When it comes to sports venues, they are often located in the usual places. These are the most peripheral parts of towns and other settlements, and in major cities are located in strictly urban areas. But if you search hard enough, you’ll find there are some unusually placed venues that are worth of being called unique. Here are twelve such examples.
1. Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course, USA
The Coeur d'Alene Resort is a luxury resort hotel in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Located on the north shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene, the Coeur d Alene Resort features a marina, convention facilities, spa, as well as a notable 18-hole golf course. The hotel has 338 rooms and suites, and its main tower has 18 floors.
Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course in Idaho is best known for its par-3 14th hole, which features the only movable island green in the world. Built on a barge on submerged tracks, the green is moved daily by computer and distance can range from 95 to 200 yards (87-183m).
Water taxis transport golfers to the hole, which can moved to change the difficulty of the shot (you have to swing from the mainland).
Designer Scott Miller planned the course to feel like a park, and it has since been ranked among the best resort golf courses in the United States by Golf Digest, Golf Magazine and others. [map]
2. Eidi Stadium, Faroe Islands
Located just a few yards from the Atlantic Ocean, the Eidi Stadium is home to some of the Faroe Islands' semi-professional football (soccer) teams.
There is just a small amount of standing room around the outside of the pitch, with fans the only thing stopping wayward shots heading straight into the sea.
The stadium is located in Eiði - a village on the north-west tip of Eysturoy, Faroe Islands. Its name means isthmus in the Faroese language. The town has a population of 669 inhabitants. In the center of the village there is a large stone church from 1881. It was built in connection with the village's centennial. [link1, link2, map]
3. Tennis Court at Burj Al Arab, United Arab Emirates
The world’s highest tennis court stands atop the fourth highest hotel in the world - Burj al-Arab at Dubai. The tennis court is circular in shape and when no session is at play, it doubles as a helipad.
The exact height of the tennis court is not known, but the hotel is 321 m (1,053 feet) tall and the court is located very near the top.
In 2005, when Roger Federer and Andre Agassi were at Dubai for a tournament, they were invited to play a few rounds at the Burj’s helipad-converted-tennis court.
Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 m (920 ft) from Jumeirah beach and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge.
The shape of the structure is designed to mimic the sail of a ship. Sometimes referred to as "the world's only 7-Star hotel", its star rating is disputed. [link1, link2, map]
4. The Float at Marina Bay, Singapore
‘The Float at Marina Bay’, is an architectural treat to the eyes. It is the only stadium in the world that literally floats. At 120 meters (394ft) long and 83 meters (272ft) wide, this floating stage is the largest in the world. Located on the Marina Reservoir in Marine bay, this massive stage has the capacity of seating 9000 people. The total weight capacity of it is 1,070 tones.
The stadium can hold 30,000 people in its seating area. Built within a short span of 13 months, in April 2007, this Stadium has attracted tourists from far and near, who come to marvel at this exquisite architectural delight.
It is a pleasure to behold the beautiful scenic appeal of the surroundings. One can see the city skylight, boats, ships and the daily hub of the busy city. This stadium is well equipped with lightings for night time sport as well. Giant viewing screens provide close ups and scores of the games.
However being an outdoor stage the weather might play an important role in determining events and games. Suspension cords hold the structure together and bright colors are used throughout.
This stadium is a vision accomplished that never ceases to delight the beholder by blending perfectly the scenic natural surroundings of this beautiful land with the concrete city. For sure every game played and every trophy won here would be more than just memorable. [link, map]
5. Ski Dubai, United Arab Emirates
An indoor ski resort in the middle of the desert? Yes, that’s weird. Ski Dubai is an indoor ski resort with 22,500 square meters (27,000 sq yds) of indoor ski area. It is a part of the Mall of the Emirates, one of the largest shopping malls in the world, located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was developed by Majid Al Futtaim Properties, which also operates the Mall of the Emirates.
Opened in November 2005, the indoor resort features an 85-meter-high (280ft) indoor mountain with 5 slopes of varying steepness and difficulty, including a 400-metre-long (1,300ft) run, the world's first indoor black run, and various features (boxes, rails, kickers) that are changed on a regular basis. A quad lift and a tow lift carry skiers and snowboarders up the mountain.
Adjoining the slopes is a 3,000-square-metre (3,590 sq yds) Snow Park play area comprising sled and toboggan runs, an icy body slide, climbing towers, giant snowballs and an ice cave.
