Forget the Seven Wonders of the World! As golfers we know you will be more interested in the Seven Wonders of the Golfing World so we have compiled a list of seven of the most important, amazing or unusual golfing gems from around the world.
Augusta National
There are few golf courses in the world that can rival Augusta National. Impossibly perfect fairways, carpet like greens and stunningly beautiful natural features are all present and of course you have the history and prestige that surrounds this wonderful Southern gem. Unlike any other golf course, Augusta National is the host course for a major championship year after year as the Masters comes to town. The Masters is many a golf fan’s highlight of the golfing calendar thanks to the fact that the majestic Augusta National course serves up a test of risk versus reward golf like no other. Augusta is also notoriously hard to gain access to which only adds to the appeal…forbidden fruit and all that!
St Andrews Old Course
The St Andrews Old Course is cherished by golfers the world over. There are many who believe that you cannot call yourself a true golfer unless you have made the pilgrimage to the oldest golf course in the world. With history in mind it is clear that the Old Course has no equal and if you are lucky enough to play it you will be walking in the footsteps of the greatest golfers to have graced the game throughout its history. James Braid, Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros and Tiger Woods have all graced the fairways of this famous links course and on your next Scottish golf break you can too!
Monterey Peninsula
There are various golfing hotspots around the world where you can find a handful of world class golf courses just a stone’s throw from each other. The South coast of Wales, Myrtle Beach in South Carolina and the Southport area are great examples of such golfing goldmines but the ultimate golfing hotspot has to be the Monterey Peninsula in California where three of the best and most breathtakingly beautiful golf courses in the world sit on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Pebble Beach may be the most famous of the three but Spyglass Hill and Cypress Point are arguably as good. Whichever way you look at it, it’s hard to think of a relatively small patch of land that is home to 54 holes of such quality anywhere else in the world.
*Please note the above photograph was taken by Joan Doast.
The Surrey Sandbelt
Like the Monterey Peninsula in California, the Surrey Sanbelt is home to a fantastic collection of world class golf courses. The sandy, springy turf in this region is perfect for golf as it drains well all year round which lead some of the greatest golf course architects to lay down some of the game’s greatest golf courses. From Wentworth and Sunningdale to Swinley Forest and St Georges Hill there are countless heathland gems awaiting your arrival in this golfing goldmine of the South of England.
Mission Hills
For sheer scale Mission Hills golf resort has no equal. For the first ten years of its existence a new golf course was opened every year and now the resort boasts an incredible twelve golf courses. Each course was designed by a leading name in the game. Els, Duval, Faldo, Sorenstam, Singh, Norman, Olazabal, Ozaki and the great Jack Nicklaus have each designed a course of their own and as well as the tour pros, other leading names have also made a mark on this famous resort. Legendary designer, Pete Dye has a course as does legendary instructor, David Leadbetter. There is also a fantastic par 3 course – the first of its kind in China – and not one, not two, not three, but four world class clubhouses! Along with the golf facilities, accommodation and shopping you will never have to leave this amazing resort on your golf holiday in China.
The Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is golf’s answer to the Olympics, Wimbledon and the football world cup. Every two years the best players in Europe go up against the might of the USA in three days of tense, dramatic and enthralling matchplay golf. The Ryder Cup started out as a match between the USA and Great Britain & Ireland but due to lasting American dominance, players from Continental Europe were introduced to the Great Britain and Ireland team for the first time in 1979. Since then the match has been a tightly contested affair with the European team leading the way with nine wins to the USA’s seven. Most recently the Ryder Cup was played at the Celtic Manor Resort in Wales and it was as close fought a match as we have seen in years with the Europeans just shading it on the final day thanks to some questionable chipping by Hunter Mahan. In 2012 the two golfing titans will do battle at the Medinah Country Club in Chicago and I for one can’t wait!
Xtreme 19th – Legend Golf & Safari Resort
There are many holes in the world of golf that deserve to be recognised as one of the best holes in the world. From the 17th, or road hole, at St Andrews Old Course to the par 3 17th at Sawgrass there are countless gems waiting to be played by a great range of golfers but few…let’s say…conventional holes that can generate quite as much excitement as a par 3 that requires golfers to take a ride in a helicopter to reach the tee! That is exactly what awaits at the Legend Golf & Safari Resort in South Africa. As well as a full 18 hole championship course where each hole has been designed by a tour player, this resort offers travelling golfers a chance to get up close and personal with Africa’s famous wildlife including, of course, the ‘Big 5’. Golfers will also have the chance to play what must be the most spectacular par 3 in the world. The tee for the Xtreme 19th is perched on top of the 430 meter Hanglip Mountain and the Africa-shaped green is 400 meters away, making this not only the longest par 3 in the world, but the highest as well. Oh…and there is also the small matter of $1,000,000 for the lucky golfer who bags a hole in one!
There cannot be many more picturesque courses in the world than Nefyn in North West Wales. The 7 holes out and back along the lighthouse peninsula are a real test!