It's a Tuesday afternoon and the sun is hot. Surrounded by your 20 best girl friends you step out onto the tree-lined fairway and overlook the "perfectly manicured" greens. There, at the Dirab Golf course, just 60Km (37 miles) outside of Riyadh, you begin your 18-hole round of golf surrounded by laughter and camaraderie. You take your next swing and as you watch your ball land in the center of the sand trap, you suddenly remember that you are in the middle of the desert.
Golf in Saudi Arabia is very active for men and women. With three golf courses: Dirab, Riyadh Greens and the Arizona Golf Resort, as well as an additional machee course located at the Intercontinental Hotel, there is plenty of opportunity to practice your putting.
Dirab Golf Course is the oldest and the most well-established. Open all year round and located in Tawfiq valley, the course offers a driving range and practice facilities. A newly established Golf Academy also offers junior players the opportunity to attend skill clinics and learn more about the game. On weekends, the course comes alive with tournaments and the monthly medal competition. Tuesday is ladies day, when the 20 members of the Dirab Ladies Golf Group gather on the green. Often, the ladies will organize their own competitions, adding some variety to their Tuesdays. From February to May of this year (2008) the ladies held an "Ecelctic Tournament" for which the prize was a return airfare ticket to Morocco.
Check out the "What's On: Riyadh" section on our homepage for updates on tournaments and events in Ladies Golf.
Special Thank you to Theresa Walker and Theresa Wade for all of the information provided in this article.
