leisure: Hit the fairways
Hit the fairways
Golf first teed off in Saudi Arabia when American expatriates working at the oil giant Saudi Aramco dug out an 18-hole course in the sand near Dhahran in the late 1940s. Naturally this course was basic, but it led to the spread of golf resorts throughout the region.
To compensate for the ultra-fine, indigent sand found in Saudi Arabia, the oil executives are believed to have pioneered the method of mixing in oil to stop the winds from blowing it away. All of the early courses that followed adopted this method, and to this day many golfers still refer to the greens as "browns".
That first course in Dhahran was moved to its present site a few years after its inauguration, and the course celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1998. Besides being the country's oldest golf course, it also became the largest when another nine holes were added in the late 1970s.
Today, the course has ditched its oil-soaked terrain in favour of grass and, following a second redevelopment, it was opened in 2004 as an 18-hole grass course, the first of its kind in the Eastern Province and only the third 18-hole grass course in the Kingdom.
Grassed courses are a recent phenomenon in Saudi Arabia, prior to which hardy golfers used to carry a piece of artificial turf to place under the ball on the tees and on fairways. In contrast, today there are a variety of first-class golf courses available throughout the Kingdom. In fact, there are four grass nine-hole golf courses, three grass 18-hole courses, one 27-hole desert course and about ten 18-hole desert courses to be found throughout the country.
The most spectacular golf courses can be found in Riyadh in the Dirab valley. Just a 30-minute drive away from Riyadh's diplomatic centre, the Dirab Golf Course is situated in the scenic valley near the mountain escarpment of Tuwaiq.
While this was the first green course in the Kingdom, it has since been voted as one of the best golf courses in the world.
Two prominent Saudi golfers today, Mohammed Fahad Al Khaldi and Ali Hamad Bin Harith, began as caddies for the employees of Aramco but at the same time learned the sport for themselves. Today, they are both members of the National Golf Team of Saudi Arabia, participating in golf tournaments all over the world.
The Saudi Golf Committee was founded in 1999 to promote the sport across the country and to produce young golfers with enough talent to participate and compete in golfing tournaments around the world. In 2007, the Riyadh Golf Course and the Dirab Golf Course hosted the Golf Federation Tournament of the Arab World. Following is a listing of some of the Kingdom's major golf courses:
ABQAIQ
Ain Nakhl Golf Club
Tel: +966 3 5744340
18-hole sand course, Par 72 - 6,329 metres /5,371 metres
Also known as Palm Springs, this golf course in Abqaiq is said to have the best fairways in Saudi Arabia. The 10th Annual Abqaiq Open was held here on February 29th, 2008. The competition was open to all amateur and professional golfers with an established USGA or R&A handicap.
RIYADH
The InterContinental Golf Course
Tel: + 966 1 4655000 Ext: 6146
9-hole grass course, Par 56 - 2,219 yards
This was the first green course to open in Riyadh back in 1994. The 9-hole grass course doubles up to an 18-hole course playing "out" off the blue tees and "in" off the white tees. The floodlit course, at the InterContinental Hotel on Mather Street, is open for all levels of golfers from 6am until 10pm.
The course is situated 30 minutes from the airport and five minutes from Riyadh's business district, but somehow away from the hustle and bustle. The 40-hectare site has an abundance of mature trees and a proper green. Complete with three ornamental lakes, strategically placed bunkers and undulating mounds, the course is challenging for the beginner yet quietly satisfying for the more experienced player.
The club organises monthly tournaments along with three annual Golf Open Championships. Along with floodlit courses, golfers looking to improve their swing may also have personal coaching lessons. Away from the course, the complex has a 12-lane bowling alley, pro-shop, restaurant, health club, spa, three swimming pools, three tennis courts and three squash courts.
Palms Golf & Country Club
Tel: +966 1 4655000 Ext: 6579
9-hole, Par 27
This executive golf course, which is surrounded by mature gardens and well manicured greens, is set in over 40 hectares (100 acres) of land in the heart of Riyadh at the Four Seasons Hotel. The course is open from 6am until 10pm, and throughout the day there is a golf professional available for coaching.
