Unusual Golf Courses of the World

Imagine a golf course and you probably think of a perfectly manicured space, golf buggies and perhaps a smattering of Cloburn Firechip? Golf is becoming so popular now; it’s not just crazy golf courses that can leave you a little disoriented! Here are a few golf course facts that might make your head spin…

Your average round of gold might take a few hours to complete, but if you decide to take on the Nullarbor Links Course in southern Australia it would take you more like four days. The whole course actually spans two time zones, measures 848 miles in length and has holes situated at 18 towns and service stations along the Nullarbor Plain. Not for the faint-hearted.

If you like your golf hot, the Merapi Golf Course is perfect. The course is situated on the rim of the active Mount Merapi in Indonesia and as you would expect, comes with some breath taking views. There aren’t many golf courses next to active volcanos – if there’s an eruption perhaps the designers could incorporate lava hazards?

Heat not for you? Head to Uummannaq in Greenland and you can try your luck at the World Ice Golf Championships instead. The course is laid out on icebergs and you’ll need a few extra layers as the temperatures are usually below zero. Ice golf courses are shorter – nobody wants frostbite - but the rules are the same. The ball is bright orange though…

This one isn’t for wimps. If you’re feeling extremely brave (or foolhardy) you could attempt the Camp Bonifas course - Camp Bonifas is the closest military base to North Korea on the border in Panmunjom.  Dubbed the world’s most dangerous golf course, it consists of a single hole, par three which stretches 192 yards. I wouldn’t fancy my chances asking for my ball back….and watch where you walk; the fairway is ringed by landmines.

Be careful if you’re playing a round at the Lost City Golf Course in Sun City, South Africa too. There’s a real water trap at the 13th hole where you don’t want to lose your ball; you’ll have to compete with 38 crocodiles if you try to retrieve it. Not surprisingly, there are hundreds of lost golf balls in the water…and probably a few cross crocodiles, too.

Technically, golf has already been played on the moon when Astronaut Alan Shepard visited in 1971, and plans for an official course are under way. An enterprising Japanese company called Shimizu Construction has come up with a blueprint for a course on the moon, but we think the plans might be…wait for it…pie in the sky!

For more conventional golf courses, Cloburn has Firechip™ - popular with golf course designers for its bright red hue, weather resistance and durability. Although we wouldn’t recommend it for volcanoes or orbiting satellites…

You could be walking on a Cloburn walkway!

Are you heading off to Europe for a romantic city break this spring? Perhaps you’ve booked a weekend in Amsterdam, and you’re anticipating lots of leisurely walking along the canals, over the bridges, stopping off in a café or two and taking in the scenery?

Well, it’s highly likely if you go sightseeing in some of Europe’s biggest and most popular cities that you could well be walking on a pavement that’s been created with Cloburn red aggregate.

Our products have been proving very popular with our European clients in recent years, and indeed Cloburn red aggregates have been used extensively in Holland and Germany, where they are favoured because they offer an attractive alternative, the distinctive textured red surface that looks fabulous on concrete paving blocks and also provides a long lasting and comfortable walking surface.

Cities like Amsterdam need to make sure that their walkways are durable as well as good looking – the amount of tourism necessitates attention to quality and detail. Planners have found out that exposed aggregate block paving has many advantages over standard  paving blocks which have been unnaturally pigmented to provide a good colour; Cloburn red aggregates are actually guaranteed to keep their strong red shade for life, and in fact over time, as the colour intensifies rather than fades, it will look better.

Practicalities such as an increased surface area for people to walk (and cycle) on also mean that the blocks stay clean for much longer, even without the famed cleanliness of some European cities. No chewing gum on their pavement, thank you very much!

Cloburn red aggregate also provides a safer, non-slip walkway that’s pleasant and comfortable to walk on, which makes them even more popular with tourism-friendly local authorities who are always keen to encourage more people into their towns and cities.

So, as you walk the streets of your favourite European city this summer, look down at the pavement and you might well find a little piece of Scotland on the ground beneath you!

For more information on Cloburn’s range of aggregates, please feel free to contact us.

Spruce up your garden for spring

The Easter bank holiday is traditionally the time of year when people start to think about upgrading their home and garden – and it’s the perfect time to consider the exterior of your property, whether you’re thinking about a nice landscaped garden or perhaps an attractive new driveway to impress the neighbours with!

Cloburn’s range of decorative red aggregates are the perfect choice for a completely new look – and the distinctive red hue will stay looking good for many years to come, too. If you just feel like adding a little bit of colour to existing pathways in your garden, just imagine how good it will look with bright red crushed granite chippings to really make those paths stand out. With a neatly trimmed lawn, a few well-placed garden ornaments and the spring flowers and shrubs starting to peek through, the garden will be an area you’ll be proud of and want to spend as much time in as you can over the spring and summer months. Just think of all the barbecues you can have to show off your newly spruced up garden!

For a new driveway, Cloburn’s attractive red aggregate will give you a fresh, modern look along with the strength you need in a functional driveway. Once it has been laid, it’s virtually maintenance free, and there are no worries about colours fading as the natural shade actually intensifies over time, unlike dyed aggregates which tend to fade and look tired after a while. So you can enjoy a pristine looking driveway for many years to come – well, as long as you take good care of it of course.

For domestic landscaping we recommend our 20mm driveway chippings, which you can even order online, or our 14mm chippings which have proved to be very popular with gardeners and landscapers for use in garden design – particularly for areas like rockeries where good drainage is essential.

You can make designs on a fabulous new look garden or the classy driveway you’ve always wanted with the help of some great quality (and very good value) Cloburn Quarry red aggregate. We’ll deliver straight to your door, too! Just give us a call at Cloburn Quarry and we’ll be happy to help and advise you on the best solution for you.

Have a wonderful Easter break!