extreme 19th hole
 

Quite simply the most amazing golf hole on the planet

By Jay Busbee

The brand-new golf course at the Legends Golf & Safari Resort in South Africa is an amazing stretch of 18 holes designed by 18 different top-flight golfers, including Padraig Harrington, Colin Montgomerie, K.J. Choi, Retief Goosen, Justin Rose, Trevor Immelman and Vijay Singh. And I'm sure each one of those 18 holes is a perfect mini-masterpiece of challenge and reward. Along with, apparently, a lion or two along the way, if we're to believe the brochures.

But that's nothing. Wait until you get to the signature 19th hole.

The course's so-called "Xtreme 19th" hole is a par 3 -- a par 3 whose tee is atop a cliff on Hanglip Mountain, more than 1,400 feet above a green carved like the continent of Africa. You've got to take a helicopter to get to the tee box. And once you tee off, it takes nearly 30 seconds for the ball to hit the ground.

Should you manage to drill a hole-in-one on the 19th, congratulations -- you've just won yourself a million bucks, and the right to call yourself the most Xtreme golfer on Earth! And unlike certain signature holes (Island Green at Sawgrass, we're looking at you), you can play just the Xtreme 19th, if you like, without messing with all that full-round business.

One-Eyed Golfer (via Waggle Room) uncovered some astonishing video of Harrington and Raphael Jacquelin playing the hole. Check out the height of this thing above the green:


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Imagine the dent it will put in the green if you hit the green in one.... Ball would be half sunk I bet. Million bucks for hole in one Marshals better wear helmets hah.

Berz out.

Global Warming

i don't even like hitting on the top deck of a driving range for fear i'm going to swing and fall of the edge

i ws getting nurvous watching these guys hit from up there

holy shit!!

That's insane! I wonder if you have to drive with that helicopter idling right there beside the tee box?

i'd be scared to maybe fall from swinging too hard that high up

That's one crazy hole.

What if you miss the green!!

I'd definetely say that this is one of those holes that you pocket that Pro V1 and use a crap ball b/c you know damn well you might never see it again heh... but then again, you might not care if you can afford to this play course.

There's also another famous course in South Africa at Sun City. The water traps are filled with crocodiles!

^ seriously? that be cool

im guessing if ur able to aford to play that hole then Prov's would be peanuts for you

ball would reach terminal velocity, so no.

How can you tell if you get it in? How much does it cost? What's the closest anyone has come to winning - assuming no ones won?

Dood I've had a ball half bury itself using a Wedge on a soft green so I would think a ball falling at terminal velocity would be traveling a little faster than the loft my wedge hits at.

Berz out.

I think the caddies that were waving their hands tells u where u hit the ball

Sooner or later someone's gonna get it in. It's tough, but doable.

But it probably costs $100 per trip up there, so the resort will still turn a profit. In any case, that's a kickass idea.

I would hate to be a caddy who gets hit by one of those things flying down.

Seriously, some people have too much money for their own good...

I don't even golf and I want to go do that