It’s golf... but not as many of us know it.
A five-minute drive away from Royal Golf Club – host venue of the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship – lies Awali Golf Club.
Established in 1937, it is the oldest desert golf course in the Gulf – and it is made entirely of sand.
The return of the DP World Tour to the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2024 after a 13-year absence has renewed international awareness of sand courses in the region.
In the lead-up to this week’s stop on the International Swing, DP World Tour professionals Daniel Hillier and David Micheluzzi went along to experience the challenge.
While the set-up may be unconventional to the professionals, its charm is something that drew them along for a game.
“There is a great golfing community here and there has been for many years,” said Steven Newall, Captain of Awali Golf Club.
“It’s lovely to see that our course creates that interest.”
There are no greens at Awali. Rather “browns”, carefully moulded putting surfaces made from fine sand which are regularly relaid.
Newall added: “It is different, you play off a mat here, so you can’t hit down on the ball like you would on a grass course.
“You have to learn to sweep it a little more. When you approach the browns, they won’t spin like a green so you have to drop the ball a bit short and let it roll on.
“When you get used to it, it’s still golf.”
It’s a sentiment shared by both Hillier and Micheluzzi.
“It just gives you an appreciation [that] it doesn’t matter where you play golf, it is still the game of golf,” said Australian Micheluzzi, who shared his desire to try out some sand courses when he is next back in his homeland.
“It’s just a really cool experience. There are a few sand-green courses in Australia as well so I have got to go up there and have a look because that was actually a lot of fun.”
Hillier added: “I think it’s amazing. Very different to what we are used to. We had some great help on the bag and they gave us some tips and tricks on how to play these courses. It was great.
“I wish we had more time just to get a whole round and experience the whole thing but maybe next time.”
