Club Life October 2015

Editor: Jacqui Barry barrydxb@eim.ae

OCTOBER

Vice-Captain

Vipen Sethi

Captain

Walid Al Attar

2015

ISSUE 52

Lady Captain

Helen Srivastava

Lady Vice-Captain

Maura Duggan

n o s a e s 6 1 0 22001154 -- 22015

Editorial

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ew season, new Captains and I’m sure we have a fantastic season to look forward to! Both Walid and Helen are raring to go and have a few new ideas to try out this season. Welcome to you both and to incoming Vice-Captains, Vipen and Maura.

Don’t forget that we have a Members’ Consultative Committee who meet on a regular basis to discuss service, facilities and feedback from members. If you have suggestions or constructive comments to discuss, please do not hesitate to get in touch with one of the committee members (see details on page 15).

Both courses are looking fantastic, thanks to the hard work of Greens Superintendent Craig Haldane and his crew at GCM. Isn’t it amazing to come back to Dubai where the temperatures have been in the high 40s for a few months, to see lush green fairways and superb greens. What a wonderful sight and a great welcome back!

We have a full calendar of golf and social events for the first part of the season leading up to Christmas, with the Diwali Scramble, Mixed Amateur Open, Seniors’ Championship, as well as the regular Medals and fun events. Please make a note of the date of the Member/staff scramble which is on 15th December. This is a great day when the staff get to play the course with members which they thoroughly enjoy. Last year was a very poor turnout by members so let’s try to make this the biggest and best turnout yet. Please put it in your diaries early.

The Majlis course will soon be walking only (from 6th November) by which time the temperature will have dropped and the humidity levels will be low so it will be perfect walking weather on the superb Majlis course. Don’t forget to make use of the EGC caddies; not only is it great to have the luxury of a caddy at a very reasonable price, but it also means the staff earn a bit of extra money on their days off. Caddies are usually in great demand so be sure to book early through Golf Operations Supervisor Ummer or through Jega.

Emirates Golf Club Senior Management

Christopher May

Andrew Whitelaw

Chief Executive Officer cmay@dubaigolf.com

General Manager awhitelaw@dubaigolf.com

Craig Haldane

Chef Nicholas Cuomo

Director - Golf Course Maintenance chaldane@dubaigolf.com

Barney Coleman

Director of Golf bcoleman@dubaigolf.com

Ganesh Mangathil

In House Publishing Manager gmangathil@dubaigolf.com

Executive Chef ncuomo@dubaigolf.com

Andy Meech

Head of Sport and Leisure ameech@dubaigolf.com

Adele Cowgill

Head of Sales and Marketing acowgill@dubaigolf.com

Early December sees the staging of the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters on the Majlis once again. Further details about course closure, car parking etc will be published in next month’s magazine but the dates for the tournament are as follows:Sunday 6th December Monday 7th December

Tuesday 8th December

Wednesday 9th - Saturday

Official practice day Official practice day followed by the Charity Challenge Match Pro-am (morning and afternoon shotgun starts) 12th December Tournament days

Volunteers will be required for the event so if you are keen to help out in some way please contact ‘golf in Dubai’ office or check their website for details www. dubailadiesmasters.com

Martin Drugan

Saeed Ahamed

Food and Beverage Manager mdrugan@dubaigolf.com

Financial Controller mahamed@dubaigolf.com

Stephen Deane

Haridas Palliyalil

Enjoy your golf

Jacqui Barry

Follow Emirates Golf Club on Facebook for the latest news, views and special offers. We already have over 22,500 likes. Follow us on Twitter @emiratesgc and Instagram @emiratesgc

Head Academy Professional sdeane@dubaigolf.com

Resident Engineer hpalliyalil@dubaigolf.com

EGC Key Telephone Numbers Main Switchboard Members Golf Reservations Membership Recreation Accounts SensAsia Urban Spa

04 04 04 04 04 04

417 417 417 417 417 417

9999 9800 9801 9850 9875 9820

3

CONDOLENCES

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Condolence

The management and staff at Emirates Golf Club extend our sincere sympathy to the families of Keith Stack who passed away in July and Roger Cornwell who passed away in August.

KEITH STACK

ROGER CORNWELL

Keith passed away peacefully on Sunday 12th July in Watford, UK.

Roger passed away peacefully on 17th August after a brief illness.

Unfortunately his health deteriorated after suffering a stroke in Dubai in 2012 and, despite returning to UK to seek medical attention, he sadly failed to recover .

