Golfers are a tough breed, not always that bright, but tough nonetheless.. We have to be in order to cope with the frustrations of the game and I can assure you there are many. So, if your local golf course is becoming routine and you need a fresh challenge, this list may inspire you or make you want to quit the game and take up knitting.

Uummanng, Greenland - Its status as the coldest golf course in the world makes it the venue for the World Ice Golf Championships. The terrain is a large, glacial iceberg and temperatures sometimes drop to –50 degrees (with wind chill factor). The holes are larger and the course is smaller. Of course, players couldn’t see an ordinary golf ball against the white ground, so they play with fluorescent balls.

Coober Pedy Opal Fields Golf Club, South Australia - There isn’t any grass here or anything green to be seen. This is a desert course, which has to be treated with oil to stop it blowing away. This makes teeing off problematic, so golfers are allowed to carry portable squares of grass from hole to hole.

Stone Canyon Club, Tucson, Arizona - This is not the course to wander off to search for a lost ball. You may well come across a tarantula, or scorpion, or rattlesnake. The course is known for its scenic beauty and its rock formations, waterfalls, and desert foliage. Players are also likely to see deer and lizards.
 
Alice Springs Golf Club, Northern Territory, Australia - This is said to be the hottest golf club on the planet with temperatures going up to 50C. The hot desert winds also offer a challenge, as do the rocky outcrops that line the edges of many fairways.

Hans Merensky Country Club, Northern Province, South Africa - This is another beautiful course and one where players may have to give way to a wild animal. The course is adjacent to the Kruger National Park game reserve, where crocodiles, elephants, hippos, antelope, and lions roam.

La Paz Golf Club, Bolivia - This is the highest course in the world. At 10,650 feet (3,246 meters) above sea level, players are advised to take a few days to acclimatize to the conditions before playing and to take on plenty of water. The ball travels further than normal because the atmosphere is so thin and it has been compared to the moon because of its many craters, formed in the soft sandstone.

Lost City Course, Sun City, South Africa - Dedicated golfers don’t mind a few crocodiles here and there, do they? The Lost City desert style course is famous for its 13th hole. It has a deep-water hazard filled with Nile crocodiles. It’s a brave player who tries to retrieve a ball from that hole. The course was designed by South African golfer, Gary Player and he also designed the other course at Sun City, called the Gary Player Golf Course at Sun City. Lost City is surrounded by mountains and has terrific scenery.

Ko’olau Golf Club, Oahu, Hawaii - Considered to be the toughest golf course in the world, this course offers incredible scenery as well as a challenge. The course record is reported as 67. The course is on the side of the Ko’olau Ridge Mountains, and was carved through the rainforest, so there are lots of ravines and waterfalls, not to mention giant sand bunkers, and plenty of opportunities to lose the ball.

So, as if golf wasn’t difficult enough, there we have the coldest, hottest, and most remote courses in the world with a few wild animals thrown in. If you play any of these, you won’t just be worried about your raising your handicap a few strokes!