The hosting of this week’s third edition of the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship once again brings back fond memories of attending the DP World Tour’s inaugural tournament in Bahrain.

It was the 2011 Volvo Championship and on the very unique Royal Golf Club course.

Unique?

The Colin Montgomerie designed course is unique for two reasons.  It is the only 18-hole and full grass course in the oil rich nation and secondly, there is many oil pipelines running the length of the course.  It means that there are walking bridges there for you to use to cross-over the pipelines, and where you are afforded relief should your golf ball

In fact, the official scorecard (See by clicking on the feature story below) lists the rule saying under Rule 16.1 of the Official Rules of Golf the ‘heavy duty pipes’ are classed as an ‘Immovable Obstrustion’ from which a player is entitled to free relief.  It is the same rule if you ball came to rest on a sprinkler head, electrical heads, course furniture etc.

It is 15-years since the DP World Tour, and then named Volvo European Tour, was first in Bahrain for the hosting of the inaugural 2011 Volvo Champions when England’s Paul Casey, and then World No. 6 and highest-ranked in the field, captured an 11th career victory, posting four rounds in the 60s to win by a shot at 20-under-par.

Victory also lifted Casey to a career high of No. 3 in the world.

I still enjoy very fond memories of that 2011 Bahrain visit, and looking forward to returning in 2012 though there already talk in that January, 2011 of the 2012 event being moved from Bahrain, given the fears of the the growing unrest in what history now refers to as ‘The Arab Spring’ uprising that was increasingly taking place throughout North Africa and the Middle East.

Indeed the event was moved in 2012 to Fancourt in South Africa though the 2012 F1 Bahrain Championship went ahead in April that year.

Please read my feature article on first playing the Bahrain Golf Club course:
https://www.golfbytourmiss.com/2024/01/bahrains-royal-club-rewarding-golf-in-this-oil-rich-nation/