Keith was born and brought up in London and, after finishing school and being mad about horses, he went straight to a racehorse trainer for a few months to work as an unpaid amateur to learn to race ride. He then studied to become a chartered accountant and also made time for his race riding passion.

After qualifying, Keith was headhunted into the automobile industry where he remained for the rest of his working life. This led him into motorsport and he drove with some success in national and international rallies In the 70s Keith was posted to Malaysia where he was introduced to polo. Threatened with repatriation in the 80s, he opted to go to Dubai instead where he was able to continue playing polo.

He turned to golf after being invited to the 1983 Dubai Desert Classic and immediately joined Emirates Golf Club. Golf became his passion along with horse racing. He was a Steward for Emirates Racing Authority for 18 years and officiated at the inaugural Dubai World Cup in 1996 After they married in 1996, Keith’s wife Nasreen, also took up golf and she and Keith were at the Club regularly, playing golf and using the gym.

I’m sure many members will remember seeing Keith on a regular basis in the Spike Bar having his quiet ‘sundowner’ and reading the newspaper.

Roger originally trained and qualified as a chartered accountant and, after a period working as an accountant in the tobacco industry, he joined Overseas Containers Limited (later P&O Containers) in 1967.

The transport industry was to be part of his life for the rest of his career. In 1985 he was made a Managing Director which involved a lot more travel and, for nearly four years, he spent one week per month in New York in addition to other travel. He left in 1991 after 23 years of change and growth as well as a lot of hard work and fun.

In 1991 the Dubai Government had two ports run as separate businesses which were managed by foreign companies. They took the decision to merge the two and run them as a single business, thus Dubai Ports Authority was born.

Roger was invited to join the new business in a financial role and to assist with implementation of the development and growth of the business. This was a major change in lifestyle with virtually no travel and more home life with time for golf and other activities.

Roger retired in 2003 but he and his wife Brenda stayed in Dubai enjoying their great lifestyle and taking the opportunity to play more golf at Emirates Golf Club where they had met a lot of people and made many friends. They left in 2013 to return home to Hertfordshire to spend more time with their family.

Dear Members,

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GM’s Mess

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hope you all enjoyed your summer and that you are looking forward to the new season ahead. We have plenty going on at the Club to keep you entertained, both on and off the golf course!

2015 - 16 Season Firstly, a warm welcome to our incoming 2015-16 Captains, Walid Al Attar and Helen Srivastava, along with new Vice-Captains Vipen Sethi and Maura Duggan. On behalf of the Club, I would like to wish you a successful and enjoyable year in office.

The Mixed Season Opener will take place following the Eid Al Adha break on Friday 2nd October at 1.00pm with the Ladies Season Opener taking place at 8.30am on Monday 5th October. Best of luck to Walid and Helen on your opening drives, I look forward to seeing many of you in attendance to show your support.

The Dubai Golf Summer Series concluded on 29th August, following four summer fixtures at Dubai Creek and Emirates Golf Club with 173 golfers taking part. Congratulations to promising Emirates Golf Club junior golfer Tatyana Mogire for her outstanding performance.

Tournament Calendar The new tournament calendar is available online on the member zone and also at Golf Reservations.

Please pick up a copy so you have a note of all the key dates for the season ahead.

Head Professional Stephen Deane hosted the annual Professional/ Member Challenge on Saturday 19th September which was a great event. Other noteworthy tournaments coming up include the Al Dobowi Emirates Mixed Amateur Open on Saturday 10th October, the Ladies Pink Ball Competition on Monday 26th October and the Diwali Scramble on Saturday 31st October.

The popular Members’ Pro Am series is set to continue throughout the coming season.

Look out for more details on upcoming dates - this is a

great opportunity for members to get the chance to play alongside our Professionals.

Golf Course Update The Golf Course Maintenance team have had a busy summer with their annual maintenance programmes; there will be some course closures later in the year to allow for additional annual maintenance: • 18th - 20th October: Faldo course is closed for overseeding • 1st - 5th November: Majlis course is closed for overseeding • Please note no carts will be permitted on the Majlis course from 6th November 2015 until 18th February 2016.

Rugby World Cup Emirates Golf Club is delighted to be hosting Dubai’s only official Rugby World Cup 2015 Fanzone in Rugby Central for the duration of the tournament, 18th September to 31st October. Screening all the matches live across 21 HD TVs and two large screens, Rugby Central is a dedicated rugby hub with a host of Saturday brunch and table packages on offer throughout the tournament.

