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The extra mile: golf courses with a 19th hole

10 mars 2021
9 min. läs
Jeroen Korving
Normally when golfers say that they are looking forward to the 19th hole, they are referring to the clubhouse or bar. The 19th hole is a slang term for a pub, bar, or restaurant on or near the golf course, very often the clubhouse itself. A normal round of golf has 9 or 18 holes of play. However, some golf courses actually do have a 19th hole you can play. That hole is often used to settle a bet, to determine who is paying for drinks and things alike. As we like to inform golfers about special things concerning golf courses, we decided to provide you with a collection of golf courses throughout the world with a playable 19th hole! Golfers in need to settle a score or bet? Go here!
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The Extreme 19th at Legend Golf & Safari Resort (photo credits: member Ruben)

Golf courses with a 19th hole

Golfclub Adamstal Franz Wittman - Austria

The first golf club with an actual 19th hole is Golfclub Adamstal. It seems strange that such a golf course – which seems to be carved into the mountains – found some extra place for an extra hole. Adamstal has two courses, The Championship Course and the Wallerbach course. The Championship Course has the extra par 3, which is called “Brunnstube” (this translate in a “spring hug”). The Brunnstube is often used to settle bets or to determine who is going to pay for drinks at the final 19th hole (the clubhouse). This par 3 measures 148 meters from the yellow tees. After the 18th green just follow the sign pointing to the 19th hole (which is not the clubhouse)!

Stone Eagle Golf Club - USA

It might not be easy to play this 19th hole as Stone Eagle is a private golf club in California. Too tough for an opening par-3, too heartbreaking for the eighteenth, but a perfect nineteenth to settle tied matches or to play for drinks on the way back up to the Aerie Restaurant. Members and their guests may warm up here before heading to number one as well. Nothing like it in the desert, a true must see!

Knollwood Country Club - USA

The golf course at Knollwood Country Club was originally designed in 1894 by Lawrence Van Etten. After purchasing some neighboring land in 1925 the course was redesigned by Seth Raynor who died before the course was completed. His protege, Charles Banks took over in 1927. The course begins with a flourish and culminates with an amazing par 4 18th hole. But that’s not all. There’s a stunning short par-three 19th hole – called “The Bye” – at Knollwood for unresolved swing thoughts or to settle up.

St Andrews 2000 - Thailand

Don’t confuse St Andrews 2000 with the real deal in Schotland (St Andrews Links), but they are not the only golf club in the world that is trying to piggy back on the name of the oldest and probably best known golf course in the world. Searching for St Andrews on Leadingcourses will give you a lot of golf club hits! Anyhow, St Andrews 2000 located in Rayong (near Pattaya) also has a 19th hole. Again, it’s a par 3 measuring 125 meters from the yellow tees.

Kinloch Golf Club - USA

The name ‘Kinloch’ might remind you of Scotland, but the Kinloch Golf Club is located in Virginia (USA) on the East coast. Kinloch Golf Club is set in a beautiful enviroment and the level of maintenance in incredible. Also Kinlock has a 19th hole where you can settle your score or bets. It’s a par 3 measuring 172 yards from the yellow tees with a lake on the whole left side.

Trump National Golf Club Colts Neck - USA

Many golfers will get nervous when walking up the first tee at Trump National Colts Neck as they might think that the island green just below the Clubhouse terrace is part of the actual championship course. Well, it’s not but you are allowed to play it. Just like the other 19th holes we discussed before, it’s a par 3 betting hole for the brave. Selecting the right club and hitting it straight is crucial here. Any other shot will end up in the pond. When the terrace is busy, your nerves must be pretty good.

Rowallan Castle Golf Club - UK

The outstanding Colin Montgomerie designed championship golf course at Rowallan Castle winds through two spectacular Ayrshire castles and is lined by 1000-year old yew trees. Rowallan Castle, a £55 million project at Kilmaurs, also boasts a 19th hole which is called “The Decider”. It’s a testing 155-yard par 3 where serious golfers can settle their bets before enjoying a well-deserved refreshment in the other 19th.

The Legacy Courses at Craguns - USA

Craguns or Gull Lake Golf Resort is home to three golf courses (45 holes in total): The Dutch Legacy, Bobby’s Legacy and a 9-hole reversible hole. Bobby’s Legacy is the course where you can find the 19th hole. The signature of this course is its many split fairways. The 19th hole is called “The Gambler” and is a par3 of 140 yards from the blue tees. The resort also offer a unique, reversible par 3 Brainerd golf course inspired by the classic St. Andrews in Scotland. The Reversible 9s direction alternates daily and is ideal for novice, family and group play.

