Colin Montgomerie has visited Bahrain to take a look at the latest project he is designing in association with European Golf Design, the joint venture design company of The European Tour and IMG.
Work is underway on the construction of the 27-hole Riffa Views development in Bahrain, to include an 18-hole championship course, which is being earmarked for a future European Tour event, together with a 9-hole par 3 course. Both the par 3 course and the back nine of the championship course will be floodlit to allow night time play all year round.
Montgomerie describes the course as being of “authentic links style with rolling fairways, revetted pot bunkers and large undulating greens.” Dramatic desert landforms provide a stunning canvas through which the highly strategic layout has been routed. “This is a course that will reward intelligent, strategic play, from the first shot to the last”, Montgomerie added.
Speaking after taking part in a ground breaking ceremony Colin Montgomerie said, “It is an exciting time for me with the building of this course and it should enhance the standard of golf in Bahrain and help towards getting Bahrain more recognition as a future tour venue.
“This is also an ideal opportunity for more Bahraini players to get involved in the sport and to boost the local scene. We have seen what has happened in Malaysia, China and Thailand in recent years and Bahrain can do the same and move up on the world stage.”
After hitting several shots to test out his design strategies, Montgomerie met with the management of Riffa Views and 150 club members to present the new master plan.
Richard Browning, chief executive of Riffa Views, commented, “Colin’s visit marks the start of the construction phase and the culmination of a great deal of detailed planning work. It’s great to have the contribution of such a superb sportsman in this project. His partnership is the ultimate seal of quality and signifies the high standards we are setting in all aspects of the Riffa Views Project.”
Apart from the course, facilities such as a shopping mall, tennis centre, school, mosque and community centres will enhance the living environment of the 900 residences that will be built.
This will be the second project European Golf Design have worked on in recent years in the Middle East. In 2003 they were responsible for the re-design of the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, and are shortly to begin work on a new project, King Abdullah Economic City in Saudi Arabia.
European Golf Design www.egd.com