Adventure · Kupup
See the world's highest golf course
Spot the army's Yak golf course on the Kupup valley floor, listed by Guinness World Records as the highest golf course in the world at 3,970 m. A curiosity rather than a game for most visitors, since it lies inside a military area.
Photo: Masum Ibn Musa · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
On the valley floor near Kupup, the Indian Army maintains a golf course with a very particular claim. Guinness World Records lists the Yak golf course, measured on 10 October 2006 at 3,970 m (13,025 ft), as the highest golf course in the world. Fairways at this height are rough grass between stones, and the weather can close play in minutes.
Tourists generally see the course from the road rather than play it, because it is part of an army establishment. We have no reliable information on civilian tee times, and we do not promise any. If you are a golfer, a photo with the course behind you is the realistic goal.
Do not photograph army buildings or soldiers, and follow any instructions given. Combine this stop with Elephant Lake and the Old Baba Mandir on the Silk Route circuit. Indian nationals only. Check current status before you travel.
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Questions travellers ask
Before you book
Is Kupup really the highest golf course in the world?
Guinness World Records lists the Yak golf course at Kupup as the highest golf course, measured on 10 October 2006 at 3,970 m (13,025 ft) above sea level. Other high courses exist, but this is the one Guinness lists.
Can tourists play golf at Kupup?
We cannot promise it. The course is part of an Indian Army base, and we have no reliable route for civilian bookings. Most visitors view it from the road and take a photograph. If you have an army contact, they are the right people to ask.
Is the golf course on the way to Nathu La?
Kupup is on the Silk Route circuit between Nathang Valley and Tsomgo Lake, near the Baba Mandir road, rather than on the short spur to Nathu La. Many Silk Route circuits pass it. Nathu La itself needs its own permit and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
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