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Published: April 13th 2010
First Day on the Course
These flags are being stolen for souvenirs which seems a shame to us.Barry can actually say he has now officially golfed the World's Longest Golf Course which is 1,365 km long. When we were researching our trip to Australia Barry found this course on the Internet. It's called Nullarbor Links, the Real Australian Golf Course. It had just opened in October of 2009 and it caught his attention.
The golf course passes through the Nullarbor Plains between Ceduna in the east and Kalgoorlie in the west (near Perth). A lot of the road passes close to the ocean , the Great Australian Bight with incredible views, but the rest passes for hundreds of kilometres through nothing but scrub arid-desert land. The area only gets about seven inches of rain a year. A lot of accidents happen because people find the drive mind-numbing and get drowsy; that had residents concerned. Someone came up with the idea that a golf course, with fairways scattered from one end of the highway to the other, would give people something to stop for. And if people stopped they'd need somewhere to eat and to sleep, hence bring business to the small roadhouses. Well, from what we could see, it was a great idea. Often when Barry was
When the Going Gets Tough
This is a fairway club-saver. finishing a hole another caravan or motorhome (or two or three) would be pulling up. We heard that a Canadian couple, man and wife, actually walked the course. They finished today too but several hours before we got here.
We started in Ceduna, South Australia, on April 10th. I sometimes carried the four or five clubs Barry needed but sometimes I read my book instead and supported him in spirit. The first two holes were on an actual golf course so Barry had high hopes - his hopes went straight downhill after that. Remember, this is a desert. After the first two holes we jumped into the motorhome and drove 100 or so km to Hole #3. It was in the tiny town of Penong and consisted of one tee-off box and green covered in bright green artificial grass, the length in between being complete scrub weeds and thorny bushes. We traveled for three full days, sometimes playing one hole only, sometimes several, staying in caravan parks at night. Most of the holes were created off behind a town and some of the towns aren't much more than ghost-towns but sometimes a local golf course allows the use of
it's fairway. There is not usually any actual grass, of course, and sometimes the 'green' is actually black grit. Sometimes there are spiny weeds, sometimes the fairway is raked quite clean. Each hole is a challenge.
I had read on the Internet and Barry was told by some people that golf balls are stolen by crows at the fairway at Nullarbor Roadhouse. We were amazed to find out they really do! They stole two of Barry's golf balls and that was even when I ran out to protect the ball when it landed. Both times a crow got to the ball before I did. Both ball and crow disappeared. We're pretty sure they were laughing as they flew away. Local rules allow free do-overs because of the crow problem.
Today Barry played the last two holes at a real golf course here in Kalgoorlie, West Australia. I was with him and, wonder of wonders, several kangaroos went hopping by! I got really close to them and got some great pictures. Barry finally realized I was more interested in them than carrying his clubs so he finished way ahead of me. He seems quite pleased with his score considering
Target Marks the Spot
In case the player can't find the flag! the rough terrain and he's very glad we were able to travel this far to do it. Tomorrow when he turns in his score card he'll get a certificate saying he golfed the World's Longest Golf Course.
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Andy
non-member comment
hi i really liked your pictures and is it hard to golf in AFRICA?!!?!?!?