Category: Golf courses in Afghanistan, Pakistan and North Korea

Golf? Not in my country

On By scottpetersenIn Golf, Golf courses in Afghanistan, Pakistan and North KoreaLeave a comment

On September 22 and 25, 2021, I wrote about the 47 countries in the world that have one – single – golf course. I suggested putting together a golf trip for the ages. Get a group of guys – who have carry on luggage and golf clubs — and head off to those countries like Afghanistan and North Korea that have one golf course. And move on to the next 45. I’m sure Golf Magazine would author a 10 page article on the expedition. The Golf Channel would likely have a series – featuring all of the brave souls who trekked to Turkmenistan to play the new Jack Nicklaus course (Ashgabat Golf Club) and braved an expedition to the Kabul Golf Club.

On the flip side, there would be an added challenge to assemble an investment group to develop golf courses in those countries that are barren of fairways and greens. Countries devoid of a golf course. For example:

Vatican
Nauru
Monaco
Tuvalu
San Marino
Mauritania
Togo
Benin
Liechtenstein
Dominica
Western Sahara
Central African Republic
Chad

Who’s up for it?? Monaco and Liechtenstein might not be so bad for accommodations. But a few of those mentioned, a sleeping bag might come in handy. And we might need a few protein bars and some bottled water in the Western Sahara.

Ready for a Golf Trip?

On By scottpetersenIn Golf courses in Afghanistan, Pakistan and North Korea, Kabul Golf Club, Pyongyang Golf CourseLeave a comment

How about a golf trip for the ages?

There is only one golf course in Afghanistan — Kabul Golf Club. The course was opened in 1967, closed in 1978 and reopened in 2004. It is – to my knowledge – still open though I’m not sure how much traffic they are getting. The website doesn’t offer much (see http://www.kabulgolfclub.org/ ). But if you Google the term, there are dozens of neat photos! The Taliban have banned sporting events so not much is known about the Club’s current status.

Kabul Golf Club is a 9 hole course. The “greens” are actually brown or black due to their composition (sand and oil – to keep the sand from blowing). There is no irrigation system and fairways are mainly sand. In 2010, there was a charity tournament that brought out 44 golfers – each paying a $100 fee to play this hard-scrabble course 7 miles from downtown Kabul.

For those golfers looking for a challenge, none could be more daunting. First we need visa permits and entrance authorizations to travel to Afghanistan. There are still flights into Kabul on Turkish Air. While we are at it, we can cross the border into Pakistan where (believe it or not) there are 48 private golf clubs! The Pakistan Golf Federation oversees the golf community in Pakistan. Pakistani courses can actually be quite lush. A link to some of the better courses is https://www.golfpass.com/travel-advisor/course-directory/8485-pakistan/

The trip can conclude with a 9 hour flight from Islamabad to Shenyang and several train and bus trips to North Korea’s only golf course — Pyongyang Golf Course (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyongyang_Golf_Course ). The back tees are 6200 meters (6780 yards). This is the course where Kim Jong-il scored a birdie or better on each hole and had 5 holes in one — all in one round! The course restaurant is said to be the best in North Korea. That said, I think we still may have to bring our own clubs. And food. And tents. . . . .