Dubai Golf members also receive a 25% discount on all food and beverages purchased at the venue on production of a valid Emirates Golf Club 2015 membership card. For enquiries and group table bookings, please email rugbycentral@dubaigolf.com

Dining Over the coming weeks, new menus have/will be introduced in the Spike Bar, Le Classique and M’s. The culinary team have been working hard over the summer months preparing these. Look out for some exciting new additions as well as some staple Club favourites.

Spike Bar’s weekly themed nights commenced again last

month. Along with the Monday Quiz Night, the team will be hosting a Thursday BBQ Night, Friday International Buffet Night and a Sunday Sports Day. The Spike Happy Hour continues to run between Sunday and Thursday, from 4.00pm to 7.00pm. Work is currently underway to improve the Spike Bar terrace and, after completion, this will feature a new outdoor bar and kitchen.

Le Classique’s popular Tuesday Gourmet Dinner and Saturday Brunch continue, featuring an ‘a la carte’ menu of Le Classique’s all time top ten dishes. For the grape connoisseur, look out for the monthly Around the World evenings, when you will enjoy a delicious four course meal complemented by different grape pairings in the magnificent surrounds of Le Classique. The restaurant is also the perfect location for a business lunch with colleagues and clients.

The Academy Term one of the Academy’s lesson programmes commenced at the end of last month with group sessions for beginners, juniors and ladies. Head Professional Stephen and Senior Professional Alastair are also offering a range of 90-minute private lessons for those of you looking to brush up your game. Stephen has also joined up with the experts at Fit Lab to create a new long term fitness and golf development programme, designed to improve your overall game. The Golf Performance Programme looks at your body functions and how much flexibility, strength and balance you have in key golf specific areas. For full details, please visit the Academy section of the Dubai Golf website.

New Faces at the Club There have been a few new faces who have joined the Emirates Golf Club team over the summer months. I extend a warm welcome to our new Executive Chef, Nicholas Cuomo. Hailing from Malta, Chef Nicholas brings his strong Mediterranean influence to create unique and fresh new

flavours in our restaurants. I am also pleased to announce the return of Rhys James, who was with the team as an intern last season. Rhys has recently started in his new role of Golf Services Manager and he will be a familiar face around the Club for many of you. Luke Partridge has also returned to the Golf Course Maintenance team after a year out in China, taking up the position of Senior Assistant Superintendent - it is great to have him back.

Fit Lab September sees a varied timetable of recreation activities available at Fit Lab, including the new PiYo fitness class (a cross between yoga and pilates) as well as favourites Zumba, TRX, Insanity and Circuit Training.

All the cardio machines have also recently been upgraded, enhancing your overall experience in the gym. Andy’s team of experienced personal trainers are on hand for anyone looking for help in achieving their fitness goals.

I hope the season gets off to a good start for you and I look forward to seeing you at the Club soon.

Kind regards, Andrew Whitelaw General Manager Emirates Golf Club

WALID AL ATTAR

I

am an Emirati, born and raised in Dubai.

As my home is Dubai, I have spent most of my life in this city and great nation. I have, however, spent long periods abroad for my studies. I attended a private school in Mumbai, India, completed my university education in the UK and I have also studied in Switzerland and the USA. I joined Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL) as an Administration Trainee in 1984.

From there, I rose through the ranks to become Executive Vice President, Marketing & Sales, a role which included membership of the DUBAL Executive Management team. I was also Vice President, Marketing & Sales at Emirates Aluminium (EMAL) and served on the EMAL Executive Committee. Coincident with the integration of DUBAL and EMAL into Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), I was appointed Chief Marketing Officer of EGA and am a member of the EGA Executive Management team.

I began playing golf in 1989, at the age of 24. To me, golf is not just a passion or a hobby. Instead, everything about golf is a reflection on life – from strategy and discipline, through honesty and etiquette, to always trying to better your game. Playing golf has helped me grow as a person; it strengthens many of the principles in life that I stand for.

Also, as golfers, no matter how badly we’ve played a round, we’ll always be back – we never give up. That spirit of tenacity is key to success in life.

Another reason that I love the game is that it is the ultimate stress-reliever for me. When I am on the course, I forget about everything else going on in other areas of my life and immerse myself in the game. I become ‘lost’ in the space that the golf course provides, revelling in the elements of nature. Nothing else matters for those precious hours.

