Golf is an improbable sport for a desert land like Saudi Arabia. Yet, in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province, golfers have been carrying their clubs out to the greens for decades. It must be explained that in general, playing golf in Saudi Arabia isn’t like golfing elsewhere. The Kingdom is the only place in the world where golf tournaments are more often contested on sand than grass. There are only two grass courses in Saudi Arabia, and about six sand courses. On a sand course, the greens are brown.

When golf was first played in the Kingdom it was an expatriate’s game. That’s slowly changing. Now, many Saudis have been exposed to the sport on television, and while studying or vacationing abroad. In 1999, the Kingdom began sponsoring the Saudi National Golf Team, based in Riyadh. The youngest member of that team, 16-year-old Othman Ibrahim Al-Mulla, recently captured the Men’s Flight One Title of the Club Championship at the Rolling Hills Country Club in Dhahran. Playing on sand, in windy conditions, Othman took the title by 11 strokes, with rounds of 75, 74, 75 and 78. It was the first time that a junior golfer won the championship.

“I’ve loved golf from the first day I played,” said Othman. “It’s an amazing game. I’ve played for three years now. One day I had nothing else to do, so I went up to the golf course with a friend and gave it a try. I hit one shot really well and then I just wanted to hit as many balls as possible to get another good shot. It fascinated me.”

Othman has always been athletic, but like most Saudis, he preferred to kick balls around — not take a swing at them. Even he was surprised by his passion for golf, which he had previously considered to be a “boring, old man’s game.” Othman knows that many Saudis find his excitement about golf to be a little bit strange. That’s okay with him because he believes that if they just went out and hit some balls, they’d have a different perspective on the game.

While golf started out as a casual activity for Othman, it quickly became something more. His obsession with the sport grew and he wanted to play better. That was when Rem Seil came into his life. Seil was an experienced golfer in Dhahran who frequently took time to help young players improve their game. Soon he was actively coaching Othman.

“I had faults because I was new to the sport. Rem Seil would give me what to work on and then I would spend 3 or 4 hours just hitting balls until I had fixed the problem,” said Othman. “I was very intense. I would say to myself, ‘There’s nothing I can’t do if I just work hard enough.’ I had to learn not just about the physical side of golf but the mental skills needed, too. Focus is really important. Any lapse in concentration during a game can make a big difference. Golf requires a lot of practice and dedication. Usually, you get out of golf what you put into it. In many ways, golf is sort of like life.”

Word of Othman’s talent spread and he was recruited for the Saudi National Golf Team. There are eight full-time members on the team. They play both regionally, in Arab tournaments, and, since 2002, in international events as well. Othman played his first GCC tournament in Bahrain in 2001.

“I was up against people who were 10 years older than me. Plus I was representing my country, which was a big responsibility,” Othman remembered. “I just kept thinking, ‘Don’t let these guys down.’ So it was really stressful. The more tournaments you play, the more comfortable you feel. Instead of thinking, ‘Don’t let these guys down,’ you start thinking, ‘Go punish the other players.’ No negative thoughts are allowed. You just go out and beat them.”

Othman plans to conquer all. His long-term goal is to play golf professionally. He will take the first step in that direction starting in August, when he goes to the US to attend a golf academy for a year. Othman knows that his goal is a long shot, so while playing golf as an amateur, he’ll be working for a university degree in golf management. With this business degree he’ll be able to have a place in the golfing world — even if it’s not playing on tour.

“I’m looking to the future, but I have to concentrate on the present to get there,” said Othman. “I play three to four hours a day, every day.” When asked if that didn’t interfere with his studies, Othman’s mother, Lamya Al-Tuwaijri just laughed and sighed. Othman took the criticism in stride. “I have to find the right balance. I know that school has to be a priority, but golf is important, too.”

While the game itself is a passion for Othman, it is apparent that skills he’s learned through golf have already helped him succeed in life. Othman has the ability to concentrate for long periods of time on a single goal, to the exclusion of everything else. Othman also admits that the golf course is a sanctuary and stress reliever.

“Sometimes if I have a bad day, I get a bucket of balls and one by one, I hit them as far as I can,” Othman said quietly. “I might even imagine somebody’s face on the balls — but never my parents. I wouldn’t be what I am today without my parents. It’s amazing how they support me with everything. Other people, Khalid Albunyan, Ali Balhareth and Jim Christie, just to name a few, have been very generous with me, too. I always keep in mind that I wouldn’t have gotten where I am, by myself. But I am confident in myself. This is a game where if you don’t believe in yourself, you can fail. If you do believe in yourself, you can go far. If you believe in yourself, there’s nothing you can’t do.”

Arab News Features 4 April 2003