A lot of things pair well with golf. Puppies, cigars, and ugly pants come to mind. In this edition of the golf blog, I present the unusual pairing of “Pyramids and Golf.” Since the pyramids are roughly 4500 years older than the golf courses, they have earned the right to go first. The pyramids also outnumber the golf courses in Egypt by a score of 118 to 22.
According to standard procedure, all “Pyramids and Golf” posts must begin with a mandatory model off. I found a local dog and challenged him to a duel.
Pyramid Dog with a stoic and proud effort.
I went with the Power lunge Pyramid Pose
10 things about the pyramids in Egypt
It is estimated that the pyramids were built between 2,550 to 2,490 B.C
The pyramids were the tallest human built structures for centuries.
It appears that Egyptians used the Big Dipper and Little Dipper to align the pyramids of Giza in a north south direction.
The Great Pyramid weighs about 5,750,000 tons. For some perspective, the M1 Abrams tank weighs a puny 55 tons.
The pyramids are still a mystery. Recent analysis has revealed that there is an undiscovered 40 meter void inside of the great pyramid. It’s contents are unknown, but it most likely contains ancient Egyptian golf balls.*
The pyramids used to shine, not metaphorically, but literally. They were encased in well polished limestone blocks. Over the years, the blocks were either looted or pried away for use on other building projects.
Nobody knows the purpose of the Sphinx. It is theorized that it guards the pyramids. The only thing that we know for sure is that the Sphinx was an avid golfer*
It took an estimated 10k - 50k people to build the Great Pyramid over approximately 25 years.
Theories exist but nobody knows exactly how the pyramids were constructed.
The pyramids are the only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World
*Indicates made up facts.
The great Sphinx rests in between rounds of golf.
One of the most unique places in the world to find contemporary art is at the nearby sculpture garden entitled ‘Forever is Now.’ These pieces incorporate the backdrop of the pyramids into their design. It is a damn cool thing and well worth a visit.
The coolest part about visiting the pyramids is that you can actually go inside of them. A trip down into these ancient formations is not for the faint of heart. The tunnels and passages are small and short of fresh air. You actually have to crawl in some of them to reach the chamber rooms. If you are claustrophobic at all, a visit to the sarcophagus might not be for you. I would certainly suggest taking a guide for your visit to the pyramids. They are full of information and will help you navigate through the opportunistic local vendors.
I escape the red pyramid without injury.
The entrance to the Great Pyramid.
We have arrived at the golf portion of the “Pyramids and Golf” post. Since there are only 22 golf courses in Egypt, I was quickly able to cover 13.6% of all the golf in Egypt by visiting just 3 golf courses.
Madinaty Golf Club
This Robert Trent Jones Jr design is one of the finest in Egypt. Because of the superb conditioning and facilities, Madinaty was selected as the host site for the Asian Tour’s International Series and I was happy to capture some of the action. There was some serious golf on display but no one could catch Andy Ogletree as he shot a smooth Sunday 62 to capture his first professional victory.
Ogletree is currently banned from the PGA Tour for competing in the inaugural LIV event in London. Since that inaugural event, LIV has filled its roster with more accomplished players and left Ogletree to fend for himself. His best option going forward was the Asian Tour and his trip to Egypt certainly paid off for the young star.
“It has been an awesome week. First time in Egypt. I got to experience everything the tourists do, I went to the Pyramids, we stayed at a great hotel and the golf course was spectacular. It has just been a really awesome. My first trip to Egypt is one that I will never forget.”
Ogletree finds birdie on #10 en route to a final round 62.
Dreamland Golf Course
It is not quite Dream Golf, but the Dreamland Golf Course was right in the back yard of my Hilton accommodations. I walked out my back door and took in a quick sunset round. There does not appear to be a huge demand for golf in Egypt as I was the only one on the golf course… a stark contrast to the amount of people (and donkeys) on the highways.
Allegria Golf Club
Located just outside of Cairo, The Allegria is one of the premier golf destinations in Egypt. This Greg Norman design won the title of Egypt’s best golf course by the World Golf Awards in 2020. I can confirm that the golf is of high quality but the real treat comes with all of the other amenities that The Allegria delivers. I would have plenty of time to explore. I arrived at sunrise and spent a full day at The Allegria before my red eye flight and record setting 30 hour journey back to California.
Even with more than a dozen hours on the property, I didn’t run out of things to do. Below is a short list of my activities.
Delivered several record setting cannonballs in the pool.
Did some boxing on the roof while overlooking the golf course.
Pumped up my bis and tris at the world class gym.
Did multiple back stretches in the locker room.
Hit balls at the range and checked out the Allegria Academy.
Played the golf course twice.
Ate mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, and excessive amounts of tacos.
My final order of business was to capture one last Egyptian sunset before I boarded my flight home. The sun delivered a spectacular farewell as I snapped my final pictures of my adventures in Egypt.
