The World's Strangest Golf Courses You Won't Believe Exist

The Strangest Golf Courses in the World: Where Golf Gets Weird

Golf is a game steeped in tradition, but that doesn't mean every golf course follows the script. From volcanic craters and floating greens to crocodile-infested hazards and courses with no grass at all, some of the world's most unusual golf courses challenge everything you thought you knew about the game.

Whether you're a golf travel enthusiast, a bucket-list chaser, or simply someone who loves a good story, exploring the strangest golf courses in the world offers a fresh perspective on what makes this sport so endlessly fascinating. These courses aren't just about golf—they're about adventure, absurdity, and awe-inspiring locations that redefine what it means to play 18 holes.

In this guide, we'll take you on a tour of the most bizarre, extreme, and downright weird golf courses across the globe. You'll discover courses perched at extreme elevations, layouts surrounded by dangerous wildlife, and greens that literally float on water. Along the way, we'll show you how the Hole19 Golf App can help you navigate these unconventional challenges with GPS yardages, shot tracking, and performance stats that work anywhere in the world.

Ready to tee off in the twilight zone of golf? Let's dive in.

What Makes a Golf Course "Strange"?

Before we explore specific courses, let's define what we mean by "strange." A strange golf course goes beyond difficult or scenic—it's a course that defies expectations in location, design, hazards, or context.

Unusual Locations and Settings

Some golf courses are strange simply because of where they exist. Imagine playing golf on an active military base, inside a nuclear power plant compound, or on a former warship. These courses turn everyday golf into an experience that feels more like a scene from a movie.

Other courses occupy extreme environments—the top of a mountain, the middle of a desert, or the edge of the Arctic Circle. The setting alone makes them unforgettable.

Extreme Terrain and Elevation Changes

Elevation can make a course strange in the best way. Playing at 13,000 feet above sea level isn't just physically demanding—it changes how far the ball flies, how quickly you tire, and how you strategize each shot. Similarly, courses built on volcanic rock, sand dunes, or cliffside terrain force golfers to adapt their game in ways they never imagined.

Bizarre Hazards and Obstacles

Standard golf hazards include bunkers, water, and rough. Strange golf courses add crocodiles, elephants, active volcanoes, and razor wire. Some courses have greens you can only reach by helicopter. Others feature hazards made of solid lava or fairways patrolled by armed guards.

These aren't your typical golf challenges—they're the stuff of legend.

Why Golfers Seek Out Unusual Golf Courses

So why do golfers go out of their way to play on courses that are harder, weirder, and riskier than their local muni?

Novelty and bragging rights. Playing the world's highest golf course or surviving 18 holes next to a prison yard makes for an unforgettable story. It's golf tourism at its most extreme.

Challenge and adventure. Strange courses push golfers outside their comfort zones. They test adaptability, creativity, and mental toughness in ways that traditional courses can't.

Bucket-list experiences. For many golfers, playing a round in an exotic location or at a famous unusual course is as important as playing Augusta or St. Andrews. It's about the experience, not just the score.

Photography and social media. Let's be honest—hitting a tee shot with a volcano in the background or a floating green is Instagram gold. These courses are visually stunning and inherently shareable.

Whatever your reason, playing strange golf courses is about embracing the unexpected side of the game—and having the right tools, like Hole19's GPS flyover and shot tracking, can make these adventures even more memorable.

North America's Weirdest Golf Courses

Coyote Run Golf Course (Colorado, USA) – Playing Among Prairie Dogs

Located in the heart of Colorado, Coyote Run Golf Course is home to a massive prairie dog colony that calls the fairways home. These curious creatures pop up from their burrows mid-round, creating unexpected hazards and plenty of photo opportunities.

While it's not the most extreme course on this list, playing around hundreds of prairie dogs adds a level of unpredictability you won't find at most courses. It's a reminder that golf and nature can coexist—even if it means dodging a few critters.

Pro Tip: Use the Hole19 GPS app to track yardages even when prairie dogs distract you. The app's distance arcs help you visualize layup zones and avoid hitting into wildlife zones.

The Prison View Golf Course (Louisiana, USA) – Tee Off Next to Inmates

The Prison View Golf Course at Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) is exactly what it sounds like: a golf course inside a maximum-security prison. Built and maintained by inmates, this 9-hole course allows staff and authorized visitors to play while prisoners work the grounds.

It's surreal to stand on a tee box and see razor wire fences and guard towers in the background. The course itself is surprisingly well-maintained, but the context makes every round unforgettable.

Golf Course Management Tip: Strange settings can be mentally distracting. Stay focused on your pre-shot routine and use Hole19's shot tracker to keep your mind on the game, not the surroundings.

Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course (Idaho, USA) – The Floating Green

The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course is famous for its 14th hole, which features a floating green that moves daily via a computer-controlled system. The green sits on a pontoon in the middle of a lake, and the distance changes every day—anywhere from 100 to 218 yards.

Golfers are ferried to the green by boat after hitting their tee shots. It's equal parts engineering marvel and golf spectacle, and it's one of the most photographed holes in the world.

