the death adder whose bite can kill a cow in minutes. Lucky you're not a cow, then...
El Camaleon at Fairmont Mayakoba, Mexico
Labelled the chameleon because of its ever-changing challenges, this course is chock-a-block with hazards that are just waiting to ruin your day.
Sand dunes, mangroves, subterranean caves (one of which is called the Devils Mouth…) need to be traversed if you want to play the 18 unscathed.
When teeing off and aiming for the fairway, it's like playing trick or treat...just without the treat.
What's the scariest golf course you've ever played? Share your thoughts in the forum or join us on social media.
Andy first joined the brand on a month's work experience back in April 2011, and he now assumes the Editor role. When Andy joined GolfMagic it was a small site with potential.
