Karim Salaam is rebuilding golf and keeping a country’s pride on the map
There was a time when Lebanon had four golf courses. Today, only one remains. The rest were lost to conflict. Even that surviving course, the Golf Club of Lebanon, was once reduced to rubble during the 1982 invasion.
Karim Salaam (below) has a first-hand experience of it all and knows the story better than most. His father, Salim Ali Salaam, was both President of the Lebanese Golf Federation (LGF) and Founder of the Arab Golf Federation (AGF).
Karim Salaam. Image supplied by Lebanese Golf Federation
Salim refused to let the sport of golf disappear in Lebanon, despite its struggles.“It’s a true example of Lebanese resilience at its best” Karim recalls.
Golf in Lebanon has endured a turbulent period over the past five years, from the end of 2019 to the end of 2024. Like the country itself, the club faced a series of extraordinary challenges: a revolution, a financial collapse, a global pandemic, a massive explosion that devastated half of Beirut, and even a 90-day war that placed the club’s location under direct threat. “Through all of this, the commitment of the club’s stakeholders and employees never wavered. Instead of retreating, they pushed forward, working not only to preserve the club but also to expand participation through various outreach programs, ensuring the game continues to grow despite the adversity.”
“Through it all, the Golf Club of Lebanon remains more than a golf course. Alongside its 18 holes, it hosts tennis, squash, swimming, taekwondo, football and basketball. It’s a place for community.”
Image supplied by Lebanese Golf Federation
For Karim, who has taken over the reins as President of the new-look Lebanese Golf Federation, they have built further foundations with a three-year plan launched at the end of 2024.
One focus is grassroots development. The Federation’s Golf in Schools programme introduces the sport to pupils through The R&A’s Unleash Your Drive initiative. Its companion project, Golf for All, works with people and children with special needs. “We want to open the game to everyone,” Karim says, “not just those who already know it.”
Image supplied by Lebanese Golf Federation
The second pillar is raising the standard of competition. By adding WAGR (World Amateur Golf Ranking) events like the Lebanese Spring Open and Lebanese Junior Open, local Arab players can earn points without leaving the country.
“The upcoming Lebanese International Amateur Open in September is another chance to draw talent from abroad while giving homegrown players a bigger stage to perform on.”
The third is tapping into the Lebanese golfing diaspora. “There are nearly four times as many Lebanese golfers abroad as in Lebanon,” Karim explains. “That network we have proved invaluable when security concerns limited local travel last year. Diaspora players stepped up in representing our country, and the victories showed.”
The fourth is visibility. The Federation’s improved relationship with the press means results now land in local headlines and even international outlets. “When Lara Bakhour won the European Juniors U18 Championship, she got a phone call from our President Joseph Aoun, that was huge for us all!
“In the junior ranks, two of the three girls who attended the Arab Golf Federation’s Elite Sports Scholarship Camp in Riyadh have now earned spots at Florida’s IMG Academy for the next three years. It’s incredible, really.”
Running anything in Lebanon means working around unpredictability. Just a few weeks ago, the Lebanese Golf Federation (below) joined Dr. Nora Beyrakdarian, the Minister of Youth and Sports with a Sports for All tour, bringing multiple sports to cities across the country. The first stop was golf, in the South Lebanon, which drew big crowds despite the region’s recent hardships.
“Everytime someone knocks us down, we stand up again,” Karim says. “That’s Lebanon. And that’s golf here too.”
Golf in Lebanon now needs the opportunity to grow wider. They’ve tackled the problem by staging more internationally recognised amateur events like the Lebanese Spring Open and Lebanese Junior Open. Up next is the Lebanese International Amateur Open, scheduled for 26 – 28 September. The tournament offers divisions for men, women and juniors plus awards WAGR points. “For a small federation, these are big logistics and a publicity test. Given the recent instability, sport is a way to show that Lebanon is still a destination,” Karim says. “Even with just one golf course we can host international standard events.”
