You wouldn't think this small, remote island would have a golf course, but it does.
While working on an upcoming golf travel tip, I stumbled upon a remote island I had never heard of before.
At only 50 square miles, this island sits like a speck in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
It doesn’t have any kind of economy to speak of.
It doesn’t even have a full network of paved roads.
But it does have a golf course.
And someone you know quite well will be playing there in five days.
That “someone” is Santa Claus, and the destination is — where else? — Christmas Island.
This little island (not to be confused with 1) Kiritimati 2)Christmas Island, Nova Scotia or 3) Christmas Island, Tasmania is an Australian territory located about 1,600 miles northwest of Perth. It’s actually closer to Indonesia, only 220 miles south of Jakarta.
Only about 1,500 people live there, which might give Christmas Island the highest golf-courses-per-capita rank in the world.
(By comparison, Scotland has a little more than 9,000 people per course and it’s considered the courses-per-capita leader among countries with at least 500,000 people.)
The island’s golf course, the nine-hole Christmas Island Golf Club, was established in 1955. From its website:
“The area selected was partly cleared by Prisoners of War during World War II. In 1954 a petition was presented to the Christmas Island Manager requesting permission to form a golf club. Members carried out construction of the course in their own time using equipment made available by the British Phosphate Commission.”
Now, I’m not recommending you travel to the middle of the Indian Ocean just to play this course, but it seems like it would be a very cool experience if you’re in the neighborhood.
The course is “nestled between dramatic limestone cliffs, National Park, and the Indian Ocean,” and as you might expect from a location such as this, nature dominates. In fact, in November/December, the course is usually overrun by red crabs during their annual migration.
(Did you notice the tubesocks and t-shirts the golfers are wearing in the photo? Classic!)
By the way, I also hear Santa plays golf at:
Christmas Lake Golf Course in Santa Claus, Ind.
Christmas Valley Golf Course, in Christmas Valley, Ore.
Christmas Mountain Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wisc.
Christmas Cottage Golf Club in Lancashire, England
Prestwick St. Nicholas in Ayrshire, Scotland
Where else have you heard he tees it up? Please share below.
And of course, Happy Holidays!