My lowest handicap was 6 and it’s now 8.

I believe that it’s too low and that I should have more shots. Apart from anything, like other golfers, more shots are needed to win more games! However, my golfing friends say it’s too generous.

I am married to a beautiful, very supportive wife, Aziza, and we have three gorgeous children – Ahmed (10), Heba (8) and Rayyan (who’ll be 5 in January).

My wife and children have recently joined the EGC Golf Academy and I am looking forward to the times ahead when we will enjoy playing golf together at the Club.

I have always been a fairly sports-minded person. In my younger days, I played virtually every sport – cricket, hockey, badminton, tennis, football, squash, table tennis, you name it! These days, my main sport is golf but I avidly watch sport on television. I am a big fan of Soccer, NFL and NBA, among the many sporting options.

In my opinion, EGC is the best club – not just in the region, but also farther afield.

I base this on my experience of many other clubs where I’ve played elsewhere in the world. EGC is always in excellent, immaculate condition; the management are extremely professional and supportive and the staff working in all areas of the Club always have smiles on their faces.

The latter speaks volumes about the management and the positive environment created for EGC staff. As members, we should appreciate this.

Indeed, the experience of arriving and spending time at the club is welcoming and warm. Having played in the National team, I’ve spent many hours practising and playing at EGC. This level of hospitality not only made a huge difference to me but it is a privilege that should not be taken for granted.

Being Men’s Captain is the biggest compliment EGC could ever pay me. It’s the realisation of a dream, for which I feel both privileged and proud. When I look at the line-up of previous Men’s Captains, I am honoured to be ranked alongside them.

I remember speaking with Past Captain Moshe when I was selected to join the Members’ Consultative Committee. He commented that I lead a busy life and asked why I was there. My answer was simple: “I have gained so much from golf, learned so many lessons about the game and life and I have received a host of benefits and experienced many beautiful, treasured moments. It’s pay back time.”

That sentiment still holds true. The role of Men’s Captain gives me the opportunity to do something for golf in general. I look forward to making the most of that opportunity.

Helen Srivastava

I

5 n To Introductio s New Captain

INTRODUCING OUR NEW CAPTAINS, WALID AND HELEN

am from Warrington, in the the north west of England and my husband, Aditya, is from India. We have been married twice, but only to each other! (once in Delhi, then three weeks later in Warrington). We met in London when we were training as chartered accountants, but we have lived in the Gulf for 30 years now, starting off with 13 years in Bahrain, where both our children were born. I took a very long sabbatical to stay home with the children while they were growing up. In the last few years I have been working part-time on and off, but I learned a long time ago that Mondays should always be reserved for the ladies’ golf section at EGC.

We have been members of Emirates Golf Club since 2003, although we have been in Dubai since 1997, which is when I had my first golf lesson. Previously my spare time would be spent curled up with a book or in the kitchen trying out new recipes, so not being a natural sportswoman, I was surprised at how quickly I became hooked. My handicap is currently 19 and many people tell me that it usually goes up while you are Captain which is rather worrying!

Golf has to be one of the best sports to enjoy as a family and our children, Maya and Jai, are also keen golfers, though they don’t get as much opportunity to play now that they are both working in London. It’s lovely to travel and play beautiful courses all over the world but it’s always great to come back home to EGC and the wonderful Majlis. The more we travel and the more courses we visit, the more we appreciate how privileged we are to have EGC as our home club - it really spoils you for anywhere else.

It is a great honour to be Lady Captain. I hope that I will be able to rise to the challenges of the role and follow in the footsteps of all the former Captains who have set the standard so high.

Captain’s Message

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ith the summer holidays over, I am pleased to welcome everyone back ‘home’ to Dubai. The cooler months ahead hold the promise of much golfing activity in the region with plenty of good golf to be enjoyed at professional and amateur level.

It gives me immense pleasure and great pride to serve as Men’s Captain of Emirates Golf Club, one of the prestigious golf clubs in the world. Looking at the honours roll of Past Captains, I am humbled to have been appointed to follow in their footsteps and I thank the management and members of the Club for giving me this opportunity.

Emirates Golf Club’s ranking amongst the world’s top 100

golf clubs is a credit to the great strength and professionalism within the Club’s management team. These are attributes which I value, appreciate and respect.

My ambition throughout this next season is to involve members actively in our Club’s social events and to make the Club a focal point for having fun – a venue where we can come together as one to relax and have a great time. Please feel free to share your ideas and suggestions for social and other activities with me.

