Why the Nullarbor Links really is the longest golf course in the world
People who ride steel dragons have it good. Every few years, a new park rises to the top of the list of largest parks. Nagashima Onsen Resort in Mie Prefecture, Japan set the standard in 2000 with the Steel Dragon’s 306-foot dive. Three years later, the Top Thrill Dragster’s 400-foot drop drew attention in Cedar Point, Ohio. Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey currently holds the Kingda Ka record at 418 feet. This is a game of distance and adrenaline.
Golfers chase the same high. They want to distance themselves. They like to say that their course is the longest. The International Golf Club in Bolton, Massachusetts has held this title for many years. The Pines Course is 8,325 yards long. It is 7.61 km. This is a par 77 course that sits on 66 acres. Masters like Robert Trent Jones and Tom Fazio have been fine-tuning it for decades. It was the king.
In 2001, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club opened in Yunnan, China. It is located in the Himalayas. The altitude is over 10,000 feet. The course design covers 8548 yards. The International has dropped to the longest event in the United States. The world title belonged to the snow-capped peaks of China.
Next up, El Grande Hombre in Las Vegas. A golfer’s dream is an 8,600-yard monster. This has been planned since the beginning of the 21st century. However, the drought struck. Construction stopped. This title was never transferred to Sin City.
In 2009, things changed in the Australian outback. Nullarbor Links opened. The yard doesn’t matter. Kilometers matter.
850 mile route logistics
The Nullarbor Links are approximately 1,368 kilometers long. That’s 850 miles. The holes are not very close together. You might drive 50 miles between shots. Golf carts are useless here. A sturdy vehicle is required. This course lasts an average of 4 days. This is a par 72 layout. But it felt like a tour.
Critics called it a publicity stunt. It is said that it does not meet the usual standards. It goes way beyond the scope of the course. But it’s still playable. By the strict metric of length, it holds the title. It is arguably the longest golf course in the world.
The creators wanted a “quintessentially Australian experience”. You can see a sheep shearing station currently in operation. There are holes between these buildings. The outback is dusty. Wild camels roam the land. Wombat lurks near the cave. Hit a shot too close to their holes? You might lose the ball. Wild animals win.
Purists consider this title empty. Distance destroys the spirit of the game. But the measurement is real. The gameplay is real. The record remains unchanged.
Who currently holds this title?
The competition for the longest golf course has turned from a simple extension to a logistical nightmare. While some may dispute the effectiveness of the four-day course, the data is clear. Nullarbor Links currently holds the record for the longest golf course in the world.
Before the Nullarbor, searches for the longest golf courses tended to focus on high-altitude courses in China or stalled megaprojects in Nevada. The focus is now on the Australian outback.
If you’re looking for the longest golf course in the United States, it still goes to the International Golf Club in Bolton, Massachusetts. The 8,325-yard Pines Course remains a challenging par-77. This is a classic test. It’s not 850 miles, but it’s some serious golf.
The Nullarbor was different. This is an adventure. This is a test of endurance. It’s not just about playing the holes. You move between them. The distance between the holes can be up to 80 kilometers. It’s not a game. That is a journey.
Roller coasters are recorded in feet. Golf course records are now measured in days. The competitive spirit remains. The scale has just gotten insane.
What happens when the next course exceeds the four-day mark? The search for the longest golf course continues. The horizon continues to move.
