With a golf club that is truly one of the gems of the Middle East, it is fitting that the Commercial Bank Qatar (CBQ) Masters is growing in stature every year. Last year’s event heralded the introduction of CBQ, who have committed to supporting the tournament until 2009. On the long, difficult and notoriously breezy track designed by Peter Harradine, Henrik Stenson played sensationally to wrest the title from defending champion Ernie Els. The course, which has hosted the Masters tournament since 1998, stretches over 7374 yards from the tournament tees and has a varied range of holes to test you skills. Of the 4 par holes, the 5th, 6th, 11th, 14th and 15th are all outstanding tests, between 360 and 400 yards long. The 9th (639 yards) and 18th (578 yards) are both giants set among 1300 palm trees, lush fairways and eight strategically placed artificial lakes. Watch out for Hole 3 – a par 3 of frightening length, this often demands a wood or driving iron for the pros.
What’s more there’s water to the right that stretches to the putting surface, so anything pushed out there will end up in the swim. The 15th is also a real challenge and acts as the beginning of a very tough closing stretch that requires a monster hit off the tee to make it past a rocky outcrop that juts out from the right of the fairway. The 150-hectare Doha Golf Club, with pristinely kept fairways and greens has won numerous accolades from both PGA European tour representatives and officials and a visit is a must for serious golfing executives in the region.
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