I take this opportunity to welcome our Men’s Vice-Captain Vipen, who brings much golfing expertise and life experience to the role. As my responsibilities at Emirates Global Aluminium require me to travel worldwide, I look forward to being able to

rely on his continual support and capability to act on my behalf in my absence. I also welcome Lady Captain Helen Srivastava, and Lady Vice-Captain Maura Duggan, to their roles, and wish them the very best.

In the course of my travels, both for business and pleasure, I have experienced golf globally. Some experiences have been good, others less so. I intend to apply the lessons I have learned along the way to make our Club even better and stronger – to the benefit of all members.

I look forward to all the members’ support in making 2015-2016 golf season a success.

Walid Al Attar Club Captain 2015-2016

COMPETITION RESULTS MASHREQ MEDAL in association with BMW & Ruth’s Chris Steak House Friday 4th September 2015 Congratulations to Ashok Ahuja, winner of the September Mashreq Medal who secured a two-shot victory in A Division and for the Medal overall. Conditions were tough on the day as the wind blew and the sand swept across the Majlis fairways but Ashok battled on to post a superb 2 under par, net 70.

A DIVISION (HCP. 0-15)

Runner-up in A Division (handicaps 0-15) with a level par net 72 was Jignesh Sangani who scored a better back 9 to push Tom Luig into third place. The best gross score on the day was won by our Junior Elite Academy Member Bradley Mogire who posted a respectable 5 over par 77.

In B Division (handicaps 16-28) Mark Baxter claimed first prize after scoring a net 77. He scored better on the back 9 holes than runner-up David Moody, who also had net 77. A further two shots adrift and claiming third place was Patrick Mulligan who scored a net 79.

Winner

Mark Baxer

Net 77

Runner Up

David Moody

Net 77

Third

Patrick Mulligan

Net 79

Winner

Ashok Ahuja

Net 70

Runner Up

Jignesh Sangani Net. 72

Third

Tom Luig

Best Gross

Bradley Mogire

Net. 72 Gross 77

B DIVISION (HCP. 16-28)

SINGLES MATCHPLAY QUALIFIER

A DIVISION (HCP. 0-10)

Friday 11th September 2015

Winner

Vipen Sethi

39 points

Runner-up

Qamar Rasheed

38 points

Third

Tej Chhabra

38 points

B DIVISION (HCP. 11 – 24) Winner

Amresh Sangani

37 points

Runner-up

Luiz Bertuol

36 points

Third

Arun Khehar

35 points

ARJUN GUPTA

38 points

RUNNER UP

SUDHIR VORA

38 points

THIRD

ASHOK AHUJA

37 points

7 Competition Results

ENGINEERS CUP & LUCKIEST BALL ON EARTH QUALIFIER

CHAMPION

DIVISION A (0-12) WINNER

JIGNESH SANGANI 36 points

RUNNER UP

KABIR NANDA

34 points

DIVISION B ( 13-24)

Friday 25th September 2015

WINNER

EDWARD HESSON 35 points

RUNNER UP

AKASH KUMAR

34 points

Qualifier for the Luckiest Ball on Earth Competition SUDHIR VORA

PRO-MEMBER CHALLENGE

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aturday 19th September saw the annual hosting of the Club’s popular Professionals’ Day tournament. This year however, it had a slight twist as The Academy Team lead by Head Professional Stephen Deane arranged an 18 hole Pro-Am format over the Majlis course.

The field boasted a full turnout from the members with 22 professionals taking part in the fun event. The professionals were drafted in from Emirates Golf Club, Dubai Creek Golf

SUMMER SERIES

and Yacht Club, ProSports International and the popular Mena Tour which is currently being staged within the UAE. A great day was had by all and the spoils were eventually taken by the team captained

by Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club’s new professional Cennydd Mills and his amateur playing partners Leo Mochi Sismondi (14), Arjun Gupta (5) and Natalie Gupta (8) on an impressive score of 12 under par.

