Old cemeteries and brutal murders make some golf courses haunted all year round, not just on Halloween.October means Halloween, and even on some golf courses, things go bump in the night. The holiday, originally from Ireland, is known for spooky pranks and creepy costumes. Halloween is rooted in the belief that the dead return to earth on October 31. But some golf courses are haunted year-round, with ghostly encounters that chill even the bravest golfers.
Ghosts Awaken from Cemetery Grounds
Many golf courses were built on or near old cemeteries, disturbing the peace of the dead. One such place is the Garrison Golf Club in the USA, where the 14th hole is surrounded by a cemetery believed to contain the graves of 19th-century slaves.
The Willbrook Plantation Golf Course, also in the USA, sits on a former slave cemetery, marked by a memorial plaque at the eighth hole. On such grounds, golfers are advised to stay quiet and respectful, lest they anger the resting spirits.
When Ghosts Play Tricks on Golfers
Some ghosts don’t just haunt—they interfere. At Lincoln Park Golf Course in San Francisco, the 18th hole was built on an abandoned cemetery. Golfers report balls mysteriously disappearing or reappearing in odd places, seemingly moved by unseen hands.
Across the Atlantic, at England’s Church Stretton Golf Club, hole 13 is known for similar eerie events. Players say balls that land clearly on the fairway vanish before they can be retrieved.
Ghosts of Murder Victims Still Linger
Some golf courses have dark histories involving murder. At City Park in New Orleans, golfers claim to hear a woman’s scream during their backswing on hole 18. Legend says a woman was murdered there in the 1960s.
Another chilling tale comes from Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey. In 1831, farmer Baltus Rol was gruesomely murdered by two criminals. His ghost, known as “Old Balty,” is said to still roam the course. The club’s name itself is a tribute to the tragic story of its namesake.