Back
I remember it like it was yesterday.
Bombing drives off of a mountain after a helicopter ride will do that to a golfer.
Golf's wildest, most interesting experience is back. The Extreme 19th will reopen May 9 after a seven-year closure. The Extreme 19th is a 400-yard par 3 with a tee box on top of Hanglip Mountain that drops 400 meters to a green shaped like the continent of Africa at Legend Golf & Safari in the Limpopo Province of South Africa two hours outside of Johannesburg.
How did I find out a single golf hole halfway around the world had been revived? The resort tagged my epic flight video from December 2015 and shared it on Instagram.
A steady stream of social media posts have followed from the resort's account announcing the return of not only The Extreme 19th, but the resort's two other courses - The Signature, with holes individually designed by famous golfers and The Tribute, a par 3 of replica holes from famous courses. All three had been closed since 2019 until Peet Cilliers, the founder and developer of Legend Golf & Safari Resort, decided to start re-investing in 2023.
I'm actually surprised it took this long for The Extreme 19th to make a miracle comeback. Golf's booming popularity makes it ripe for the next generation of social-media-loving, TikTok-bragging golfers to chase down, no matter how far the journey.
Unique one-day experiences are all the rage in golf these days. I'm glad I checked this one off my bucket list because there are others I want to play.
* The Bandon Dunes Summer Solstice is a sold-out event every June where golfers play as many holes as they can on all of Bandon's courses from sunrise to sunset on the longest day of the year.
* The Old Course Reversed, where lucky golfers play the holes of The Old Course at St. Andrews in reverse, is now in its third season since a successful launch in 2024. Last year, more than 600 golfers from around the world took on the challenge. The 2026 version coming up in April was only available via lottery.
* Another extraordinary day of golf, the Hagen 54 was inspired by the legendary feat of Jim Barnes and Walter Hagen, who played three famous English links in a single day in 1920. After a successful debut last summer, the 2026 Hagen 54 is completely sold out for this July. Registration has officially opened for 2027 to play the three former Open venues in Kent: Royal Cinque Ports, Royal St George’s and Prince’s Golf Club - in a single day.
It will be tough to top my memories of The Extreme 19th, though.
What's new at The Extreme 19th
I came into The Extreme 19th believing it to be a gimmick, but it was too cool. The new digital-media-immersive experience of hitting six tee shots off of a mountain sounds even better. All I have to remember my day by are the video and photos you see above from Instagram. But golfers who sign up for The Extreme 19th will get all the bells and whistles of a new-age golf adventure, including a personalized digital package to fully document their experience.
The relaunch introduces a sophisticated integration of tracking technology, broadcast-quality visuals and personalized data capture. FlightScope will be used to track every shot. When I did it, my threesome found out where our drives landed by two-way radio communications between our host on the mountain and a spotter near the green.
Players will now experience:
• Full ball-flight tracking from mountain summit to green.
• Launch data insights including speed, trajectory and carry distance. We were told it takes roughly a 260-yard carry to reach the green given the elevation drop off the mountain. None of the 18 drives my threesome hit made it safely out of the bush surrounding the green site.
• Post-shot analytics of your six shots will be used to create a personalized digital record.
Strategically positioned high-definition cameras will capture every moment, including tee-off footage from the mountain, ball-flight tracking visuals in real time and on-green confirmation and player reactions.
All it costs for an experience of a golf lifetime is a pre-launch promotional price of 6900 ZAR per person (which is roughly $400 in U.S. dollars with the current exchange rate). More information can be found here.
If flying to South Africa to play one golf hole sounds silly, keep in mind that the resort's other two courses are worth the trip as well. Each hole on the Signature Course was designed by 18 different golf professionals from 15 countries, including names such as Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen and Padraig Harrington. Its infrastructure - the greens, grass, bunkers, irrigation - had to be totally rebuilt since the course fell into disrepair when it wasn't watered during the pandemic. New additions including a halfway house, a bar on the patio and a 360-degree viewpoint tower bring a touch of modern luxury.
I recall my 2015 round feeling like a golf safari where I saw zebras, local antelope with massive horns and other wildlife. On my walk back to the accommodations, a giant hippo was rummaging through the bush behind a protective fence.
The Tribute Course, which reopened in December 2024 after its own renovation, features replica holes of the Postage Stamp from Royal Troon, the island green at TPC Sawgrass and other iconic par 3s. It's good fun.
In general, South Africa is a magical place with a fantastic golf culture. From Gary Player and Ernie Els to today's pros such as Thriston Lawrence and Garrick Higgo, the country continues to produce world-class players. It's the most exotic place I've played golf, and a trip I'd love to make again someday. Don't let the 15-hour flight from New York to Johannesburg deter you. South Africa remains one of golf's most under-appreciated and misunderstood destinations. Playing The Extreme 19th is a just a small part of its immense charm.
Is playing The Extreme 19th on your bucket list? Let us know in the comments below.
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