For your average duffer, walking a 7000-yard golf course while lugging around a bag full of clubs can result in complaining calves and an aching back — still, that’s not even 1/250th the distance one must traverse to play the world’s longest golf hole.
WORLD’S LONGEST GOLF HOLE
In the summer of 2017, Adam Rolston teed off from basecamp at Khüiten Peak, Mongolia’s western-most point, then proceeded to golf his way eastward to the country’s only golf course — 2011 kilometers away.
“For 12 weeks of golfing across epic country, the mind wonders... You start thinking about the finish.. What's it going to be like, who's going to be there, hope it doesn't rain and most importantly - please don't 3 putt! ”
The culmination of the 82-day journey came with the sinking of a downhill 7-yard putt on the 18th green at Mt. Bogd Golf Club. Rolston required 20,093 strokes to complete the hole, which was more than 6,000 over the somewhat arbitrarily established par.
PARTY OF THREE
Mongolia was chosen for the world-record feat as its topography, with vast grasslands with small tracts of trees, largely simulates a super-sized golf course. Also, owing to the Mongol’s nomadic culture, Rolston didn’t have to contend with a single fence.
Serving as Rolston’s caddy was friend and fellow retired rugby player Ron Rutland. Rutland was in charge of carting clubs, 400 golf balls, food, water and camping supplies across the better part of the country’s breadth.
The pair was joined by a feral dog for the last three quarters of the cross-country trek. Their faithful canine companion, a local breed famous for fending off wolves, was ultimately left with a loving couple in Gorkhi-Terelj National Park.
GOLFING ACROSS MONGOLIA
Rolston and Rutland’s odyssey, which raised more than $100,000 for the charity Laureus Sport for Good, will be covered in a forthcoming documentary. Until then you’ll have to content yourself with pictures from their epic golfing adventure…
Leave A Comment