Going for the greens

The four Majors in golf are held at some of the most picturesque venues.

Golf doesn’t capture the imagination of too many Indians, although in the last few years interest in the game has been increasing. But still, if you were to ask about the four Majors, not many would know where they are held. When, in fact, these prestigious tournaments are held at some of the most beautiful places.

For instance, the ongoing Open Championships, which is held at Turnberry in Ayrshire, Scotland, has wonderful scenery, fascinating history, ancient castles, and other tourist attractions. The Turnberry Golf Course is one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The property was actually used as an airbase in World War I. The course offers stunning views of the Isle of Ailsa and the Isle of Arran. Even if you aren’t interested in what’s happening on the course, the surroundings will make sure that a certain level of interest is there in the sport.

 

The Augusta Masters, which is held at the Augusta National Golf Course in Georgia, is one of the oldest and most exclusive golf clubs in the world. The botanic beauty of the course is well known and it has some of the oldest trees. For instance, the Big Oak Tree is around 150 years old. Apart from the trees, the course has a lot of interesting architecture as well. Like the bridges made on several holes which connect the fairways to the greens are very well designed.

The venues of the other two majors are rotated every year. Like the US Open in June 2009 was held at the Bethpage State Park. The park has five 18-hole golf courses, named the Yellow, Green, Blue, Red, and Black courses. The courses are in order of difficulty, with Yellow being relatively easier and Black being the toughest in the sport. The park has picnic facilities, bridle paths, playing fields, a polo field, tennis courts, cross-country skiing trails. So there is a lot to do even if you aren’t interested in golf.

The last major, the USPGA Championships, will be held in Minnesota at the Hazeltine National Golf Course this year. The course is named after the adjoining lake and is considered as one of the most difficult courses to play on. It provides seaside, mountains and forest settings in the backdrop of a few holes. As we said earlier, the action on the course might not intrigue you but the courses surely will make an impact.