As I was perusing the world news, I came across an interesting story by Agence France-Presse about the world's longest golf course, which is set to open in Australia next month.
The course, called The Nullarbor Links, reportedly stretches along 848 miles (1,365 kilometers) of desert highway with holes in 18 towns and service stations along the way. The whole course spans two time zones and encompasses more real estate than the entire length of Britain.
"This is the longest golf course in the world. It's unique terrain, there's something for everybody," project chairman Don Harrington said.
The course, conceived five years ago "over a couple of beers," is meant to attract tourists to the Eyre Highway, which traverses the desolate Nullarbor Plain and hugs part of Australia's southern coastline, according to the news agency.
Golfers will stop at one roadhouse, play a hole, then drive on to the next tee -- 62 miles (100 kilometers) down the road in some cases. The par-71 course will take three or four days to complete, and each player will be awarded a certificate when they finish.
Each hole will showcase a local attraction, from whale-watching to ancient fossil beds and a working sheep station and will include sights such as the Big Kangaroo statue at Border Village straddling South and Western Australia.
"There's a lot of history, and you can see all of that on a golf course," Harrington said.
"Both Australian tourists and golfing enthusiasts around the world have shown support for what we're doing."
The course was the brainchild of Bob Bongiorno, who was managing a roadhouse at remote Balladonia when he came up with the idea.
Bongiorno, now living in Kalgoorlie at the course's western end, said he tried hitting a few balls when he first moved into the Outback but got sick of encountering spiders when trying to retrieve them.
There should be no such hazards on the synthetic greens of the Nullarbor Links, although golfers who hit a stray shot into the desert will face a monster sand trap.
"There's a lot of history, and you can see all of that on a golf course," Harrington said.
"Both Australian tourists and golfing enthusiasts around the world have shown support for what we're doing."
The course was the brainchild of Bob Bongiorno, who was managing a roadhouse at remote Balladonia when he came up with the idea.
Bongiorno, now living in Kalgoorlie at the course's western end, said he tried hitting a few balls when he first moved into the Outback but got sick of encountering spiders when trying to retrieve them.
There should be no such hazards on the synthetic greens of the Nullarbor Links, although golfers who hit a stray shot into the desert will face a monster sand trap.
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