Far Flung

[Mark Fedeli]

I find that remoteness — as in, the course being located far from civilization and other courses and, as a result, a relative few people journey to it — directly increases my enjoyment of the course. If I had my own ranking criteria, remoteness alone would be worth quite a bit.

[Wayne_Kozun]

Remoteness is great, but the opposite can also be very enjoyable.  I love the courses in Scotland where you begin and end the round in the centre of town - like St Andrews, North Berwick, Gullane, etc.  Lorne Rubenstein just wrote about this.
https://scoregolf.com/opinion/lorne-rubenstein/rounds-about-town/

[Mark Fedeli]

Remoteness is great, but the opposite can also be very enjoyable.  I love the courses in Scotland where you begin and end the round in the centre of town - like St Andrews, North Berwick, Gullane, etc.  Lorne Rubenstein just wrote about this.
https://scoregolf.com/opinion/lorne-rubenstein/rounds-about-town/

Indeed! I forgot to mention that my rankings will also favor heavily one's ability to walk from their accommodation to the first tee.

[Kalen Braley]

I've gotta think the course in Foulpointe, Madagascar must have a place on this list somewhere...

[Pete_Pittock]

I've gotta think the course in Foulpointe, Madagascar must have a place on this list somewhere...

the imaginary course

[Sam Morrow]

There are courses on six continents and I know some of them are extremely remote.

What's the most isolated place you've played golf?

WW

Blackjack Crossing at Lajitas Resort in Big Bend is a place you have to wanna go. Several hours from the nearest interstate and nearby Terlingua is known as place for folks who wanna live off the grid or dissapear from society.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I've gotta think the course in Foulpointe, Madagascar must have a place on this list somewhere...

the imaginary course

There really is a Foulpointe Golf Club in Madagascar. It is nine holes. It just isn’t the one that was made up for fun years ago on this site.

[Pete_Pittock]

Tommy,
I try and learn something new eacjh day, Mission accomplished.

[Pete_Pittock]

There are courses on six continents and I know some of them are extremely remote.

What's the most isolated place you've played golf?
WW

Blackjack Crossing at Lajitas Resort in Big Bend is a place you have to wanna go. Several hours from the nearest interstate and nearby Terlingua is known as place for folks who wanna live off the grid or dissapear from society.

Sam,
Played there a number of years ago when we had the Wolf Point outing. It didn't seem remote, considering I drove from Oregon.
The day before I played in Amarillo, the day after in El Paso. Terlingua has resorts and an international chili cookoff-actually two of them. I enjoyed the course and it was in good+ condition.
In the US I still think Christmas Valley (OR) is the most isolated with little but sand, sagebrush and wind. The nearest "cities" are over a 100 miles away in all directions. 

[Tommy Williamsen]

Sometimes it is just fun to find a course and play it. My wife and I were driving in remote Wyoming and found a little nine hole course just off the road. We played a quick nine and had a burger. Great fun. I don’t remember the name of course or the town anymore. I do have the scorecard in my collection but it would take work to find it.

[Tom_Doak]

Sometimes it is just fun to find a course and play it. My wife and I were driving in remote Wyoming and found a little nine hole course just off the road. We played a quick nine and had a burger. Great fun. I don’t remember the name of course or the town anymore. I do have the scorecard in my collection but it would take work to find it.

I did this a couple of weeks ago.  I have been driving back and forth from Traverse City to Sand Valley via the Mackinac Bridge, and I kept driving past the entrance to a place called the "Hiawatha Sporting Club".  From the entry you'd guess it was back in a cedar swamp.  But I needed a break from driving on my last trip home, and stopped in.  The course is a mile or two back from the road, and it's nine holes on high ground with views to the north / east.  It was definitely worth the detour.

[Sam Morrow]

There are courses on six continents and I know some of them are extremely remote.

What's the most isolated place you've played golf?
WW

Blackjack Crossing at Lajitas Resort in Big Bend is a place you have to wanna go. Several hours from the nearest interstate and nearby Terlingua is known as place for folks who wanna live off the grid or dissapear from society.

