Dirab Golf Course, Riyadh
Situated in amongst the rocky cliff faces and the surrounding desert to the west of Riyadh is Dirab Golf Course.
After a few years of poor maintenance where the course fell into a sorry state, it has recently been reopened under the management of Golf Saudi. I was eager to see if indeed the new management had been able to rescue the course and restore it to its former glory. Or was Dirab Golf Club destined to be lost to the sands of the desert forever.
Read on to find out about my experience in the revitalized Dirab Golf Club.
Course layout (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆)
Thankfully, one thing that didn’t change was the layout of the golf course. With a tight layout, the course can be very punishing. You need to be accurate off the tees and straight from the fairways. There are mature trees on every hole lining the fairways. You need to stay out of these. Otherwise, you will be punching out and wasting a stroke. These are not the type of trees you can hit to the green through. If you go in them, you will be wasting a shot.
Elevation Changes
There are some elevations on the course. You will be hitting a few shots to elevated greens. Some are quite steep, and you need to factor this in when playing. Lengthwise the course is suitable for all golfers. But it does payoff to be able to hit a nice straight long drive to the middle of the fairways.
I do like the layout of the course, and there is a good variety to the holes. There is some forward planning to be done on some tee boxes. You can lay up or take on a corner to leave yourself a short iron into the green. However, because of the trees and the desert waste off the fairways the best choice is almost always to lay up.
Greens
Almost every green has some form of slope on it, and it is unusual to have a straight putt. A lot have slopes that will cause you to go from a getable birdie putt to a three-putted bogey! Care definitely needs to be taken on the greens.
Overall the layout is good and keeps you on your toes for the round.
Course condition (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆)
And onto the condition. This was the main area of concern that had caused the closure of the golf course before. I am very glad to announce that the golf course has recovered immensely from the state it was in. Yes, there is a little way to go yet. But you can see that the hard work of the agronomy team is paying off and it is well on its way to getting back to a very high standard.
Tee Boxes
The tee boxes are cut nicely and in good condition. The only thing I would like to see is a more difficult tee box for better players. The black tees when I played were very close to the regular tees. I do believe that this is a step that is being taken to put in new tee boxes and this will be ideal for those who love a really good challenge.
Fairways
The fairways have recovered immensely from how they were. Where before they were patchy and quickly being reclaimed by the desert, now they are fully grassed and a joy to hit from. There is a little bit of filling out to be done to make them a little lusher. But this is something that I am confident will happen in the next year or so.
Greens
The greens are an absolute pleasure to putt on. They are evenly cut, they roll true, and they are fast! Which is something that I love. There’s something about hitting a putt and watching a ball continue to roll towards the hole even when you think it can’t possibly have one more rotation left in it. If all greens I played on were as good as these, I would be a very happy golfer.
Bunkers
The sand in the bunkers was perfect. Filled with a nice silica sand, you can really hit a nice, controlled splash shot out of them. The only complaint is that it’s very easy for a ball to plug in the bunkers due to the softness and depth of the sand.
Rough
The rough areas are, like the fairways, recovering well. Again, it may take a few more months to really fill out but it is well on the way to how it should be. The desert areas have been expanded, cleaned up nicely and look fresh and sharp. A real contrast to the green of the golf course.
In general, the course is coming on really well. It looks highly likely that it will surpass its previous peak conditioning. In my opinion, it has a great chance of becoming the best golf course in Riyadh.
Facilities (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆☆)
Dirab has a pro-shop, and a clubhouse. The clubhouse is an ample size and is ok to sit in and have a soft drink or a coffee before or after your round. The restaurant has a good enough menu, but I do think it’s a bit expensive.
Driving Range
There is a driving range which also caters for lessons as well as golfers warming up before their round. The range is located right next to a nice putting green and is visible from the clubhouse. The whole practice area is nicely situated so that before a competition everybody gets to remain in the same area before the round. The other positive about the driving range is that you hit off the grass and not mats. This is something I think is great for either warm up or practice.
Buggies
The buggies are generally good and there is always a good supply. You will never be waiting for buggies before your round.
On Course Hydration
For drinks during the round, there are water containers supplied around the course from which you can refill. However, to get soft drinks, you need to either bring your own or purchase from the clubhouse.
Price (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆☆)
The price is SAR435 for 18 holes at the weekend during peak season. With the improvements in the course this price is slightly less than a lot of other Middle Eastern courses which are a similar standard.
During the weekdays the price drops to SAR265 which is a very good price for the course.
For full green fee rates please click here.
Setting & Course location (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆)
The location is about 30 minutes outside of Riyadh, on the main highway. Once you turn off the main highway it is about another 10 minutes down this road. The entrance is easy to miss but there is a sign on the entrance highlighting the golf club.
For the location on Google Maps please click here.
Conclusion
Dirab Golf Course is quickly fighting its way back to the top of the table in relation to the best golf course in Riyadh. The team have done a great job in bringing it back to life and in rejuvenating people’s interest in the course. It is a course that deserves love and care as it was always clear it had potential.
Saying that, there is one thing that did frustrate me when I played there. It was nothing to do with the condition of the course or the work done by anyone there. Rather it was something caused by one of our own, golfers. And that was the fact that almost every bunker I saw had deep unraked footprints in them.