38 points

WINNERS:

Cennydd Mills, Leo Mochi Sismondi

Arjun Gupta, Natalie Gupta

RUNNERS UP:

Clay Myers II, Paul Donovan

Mark Donovan, Jean Luc Debois

THIRD:

Dong Lee, Matthew Baxter

Mark Baxter, James Baxter

-12 -10 -9

SPECIAL EVENTS Nearest the Pin 15th hole (Amateurs)

Manoj Kapur

Nearest the Pin 11th hole (Amateurs)

Ivan Fornazaric

Nearest the Pin 4th hole (Pros)

Andrew Whitelaw

Longest Drive 6th Hole (Amateurs)

Mark Donovan

Longest Drive 3rd Hole (Amateurs)

Mark Donovan

Straightest Drive 10th Hole (Amateurs) Paul Byrne

Mogire Triumphs in Final Fixture with Aurangzeb Clinching Summer Series

T

he final leg of the Dubai Golf Summer Series took place on the Faldo course in August and produced some excellent scoring despite the high humidity and mercury level.

The two standout performers were Stuart Murray (Emirates Golf Federation) and Tatyana Mogire (Emirates Golf Club) both firing rounds of 46 stableford points. Despite an incredible eagle two on the 18th hole Murray had to settle for runners-up position as Tatyana took top prize by virtue of a better back nine holes. Murray signed for a superb gross 73, 1-over par; this was the second best gross score on the day with youngster Suvansh Arora carding a level par 72, and his best ever score on the Faldo Course, to secure best gross of the day.

Emirates Golf Federation member Ashish Arora produced an 8-under par 44 point tally to claim third place overall with all prizes sponsored by Titleist through ProSports International.

Also in the prizes around the Faldo course were Kabir Nanda and James Baxter for their accuracy on the nearest the pin prize holes with Jon Eastmead picking up the award for longest drive on the par 5 16th hole.

The summer series was played over Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, the Majlis and Faldo courses with 173 golfers taking part in total.

The Order of Merit (best three scores to count) was won by Ghazi Aurangzeb from the Emirates Golf Federation who produced rounds of 44 points, 37 and 42 for a 123 point tally. Runners-up place went to Ashish Arora who played in all four events, producing scores of 38, 35 and 44 for a 117 total.

The Summer Series was supported by Titleist, Ping, Footjoy, and Golf Digest.

in’s Lady Capta Message

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elcome to the 2015/2016 golfing season at Emirates Golf Club. I hope that you have all enjoyed the summer, whether you have been travelling the globe or sticking it out in Dubai.

I would like to thank Mitsuko Emmerson and Kamal Kosta for their hard work as Captains last year. I am looking forward to working with Captain Walid Al Attar and his Vice-Captain Vipen Sethi over the next few months. I would also like to welcome Maura as Lady ViceCaptain, who is already proving to be an invaluable support and friend. We will both be doing our very best to make sure that Emirates Golf Club ladies’ section continues to go from strength to strength.

I love the start of the golfing season, maybe because it starts in September, but it takes me

back to my youth and the start of the new school year. There’s the excitement of meeting everyone again after the long hot summer months. Then there’s the anticipation of the great weather that’s just around the corner, along with the (usually forlorn) hope that this will be the year when the ball will fly long and straight and the putts will all drop!

The ladies’ section restarted their regular Monday morning golf at the beginning of September, warming up with some fun stableford competitions, which got us around the course and out of the heat as quickly as possible.

The season openers (mixed on Friday 2nd October, and ladies on Monday 5th October) will see the start of a very full tournament calendar. The interclub league matches will also commence on 20th October with an away fixture at Abu

Dhabi City Golf Club. Good luck to all the ladies who will be representing EGC on the day.

Following tradition, the ladies’ section will be supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October with a Pink Ball Competition on 26th. Funds raised will be donated to the Al Jalila Foundation, which has partnered with the Dubai-based breast cancer support group, Breast Friends. Please look out for the raffle tickets which will be on sale shortly. Donations of prizes for the raffle would also be gratefully received.

I look forward to seeing you all at the Club.

Happy Golfing Helen Srivastava Lady Captain 2015-2016

9 Holes

LADIES’ COMPETITION RESULTS

Ladies Blind Stableford

LADIES STABLEFORD

Monday 21st September 2015

Monday 7th September 2015

The modified stableford formats continued at Emirates Golf Club with the ladies competing in an 18 hole stableford event on the Majlis course. However, it was only 9 holes that would count towards their final score. The nine holes discreetly chosen by the Golf Office were the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 11th, 13th, 16th and the wonderful par 5 18th.

Overall Winner

Sandra Chia

39 points

SILVER DIVISION (HCP. 0 – 23) Winner

Fiona Berry

36 points

BRONZE DIVISION (HCP. 24 –42) Winner

Josie Tracey

37 points

LADIES' STABLEFORD LUCKY Monday 14th September 2015 This competition was a a modified stableford event whereby the ladies chose a ‘lucky 3’ holes before play. On these chosen holes they would be guaranteed two points regardless of their score.