Ski Dubai is also home to a number of penguins who come out to play several times a day. Penguin encounters can be booked, allowing the public to interact directly with the penguins. Winter clothing, ski and snowboard equipment are included in the price of admission.
An extremely efficient insulation system helps the facility maintain a temperature of −1 °C during the day and −6 °C at night when the snow is produced. [link, map]
6. Rooftop Mini Football Pitch, Japan
There’s no beating the location of this singularly picturesque football (soccer) pitch: it sits atop the Tokyu Toyoko department store, right next to Shibuya Station.
Adidas Futsal Park opened in 2001, in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup that Japan and South Korea co-hosted the following year, and it's been doing a strong trade ever since.
Prices start at ¥5,250 ($54) per hour for teams that are members (¥8,400 or $86 for teams that aren't), rising to over ¥20,000 or $205 for 1.5 hours at peak times. [link]
7. Ottmar Hitzfeld Stadium, Switzerland
Swiss village side FC Gspon don’t have many claims to fame, but the one they are able to laud is a beauty. Carved into the mountains just outside the resort of Zermatt and above the valley of Saastal, Gspon’s Ottmar Hitzfeld Stadium clocks up a lofty altitude of around about 2,000 metres (6,561 feet) above sea level, making if the highest stadium in Europe.
The "stadium" was built on the only available flat piece of land which wasn’t actually big enough to accomodate a full-size pitch, so Gspon FC play on a 3/4-scale pitch turfed with artificial grass as the altitude prevents real grass from taking root sufficiently to cope with the rigours of regular football matches.
The Ottmar Hitzfeld is also too high for vehicles to function properly, so all players and staff are forced to arrive by cable car from the nearby village of Stalden. [link]
8. Igraliste Batarija, Croatia
Batarija is a football (soccer) ground in the Trogir where HNK Trogir plays. This ground is unique in the world because it is located between two protected monument - Kamerlengo Castle and tower of St. Marco.
This tiny stadium have a capacity of 1,000 people. It looks like a nice stadium but perhaps there are more viewers watching matches from the restaurant on the roof of the castle located at the side of the field, than from the stands. [link, map]
9. Angled Stadium, Ukraine
Gravity is not a best friend of players on this team. We don’t have additional info about this pitch and is there any football matches going on on this field, but for sure it is fun for drivers on this road. Precisely, this football stadium is located in Zakarpattia Oblast, on the road to Uzhgorod city. [link]
10. Grand Central Squash Court, USA
Grand Central Terminal is a commuter (and former intercity) railroad terminal at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States. This the most famous train station in the world has also, hosted a squash tournament. It’s all an attempt by the World Squash Federation to grow the sport. [link, map]
11. The Uummannaq Ice Golf Course, Greenland
No joke. There is an ice golf course in Greenland. The World Ice Golf championships have been held yearly, since 1997, in Uummannaq, Greenland in March, 600 km (373 mi) north of the Arctic Circle. Uummannaq is the world’s northernmost golf course and the course is re-designed every year on shelf ice. This spectacularly different tournament attracts golfers from across the world. [link]
12. Tornio Golf Club, Finland/Sweden
Green Zone or Tornio Golf Club is perhaps a unique golf course with 9 holes in one country, Finland, and the remaining 9 in another, Sweden. The border follows the Tornio River which runs through the course.
Due to its location, it is possible to play golf at anytime of the day or night in full sunshine during the golfing season. If that isn't a unique golfing experience, we don't know what is. [link, map]
Bonus: Piazza del Campo, Italy
Every summer in Sienna, Tuscany, they hold the Palio horse races in the town’s central square. The Palio di Siena (known locally simply as Il Palio) is a horse race that is held twice each year, on July 2 and August 16, in Siena, Italy. Ten horses and riders, bareback and dressed in the appropriate colours, represent ten of the seventeen contrade, or city wards. The Palio held on July 2 is named Palio di Provenzano. The Palio held on August 16 is named Palio dell'Assunta.
A pageant, the Corteo Storico, precedes the race, which attracts visitors and spectators from around the world. The race itself, in which the jockeys ride bareback, circles the Piazza del Campo, on which a thick layer of dirt has been laid, three times and usually lasts no more than 90 seconds. It is common for a few of the jockeys to be thrown off their horses while making the treacherous turns in the piazza, and indeed, it is usual to see unmounted horses finishing the race without their jockeys
.jpg "Eidi Stadium, Faroe Islands")
.jpg "Eidi Stadium, Faroe Islands")
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