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 Ice Golf - only the coolest need apply!
Want to try the ultimate golf challenge on a course where you'll have no trouble staying cool over even the most testing putt? You should consider taking up Ice Golf - the most amazing development that the golf world has seen for decades.
Every year thirty six golfers (or lunatics, depending on your
viewpoint) gather in Greenland to play in the World Ice Golf
championship. This year's event takes place in late March and early
April. The course is marked out on the ice of the frozen fjord and you
can expect icebergs or the occasional polar bear for company! As the
organisers say: "if you've played on the greens of Europe, then you'll
find the "whites" of Greenland rather special."
The World Ice Golf Championship was the brainchild of Mr. Arne Neimann,
a local resident and hotel proprietor on a small island called
Uummannaq, off Greenland's North West coast. He and a friend designed
the first golf course in 1997 and the sport took off from there.
The world championship is played on the ice in years when the
conditions make the ice fields safe and predictable. Players compete
over two days and play thirty six holes of stroke play. There is a
"warm up" tournament the day before although "cool down" might be a
more applicable phrase to describe the effect it has on the golfers. In
March, when the world championships are held, the average temperature
is minus 13.9 degrees Celsius, but temperatures as low as minus 25 can
occur. The dry climate and the strong sunshine can make it seem
slightly less cold than that - but not by much!
The organisers also try to keep the golf course open and accessible for
several weeks each year for other open ice golf tournaments.
The greens are white and the balls are red. The "whites" are defined by
a small wall of snow or by a red line on the ice. Players are allowed
to use a scraper to smooth the snow on the white in front of their putt
- the only time in golf that a player can legitimately improve the line
of his putt. The snow and ice conditions underfoot vary from hole to
hole and contestants need to wear polar ice gloves, artic boots and
countless layers of clothing. Anti-glare sunglasses are also a good
idea.
One contestant a few years ago quipped that "the only hole in one I
scored was when one leg disappeared through a seal's breathing hole in
the ice." There is also a local rule to deal with the unlikely
situation of a polar bear interfering with your ball!
The organizers are looking for a new sponsor this year but in previous
years the Drambuie liqueur company took the lead. Players and
spectators were able to warm themselves by sampling some of the
sponsor's finest product. As always however, even that feature has a
twist to it. Rather than ice cubes in the drink, the drink was served
in "ice cubes" or glasses carved out of ice to be more exact. Trophies
were presented from tables carved out of ice and the scorer's tent was
to be found in an igloo!
If you get the chance to visit Greenland for a game of ice golf then
sieze it with both hands. It'll be the most unique game of your life.
About the Author:
Gary Hill plays most of his golf in Scotland and thinks that winter on
the links of East Lothian is more than cold enough for him. Check out
his european vacation website for information about more civilised golf
and about Ireland golf vacations
Gary also contributes to a medical website on the theme of whiplash injury
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