A group of determined golfers have set out to tackle the world’s longest course, the Nullarbor Links, which snakes through vast tracts of the inhospitable Australian Outback.
Kym Woods, secretary of the Ceduna Golf Club, said the opening tournament for the course — with 18 holes at towns and service stations spread over 1,365km — had kicked off in South Australia.
“The competition is in progress,” he told AFP.
Woods said the players were aiming to complete three or four more holes at stops along the drive from Ceduna to Border Village some 450km to the west.
The Nullarbor Links, which spans two time zones and measures more than the entire length of Britain, features synthetic tees and greens plotted along a red desert landscape better known for dingoes and kangaroos than golfers.
The par-71 course, designed to attract tourists to the desolate Nullarbor Plain on Australia’s southern coastline, ends in the remote mining town of Kalgoorlie.
Along the way, the golfers will be able to visit the tourist highlights of the region including whale-watching along the Great Australian Bight and a working sheep station.
Project chairman Don Harrington said he had been encouraged to build the course by support from golfing enthusiasts from Australia and around the world.
“This is the longest golf course in the world. It’s unique terrain, there’s something for everybody,” he told AFP earlier.
(AFP)
一群意志堅決的高爾夫球選手已展開征服世界最長球場──「紐拉柏高球場」的挑戰，這座球場蜿蜒在杳無人煙的廣大澳洲內陸。
「塞杜納高球俱樂部」幹事凱姆．伍茲說，該球場的開幕錦標賽已在南澳開賽，這座球場的十八個球洞遍布於方圓一千三百六十五公里的數個城鎮和公路休息站間。
他對法新社表示：「比賽正在進行中。」
伍茲說，選手們的目標是要在「塞杜納」往西到「邊界村」這段約四百五十公里的球道上，再完成三、四洞。
跨越兩個時區、總長超過英國國土的紐拉柏球場，其特色是人造發球區和果嶺散布在以澳洲野犬、袋鼠而非高球員聞名的紅色沙漠上。
這座標準桿七十一桿的球場，最後一洞位於偏遠的礦城卡爾古利；該球場的設計是為了促進澳洲南部沿海荒涼的紐拉柏平原之觀光發展。
沿途，高球選手可以走訪當地觀光名勝，包括在大澳大利亞灣賞鯨及參觀牧羊農場。
計畫負責人唐．哈靈頓說，他是受到澳洲及全球各地高爾夫愛好者的支持鼓勵，才興建這座球場。
他稍早對法新社表示：「這是全世界最長的高球場，這裡有獨一無二的地勢，能滿足每個人的需求。」（法新社╱翻譯：袁星塵）
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