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).
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.
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.
Rooftop Mini Football Pitch, Japan
There’s no beating the location of this singularly picturesque football (soccer) pitch: it sits atop the Tokyu Tokyo 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.
