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'Monty' hails Riffa course, by Patrick Salomon |
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Nov 27, 2007: LEGENDARY golfer and renowned course designer Colin Montgomerie made a one-day visit to Bahrain yesterday to oversee the construction of his signature-designed Riffa Views Championship Golf Course and approve four additional holes for grassing.
The Scot met with Riffa Views Signature Estates and golf club management for a progress briefing, and walked the championship course with chief architect Robin Hiseman. They carried out a course inspection and approved the first, second, eighth and ninth holes to be grassed in.
During his previous visit to the Kingdom in January, Montgomerie signed off five holes, all of which have been grassed. All front nine holes have now been approved, and by the end of the year will be grassed in with Paspalum Sea Isle Supreme grass, which is drought-tolerant and retains its colour in the winter.
"This is a very important project that I'm extremely excited about," the 44-year-old legend said in a Press conference at the Riffa Views Golf and Leisure Shop in Country Mall, Budaiya.
"Riffa Views will be a very special residence and the course will be a very special place to play in. I'm very proud to have my name attached."
Montgomerie ensured that work was on target and that specifications of his design were being followed, ultimately guaranteeing the course a place on the world map.
"The difference between the look of the course now and when I was last here is amazing," he expressed. "The front nine has been shaped and will be grassed within the next few weeks. Now the back nine will take shape, and I'm really looking forward to that."
Montgomerie took inspiration for his design from the area's surrounding desert scenery, while looking to minimise the course's environmental impact.
All landscaping is being irrigated with treated sewage effluent, and indigenous plants are being reintroduced into the blend. Some parts of the course also run through the historic Al Hunaniyah Wadi - a valley formed by a dry riverbed.
"Designing this course has been a challenge, but I think we got it right," said Montgomerie, who stopped here briefly on his way back to London from China, where he and teammate Marc Warren clinched Scotland's first-ever World Cup of Golf on Sunday.
"There are six tees on every hole, set on different angles towards the pins on the par threes and different lengths on the par fours, and different bunkers to play. There are also lots of different angles and different shapes throughout the course," Montgomerie explained.
Role
"My role as the designer is to challenge golfers who are not only at my standard of play, but the average handicap golfer as well. I want to make them want to come back to play the course."
The course is being built in a joint venture between Nass Contracting Co WLL and Braemar Golf Development. It includes the 18-hole Professional Golfers' Association championship course and a nine-hole short course. Both courses are set to open for play in May 2008, to be followed by the official opening in October.
Present at yesterday's conference alongside Montgomerie was Riffa Views chief executive Richard Browning.
By PATRICK SALOMON, Gulf Daily News
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