Golf in Bahrain
The Gulf's most compact golf stop, built around a Colin Montgomerie championship course with floodlit night golf, twenty minutes from Manama. The courses, the season, the costs and how to plan it.
Photograph: Royal Golf Club, Royal Golf Club, via Google
Why golf in Bahrain
Bahrain is the smallest and most concentrated of the Gulf golf destinations, and that is exactly its appeal for the right traveller. The island kingdom is home to one outstanding modern course, the Montgomerie layout at the Royal Golf Club, with everything else, the city, the airport, the restaurants and the hotels, within a short drive. It is winter sun golf without the sprawl, an easy long weekend or a stopover en route to or from Asia, and a natural pairing with the bigger desert destinations of the Gulf.
The kingdom punches above its weight off the course too. Manama is a relaxed, cosmopolitan capital with a long causeway to Saudi Arabia, a famous Formula 1 circuit hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix, and a culture more low key than its glitzier neighbours. For a golfer that means a quality championship round, floodlit night golf to beat the heat, and a city break without the crowds, all a few hours' flight from Europe and a short hop from Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi.
How to use the destination
Riffa and the Royal Golf Club
The heart of Bahraini golf, an upmarket development around twenty minutes south of Manama, home to the only grass course on the island and the floodlit holes for night golf.
Manama and the coast
The capital and the resorts, the natural hotel base, with the Formula 1 circuit, the souk and the waterfront all close to the golf for a short break or a city and golf combination.
The wider Gulf
Bahrain works beautifully as one leg of a multi country Gulf trip, an hour by air from Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, where a single course stop slots neatly into a desert golf tour.
The courses that matter
The Royal Golf Club, Montgomerie Course
The marquee round and Bahrain's only grass championship course, a Colin Montgomerie redesign that follows the natural rolling desert and uses the Al Hunayniyah wadi for water hazards, most testingly across the closing four holes. The back nine is floodlit for night golf.
The Royal Golf Club, Wee Monty
The club's nine hole, par 27 academy course, a quick, fun and affordable round ideal for a warm up, a short evening game or less experienced players in the group, with the same teaching facilities alongside.
Awali Golf Club
The oldest course on the island, built by the national oil company in the desert at Awali, a traditional browns course played on sand fairways and oiled sand greens, a curiosity and a window onto how Gulf golf began.
Night golf at Riffa
One of Bahrain's signatures, the floodlit holes that let you play in the cool of the evening through the hotter months, a practical and atmospheric way to enjoy championship golf when the daytime heat is fierce.
Designers, par and yardage verified June 2026. Bahrain is a compact destination with a small number of courses, best treated as a focused stop or one leg of a wider Gulf trip. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| November to April | Warm, dry days and pleasant evenings | Prime golf season, the only sensible time for a full round |
| May and October | Hot, building toward or easing off the summer | Early morning or floodlit night golf only |
| June to September | Extreme heat and humidity | Night golf at most, not a daytime golf season |
The Bahrain Grand Prix, usually held in spring, is a popular time to combine golf with the Formula 1, so book hotels and tee times well ahead around the race.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Montgomerie Course | Around BD60, roughly US$160 | 18 holes; weekend and peak rates can be higher |
| Wee Monty academy | A fraction of the championship rate | 9 holes, par 27, ideal for an evening game |
| A long weekend, all in | Around US$1,500 to US$2,800 per person | 3 to 4 nights, a few rounds, hotel, transfers, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
Bahrain International Airport at Manama is well served by Gulf Air and the major regional carriers, with direct flights from Europe and quick connections from Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi that make a one or two night add on straightforward. The whole island is small, so the Royal Golf Club is around twenty minutes from the city and the airport, and a taxi or a hire car covers everything you need. There is no need for the long transfers that come with the larger Gulf destinations, which is part of Bahrain's easy going charm.
Where to stay
Manama has the widest choice of hotels, from international five star towers on the waterfront to business and resort properties near the causeway, all within a short drive of the golf. Staying in the capital pairs the round with the restaurants, the souk and the Grand Prix circuit, and keeps the airport close for a stopover. For a focused golf break, choose a hotel with an easy run south to Riffa Views, and let one planner line up the tee times, the night golf and the transfers around your flights.
Plan your Bahrain golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Bahrain golf questions
When is the best time to play golf in Bahrain?
The cool season from November to April is the only sensible golf window, with comfortable, dry days and warm evenings. The summer from June to September is extremely hot and humid, when only early morning or floodlit night golf is realistic. The Bahrain Grand Prix in spring is a popular time to combine golf with the Formula 1.
Where can you play golf in Bahrain?
The Royal Golf Club at Riffa Views is the only grass course and the marquee venue, with the Montgomerie Course, a 9-hole Wee Monty academy and floodlit night golf. Awali Golf Club, the original oil company course, is a sand and oiled greens browns course. Bahrain is compact, best as a focused stop or part of a wider Gulf trip.
How much does golf in Bahrain cost in 2026?
As an indicative guide for 2026, a round on the Montgomerie Course runs around BD60, roughly US$160, with the academy course much cheaper. Rates can be higher at weekends and lower for twilight and night golf. Confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Gulf golf openings, night golf tips and the booking windows worth moving on first. Every other week.