| Ice Golf - only the coolest need apply!Want to try | | | | accessible for several weeks each year for other |
| the ultimate golf challenge on a course where you'll | | | | open icegolf tournaments.The greens are white and |
| have no trouble staying cool over even the most | | | | the balls are red. The "whites" are defined by a small |
| testing putt? You should consider taking up Ice Golf - | | | | wall of snow or by a red line on the ice. Players are |
| the most amazing development that the golf world | | | | allowed to use a scraper to smooth the snow on the |
| has seen for decades.Every year thirty six golfers (or | | | | white in front of their putt - the only time in golf that |
| lunatics, depending on your viewpoint) gather in | | | | a player can legitimately improve the line of his putt. |
| Greenland to play in the World Ice Golf championship. | | | | The snow and ice conditions underfoot vary from |
| This year's event takes place in late March and early | | | | hole to hole and contestants need to wear polar ice |
| April. The course is marked out on the ice of the | | | | gloves, artic boots and countless layers of clothing. |
| frozen fjord and you can expect icebergs or the | | | | Anti-glare sunglasses are also a good idea.One |
| occasional polar bear for company! As the organisers | | | | contestant a few years ago quipped that "the only |
| say: "if you've played on the greens of Europe, then | | | | hole in one I scored was when one leg disappeared |
| you'll find the "whites" of Greenland rather | | | | through a seal's breathing hole in the ice." There is |
| special."The World Ice Golf Championship was the | | | | also a local rule to deal with the unlikely situation of a |
| brainchild of Mr. Arne Neimann, a local resident and | | | | polar bear interfering with your ball!The organisers are |
| hotel proprietor on a small island called Uummannaq, | | | | looking for a new sponsor this year but in previous |
| off Greenland's North West coast. He and a friend | | | | years the Drambuie liqueur company took the lead. |
| designed the first course in 1997 and the sport took | | | | Players and spectators were able to warm |
| off from there.The world championship is played on | | | | themselves by sampling some of the sponsor's finest |
| the ice in years when the conditions make the ice | | | | product. As always however, even that feature has |
| fields safe and predictable. Players compete over two | | | | a twist to it. Rather than ice cubes in the drink, the |
| days and play thirty six holes of stroke play. There is | | | | drink was served in "ice cubes" or glasses carved out |
| a "warm up" tournament the day before although | | | | of ice to be more exact. Trophies were presented |
| "cool down" might be a more applicable phrase to | | | | from tables carved out of ice and the scorer's tent |
| describe the effect it has on the golfers. In March, | | | | was to be found in an igloo!If you get the chance to |
| when the world championships are held, the average | | | | visit Greenland for a game of ice golf then sieze it |
| temperature is minus 13.9 degrees Celsius, but | | | | with both hands. It'll be the most unique game of |
| temperatures as low as minus 25 can occur. The dry | | | | your life.Gary Hill plays most of his golf in Scotland |
| climate and the strong sunshine can make it seem | | | | and thinks that winter on the links of East Lothian is |
| slightly less cold than that - but not by much!The | | | | more than cold enough for him. |
| organisers also try to keep the golf course open and | | | | |