This is not a complaint on the golf course. It’s a complaint on the lack of etiquette and respect some people have for a golf course and for their fellow golfers. After all the work that is done to bring a course back from the dead, the least we as golfers can do is to do our part and make it enjoyable for those following us. And to show respect to the course and to the teams that make it what it is.
And a final word for Dirab Golf Course? Welcome back! We missed you!
OVERALL RATING – (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆)
Contact Details for Dirab Golf Course
Website: Click here
Telephone: +966 55 578 9190
Email: info@dirabgolf.com
Hole-by-Hole
All distances are from the white tees which I played from. Indexes are men’s indexes.
Hole 1: Par 5, 583yds, index 2
The opening hole is quite a long par 5 to start with. You need to avoid the OOB on the right and the bunker on the left with your drive.
It’s a very long shot to try to hit this green in two. Most players will be laying up for their second shot. There are two bunkers waiting in the lay-up area to catch any wayward shots.
Once clear of these the danger around the green for your approach shot is a bunker on the left of the green and another on the back.
Hole 2: Par 4, 404yds, index 9
This is a straight par 4. A good drive will leave you about a hundred yards into the green. There is out of bounds on the right-hand side and desert area on the left-hand side.
Hole 3: Par 4, 395yds, index 7
A dog-leg par 4 to the left. It is uphill all the way. You can go straight out and leave a mid iron to the green. Or else try to cut the corner and leave a shorter iron in. The green is a very hard green to judge. You can easily three putt this one.
Hole 4: Par 3, 150yds, index 17
On paper an easy par 3. In reality it is quite tricky. Depending on the wind this can play nice and short, or long and hard! The green is a long green and has some interesting humps. Bunkers to the left and right protect the green.
Hole 5: Par 4, 438yds, index 8
A downhill par 4 which is a dogleg to the right. Again, long hitters can try to take some off the corner and leave a short iron into the green. Even if you slice your drive while trying to cut the corner you still have a good chance of hitting the green.
Hole 6: Par 4, 342yds, index 10
Another dogleg to the left. Very similar to the third hole, but the tee shot is much shorter. The corner can be cut with a fairway wood which leaves a short iron into the green. There are two bunkers waiting on the corner to catch any tee shots that are too long. This is another elevated green with a steep slope to it.
Hole 7: Par 3, 170yds, index 15
A long par 3 down hill. It is quite difficult to hit this green and often you will leave yourself short. There is a bank in front and to the left of the green and if you get stuck behind this it is nearly impossible to chip and putt for your par.
Hole 8: Par 4, 340yds, index 14
An extremely drivable par 4. But you need to be able to get your tee shot up quickly to get over the trees. There are two bunkers on the right-hand side of the green to avoid. If going out straight with a long iron, you leave a short iron into the green.
Hole 9: Par 5, 569yds, index 4
A straightforward par 5, even if a long one. Take the right-hand side of the fairway when driving. There are lots of trees and brush on the left side and its hard to find your ball if you go in there. Once the tee shot is away and in the middle of the fairway then the rest of the shots to the green are straight forward.
Hole 10: Par 4, 391yds, index 3
A nice par 4 up the hill. There is out of bounds right into the driving range so stay on the left side of the fairway. This also gives a clearer shot into the green. The green is hard to hit and falls hard from back to front. The slopes are very hard to judge on the green so beware.
Hole 11: Par 3, 160yds, index 18
A nice par 3 downhill. There is out of bounds on the right. The hole is not that hard but sometimes with the elevation and the wind you can overhit it or compensate too much and fall short.
Hole 12: Par 4, 359yds, index 12
A slight dog leg to the right and played from an elevated tee box. There is a lake to the left so take care of this. However, going too far right will put you in the trees or in the bunker on the right of the fairway.
Bunkers either side of the green may catch you if offline for your approach shot.
Hole 13: Par 5, 507yds, index 5
This can look like a short par 5 after you get a good drive away. The markers may tell you that you are less than 200 yards into the green. However, it plays slightly uphill, and the distance can be misleading. The hole is a slight dog leg from left to right but is a quite easy par 5 once you get your distances right for the second shot.
Missing the green will cause to hit one of the runoffs into the desert area surrounding the green.
Hole 14: Par 4, 354yds, index 13
Another short par 4. Very similar to the 12th hole. A good straight drive will leave you 100 yards or less into the green. This is not a hard par 4 and the only risk is trying to get close to the green from the drive and slicing or hooking.
Hole 15: Par 5, 566yds, index 1
Off the tee you need to avoid the hazard area right of the fairway. Don’t be too far left as then you are in trees. Your lay-up may need to cut the corner slightly so take care of going too far right into the rocky outcrop as it becomes an OOB area.
The green is quite small and has two bunkers left and right that you need to avoid.
Hole 16: Par 3, 175yds, index 16
Getting over the lake shouldn’t be a problem on this hole. You will need to watch out for a bunker left and right of the green. Also take care of being right of the cart path as it’s OOB.
Hole 17: Par 4, 443yds, index 6
Try to drive to the left side of the fairway as if you are down right you have a tough approach shot in over a large tree and a bunker. This is quite a difficult hole, but it can definitely be made easier by hitting the left side of the fairway.
Hole 18: Par 4, 410yds, index 11
The closing hole. Drive central of the fairway and leave yourself a mid-iron to the green. Again, there are bunkers left and right to miss when playing your approach shot in. And of course, as with all the other holes on the course, those beautiful mature trees are just waiting to trap you!
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To see how I played the course check out my videos on YouTube.