The countdown to the DP World Tour Bahrain Championship, to be held at the Royal Golf Club (RGC) from 1st to 4th February 2024, began last Thursday at The Avenue with a unique ‘Event Activation’. ” initiative officially began. It will run until tomorrow.
The Bahrain Championship is held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad and marks the return to the DP World Tour after 13 years.
DP World Tour CEO Keith Perry announced the signing of the Bahrain Championship in late September last year at a special signing ceremony attended by the First Vice-President of the Supreme Council for Youth Sports (SCYS), the Chairman of the General Sports Authority (GSA) and the Bahrain Championship. Championship announced that it would be returning to its own organization. Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC).
And for the past three days, The Avenue has seen a mini-golf course with the legendary “Bahrain Championship” inscribed in the foyer of the shopping mall, clearly visible to those approaching from all sides. Unsuspecting shoppers are pleasantly surprised. At the front entrance, many families, including young children, were trying their hand at putting and chip shots, aiming at a target shaped like a cup on the green.
The initiative is the first in a series of promotional events to be rolled out over the next two months to generate buzz about the Bahrain Championship and encourage people to buy tickets to watch the world’s best golfers compete at BOC’s RGC. It is. Mai Albinkaril, head of marketing and promotions, said this in an exclusive interview with GDN.
“Hosting the DP World Tour Bahrain Championship will bring excitement to the Kingdom, showcase its beauty and attract golf enthusiasts from all over the world,” she said.
“The Royal Golf Club’s spectacular views and challenging course make it the perfect venue for this event, which attracts top golfers from around the world and showcases Bahrain’s hospitality and cultural heritage.
“The active participation of the local community will make it an unforgettable experience for everyone.”
This first promotional event was organized by BOC in collaboration with RGC, GSA and DP World Tour.
The event, which was scheduled to end yesterday, was extended for two days as the mini-golf course has already generated a lot of buzz and people have come to the mall to try their hand at putting.
“It’s a lot of fun, and even my five-year-old daughter Sally seems to have gotten into it,” says Phil Edwards, a 35-year-old Brit who traveled from Dubai to Bahrain with his family to meet friends. . he told GDN over the weekend.
“Look at her trying to putt with a club that’s almost bigger than her,” he laughed as he bent down to help Sally grip the putter correctly.
“I only came here because my wife wanted to do some shopping before she left tonight, but Sally spotted a small golf course and headed straight for it, so we ended up here for half an hour!”
A short distance away, Zora, a Pakistani mother of three, was trying to convince her 7-year-old son, Usman, to focus on putting the ball in the cup.
“You have to hold the putter correctly, just like my dad taught me,” she said, to which Usman replied, playfully holding the club upside down.
Then the boy looked down, furrowed his brow, and made a great putt, but the ball stopped a few inches short of the cup.
“If we try again and this time we can make it into the cup, we’ll take us to the Royal Golf Club next weekend and let us play on the actual greens,” Zola said.
In response, Usman picked up the ball and dropped it into the cup.
“Here we go,” he chuckled cheekily, and his mother burst out laughing.
Meanwhile, Salman Adel, a 37-year-old Bahraini father of two young girls, ages 5 and 7, watched his daughters take turns puttingt while his wife filmed the scene. .
“Until 10 minutes ago, my babies Alaa and Yasmeen didn’t even know what golf was,” she said as Alaa squealed with joy as her deft little putt landed the ball in the cup. He smiled proudly as he raised it.
“Now they don’t want to get off this little golf course. Maybe we should consider enrolling them in golf lessons at the Royal Golf Club.”
And just outside a sealed-off mini-golf course, two Bahraini teenagers watch a promotional video for the Bahrain Championship play on a television screen facing outwards for passersby to see. I was watching.
“It’s beautiful,” one whispered to a friend as a wide shot of the Royal Golf Club’s fairway appeared on the screen.
“Maybe you should try golf,” replied the other.
“Let’s find out more about how to learn to play.”
The prize money for the DP World Tour – Bahrain Championship is $2.5 million. His RGC at Refaviews has overseen extensive renovations to the course over the past year, with many of the greens on the front nine being redesigned to make them the best possible to host elite golfers from DP World’s Tour. guaranteed to be in good condition.