Egypt!!! anyone played there?

rachel22 · November 17, 2008

Was looking at going to the above for a holiday and playing golf at taba heights. Has anyone played here or anywhere in Egypt??

Boba · November 17, 2008

It certainly looks nice, just don't forget your sand wedge.

Fischputza · November 17, 2008

I've been there last March - lets sum it up:

Course: Nice holes, very long if played from the back tees, but we decided to take drops from the desert,

because those little stones will damage your irons in a minute! The greens are so-so, certainly slow.

The problem is, they added those waste areas everywhere, even in the middle of the fairway, so these drops will def. alter your score.

What really bothered me were the people and the hotels - they will try to rip you off 24/7, will only be halfway nice if you tip them excessively and

most of the guests there had severe stomach problems during that week. The hotels there will not meet int. standards, even Intercont or Marriot!

No chance that i will ever travel to Egypt again!!

Corsair · November 17, 2008

Taba Heights was after my sojurn there. I lived in Egypt for 2-1/2 years '96-'98 and was a member at Katameya Heights outside Cairo/Maadi. KH was a real course with 27 holes and a nice facility overall - at the time, I have no idea on the condition now. Tough in the wind - and not flat. Bring a "rock" iron that you won't mind dinging up - to hit out of the sand/rocks. At the time it was a very big improvement over the old Pyramids course owned and run by the Mena House Hotel on Pyramids road. That was / is an old 9 hole course from the British Colonial days that is immediately next to the Pyramids in Giza. A number of courses have been built after I left so I can't comment on those.

Egypt has much to offer in the way of culture. Take advantage of this if you go - golf should not be your reason for visiting. As far as getting sick - my advice is not to eat buffets and absolutely don't eat anything raw - especially salads. Egypt has alot of problems and I too won't be going back - but for reasons different than the previous poster.

golfweenie · November 17, 2008

I moved to Cairo and been living in Katameya Heights since last Christmas, and play a lot of golf there. I believe the courses at KH are the same since you last lived here: "rock iron", windy on certain months, hilly, etc.

About a few kilometers away is the JW Marriott Mirage course, also very nice but laid out differently. And a few more courses have been opened in the last few years as well.

About an hour drive from Cairo (due East) is Ain Sukhna which has a very, very nice golf course as according to friends but I haven't been there yet.

Egypt is definitely a 3rd-world country with a lot of cultural differences foreign to a Westerner. If you come looking for adventures, you will enjoy yourselves. If you look for an easy stressfree relaxing holiday, go elsewhere as you will be "hassled" even in the nicest resorts (i.e. Sharm, Hurghada, etc). It is not anything dangerous, just having to deal with BS 24/7. We have a very nice set-up, but I can't wait for the day we leave...