Kiyono Taniuchi chose wisely with holes 5, 10 and 18 which helped her on the way to a great total of 40 stableford points and an overall win.

In Silver division (handicaps 0-23) there were three ladies tied on 39 points. However, it was the better back six of Sue Hopwood that was good enough to claim top spot. Also on 39 points were Martha Wong and Sabine Choudry.

The outright winner of Bronze division (handicaps 24-42) was Ellen Johansen with 36 points.

Overall Winner

Kiyono Taniuchi

40 points

SILVER DIVISION (HCP. 0 – 23) Winner

Sue Hopwood

39 points

BRONZE DIVISION (HCP. 24 –42) Winner

Ellen Johansen

36 points

3 COMPETITION

The overall winner was Ingrid Sjodoff who scored 20 points over the selected 9 holes winning first place after a countback over the selected holes of the back 9.

Also on 20 points was Veronica Elias who won Silver division (handicaps 0-23) and Rajni Sud in first place in Bronze division (handicaps 24-42) with a 9-hole score of 19 points.

Overall Winner Ingrid Sjodoff 20 points SILVER DIVISION (HCP. 0 – 23) Winner

Veronica Elias 20 points

BRONZE DIVISION (HCP. 24 –42) Winner

Rajni Sud

19 points

BIG BRANDS LADIES MONTHLY MEDAL & LUCKIEST BALL ON EARTH QUALIFIER

Saturday 26th September 2015

Qualifier for the Luckiest Ball on Earth Competition Viv Caley SILVER A DIVISION (HCP. 0 – 14) Winner Viv Caley Net 70 Runner Up Naema Maya Net 73 Overall Best Gross Mimi Hosking Gross 75 SILVER B DIVISION (HCP. 15 –23) Winner Jenny Isles Net 70 Runner Up Lynne Dickinson Net 74 BRONZE DIVISION (HCP. 24 –42) Winner Josie Tracey Net 70 Raffle Winner Yana Jamieson Overall Winner David Gowans Best Gross Ken Newell Men’s Winner Kishalay Bandopadhyay Runner-Up Achal Gai Ladies Winner Viv Caley Runner-Up Charmaine Bruwer NEAREST TO THE PIN Hole #12 (Ladies) Charmaine Bruwer Hole #2 (Gents) Kishalay Bandopadhyay LONGEST DRIVE Hole #16 (Ladies) Viv Caley Hole #3 (Gents) Craig Dunn

Pro-Am

Saturday 5th September 2015

Winners : Team Jonathan Craddock

Runners-up: Team Rhys James

Golf GameBook’s competition IP Global would like to congratulate David Kotheimer on winning the recent Golf GameBook’s competition at Emirates Golf Club. The prize was a personalised set of golf clubs kindly provided by TaylorMade. Don’t forget to drop your business card by the Golf GameBook console at the main Clubhouse (opposite Spike Bar) to be in with a chance of winning next month’s competition for another set of TaylorMade irons!

L – R: Nathan Fisher, Sales Manager – TaylorMade, Christopher May, CEO - Dubai Golf, David Kotheimer, Deputy CEO- HSBC and Paul Preston, Director Head of Europe, Middle East & Africa – IP Global

9 Competition Results

Monday 28th September 2015

Dubai Duty Free Seniors Cup

40 Points 76 Gross 39 Points 38 Points 33 Points 32 Points

Where Are They Now

10

RULES

BY RHYS

New Rule for 6th Hole of the Faldo New Local Rule - Hole 6

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? ALLAN KIDD

I

left Dubai in February 2013 after 32 years there and Hazel and I are now living in Lexington South Carolina to be near to our daughter Sarah and her family; the secondary attraction was the weather (as opposed to living a couple of miles from the cold and damp North Sea in north east England) I miss Emirates Golf Club and all our great friends (and Club Night of course).

I am certainly not missing the traffic, the bad drivers and the high rents.

I have not played golf since I left but I may join a local club next spring…life has got too busy with grandchildren, gardening and working on investment properties (remodelling).

I feel settled but I’m not so sure about Hazel...I can keep myself busy and am quite an introvert....doesn’t take much to keep me occupied.

