The Jordan Golf Federation has been in existence for only 15 years but it has in its jurisdiction just one golf course, which has been laid out in sand. A shortage of suitably grassy terrain is a common problem in the Middle East that they have overcome with spectacular success further to the east, in Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, and in particular, Dubai.
Bordered by Saudi Arabia, Israel, Syria and Iraq, Jordan is a country less accustomed to Western visitors as countries along the southern shores of the Gulf, such as the UAE.
The Jordan Golf Federation contacted the R&A for help, and through a joint-initiative with the PGAs of Europe, Sayed Cherif, an Egyptian-born member of the PGA of Sweden, made a special trip to Amman to help plan the way ahead.
"To improve golf in Jordan, and to get good national players, there has to be a green golf course," says Cherif. "They are very interested to build one in Amman".
