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Some people sign up for a marathon during a midlife crisis. Others start baking sourdough. And then there are a few who splurge on a set of golf clubs and surrender their weekends to the course. Golf has surged in popularity recently, with new data revealing one in five Aussies played in the last year. It’s not just retirees hitting the turf either, with more than 40 per cent of new members aged under 35.
If you’ve just entered your golfing era, here’s a fun fact: one of Australia's top golf courses is actually the longest on Earth – and it’s hiding in plain sight in Australia’s golden outback.
Covering Australia’s longest straight road, Nullarbor Links stretches 1,365 kilometres from the chill coastal town of Ceduna on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula to the remote mining city of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. The 18-hole par-72 course is unlike any other on Earth, with one hole found in each participating town or roadhouse along the Eyre Highway, making it a bucket-list outback adventure.
You can play the course in either direction – either way, the scorecard and map cost $78, available to purchase from the visitor centres in Ceduna, Norseman or Kalgoorlie. For an extra $50, you can also hire clubs – which is recommended even if you’ve got your own, as they’ll just get scratched and dusty.
Many Aussie golf courses are renowned for their immaculate greens, strict dress codes and swanky clubhouses – but Nullarbor Links couldn’t be more different. The holes you’ll find in each town are quintessentially outback, featuring greens, astroturf tees and rugged fairways. You’ll play across everything from airfield landing strips and rubbish dumps to natural scrub, all while keeping an eye out for kangaroos, emus and other wildlife.
All holes are open 24/7 alongside the roadhouses, so you can just rock up and play whenever. Kalgoorlie is the only exception, where you must book in advance. Your scorecard has no expiry, so you can tackle the course all in one go or spread it out over a few months. Just remember to get your card stamped at each hole, whether at the local roadhouse, petrol station or visitor centre.
From pro golfers to casual hitters looking for a way to break up the drive along the vast Nullarbor Plain, this unique Aussie sporting experience caters for everyone. You can find out more here.