It has been five years since my one and only visit to Bahrain.

That was in 2011 for the inaugural Volvo Champions event at the Colin Montgomerie designed Royal Golf Club, and won by England’s Paul Casey.

I was fortunate also to play the course on the Monday after the tournament and the striking memory of the course was the site of oil pipelines running through the course, and also in a number of the suburban streets around the city, and such is the nature of the oil-rich nation.

However it was just a two-hour stop-over last Monday in Bahrain Airport ahead of travelling onto this week’s Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in Doha.

And like stepping off the plane a week earlier in Colombo, it was great to break what was only a very short flight from Abu Dhabi in getting out and wandering around the Kingdom of Bahrain Airport.

Welcome ‘back’ to Bahrain.

Australia – New world?

Now boarding – Gulf Air Flight GF530 to Doha.

Gulf Air Airbus to Doha.

Welcome to Qatar and this week’s Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

A familiar sight for the past 17 years – the Doha Golf Club clubhouse.