Legend Golf & Safari Resort - South Africa

Legend Golf & Safari Resort, also known as the “Home of the Extreme 19th”, offers two golf courses. Each hole of the Signature Course (18 holes) has been designed by a world golfing legend. The 10 Hole Tribute Golf Course is made up of nine world famous holes and one self-designed hole. Unlike the other courses listed here the 19th hole is not free of charge and not used as a betting hole. The Extreme 19th will set you back a few hundred euro, but it will provide you with a unique experience. The tee, located at the top of Hangklip Mountain can only be reached via helicopter. Because of its height, a tee shot takes almost 20 seconds to land. A spotter is given a rough direction via radio to look for the ball. The fairway has been landscaped to direct the ball towards the green, which has been shaped to resemble the continent of Africa.

Penha Longa Resort - Portugal

Some guys of the Leadingcourses team played at Penha Longa, but we totally missed their 19th hole. One of our visitors pointed out that Penha Longa Resort does actually have a real 19th hole, a par 3. Penha Longa Resort by the way has much more to offer than that. It has a very nice hotel, an elevated clubhouse and two courses (27 holes), the Atlântico or Atlantic Golf Course (18 holes) and the Mosteiro or Monastery Golf Course. It’s a really nice place embedded in a national park with great views across the Atlantic.

Payne’s Valley Golf Course at Big Cedar Lodge - USA

Payne’s Valley Golf Course – the first fully public-access course in the world designed by Tiger Woods’ design firm TGR Design also has 19 holes. The course opened in 2019 and Payne's Valley stands out with its inviting layout, pristine water features, large fairways and greens, and a spectacular 19th hole… the Big Rock at Payne’s Valley™.

Castiglion del Bosco Golf Club - Italy

The golf course at Castiglion del Bosco is one of the finest private courses in Europe and the only Continental European design of Champion golfer Tom Weiskopf. Weiskopf’s Tuscan masterpiece is exquisitely blended into the soft curves and contours of the estate’s rolling hills and valleys. Knowing that 18 holes of golf at Castiglion del Bosco would never be enough, Tom Weiskopf created a final challenge, the 19th ‘Brunello Hole’. For members and their guests, this delightful closing short hole is an opportunity to settle a match and compete for a Magnum of Brunello, which is the wine made on this estate.

Even more holes… 20 in total!

We have a special place in our heart when it comes to The European Club as it is where the idea for Leadingcourses.com was born (if interested in that story, read more in this blogpost). The European – a terrific links course near Wicklow – does not only have a 19th hole, but also a 20th. Actually they are not hole 19 and 20, but hole 7a and hole 12a. The two extra holes are both par-3s and they are in play most days affording the golfer a 20-hole round. It’s not cheap to play here, so it will make the overall price-quality a bit more acceptable 😉

Barnbougle Golf – located on the North East Coast of Tasmania – offers two iconic golf courses, The Dunes and Lost Farm. Barnbougle Lost Farm is a 20 hole links golf course which opened officially on 10 December 2010, almost 6 years after The Dunes opened. All holes are playable in any one round and the course layout tracks along the coast and inland amongst sand dunes that are significantly steeper than those featured at The Dunes.

Interesting fact about Augusta National

The golf course at Augusta National originally was planned to have 19 holes. Augusta’s 19th hole was to be a double or quits hole for those who had lost their match to reclaim their money – or to double their losses. Despite the club’s highly influential co-founder Clifford Roberts being behind it, the idea of Augusta’s 19th hole was “ultimately abandoned for unknown reasons,” according to the Augusta National archives. According to insiders there can only be two reasons for not building the 19th hole:

  1. First reason could be that the extra hole would obscure the view from the clubhouse of the then 18th green, which is now the 9th green.
  2. Another reason could simply be money. In its early days, Augusta National struggled financially and also abandoned, for this reason, its plan to build a second 18-hole course.

Did we miss a course with a 19th hole? Contact us via chat, social media or via our Helpdesk!


Note: article was updated in 2022, on January 3rd

Om författaren
Biografi
Grundare av Leading Courses. Idén väcktes på The European Club i Irland. Kämpar för att hitta tid att sänka mitt handikapp. Jag gillar att utforska nya länder och hitta “hidden gems”. Förutom golf älskar jag fotboll, tennis och skidåkning!
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