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World's 18 most beautiful golf holes
We've compiled a fantasy course comprising the 18 most gorgeous golf holes from around the world. How many have you played?
While daunting greens and tempting fairways around the globe conspire to dash the dreams of many a player, there are others that, no matter how frustrating, you have to marvel at.
Here are 18 beautiful golf holes from around the globe that turn their courses from great to magnificent.
Have your own favorites? Leave us a comment. Otherwise start planning your worldwide fantasy golf vacation right here.
1. 1st hole -- Doonbeg Golf Club, Ireland
567 yards, par 5
The most beautiful opening hole in the world, a gentle par five that plays slightly downhill to a green surrounded on three sides by towering dunes. From the fairway the Atlantic Ocean can be glimpsed through gaps in the dunes.
The Lodge at Doonbeg, Doonbeg Co. Clare, Ireland; tel. +353 65 90 55600; info@doonbeglodge.com; www.doonbeglodge.com
2. 2nd hole -- Saujana Golf & Country Club, Malaysia
204 yards, par 3
Two hundred yards over a jungle filled valley to a three-tier green surrounded by bunkers and more jungle. Malaysia's toughest hole. Deadly but beautiful. Jungle golf at its very best.
Saujana Golf & Country Club, Saujana Resort Seksyen U2 40150 Shah Alam, PO BOX 8148, Kelana Jaya, 46783 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia; tel. +603 7846 1466; golf@saujana.com.my www.saujana.com.my
3. 5th hole -- The Abaco Club, Bahamas
312 yards, par 4
Every course needs a drivable par four and this one, with the turquoise waters of Winding Bay all along the left-hand side, is a classic. Don't let the heavenly setting distract you from your game.
The Abaco Club, P.O. Box AB20571, Marsh Harbour, Abaco, The Bahamas; tel. +1 242 367 0077; abaco.member@ritzcarlton.com; www.myabacoclub.com
4. 7th hole -- Kauri Cliffs Golf Club, New Zealand
220 yards, par 3
The spectacular panoramic view from this hole takes in small rocky islets and larger, lush green islands in the vast Pacific Ocean that begins beneath the cliff just right of the green.
Kauri Cliffs Golf Club, Matauri Bay Road, Matauri Bay, Northland, New Zealand; tel: +64 9 407 0010; info@kauricliffs.com; www.kauricliffs.com
5. 13th hole -- Trump International Golf Club, Grenadines
498 yards, par 5
The jewel in any golfing crown, this hole provides 360-degree views of the Atlantic, the Caribbean and the neighboring Grenadine Islands. Never mind the golf, this one is perfect in all sorts of ways.
Trump International Golf Club, Charles Town, Canouan Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, West Indies; tel:+1 784 458 8000; reservations@canouan.com; www.canouan.com
6. 4th hole -- Anahita Golf Club, Mauritius
564 yards, par 5
A stunning par five at the best course on the paradise island of Mauritius. The green has nothing but the Indian Ocean behind it. Magnificent.
Anahita The Resort, Deep River, Beau Champ GRSE, Mauritius; tel. +230 402 2200; pierre.bruno@anahita.mu; www.anahita.mu
7. 5th hole -- Clearwater Sanctuary Golf Resort, Malaysia
402 yards, par 4
Clearwater Sanctuary is set on a nature reserve reverberating with peace and tranquillity. This dogleg right hole leaves you with a second shot over a lily-filled pond to a green shaded by majestic rain trees behind it. After your shot to the green, get the camera out.
Clearwater Sanctuary Golf Resort, Lot 6019, Jalan Changkat Larang, 31000 Batu Gajah, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia; tel. +605 366 7433; cwsgolf@po.jaring.my; www.cwsgolf.com.my
8. 13th hole -- Canyon Course, Blue Canyon Country Club, Thailand
390 yards, par 4
Teeing off over water, this hole then doglegs sharp right around a canyon uphill to a shallow green. With a forest along the left of the fairway, beauty and danger are everywhere.
Blue Canyon Country Club, 165, Moo 1, Thepkasattri Road, Thalang, Phuket 83110, Thailand; tel. 66 (0)76 328 088; reservation@bluecanyonclub.com; www.bluecanyonclub.com
9. 7th hole -- Pebble Beach Golf Links, California, United States
109 yards, par 3
The shortest par three in Major championship golf, with the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean pounding onto the rocks behind.
Pebble Beach Golf Links, 1700 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, CA 93953, United States; tel +1 831 622 8723; www.pebblebeach.com
