The Awesome 8 courses of the world

[Simon Holt]

I just had a conversation with a gentleman who wants to join our club.  He told me he was the first one to do this with his buddy and it blew my mind.  You have got to take your hat off to these guys.  It goes without saying that you will see far better golf courses but it is definitely something to add to a golfing bucket list.

Ok- some guys are now making money out of it but lets not begrudge them that as you could plan and do it yourself given time and a lot less money than they are asking for- just focus on the acheivement and conception when they did it off their own backs the first time. 

Highest- La Paz
Lowest- Death Valley
Coldest- Fairbanks, Alaska
Hottest- Alice Springs
Greatest- St. Andrews
Hardest- Hawaii
Most Northern- Norway
Most Southern- Argentina

Absolutely incredible.

www.awesomeeight.com

Coolest thing I have heard all week.

Simon

[Phil_the_Author]

As far as the "highest" is concerned, there is a member from Brook Hollow who might demand an asterisk next to "highest." He would insist on it being specified as the "highest course" as he climbed Mt. Everest a few years ago and brought with him a 3-piece iron and a few balls and proceeded to summit and then tee it up and hit them off the roof of the world! His club is now at the USGA Museum and is proudly displayed alongside Shepherd's from the moon.

[Guy Nicholson]

As far as the "highest" is concerned, there is a member from Brook Hollow who might demand an asterisk next to "highest." He would insist on it being specified as the "highest course" as he climbed Mt. Everest a few years ago and brought with him a 3-piece iron and a few balls and proceeded to summit and then tee it up and hit them off the roof of the world! His club is now at the USGA Museum and is proudly displayed alongside Shepherd's from the moon.

I bet he took a cart on the back nine.

[Phil_the_Author]

No Guy, he only needed the cart for the front nine. The back is all DOWNHILL!

It's also my understanding that some of the sherpas found the golf balls on the slopes where they came to a stop. One of them even reamrked, "Damn, it looks like that Bill Murray guy told the truth about the Dalai Lama. He really is a big hitter to get it up here! OONGA GA LOONGA!"

[Brad Tufts]

120,000 euros!

[Tom_Doak]

Simon:

There was a similar thing twenty years ago which was written up in GOLF Magazine.  My friend Brian Morgan the photographer was one of the guys to make the trip ... I remember it because he played at La Paz and suggested that I do consulting work there.  Never did get to see it, though.

Their trip was based on 18-hole courses only, and the most southerly (that they knew about) was at Invercargill in New Zealand.  I don't believe they did the "coldest" and "hottest" but some other extreme combo instead.  And I am pretty sure it didn't cost 120,000 pounds.

[Dan_Callahan]

Back when I was coaching a high school team, I had a few players who could make the claim of "highest."

[Jud_T]

With 120,000 to spend on golf travel, only 1 of those courses makes my list....and why short shrift to the worst course?

[James Bennett]

Hottest- Alice Springs
Greatest- St. Andrews

I have 2 notches on my belt here.  When I played Alice Springs in December 1991, it was certainly damn hot!  I happily used a golf cart for a morning game.  There isn't a lot of shade availale on the course.

Oh, and for the tourists here, Ayers Rock (or Uluru if you prefer) is 'only' another 300 miles away from Alice Springs.  The Alice is a town of about 10,000 people, and is the biggest town for some 1500 miles in any direction!

James B

[Alex Miller]

They'll be really upset when they find out that Ko'Olau was rerated a few years ago and is no longer the toughest course in the world.

[Joel_Stewart]

They'll be really upset when they find out that Ko'Olau was rerated a few years ago and is no longer the toughest course in the world.

I can think of a dozen courses that are harder than Ko"Olau.  I broke 80 there my one time I played there and I stink.

Personally I think Bob McCoys trip of playing the Golf Magazine Top 100 in the world in 100 days is the trip of all trips.

[Garland Bayley]

No way Alice Springs beats Furnace Creek for the hottest.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Sorry Simon, but five years ago I could believe there were more than a few people out there with more money than sense.  This is the kind of thing that reinforces negative stereotypes about golfers.

I saw the Death Valley course this July. FIFTY degrees and they had no takers at 25 bucks including water, cart and free clubs and balls. As far as I could work out the irrigation is on 24hrs to keep it green.

 If you want to play golf that bad when there’s Zabrinski Point just up the road then I’ll mever understand you.  Seven of these courses look as boring as hell and the other one has a marketing label “Best” that means nothing.  I’ll pass.


 


  

[Niall C]

What was that course Neil Armstrong played ? Was that not the highest ?

Niall

[Phil_the_Author]

Niall,

That wasn't the highest as it was less than 100 feet above the "Sea of Tranquility". It does fit in as the 9th one as being the furthest one travelled to play!