Back in April the Cedar Golf Championship, an event on the Arab Golf Series, was played at Al Zorah in Ajman, United Arab Emirates. The twist being was that the Cedar Championship was organised by the Lebanese Golf Federation but hosted by the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF). “It was the first time a country hosted a tournament on behalf of another nation,” Karim notes. “It showed the strength of our federation ties and the UAE’s support. It was a gesture of solidarity as we emerged from conflict.”
The importance of the Arab Golf Series events brings together regional talent across the Middle East and gives local juniors a chance to test themselves against an international field, without occurring the cost of long overseas trips.
This then creates a ripple effect. Better rankings attract better fields. Better fields bring more attention and therefore more sponsors.
Image supplied by Lebanese Golf Federation
The Lebanese population that lives abroad is a sporting advantage. Karim estimates there are nearly four times as many Lebanese golfers living overseas as there are in Lebanon. When security issues made travel difficult last year the diaspora filled in. “Players representing Lebanon who are based in the United States, the UAE and Europe kept the country visible in international events. The diaspora stepped up and ensured Lebanon stayed represented. We had some important results, despite limited resources.”
That diaspora connection also opened doors for partnerships and training opportunities. Since 2024 the EGF has hosted a summer training camp in Morocco and has welcomed all Arab nations to join. This past summer, Lebanon sent four juniors who were joined by players from Palestine and Oman. The shared camp includes coaching, builds networks, sets standards and exposes the players to regional competition that their home structure may sometimes struggle to provide.
Karim is mostly proud of the progression that Lebanon’s women and girls are having in the game. “Right now the girls are making more noise than the boys,” he says with a smile.
“Elena Zreik, Lara Bakhour and Victoria Richani have all pushed into international visibility. Victoria’s recent run included qualifying for the USGA World Teen Championship where she made the cut and finished tied for third.
“Vanessa Richani, became the first Lebanese woman to reach the Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific Championship, she is now aiming at a professional career. Then there is Yasmeen El Husseini, just nine years old, who is one to watch for the future!”
Lebanese Golf Federation (Image supplied by Lebanese Golf Federation)
The success across Arab golf is down to the structure and timing. The Arab Golf Federation is investing in regional development thanks to Golf Saudi, that has helped add resources. Clubs and federations around the region are now shifting their view of golf from an elite hobby to a national asset.
“With the AGF strategic plan we have a pyramid structure, and the ultimate goal is to produce a Major champion from the Arab world.” Karim then points out Morocco’s Adam Bresnu, a recent breakthrough figure who became the first Arab-born player to make the cut in a DP World Tour Rolex Series event at the 2025 Hero Dubai Desert Classic. “It was such an emotional moment for us all there watching at Emirates Golf Club. He is such a great young man, with a lot of Arab people so proud and inspired by him.”
The LGF’s job is to create a pathway and remove barriers. Free junior programmes, local WAGR events, regional training camps and diaspora engagement are all pieces of the strategy. The next challenge is converting those pieces into something durable.
For a sport often presented as private and exclusive, the Golf Club of Lebanon behaves like a public square. “It is the place people gather, meet, and compete. It is where a child first holds a club and where our national team trains. It exists because people kept choosing to rebuild, despite the odds.”
That’s a fact of how sport in Lebanon has carried on through displacement and economic turbulence.
That’s the drive that matters to both the Lebanese players and its fans. It also matters to a sport that is trying to grow in a crowded field of issues.
“What Lebanon can do is make sure that the next generation has the chance to try, to fail, and to improve.
“Being involved with golf in Lebanon and the Arab Golf Federation is a privilege and an emotional connection to my father’s work.
“I’m not sure if he imagined exactly where we’d be today, but he always believed golf had an important place in the Arab world.”
Main image: Lebanese Golf Federation
This article was featured in the September 2025 issue of Golf Digest Middle East. Click here for a digital issue of the full magazine
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