Sam,
Played there a number of years ago when we had the Wolf Point outing. It didn't seem remote, considering I drove from Oregon.
The day before I played in Amarillo, the day after in El Paso. Terlingua has resorts and an international chili cookoff-actually two of them. I enjoyed the course and it was in good+ condition.
In the US I still think Christmas Valley (OR) is the most isolated with little but sand, sagebrush and wind. The nearest "cities" are over a 100 miles away in all directions.

Oregon to Texas by car sounds like a fantastic trip!

[JohnVDB]

I hit some remote ones while course rating in Oregon and Western Pennsylvania


Oregon was probably Fossil which is a 6-hole course in Eastern Oregon


PA was Coudersport GC.


In Scotland it has to be Durness

[Sean_A]

Why is there only one course in Israel?  I realize that much of the country is arid and water is an issue, but so are many other places in the ME that have golf courses.  And I have to think that there are lots of people living in Israel who were long time golfers in America,  the UK, Canada, Australia, etc.

I had a call from someone years ago who wanted to build a golf course there in sand dunes close to the seaside.


I had some concerns about whether that was a safe destination for my associates, so I sent an email to Tom Friedmann, the former Middle East correspondent for the NYT, who is also a golfer and occasional golf writer.  His response:  "Make sure it's not within mortar range of the Gaza strip."


So, as soon as they achieve peace in the region, I will have a great course to build. 


NOTE:  I did get another call recently about a project somewhere over there, but it was pretty vague as to the specifics.

I realize there are serious problems in the area that cannot be overlooked. But in our two weeks there and in Jordan we never felt unsafe.

You don't feel unsafe until you are unsafe. Although, I never felt at ease in Israel. Such a high presence of troops in daily life made me feel unsafe. And a bomb did explode in Tel Aviv when I was there. A bomb also exploded in Marrakesh a week after I was there. Unlike Israel, I never had a sense of danger.

Ciao

[Thomas Dai]

U.K. - there’s Isles of Scilly GC off the tip of Cornwall while north of the Scottish mainland there are several courses on the Orkney and Shetland Isles.
There’s also the Lighthouse keepers course on Fair Isle - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cJH-1Borth4
The Faroe Isles have a course too.
Atb

[Tim Leahy]

There is a course in Fall River, CA, Fall River Valley Golf and CC in the far NE of the state. 4hr drive from Sacramento and 2 1/2 hours from Chico and I have never played there because it's too remote but it used to be one of the toughest rated courses in CA. Quite a history too. Bing Crosby and Clint Eastwood supposedly flew up there by small plane to hunt, fish and golf away from the crowds. Anybody play there? Seems really remote and I have never met anyone who's been there.

[Matthew Rose]

In North America, Ballyneal.

In Australia, probably either Mt. Gambier Golf Club or Bright Golf Club.

[jeffwarne]

Sometimes it is just fun to find a course and play it. My wife and I were driving in remote Wyoming and found a little nine hole course just off the road. We played a quick nine and had a burger. Great fun. I don’t remember the name of course or the town anymore. I do have the scorecard in my collection but it would take work to find it.

This.
My non golfer wife could write her own Confidential Guide to the courses she's "played" en route to places  with my teed steelhead 5 wood, my 9 iron and my putter.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Why is there only one course in Israel?  I realize that much of the country is arid and water is an issue, but so are many other places in the ME that have golf courses.  And I have to think that there are lots of people living in Israel who were long time golfers in America,  the UK, Canada, Australia, etc.

I had a call from someone years ago who wanted to build a golf course there in sand dunes close to the seaside.


I had some concerns about whether that was a safe destination for my associates, so I sent an email to Tom Friedmann, the former Middle East correspondent for the NYT, who is also a golfer and occasional golf writer.  His response:  "Make sure it's not within mortar range of the Gaza strip."


So, as soon as they achieve peace in the region, I will have a great course to build. 


NOTE:  I did get another call recently about a project somewhere over there, but it was pretty vague as to the specifics.

I realize there are serious problems in the area that cannot be overlooked. But in our two weeks there and in Jordan we never felt unsafe.

You don't feel unsafe until you are unsafe.

Ciao

Obviously, but that could be anywhere people congregate. I wonder how many children in the US feel unsafe.

[Kalen Braley]

I found a new remote course in Utah that i'm going to visit in October.  I hope it lives up to hidden gem designation, but it looks really interesting and quirky and never been mentioned on this site, at least its name didn't come up in the forum search history.