PYONGYANG -- I don't know who was more surprised, the caddie, the minder or myself. It was a pretty average tee shot, but a ricochet of applause had startled the birds from the trees. We were not alone after all. Waiting for us over the hill were dozens of Young Pioneers, beaming, red-scarved children, neatly lined up beside the green.

After holing out to my gallery's delight, I reached for a camera. At last, some interaction with the locals. Then came the minder's reminder -- no photos of "ordinary people" please, nor at the next tee, thank you. That's a military installation in the background.

The most exclusive golf club on the planet is not Pebble Beach, Augustus or St. Andrews. Protected by a million-strong land army, 10 years of international isolation, and a nuclear threat that keeps Asia on edge, the Pyongyang Golf Course offers a golfing experience like no other worldwide.