News Digest

Massive sinkhole 80-feet wide opens up on Missouri golf course

Golfers had to deal with a spectacular divot after a 35-feet deep sinkhole appeared on a course in the U.S. state of Missouri. Measuring up to 80 feet at its widest point, it opened up on the driving range near the town of Branson on Friday. Experts from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources were called to the scene to assess the impact. The hole was created by two separate sinkholes that formed near the entrance to the Top of the Rock golf course, Martin MacDonald, conservation director for Bass Pro Shops, told The Associated Press.

From the Top of the Rock perspective, it’s not what you want to have. But we’ll see if we’ve got anything unique down there.

Martin MacDonald, conservation director for Bass Pro Shops

The Jack Nicklaus-designed par-3 course is part of the Bass Pro Shops-owned Big Cedar Lodge complex and hosted a Champions Tour event last month. The sinkhole isn’t near the main course and won’t affect play, MacDonald said. Doug Gouzie, associate professor of geology and sinkhole expert at Missouri State University, told local media recent heavy rains in the area are likely to have played significant part in their formation. Water flows downwards through cracks in the rock, eventually reaching a cave below and causing it to collapse.