WORLD'S LONGEST GOLF COURSE

Nullarbor Links, which took five years to plan and build, will take four days for golfers to complete, with a car - rather than a golf cart - needed to travel from one hole to the next.

The course stretches across two Australian states, from coastal Ceduna in South Australia, to the old mining town of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.

Dreamed up "over a couple of beers", it is hoped the links will attract tourists to the Eyre Highway, which traverses the desolate Nullarbor Plain.

Golfers will stop at one roadhouse, play a hole, then drive on to the next tee – 50 miles down the road in some cases. The par-71 course will take three or four days to complete with each player awarded a certificate at the end.

The holes themselves are in some rather strange locations - some lie beside a long, featureless highway, some are positioned near petrol stations and motels while others rest close to inhabited wombat holes.

And there is very little green on the greens. Tees are artificial and sand, grit and gravel make up the majority of the rest of the course.

Despite the patience needed to complete a round of golf on the course, keen golfers were lining up to take on the challenge as soon as it was declared officially open.

Operators expect the course to become a major tourist attraction, saying international interest is already proving strong.