GOLF – ONE of the region’s longest-running golf tournaments will be commemorating an incredible milestone later this month.
Awali Golf Club (AGC), first opened in 1937 and today the oldest golf club in the Gulf, is gearing up to host the landmark 60th edition of the Bahrain Open
Golf Championship, along with the 36th Bahrain Ladies Open Championship, this April 18 and 19.
Both competitions are 36-hole stroke play events, with the Bahrain Open being played from AGC’s championship tees.
More than 100 players, both professionals and amateurs, including visitors from overseas are expected to descend upon the 18-hole sand course at AGC for the two tournaments.
Excitement continues to build for the highly anticipated weekend and preparations continue to ramp up for the historic occasion.
“What makes this event special is it’s the 60th Bahrain Open, which was first held in 1964, and it’s been held every year since, apart from the Covid year,” AGC captain Steve Newall told the GDN.
“It was the first Open in the GCC and it is very special because it is also played on the oldest golf course in the GCC, certainly the oldest sand course.”
The first-ever Bahrain Ladies Open Golf Championship took place in 1988.
Many duels have taken place over the years on the sand of AGC and the Opens have grown tremendously. They both remain hugely popular events today.
“In 1964, there were 56 entrants, and at its peak, there were 120 to 130 entrants,” Newall recalled. “Last year, we had 97, so it continues to attract a large field.
“Registration is still open – and as is very usual the last few weeks are when there’s a flurry of entrants.”
Newall noted that the unique and challenging characteristics of the AGC grounds are what greatly appeal to players looking for a different test in the Open competitions.
“AGC has also always been a very sustainable golf course,” Newall explained. “Being a sand course, we ‘re not fighting the environment here; we’re using the natural sand, and if you’re within the fairway, you play off an artificial mat, so in a sense the whole golf course is artificially grassed.
“We create the browns by compacting the sand, and then using a topping of a sand-oil mixture to create what is actually a very true putting surface. That makes the event very special.”
Three players are tied for having won the men’s tournament a record six times. They include former Bahrain national team golfers Nasser Yaqoob Saleh and Abdulla Sultan, and ex-British professional Andrew Marshall.
Past AGC lady member Emma Boyd, also from Great Britain, holds the record for most titles in the ladies’ championship, also with six.
Bahrain international golfer Ahmed Al Zayed and Briton Sarah Hobday were last year’s champions. Both are expected to return this year and defend their crowns.
“For golfers, when you play a sand course, you have to play things a little differently than how you would a grass course,” Newall said.
“Traditionally, if you’re using your irons approaching the greens on a grass course, you’ll want to compress the ball and take a divot. In Awali, you’ll have to adjust your technique to ‘sweep’ the golf ball off the mat.
“The browns themselves don’t play like the greens. The greens are very receptive, so you can target the pin. You can throw the ball right at the pin or even beyond, and then spin it back – but that’s not going to work here. You need to drop the ball short and let it roll up to the pin.
“Also, here we have something that’s infamously known as the Awali bounce. Because the fairways are just natural sand with rocks, you can sometimes find that when your ball lands, it doesn’t quite go as planned.
“It can bounce and veer off to the left or right – that’s all part of the course and what makes it special.”
Newall highlighted the importance of both Open championships to the busy calendar of annual golf events in the kingdom.
“There is a lot of heritage associated with the club, and now that we’re in the 60th Open for the men – there’s something very special about that,” he said.
“One of the six-time winners is actually taking part this year, so maybe he can now take a seventh title and stand alone with the record of most wins.
“This course was first created in 1937 by a group of golf enthusiasts working for Bapco oil refinery – without the continued support of Bapco throughout the years, this golf club and tournament wouldn’t exist.
“We hope that the support continues and the club exists for many more years to come.”
Two-time men’s Open champion Ali Musbah expressed his excitement in competing in this year’s competition. He won in the 1982 and 1983 events, and will be looking for a third title.
“This is very special for us as a club, and especially for me,” Musbah told the GDN. “I would like to win it again, to make it a third time in my career. We look forward to playing.
“I have also been looking after the course for many years now. The course looks in very good condition, and I hope the players enjoy it and love it, inshaallah.”
The organisation of such an event takes a great effort and commitment. AGC remains a club run entirely by its members on a voluntary basis and Newall thanked the Opens committee that has worked hard to ensure the tournament runs smoothly. The committee consists of Musbah, Susan Scott, Helen and
Peter Woollacott, Jasper Meinema, Sean Norris, Balbir Singh, Marcel Burger, James Williamson, Debbie Beedie, Rashed Al Qutami, and Andy Strizovic.Sponsorship is also a major factor in helping hold the event and Newall expressed his appreciation to this year’s sponsors Bapco, InterContinental Regency, Banz, BFC, Reza Hygiene, and Gulf Air.
Registration for players interested in competing in both the Bahrain Open Golf Championship and the Bahrain Ladies Open Championship will remain open until Friday this week. The course will be available for practice on April 16 and 17 ahead of the weekend’s action. All visitors and spectators are welcome to see the action and sample some of the hospitality that AGC is well-known for.
For submission of entries and further information regarding the two competitions, email openssecretary@awaligolfclub.com.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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