Dirab Golf Club & Recreation Centre
Tel: +966 1 4980018 Ext: 103
18-hole grass course, Par 72 - 6,919 yards /6,514 yards / 5,457 yards
Dirab Golf & Recreation Centre is Saudi Arabia's first 18-hole championship grass golf course. Set in the beautiful valley below the Tuwaiq escarpment, just a 30-minute drive from the diplomatic quarters of Riyadh, the centre also has facilities for horse riding, tennis and ATV tracks.
With tree-lined fairways and perfectly manicured greens this is a private course, so it is important to phone ahead and make arrangements with the pro.
In 2007, the Dirab Golf Course & Riyadh Golf Course jointly hosted the Arab Golf Federation Tournament. The complex also boasts a clubhouse, a pro shop, a driving range, chipping area and practice greens, along with tennis courts, swimming pools and stables.
Arizona Golf Resort
Tel: +966 1 2484444 Ext: 454
9-hole, Par 34 - 2,100 yards
Arizona Golf Resort is the only residential western expatriate golf resort in Riyadh. As its name suggests, it is more of a holiday brochure resort than a "compound", with entertainment and activities for all ages, golfers and non-golfers alike.
The 9-hole golf course is floodlit for afterwork rounds. There is also a driving range, riding stables, a petting zoo, amphitheatre, covered roller hockey rink, roller blade/ mountain bike course, grass baseball field, bowling alley, gymnasium and function hall.
Arizona Golf Resort is a step up in size from the InterContinental, and equally as challenging. The setting is wonderful with the course being home to a family of gazelles and lots of ducks. The 9-hole all grass executive golf course runs at 2,100 yards, and consists of three par 3, five par 4 and one par 5 holes. The club uses common tiftway Bermuda grass on its fairways. The club runs at least one competition every month, plus club match plays and club championships during the year.
Riyadh Golf Courses
Tel: +966 1 8102444
18-hole, Par 72 - 7,500 yards
Located 20-25 minutes from the city centre, Riyadh Golf Courses has an 18-hole championship grass course and separate desert course for players to test their skills on different terrain. There is also a nearby driving range, and 5,000 square metre club house and locker rooms with a sauna and jacuzzi, and lounge areas. A health and fitness centre is being developed.
The grass course has lush green fairways, rolling hills and four lakes to create a scenic spot for golfers that will find the par-6, 739- yard 11th hole particularly challenging. It was designed by an associated company in collaboration with Riyadh Development and Contracting Company.
Other facilites away from the course include a cafeteria, pro shop with golfing equipment, merchandise and accessories, restaurant overlooking the eighth hole and lake, and a private dining room.
DHAHRAN
Rolling Hills Golf Club
Saudi Aramco Compound
18-hole, Par 72 - 6,650 yards
The Rolling Hills Golf Club, which is situated inside the Saudi Aramco compound, has 18 grass holes (nine holes are floodlit) and a 9-hole sand course.
Founded in 1948, this was the first grass course in the Eastern Province. The present course design was selected from several proposals submitted by golf course designers from around the world, with the winning proposal coming from Calum A. Todd, a Scottish golf course architect. This prestigious course hosted the Saudi National Golf Team in a Stableford Challenge match on September 22, 2006.
RAS TANURA
Surfside Golf Club
Saudi Aramco Compound
This club was formed in 1944 and is now 65 years old. It is one of five clubs in Saudi Aramco that make up the Saudi Aramco Golf Association (SAGA). The other clubs are: Dhahran, Udhailiyah, Abqaiq and Yanbu.
Along with the fairways this course has a practice/driving range where all regular players and beginners have an opportunity to check out their swing. Volunteer club members will also provide tuition for youths interested in taking up the game.
The course is complemented by a pro shop, which has many golf accessories on offer, from golf balls and gloves to shirts, hats and tees.
JUBAIL
Whispering Sands Golf Club
Tel: +966 5 3962132
18-hole sand course, Par 72 - 6,049-yards
This all-sand course is situated only 10 minutes from Jubail Industrial City, in the Eastern Province. Due to the lack of natural grass, artificial turf mats are allowed at any position on the course, except at an official sand trap, which is designated by an emerald green rope. The usual fairway greens are instead browns and made up of a built-up area of mixed sand and oil elevated above the adjoining fairway.
The complex is complemented by a driving range and pro shop and the course hosts regular tournaments and has golfing lessons available. Being a desert sand course, golfers are also likely to see camels stroll across the fairway.
