PO Box 39117,
Riffa Views, Riffa
Office
+973 (0)17 750 777Pro shop
+973 (0)17 750 777Fax
+973 (0)17 750 756Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
Mariano Ochoa (Head Teaching Professional).Academy
The Royal Golf Club AcademyThe Course:
18 holes. Desert-style. Gently undulating terrain - easy to walk (depending on how hot the day is). Buggies usually taken.
Surroundings:
Residential and desert.
Designer:
Original Riffa GC layout designed by Karl Litten (1999); completely redesigned by Colin Montgomerie (2008).
Above distances are for the Championship course. Also at Royal GC is the nine-hole Wee Monty Academy Course (par-27; 898 yds).
26.092044
50.566474
S of Al Manamah (Bahrain's capital) between Riffa and Awali.
Located 20 minutes drive from Manama. From Manama, take the Sh.Khalifa bin Salman Highway heading south towards Hamad Town. At the end of the motorway turn left past the BDF hostpital direction Riffa. Turn right at the Riffa ‘Clock Tower’ roundabout and carry on through Riffa, down the escarpment to the Awali Roundabout. Turn left at roundabout. After 600 metres exit on a slip road to the right. Continue across one more roundabout. Golf Club entrance is on your left.
Royal GC, Bahrain
Royal Golf Club (formerly Riffa GC) is located in the upmarket Riffa Views housing development, and is home to Bahrain's only grass golf course. With its floodlit back-nine, the Montgomerie course absorbed several holes from the original Riffa course, as well as adding in several entirely new holes.
The course is landscaped to follow the natural rolling desert terrain and harnesses the underlying waters of the Al-Hunayniyah Wadi to create many water hazards, especially on the back-nine, and most especially on the closing four-hole stretch.
Acclaimed as challenging but fair, the course enjoys a natural harmony between desert rough, water and the green fairways. Extensively planted palms and native shrubs flourish over the 160 acre site, attracting all manner of migratory birds and waterfowl.
Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends. Back-nine holes are floodlit for night golf.
Must book in advance. Handicap required.
Non-metal spike facility. Golf carts available for hire.
Excellent
Both in its current guise, and previously as the Riffa Golf Club, the course has staged a number of top-level tournaments, including European Tour and European Senior Tour events (see our Tournaments section >by Venue >Riffa).
Royal Golf Club is managed by Troon Golf, a world-leader in the management and development of upscale golf courses.
Night golf is possible at the Royal GC, with state-of-the-art floodlights installed on the back-nine of the Montgomerie course and across the whole of the Wee Monty Par 3 course.
Middle East & North Africa's 27th best course (Golf World, 2025).
PO Box 28567, Riffa, Bahrain
+973 (0)17 701 201
Visit websiteA resort hotel located on the shores of the Arabian Gulf, with a marina, plenty of swimming pools and everything else you'd expect of a resort hotel location.
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Riffa; Awali
No
King Faisal Highway, Manama, Bahrain
+973 (0)17 227 777
Visit websiteLocated close to the centre of Manama City.
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No
Riffa; Awali
Sony Open in Hawaii: played at Waialae Country Club near Honolulu, the Sony Open takes over the spotlight from The Sentry as the PGA Tour’s calendar-year opening event (Jan 15-18). The Sentry (not being played in 2026) was formerly known as the Tournament of Champions, with a field typically restricted to golfers who won a PGA Tour event in the previous calendar year.
Dubai Desert Classic: the DP World Tour’s first Rolex Series event of 2026, is contested for the 37th time (Jan 22-25). First won by Englishman Mark James in 1989, it now boasts a four-time winner, Rory McIlroy. Played on the Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis course, this once desert-surrounded course is the long-time flagship for Golf in Dubai.
Our visit last month included two rounds at Golf de Chantilly, one of France’s most prestigious clubs.
It offers two superb layouts: Le Vineuil, a five-star championship course with a rich history, and Longères, an excellent four-star course that provides a strong and enjoyable test.
The wider Paris region offers plenty more. Courses such as Fontainebleau, Golf de Saint-Germain, and several other top-rated layouts make this area one of Europe’s most rewarding golf destinations, offering a mix of woodland, heathland, and parkland designs.
The Dutch: "It's no' just a game", as they say in Scotland, and that's certainly true at The Dutch. With 5-star services throughout, a lavishly comfortable Loch Lomond-inspired clubhouse, and a superbly designed and presented golf course, one could not ask for more from this top-end private club.
Join us at The Dutch from August 21–24 for the Festival of Golf, featuring the HotelPlanner Tour. Experience four days of top-tier sport, live music, incredible food, and unexpected surprises. Explore the grounds, connect with others, embrace new challenges, and dive into an unforgettable celebration. Click here to buy tickets.
Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.
Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
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