Doha Golf Club – The most versatile golf course on the planet
It’s a busy life being a professional golfer. There are tournaments throughout the year and all over the world. Everybody needs some time off, so what hobbies do professional golfers have? The range of subjects goes from cooking to farming and from painting to poker.
The eyes of the world are currently on Qatar due to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The tournament kicks off on November 20th with the hosts in action against Ecuador. The following day, Al Rayyan will be hosting England – Iran at Football World Championships 2022 in the Khalifa International Stadium.
But in the Arabian Gulf State’s capital city, football isn’t the only sport on people’s lips. Golf, and more specifically Doha Golf Club, is also one of the talks of the town. As we all know, the Arabian Gulf states such as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Qatar, are playgrounds for the rich and famous. Not only does the climate practically consist of year-round sunshine, but the hotels, restaurants, and in this case golf courses, are all of an impeccable standard.
With that being said, it’s no wonder that you can find a wealth of the planet’s most famous celebrities playing 18 holes at the Doha Golf Club. But the venue allows for much more than just a round of golf.
Concerts and events
As many may not know, the golf course also doubles as a venue for hosting events and concerts. The Greens at the course has a capacity of 1,500 which sets for an intimate setting to see top international stars such as Enrique Iglesias, who performed at the venue at the start of November. The Black Eyed Peas are also expected to perform there in the coming weeks.
Doha Golf Club also has the potential to host much bigger events. For the duration of the FIFA World Cup, Daydream Festival will be taking place at the venue. A number of the planet’s top DJs will be putting on performances in what promises to be an unmissable event. Names such as Armin Van Buuren, Tiësto, and Alesso will all be in attendance and tickets are still on sale.
As well as that, household names such as Robbie Williams, J Balvin, Nicky Romero, and Major Lazer will all be putting on shows of their own between now and the end of the year.
Qatar Masters
Of course, Doha Golf Club’s bread and butter is hosting golf tournaments. The most prestigious tournament that takes place at the venue is the Qatar Masters. The event takes place in March of every year and has been a staple on the European Tour since 1998.
Scotsman Paul Lawrie holds the course record, shooting 20 under par en route to winning the tournament way back in 1999. Four months later he would win his first and only major, The 1999 Open Championship on home turf at Carnoustie. The Scotsman would return and win the tournament again 13 years on from his initial success.
Some of the finest players in the history of the European Tour such as Ernie Els, Henrik Stenson, Retief Goosen, Robert Karlsson, and Sergio Garcia have all won the tournament. The event organisers even tried to tempt Tiger Woods to play in the event back in 2013 however, they decided that he wasn’t worth the $3m he was asking for to play at the tournament. That’s not really surprising considering the 2022 prize fund in its entirety was $2m.
Amateur tournaments
The venue also hosts the Qatar Open Amateur Championship and has done since 1983. The event takes place at the end of every January and for a fee of $247 (or $160 if you’re a member) you can play the course in the hope of ending the tournament victorious.
Such has been the calibre of the winners in recent years that now the player who wins the tournament is invited to play against the big boys in the aforementioned Qatar Masters.
