Here Is Your Chance to Putt On The World's Slickest Surface #golf

Have you ever yearned to travel to a unique golf destination and just love freezing cold weather? Here is your chance to add skis to the bottom of your golf cart! Grab your parka and partake in one of the most unusual three-day events you will ever attend.

Ice Golf in Siberia?!

From March 15 to March 20, 2016 in the heart of mysterious Siberia, the International Ice Golf Festival will be commemorating its twelfth anniversary and you are invited to train "on the surface of the deepest spot of Baikal" on the ice of the world's nethermost lake. The festival takes place along the bay of Maloye Morye and Olkhon Island.

Ever heard the expression "putting on glass"? Watch Rory McIlroy in this ESPN Sports Science Video and see what it's like as one of the world's top golfers glides his ball along a zero-friction surface - you will have your chance at this tournament, as well as an opportunity to feel what -25 degrees actually feels like on your skin - this is what is meant by an extreme golf experience!

This Tournament Gives New Meaning to Putting on Glass

At Lake Baikal, you will gain brand-new experiences as you take part in training sessions and an exciting golf tournament on an ice/snow golf course created by Mother Nature. One of the training sessions will actually take place on the surface of the deepest spot of Lake Baikal (1637 meters/5370 feet).

The grand finale of the festival is the Baikal Ice Golf Tournament with players contending for the Baikal Big Challenge Cup.

Contrary to what you may have heard, you will not only be speechless at the natural beauty of your surroundings but also pleasantly surprised to discover a developed city and tourist infrastructure in the heart of Siberia. One of the distinctive peculiarities of the festival is its rich cultural and ethnic program with shaman ceremonies and music master-classes.

The goal of Baikal Ice Golf 2016 is to provide golfers and travelers from around the world with an opportunity to broaden their golf experience, challenge themselves to play golf on the ice and snow surface of the fascinating Lake Baikal and to draw attention to unique recreational and sports opportunities available at places around the world that you may have never previously considered for holiday.

The doors of the festival are also open for golf beginners and for all those who dream of viewing far-away places like Siberia and legendary lake Baikal.

To learn more about the festival, or perhaps take part in a golf event that is more than just a little different, submit your application or contact the organizers: http:/ice.baikal-golf.ru/english.

What unique places have you traveled to in order to play golf? Let us know in the comments section of Golf for Beginners blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

photo: International Ice Golf Festival (see above for link)

Extreme Golf Experiences Around the World

As the PGA Tour season comes to a close and enters "silly season", it is up to amateur golfers to decide whether or not to stash their golf clubs in a corner of the garage or to embark upon an extreme experience to an exotic locale. The serious player never wants the season to end!

From "ice golf" in Greenland to playing "sand" golf in Dubai, experiences that challenge the senses as well as your ability are worthy of the trek, and the "fun factor" of being on unfamiliar territory will surely be a memorable experience.

Grab a flourescent ball for this golf course: 

Although temperatures rarely climb above -13 degrees celsius and with a wind chill factor that sometimes makes it feel as if it is -50 degrees in the sun, (did I just say negative 50?) Uummannqaq, located north of the Arctic Circle, is home to the World Ice Golf Championships held in March.. I wonder if there is a large crowd on hand to watch the final round? The west side of the island is also home to Santa Claus, who is storied to live in Spraglebugten Bay. I always thought Kris Kringle carried his own clubs by the size of his toy bag!

Speaking of cold weather golf, although you could just play in your own "backyard" donning an extra sweater and some warm weather gloves, also consider a round at the northernmost USGA golf course in the world: North Star in Alaska. Permafrost creates an ever-changing pattern of dips and swales so no two shots are alike. Be prepared for two games in one when you play here; one event is naturally golf and another is a checklist of the wildlife encountered on the course.

For golfers who want to play whenever the mood strikes, head to North Cape in Norway, in the land of the midnight sun. From mid-May through August, your round can start literally at 10 pm! During your northerly adventure, take the Awesome Eight Golf Challenge. Thought up by extreme athlete Robin Sieger, golfers must complete the challenge by playing "eight of the most remote and climatically most extreme golf courses in the world within the span of a year. The only condition is that they carry their clubs, not using any caddie or cart."

There are some of us who are snowbirds and others who fly south as soon as the temperature falls below 40 degrees. If you can't stand the sight of snow or blue extremities at the end of a round, perhaps the world's hottest locale is a better fit for you.

Merapi Golf Club in Indonesia confirms that they have the world's "hottest" green as well as panoramic views of Mt. Merapi. Also known as "Mountain of Fire" this active volcano not only dominates the surrounding landscape but has been active for 10,000 years and regularly erupts every one-to-five years. I would not want to be putting for birdie when that volcano spews!


For those of us who love the sight of active volcanos, your vacation is not complete without a trip to the Volcano Golf and Country Club located on Hawaii's Big Island. The high altitude makes the golf ball go farther (which is better for shorter hitters) and the views of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea mountains (they are snow-capped in winter) are sweeping and memorable.


For golf with no "greens" try a round of sand golf at Dubai's first golf course, one of two located at The Dubai Country Club. Called "browns", the putting areas on these two desert courses are a "mixture of sand and second hand engine oil compressed with rollers". Brooms are located near each hole so that the golfer can "brush" to smooth out footprints.

Of course these are just a few of the marvelous experiences created for golfers around the world. Thanks to the internet, adventure is just a "click" away.

Seek and ye shall find, for the adventurous sort!



Tweet this blog… Your followers will thank you!

Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe through this RSS feed or through iTunes.

Get to know us on You Tube and MySpace and TWEET US on TWITTER


Photo Credit: © CNN.com, Jogja Rent a Car, GlobusJourneys.ca, Oman Expat