Bahrain Golf Club in Riffa: The Story of the Kingdom’s Bahraini Golfers

The club’s origins are closely linked to the Riffa Sports and Social Club. A group of young Bahraini sportsmen formed a golf section and set about building a nine-hole course in the valley beneath the Riffa village bluff. The course opened in 1962, marking an important step towards organised golf led by Bahraini players.

The first generation of Riffa golfers had strong links with Awali. Some had worked as caddies at Awali Golf Club, where they became familiar with the game before establishing their own golfing base. The new course gave local players the opportunity to practise, compete and develop their skills within their own community.

The relationship between the Riffa golfers and Awali quickly became a sporting rivalry. Matches between the two groups were reported in the local press and became a regular feature of the golfing calendar. These meetings helped strengthen the identity of Bahraini golf at a time when the sport was still developing across the Kingdom.

The Riffa course is a separate chapter from the history of Awali Golf Club and from the later Royal Golf Club development. Each has its own origins and identity, and the Riffa club remains an important part of the story of how Bahraini golfers established their place in the sport.

The historical record places the original course in Riffa Valley and documents its opening in 1962. Its story is remembered through the players, inter-club matches and contribution to Bahrain’s national golf scene.