The Extreme 19th
This is the tee to what is said to be the world's longest Par 3. And see that patch of green grass 361 metres away (and 400m below), well that's the green. The tee, located at the top of Hanglip Mountain about 3 hours north of Johannesburg, is accessed via helicopter.
Because of its height, a tee shot takes almost 30 seconds to hot the ground... unless, of course, you lift your head and the ball dribbles it's way down the side of the mountain.
To track the ball, shots are followed with four separate cameras, and golfers are supplied with six balls equipped with tracking chips. The fairway is seeded with Cynodon grass, and has been landscaped to direct the ball towards the green, which has been shaped to resemble the continent of Africa. The green is surrounded by a large waste bunker.
The 19th is an addition to an 18 hole course designed by professional golfers, including Pádraig Harrington, Trevor Immelman, Sergio García, Bernard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Justin Rose, Vijay Singh, K. J. Choi and Retief Goosen.
Tere is a prize of over 1 million USD for the first golfer to score a hole in one on the Extreme 19th.
As of June 3, 2011, no one had scored a hole-in-one, but two golfers had managed a birdie,[8] including professional cricketer Franklyn Stephenson, who was the first to do so. Of professional golfers to try the hole, Pádraig Harrington was the first ever to score par. American actor Morgan Freeman has also scored par on the hole, and professional golfers Raphaël Jacquelin, Justin Rose, Sergio García and K. J. Choi have all carded bogeys.
The Facts
- Vertical Height – 430m
- Horizontal distance from foot of mountain to back of green – 400m
- Horizontal distance from foot of mountain to start of fairway – 280m
- The vertical drop from the start of fairway to the front of the green is 21m.
To play it, contact Ucango Travel and Cruise on 1300 822 646 or email info@ucango.com.au
