The Nullarbor Links Golf Course is an 18 hole course spread over 1,365 kilometres with one hole in each participating town or roadhouse along the Eyre Highway. Some holes are set up specifically for the course, others are a nominated hole at an established golf course.
Hole 17 and hole 18 of the Nullarbor Links Golf Course (or holes 1 and 2 in reverse) are at the Kalgoorlie Golf Club, the last two holes on a very long course… or the first two holes if you are doing the course in reverse.
Hole 17 is called Golden Mile in reference to the twin city’s gold rush roots. Gold was discovered by Paddy Hannan in 1893 which kicked off one of Australia’s greatest gold rushes, since then Kalgoorlie-Boulder has become a major service hub for Western Australia’s resources industry.
Mining and colourful Australian culture is prominent in the golden city. The Hannans North Tourist Mine and the Two Up Shed to the north of the city shows some of this heritage.
The 17th Tee is devoted to Bob Bongiorno, the person who came up with the concept of the Nullarbor Golf Links Course to change how travellers perception of the Eyre Highway as a race track and slow down for something to be enjoyed rather than be endured.
Naming the holes and tees helps elevate the course from a golf game to help create awareness of the significant geological features, people, and events that is part of the history along the Nullarbor.
Hole 15 is called CY O’Connor after the fresh water pipeline designed and built by CY O’Connor. The pipeline carries water from the hills outside of Perth to the goldfields. The 560 kilometre pipeline took five years to build, completed in 1903.
The pipeline is still in service, bringing supplies of water to around 100,000 people and 6 million sheep in the goldfields and surrounding agricultural areas
The 15th Tee is devoted to Alf Caputo who was the project manager of the Nullarbor Golf Links project from when it was announced in 2004 until it was completed in 2009.
Alf was the chairman of Kalgoorlie Goldfields Tourism when he met Bob Bongiorno with his dream of the world’s longest golf course, stretching from Ceduna in South Australia through to Norseman in Western Australia. Alf supported the idea but wanted the course extended to finish in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
Thanks to Alf, the “pipe dream” of the Nullarbor Links Golf Course extended through to where CY O’Connors pipeline leads to.
Next Reverse: Hole 16 – Silver Lake
