The Riffa Golf Club is offering discounted green fees and "4 for 2" deals to lure midweek golfers as part of its new, short-term marketing strategy in the face of a worldwide travel industry downturn following the US terror attacks in September.
Bahrain's only landscaped, 18-hole grass PGA golf course is drawing increasing numbers of midweek players and interest is climbing as autumn sets in. "Now that the days are becoming cooler, we're noticing a marked increase in the number of midweek players, both among members and those who come to play Visitor Golf," said the club's director of sales and marketing, çine Mangan. "Midweek specials make golfing better value than ever, with visitors' green fees for 18 holes of golf Sunday to Wednesday inclusive priced at just BD25 ($66)). A nine-hole round midweek costs just BD17. "Groups can also opt for our '4 for 2' offer that allows four people to play for the price of two." The club said it had experienced a limited impact on business following the terrorist attacks and most of the club's members, their guests and other visitors continue to play golf at Riffa. The Golf Academy's autumn tuition courses were well-subscribed and membership subscriptions for the year 2002, due by December 31, were starting to come in. However, US military personnel who usually account for a fair amount of midweek business had not been seen at the club since the attacks, a club spokesman said. The club said visitor golf had fallen slightly below expected levels for the time of year due to a drop in business visitors normally entertained by Riffa's corporate members. But general manager Michael Braidwood said the club's membership remained stable with the majority of golfers coming from within Bahrain or Saudi Arabia. "While travel across the Saudi causeway may drop as expatriates temporarily restrict their movements following US-led strikes on Afghanistan, the club is still busy," said Braidwood. He said Riffa was going ahead with its autumn fixtures and it recently opened two new white tees with a White Tee Challenge Tournament. The club also announced plans to install floodlighting at the golf course focusing on hole numbers 10 to 18. The installation work is expected to begin in coming months. Riffa Golf Club's management has announced that it is planning a major investment in floodlighting the golf course, focusing on hole numbers 10-18. Installation work is expected to commence in the coming months. The par-72, 6,817 yards course opened in 1999 and is managed by Gleneagles Hotel plc of the UK.