Bahrain comprises of more than 30 islands situated in the Persian Gulf. It’s a country that is steeped in history and Bahrain was once the centre of trade in ancient times. With rich heritage, including archaeological sites, royal tombs and temples, Bahrain is a country of mystery. But be warned, a large proportion of these islands consist of sandy desert and naturally the temperature during the day is hot and rather arid. For western visitors, Bahrain represents a gentle introduction to the Arabian Gulf and many Formula 1 enthusiasts flock here for the annual Bahrain Grand Prix.

Only rich Middle Eastern countries can afford to build conventional grass golf courses, which naturally require significant quantities of water to survive in the desert heat. Bahrain is a small country with declining oil reserves but it does have one golf course that is not only sown with grass, but it’s also floodlit. Karl Litten knows a thing or two about desert golf and he was the original architect behind Bahrain’s only grass course – then known as Riffa Golf Club – but in 2007 the course closed and was redeveloped by European Golf Design with Colin Montgomerie, emerging in 2009 as the Royal Golf Club.

Our Middle East rankings were last updated in February 2017. Click the link to read the story.