Many people think of golf as a low-danger sport. While this can be true, it isn’t always the case.
Driving ranges and golf courses can be fun, but they can also bring about significant problems. For example, one golf course has to change the design of a hole due to the risk of people falling into the ocean. And that’s not even mentioning the emotional damage one gets after gearing up for a big swing and totally chunking it!
Some courses are so dangerous that one may even feel the need to protect themselves while going there. At least, that’s what TikTok user Mitchell Franxman (@mitchellfranxman) seems to think.
In a video with over 362,000 views, Franxman claims that he’s visiting a golf course that’s so dangerous that he has to wear a helmet. But what makes this course so treacherous?
What Makes This Golf Course So Dangerous?
In his video, Franxman shows himself wearing a helmet. According to him, this is required given what he’s about to do: golf at the “most dangerous golf course in the country.”
The course to which Franxman is referring is Fernbank Golf Course. Franxman claims that the danger is not down to the location but the design of the course itself.
“The first hole, you have to walk through four or five other holes just in the fairway,” he explains. “And I’m not very good at golf, so I’ll be spending a lot of time in danger.”
In a follow-up video, Franxman shows himself and his friends playing the course. They are able to do so without being hit by flying balls.
Is This Really The Most Dangerous Golf Course In The Country?
Whether this is the most dangerous golf course in the United States is a matter for debate.
There certainly seems to be a significant consensus online that, whether this is the most dangerous course or not, it’s certainly amongst the most questionably designed.
Golf Digest included it in a list of America’s Worst Golf Holes. The site notes that, in order to play the opening par 4, one must cut across the paths of the third, fourth, seventh, eighth, and ninth holes. As even amateur golfers can easily hit balls at over 120 mph, this poses a significant danger to anyone getting in the way of a ball.
That said, there are other golf courses that are often regarded as more dangerous than this one. For example, the Furnace Creek Golf Course in Death Valley, California, is seen as dangerous, owing to the fact that temperatures regularly hit over 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Is This Course Design Normal?
Seeing a course laid out like this, some may wonder why the designers opted to have so many crossings.
It turns out, hole crossings were relatively common in early golf games. Many older courses, such as St. Andrews Links in Scotland, still have hole crossings.
This is because early golf courses largely evolved organically and were not formally designed. Routing followed terrain rather than a set path.
Only later, when land was set aside and landscaped specifically for golf, did hole crossings fade in popularity in order to both meet safety concerns and accommodate increased traffic.
@mitchellfranxman Wish me luck as I attempt to go golfing at the most dangerous golf course in Cincinnati #golf #golftiktok #golfcourse #cincinnati #fyp
Commenters Can’t Believe It
In the comments, users were shocked that such a golf managed to still exist, let alone be played.
“This is exactly the type of course I’d expect there to be in Ohio,” joked a user.
“The course designer is the joker?” asked another.
“There’s a course by me that has the nickname ‘helmet hill’ because of this very reason lol,” wrote a third.
That said, some claimed the course isn’t as dangerous as it seems.
“Great lil course. Im a member , have played 100s of rounds there and have never been hit or hit someone (have been close to both),” shared a commenter. “Ppl just know when to walk and when to hit.”
BroBible has reached out to Franxman via Instagram and TikTok direct message and to Fernbank Golf Course via email.