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Amman, the capital of Jordan, is a fascinating city of contrasts – a unique blend of old and new, ideally situated on a hilly area between the desert and the fertile Jordan Valley.
In the commercial heart of the city, ultra-modern buildings, hotels, smart restaurants, art galleries and boutiques rub shoulders comfortably with traditional coffee shops and tiny artisans workshops. Everywhere there is evidence of the city’s much older past.
Due to the city’s modern-day prosperity and temperate climate, almost half of Jordan’s population is concentrated in the Amman area. The residential suburbs consist of mainly tree-lined street and avenues flanked by elegant, almost uniformly white houses, in accordance with a municipal law, which states that all buildings must be faced with local stone.
The downtown area is much older and more traditional with smaller businesses producing and selling everything from fabulous jewellery to everyday household items.
The people of Amman are multi-cultural, multi-denominational, well educated and extremely hospitable. They welcome visitors and take pride in showing them around their fascinating and vibrant city.
Many taxis in Amman do not have meters, the fare is usually negotiated between the passenger and the driver upon arrival at the destination. Taxi drivers do not usually have much change on them, so it is a good idea to make sure you have a selection of smaller bills when travelling by taxi. |
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| Hospitals |
Basic modern medical care and medicines are available in the principal cities of Jordan, but not necessarily in outlying areas. Most hospitals in Jordan, especially Amman, are privately owned. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for services. |
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| Ambulances |
Ambulances are run by the government, response times as in many other major cities can be variable. |
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| Pharmacies |
Pharmacies are located on most street corners and are generally well stocked. Travellers are however advised to buy well-known brands. Travellers should not always rely on advice from pharmacy staff. |
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| Dentists |
Dentists are available and there is a high quality of dentistry care but services can be expensive. |
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| Description |
The only Golf Club in Jordan, Bisharat Golf Club, can be found about 14 km south of Amman, on the road to Queen Alia International Airport. It is a Nine-Hole-Course with different Tees to enable a round of 18 holes. The course is a sand course with brown’s instead of Greens. Browns are used In locations where there is not enough water to support grass greens, browns are often used as a substitute. Browns are a mix of oil and sand. Depending on the consistency and the thickness the surface can be slow or very fast. On a slow surface, you can stop the ball very quickly so you can fly the ball very near to the hole. On a fast surface, you have to play a bump and run as the ball will not stop.
In locations where there is not enough water to support grass grass fairways, mats are often used to give the player a good playing surface for approach shots t the brown. At Bisharat, you can use mats on the fairways which are marked by white stones. |
| Holes |
9 holes with different tee positions to play 18 holes |
| Facilities |
Clubhouse
Tennis courts
Lessons
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| Length / Par |
5,266 yards Par 68 |
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| Description |
Jordan currently has no golf courses but an 18 and 9 hole course is currently under development at Tala Bay in Aqaba and is due to open in 2009. These courses are being constructed around a residential and leisure complex and the 18 hole course will be a PGA standard design. |
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There is a high risk of terrorist attacks throughout the Middle East including Jordan and foreigners should maintain a high level of vigilance particularly in public places frequented by tourists and at tourist sites. On 9 November 2005 bombs exploded in three hotels in Amman killing 67 people and injuring over 100. Jordan’s land borders were closed immediately after the attacks but were soon re-opened and are now operating as normally. The country has implemented a high degree of security to re-assure visitors of their safety, these measures include a visible presence of security forces in public places and at hotels. In addition, all hotels have airport style security procedures including luggage scanning as well as walk through detectors. The situation in Iraq has had an impact on local opinion, as well as the violence between the neighboring Israelis and Palestinians, and foreigners should avoid all public demonstrations and political gatherings. Care should be taken at the borders with Israel and Iraq. Crime is not a serious risk for travelers. |
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