It's no secret that the PGA Tour pros play on long golf courses, some of them really long.
Chambers Bay, site of the 2015 U.S. Open, for example, can play more than 7,800 yards. Erin Hills in Wisconsin, where the 2017 U.S. Open was played, is around the same distance, and three-time PGA Championship venue Whistling Straits comes in at just less than 7,800 yards. In 2024, the PGA TOUR unveiled the longest golf course in its history - the 8,130-yard Castle Pines.
Few golfers -- and really even the pros -- should think about taking on these courses from the back tees unless they're compelled to in a tournament. Often, golfers simply tee it up from the tips without regard to score on these courses just to say they did it. Although we advise, in most cases, that simply playing one of the world's longest golf courses from any tee is good enough.
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With that said, here's a rundown of the 10 longest golf courses in the world. (Australia's Nullarbor Links, billed to be the world's longest golf course with its scattering of holes from different golf courses that stretches out to around 850 miles long, doesn't qualify.) Most of the courses on this list are open to the public, and seven are in the United States.
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Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club, Lijiang, China - 8,548 yards, par 72
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It makes sense that the longest golf course in the world would be at elevation, so it shouldn't be too surprising that no. 1 on the list is in the Himalayas of China. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club sits at 10,800 feet and it's actually in a valley, facing Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, which is 18,360 feet high. Designed by Robin Nelson and Neil Haworth, the course is located in the Yunnan Province of China near Lijiang. The longest hole is the fifth, a 711-yard par 5, and the air is so thin, oxygen is provided in the golf carts.
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Legend Golf & Safari Signature Course, Waterberg, South Africa - 8,473 yards, par 72
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Probably better known for its par-3 Extreme 19th hole that is supposed to be reopening after a pandemic closure, the Legend Golf & Safari Signature Course is pretty cool in its own right. Not only is it nearly 8,500 yards, making it the second-longest course in the world, but also a different big-name golfer or designer designed each of the holes, many from South Africa. (Retief Goosen designed the 18th, for example.) Most of the holes feature elevated tees, but none so elevated as the auxiliary par-3 hole. The tee is only accessible via helicopter (which will cost more than $200 extra to play) and the tee shot is to a green shaped like Africa some 1,200 feet below.
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RainDance National, Windsor, Colo - 8,463 yards, par 72
Designed by Harrison Minchew and Fred Funk about 45 minutes north of Denver at an elevation of 5,000 feet, RainDance National made splashy headlines in 2022 when golfers heard it would open as America's longest course.
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Blair Atholl Golf Course, Johannesburg, South Africa - 8,420 yards, par 72
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Just slightly shorter than Legend Signature Course, the Gary Player-designed Blair Atholl Golf Course is part of a private development just outside Johannesburg. The course, which opened in 2007, has several holes that run along the Crocodile River, plus it provides views of the Magaliesburg mountains, the oldest mountain range in the world. There aren't any ridiculously long holes, but there are five par 5s and two of them are more than 600 yards.
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The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Ross Bridge, Hoover, Ala. - 8,191 yards, par 72
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Birmingham, AlabamaPublicThe former home of a Champions Tour event (The Regions Charity Classic from 2006-10), Ross Bridge is not only one of the longest golf courses in the world, but also a favorite of the 10 courses on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Most golfers never see the back tees on this wonderfully scenic parkland course, which features 10 holes that play along the banks of two man-made lakes connected by a waterfall dropping 80 feet between the ninth and 18th greens. The course, which can be played as short as 5,300 yards, is part of the Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa.
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Eagles Nest, Little River, S.C. - 8,168 yards, par 72
Gene Ham designed Eagle Nest in 1971, but the extra-long tees were added more recently to catch people's attention. An August 2024 review from 'NJUGUSH' calls it a "Great Course", adding it's a "Long course. Great layout. Greens are perfect. I would recommended it."
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Castle Pines Golf Club, Castle Rock, Colo. - 8,130 yards, par 72
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The International, held from 1986-2006, previously used the Stableford scoring system, but Castle Pines held up very well in its return to the PGA TOUR in stroke play with 2024 BMW Championship winner Keegan Bradley finishing at 12-under-par. Considering the large crowds that attended and the beautiful mountain scenery, it's safe to assume that Castle Pines will be hosting the pros again in the near future.
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French Lick Resort, Dye Course, French Lick, Ind. - 8,102 yards, par 72
![French Lick Pete Dye Course at Dusk]()
Not only is the Dye Course at French Lick one of the longest golf courses in the world, but it's also one of the most difficult with its endless uneven lies, high grass and difficult greens and bunker. So you'll want to think twice about playing anywhere near the back tees. In fact, during the 2015 Senior PGA Championship, a dozen players failed to break 80, and they played the course at just over 7,000 yards. In 2024, it started hosting the Korn Ferry Tour's season finale. It's one of the country's most breathtaking courses, and combined with the Ross Course, French Lick Resort makes for a great golf getaway.
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Promontory Club, Painted Valley, Park City, Utah - 8,098 yards, par 72
Hailed as the toughest golf course in Utah, the Jack Nicklaus-designed Painted Valley Course is one of two courses at Promontory Golf Club (the other is the Dye Signature Course). With views of Park City's three major ski mountains, the front nine plays down and up a valley and starts with a 718-yard par 5, the longest hole on the course. The back is laid out more along meadows and features plenty more long holes, including the par-5 12th at 673 yards and the par-4 18th at 480 yards.
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The Shoals Golf Club, Fighting Joe, Muscle Shoals, Ala. - 8,092 yards, par 72
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Muscle Shoals, AlabamaPublicThe second course from the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail to the make the list is the Fighting Joe at The Shoals, named in honor of the only Confederate general to later attain the same rank in the U.S. Army. It's a links-style course with some terrific scenery. Overlooking the Tennessee River and Lake Jackson, the course features generous fairways, but stray from them and you're likely to find water or high grass, which makes the course tough from any tees.
2 Min Read![TPC Colorado 13]()
but its about the length of what u hit not the total course length
Hahaha and use all reckon the longest golf course in the world is the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club, Lijiang, China 8,548 yards, par 72. Thats got nothing over the Nullarbor Golf Course in Australia lol, its 1,492,782.15 yards which is 1,365 kilometres long. It crosses two states which are South Australia and Western Australia, depending on were you start you either tee off from Ceduna, S.A. and finish in Kalgoorlie, WA or viversa. Each hole are 66km apart and two of the holes are almost 220km apart.