It's a Tuesday afternoon and the sun is hot. Surrounded by your 20 best girl friends you step out onto the tree-lined fairway and overlook the "perfectly manicured" greens. There, at the Dirab Golf & Country Club, just 47km (29 miles) southwest of Riyadh, you begin your 18-hole round of golf surrounded by laughter and camaraderie. You take your next swing and as you watch your ball land in the center of the sand trap, you suddenly remember that you are in the middle of the desert.

Golf in Saudi Arabia is very active for men and women. With courses including (in addition to Dirab above), the Arizona Golf Resort, and the The Intercontinental Palms Golf & Country Club, located at the Riyadh Intercontinental Hotel, there is plenty of opportunity to practice your putting.

Dirab Golf & Country Club is the oldest and the most well-established. Open all year round and located in Tawfiq valley about 45km southwest of Riyadh, the course offers a driving range and nine-hole academy course. A newly established Golf Academy also offers junior players the opportunity to attend skill clinics and learn more about the game. (Dirab also has tennis courts, a swimming pool, and horseback riding.)

On weekends, the course comes alive with tournaments and the monthly medal competition. Tuesday is ladies day, when the 20 members of the Dirab Ladies Golf Group gather on the green. Often, the ladies will organize their own competitions, adding some variety to their Tuesdays. October marks the start of new seasons.

100km (62 miles) north of Jeddah, in King Abdullah Economic City, you will find the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, which has an 18-hole championship golf course. It also has restaurants, a spa, a health club, etc.

A special thanks to Theresa Walker and Theresa Wade for the information provided in this article.

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