Softpedia >News >Oddiverse
Softpedia Homepage   

Colossal Sinkhole Opens Up on Golf Course in Missouri, US

The sinkhole measures about 70 feet (21 meters) across

May 23, 2015 09:52 GMT  ·  By
Several sinkholes opened up on a golf course in Missouri, US, this past Friday
   Several sinkholes opened up on a golf course in Missouri, US, this past Friday

A massive sinkhole opened up with no warning whatsoever on a golf course near the city of Branson in Missouri, US, this past Friday. 

The sinkhole, shown in the photos below, is estimated to measure about 70 feet (21 meters) across and to have a depth of about 35 feet (10.5 meters).

It formed next to a pond, not far from the Top of the Rock Golf Course's driving range. To prevent accidents, the driving range was closed shortly after the emergence of this sinkhole.

Ever scarier, this massive hole isn't the only one that formed on the Missouri golf course this Friday. Three others sprung into being not far from it.

Although somewhat smaller, these other sinkholes are nonetheless pretty scary to look at. Thus, one of them is 18 feet (5.5 meters) deep.

As for the other two holes that opened up and joined the party, Huffington Post reports that they have a depth of about 4 feet (approximately 1.2 meters).

Although the newly formed sinkholes forced the closure of the driving range close to them, the rest of the golf course is still open for business.

The sinkholes weren't exactly a surprise to geologists

Experts say that, in the area accommodating for the Top of the Rock Golf Course near Branson, Missouri, water is known to circulate through the underlying bedrock.

As a result, the ground gets eroded and the region's geographical profile often changes. Most of the time, having the ground collapse due to erosion leads to the formations of new caves.

Every once in a while, however, the bedrock eroded by water circulating through it gives way to sinkholes like the ones that formed on the Top of the Rock Golf Course just yesterday.

Presently, the golf course is monitored by specialists with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. As soon as the area is deemed safe, crews will be given the green light to try and rebuild the course.