The kingdom continues to cement its status as a world-class golf destination through its hosting of the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship on the DP World Tour.
This was highlighted by top officials ahead of this week’s event, which marks the second successive year that more than 100 of the game’s biggest international stars are competing at The Royal Golf Club.
The tournament is helping “open the eyes of the whole world” to everything Bahrain has to offer, particularly in golf, and the impact has been extraordinary.
“It is a tremendous achievement for the country to have its second year and exceed expectations,” The Royal Golf Club’s general manager Juan Manuel Fuentes Perez told the GDN.
“Players have flown in from all over the world – some of the best in the game. We have three Major winners, which is a big thing.
“This is spectacular for year two, so I think it is wise that this is a long-term commitment because it is only going to build up on the tourism vision for the country, and open the eyes of the whole world about Bahrain being a golf destination.”
The 2024 competition, which marked the return of the DP World Tour to the island after 13 years, generated an estimated economic impact of more than $10.5 million for the kingdom. It had a global media value of over $70.2m, with more than 1,500 hours of live coverage from 330 international broadcasters, reaching 537.8m households worldwide.
“The economic impact in any country where the DP World Tour goes is tremendous,” Perez added. “You can quantify that, and we do.”
The DP World Tour currently has a deal with Bahrain to host a tournament until 2026, but all signs point towards even greater collaboration for many years to come.
The DP World Tour has opened a registered office in the kingdom, in co-operation with the Bahrain Olympic Committee and Tamkeen, with the long-term objective of leaving a legacy and creating opportunities for citizens in the golf industry.
“Having an institution like the DP World Tour based in the country, there is so much to build on having them here and having them experience Bahrain,” Perez said. “We can plan a lot more things for the upcoming future and there is a lot more we can do with them, so having them on board in the country is a good thing for sure.”
Meanwhile, Bahrain International Golf Course Company chairman Captain Waleed Al Alawi expressed his delight with the tremendous feedback received from players about course conditions ahead of today’s start of play.
“As soon as they started arriving in Bahrain, a lot of them played the course, and what’s great is their feedback,” Captain Al Alawi told the GDN. “We thought we did a fantastic job last year, but this year, the players have started complimenting the course even more.
“We’ve made some changes – the conditions of the greens, the fairways, the modifications, the clean-up – it is all highly appreciated. Everybody is in love with the course so I think we have done a great job, and hopefully the tournament will have a reflection of that.
“These players go around the world and play professionally, so for them to give us positive feedback, that puts Bahrain and the ability of golf in Bahrain at a world standard.”
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
Top stories for today:
CONDOLENCES: Bahrain leaders pay tribute to late Saudi Prince
New law a massive boost for Future Generation Fund
Trainee lawyer loses appeal over outburst against verdict
&uuid=(email))