Massive sinkhole at Missouri golf course can hold more than 2.3 billion golf balls

Typically when a sinkhole opens up on a golf course, it's a nightmare for everyone involved. The course is usually forced to close, but this one in Missouri has taken on a life of its own. 

Last May, a massive 40-foot deep sinkhole opened up near the clubhouse at Top of the Rock Golf Course. It made for some fantastic photos with fairways seemingly dripping into the huge ditch. After a bit of a scare, the course began dealing with the safety hazard, not by filling it and fixing it, but by digging it up more.

With the course still open, crews have been digging it up for months with the hopes of finding a cave system or some sort of treasure. It's now 100-feet deep and can hold more than 2.3 billion golf balls. Not even the worst golfers in the world could fill that with errant tee shots.

Here's what conservationist and founder of Bass Pro Shops, Johnny Morris, said of the course's plan

"A treasure hunt is underway and we hope to one day discover a new natural wonder lying below," Morris said, via the course's website. "It's been an exciting few months here at Top of the Rock and we hope the best is yet to come. I am very excited about our chances to find a great cavern, but whether we find a cave or not, the incredible formations we have already uncovered have made the effort worthwhile."

It's strange to hear that a golf course is intentionally making a gigantic sink hole larger -- 12-times larger, actually -- but it's not actually a terrible idea. If they find an epic cave system, it'll make for a great tourist attraction, as if it isn't already one right now.