Distance Control Tip: With the Hole19 app, you can get accurate plays-like distances that factor in wind and elevation—critical for nailing a tee shot to a moving target.

Europe's Most Bizarre Golf Courses

Lofoten Links (Norway) – Golf at the Edge of the World

Lofoten Links in Norway is the world's northernmost golf course, located just above the Arctic Circle. During summer, golfers can play under the midnight sun, where daylight lasts 24 hours. In winter, the course is blanketed in snow and practically inaccessible.

The landscape is breathtaking—jagged mountains, fjords, and the Norwegian Sea surround every hole. It's golf in one of the most dramatic and remote settings on Earth.

Weather Tip: Arctic weather is unpredictable. Use Hole19's GPS flyover to familiarize yourself with the course layout before conditions change mid-round.

La Jenny Golf Course (France) – Nuclear Cooling Tower Golf

The La Jenny Golf Course is part of the La Jenny Domaine Résidentiel Naturiste, located in the Gironde region of southwest France, between the Bay of Arcachon and Lacanau, and about 60 km from Bordeaux. It is situated in a preserved pine forest with direct access to a naturist beach on the Atlantic Ocean.

Design and Play: The 6-hole course is the world's only naturist golf course. It is designed to accommodate both beginners and experienced players, with three par-3 holes and three par-4 holes.

Unique Feature: Because the course is clothing-optional, golfers are advised to come prepared, especially since there are no pockets for tees or ball markers.

Amenities: As part of the larger La Jenny resort, the golf course is surrounded by other amenities including swimming pools, tennis courts, and a beach

Asia's Strangest Golf Destinations

Camp Bonifas Golf Course (DMZ, Korea) – The Most Dangerous Golf Course

The Camp Bonifas Golf Course in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is a single-hole par-3 that holds the title of "most dangerous golf course in the world." The hole is surrounded by landmines, and golfers play under armed supervision.

The rough? Off-limits. The hazards? Literally life-threatening. It's golf at its most extreme—and most absurd.

Safety First: If you ever play here (unlikely, but hey), focus on accuracy over distance. There's no retrieving a ball from the rough.

Legend Golf & Safari Resort (South Africa) – The Extreme 19th Hole

The Extreme 19th Hole at Legend Golf & Safari Resort is a par-3 hole that plays from a mountaintop tee box to a green shaped like Africa, located 1,400 feet below. Golfers are helicoptered to the tee, and hitting the green requires a carry over 430 yards—and nerves of steel.

It's the ultimate bucket-list golf experience, combining extreme elevation, stunning views, and pure adrenaline.

Shot Tracking: Use Hole19's shot tracker to record this once-in-a-lifetime shot. Even if you don't hit the green, you'll want the data to prove you tried.

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Course (China) – High Altitude Extremes

At 10,000 feet above sea level, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Course is one of the highest-altitude golf courses in Asia. The thin air means the ball flies farther—but you'll also get winded faster. The course is surrounded by snow-capped peaks and dramatic landscapes.

Elevation Tip: Use Hole19's plays-like distances to adjust for altitude. A 150-yard shot at sea level might play like 130 at this elevation.

Australia and Pacific's Unusual Golf Courses

Coober Pedy Opal Fields Golf Club (Australia) – No Grass, Just Dirt

Welcome to the only golf course in the world with no grass. At Coober Pedy Opal Fields Golf Club in South Australia, golfers play on compacted dirt and sand fairways under the blazing outback sun. Players carry a small piece of artificial turf to tee off from.

It's hot, dusty, and utterly unique—a true test of creativity and adaptability.

Hydration Reminder: Outback golf is brutal. Stay hydrated, and use Hole19's scorecard feature to track your round without overheating.

Nullarbor Links (Australia) – The World's Longest Golf Course

Nullarbor Links stretches 850 miles across southern Australia, with 18 holes spread across two states. It's the world's longest golf course, and completing it requires a multi-day road trip through the outback.

Each hole is located in a different town or roadhouse, and the course takes golfers through some of the most remote and barren landscapes on Earth.

Road Trip Golf: Use Hole19's GPS to find each hole and track your cumulative score across multiple days.

Volcanic Golf Course (Hawaii, USA) – Playing on Lava Rock

Several courses in Hawaii—like Mauna Lani Resort—are built on ancient lava flows. Fairways are carved out of black volcanic rock, and the rough is made of jagged lava that will destroy your golf ball (and possibly your ankles).

The contrast between lush greens and black lava is visually stunning—and strategically challenging.

Embrace the Weird Side of Golf

Golf is a game of tradition, but it's also a game of exploration and adventure. The world's strangest golf courses remind us that golf can be played anywhere—from the top of a mountain to the middle of a desert to the edge of a war zone.

Whether you're chasing bucket-list experiences, testing your adaptability, or simply collecting stories to tell at the 19th hole, these courses offer something no traditional course can: pure, unadulterated wonder.

And no matter how strange the course, Hole19 is there to help you navigate it. With GPS yardages, shot tracking, and performance stats, you'll have the tools to play your best—even when the course is at its weirdest.

So grab your clubs, download Hole19, and start building your strange golf course bucket list. The world's weirdest fairways are waiting.