Sending our best wishes to all our friends at EGC

Extension of Cart Path, Immovable Obstruction - Rule 24-2 The sand areas within the white spots and white stakes on the left hand side of hole 6, primarily nearer the green are now deemed as “an extension of the cart path” and relief is available under rule 24-2b. The player must lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, within one club length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief.

Reason for the New Rule?

The two areas on the 6th hole of the Faldo course where the sanded area in between the cart path and the barasti fencing (Out Of Bounds) is so narrow, it makes it difficult to play a shot without having interference to either your stance or your swing by the cart path. In the diagram below we are focusing on the follow through towards the cart path as the backswing towards the barasti is irrelevant.

Please Note: Objects defining Out of Bounds such as walls, fences, stakes or in this case the barasti are not obstructions but are deemed to be fixed and there is NO free relief provided under the rules of golf.

This new local rule clarifies that a ball lying on the sand area within the white spots and the white stakes that define this area (Pic 1) will now be classed as part of the cart path and relief may be taken in the same way for a ball lying on an immovable obstruction, under rule 24-2b.

The correct procedure is to mark the ball, then simulate your stance and address position at a point that is not nearer the hole and then drop within one club length of that point.

Important: This nearest point MAY be on the green side of the path OR on a sanded area adjacent to your ball outside of the defined area with white stakes and white dots, whichever is deemed to be the nearest point of relief.

If you have any rules queries that you would like to discuss over the coming weeks then please do not hesitate to ask on your next visit to the Club or simply email your query to rjames@dubaigolf.com.

ACADEMY UPDATE

Amber Waite

11 Academy

with Head Professional Stephen Deane

Junior Links EGC JUNIOR MEMBER

A Ladies' Golf lessons

T

he ladies’ programme at Emirates Golf Club is a 10-week course offering a fun and relaxing environment to improve your game. From complete beginner to competent player our ladies’ programme covers all areas of golf to help you reach your goal. Each class is tailored to your level and throughout the course of your lessons your golf professional will take you through the following:The Swing One of the most important areas - a golfer’s stance, posture, ball position and grip is the platform to build a balanced, repeatable swing.

Body movement and power - learn the key movements of the swing including the club and arm positions during the swing and creating the coil in the body to increase power. During your classes you will have the opportunity to try out new clubs and get fitted using Trackman technology (radar that follows the ball and gives us data on direction and distance) to test out equipment and check your distances with your driver.

Short game Around the green is really where good scores are made; during this course you will be guided on your set up to control the chip and learn the swing positions for distance control on your pitching. Also you will take an in-depth look at why so many struggle from the bunker and realise it’s one of the easiest shots in golf.

Putting - the smallest shot in golf with huge value. Learn the unique putting grip, the pendulum motion to roll the ball perfectly into the hole; distance control with long putts and green reading skills will also be covered.

The course After you have all the knowledge about the technique you can try your skills out on the par 3 course. Your professional will take you onto the course and go over formats, order of play, some simple rules, etiquette and scoring to allow you to play competently in future with friends. This is the perfect time to learn some unique shots, learn about bad lies and what clubs to play when. Your group will consist of a maximum of six participants, ensuring you receive ample time with your instructor during the one-hour weekly lessons. A ten-week range pass also allows you to practise between sessions. After each lesson, you are invited to relax over a coffee in the Spike Bar. Alongside your lesson package, enjoy complimentary access to the Par 3 course from Sunday to Thursday between 7.00am and 4.00pm (excluding public holidays). Morning and evening classes are available with weekend options also.

All equipment is provided if required.

Cost:

Member Guest

AED 1375 AED 1500

Please contact the Academy for all enquires – emiratesacademy@dubaigolf.com or check our website www.dubaigolf.com Term 1: Sunday 4th October 2015 until Saturday 19th December 2015 (no class week commencing 6th December)

mber finished in second place in the prestigious junior tournament Club de Golf La Canada, Sotogrande, Spain which was contested over two days and 36 holes.

The icing on the cake for Amber was receiving her prize from European Tour Professional and 2011 Dubai Desert Classic winner Álvaro Quiros.

Hungry for further Spanish success Amber then performed a clean sweep at the Green Life Marbella Junior event by winning best gross and best net categories.

Amber has been part of the Dubai Golf Junior Programme at Emirates Golf Club since 2012 and more recently she has worked individually with her coach Bryan Smyth, PGA professional at Emirates Academy.

“I am delighted for Amber and her success is thoroughly deserved…..she absolutely loves golf and works extremely hard at improving her technical, physical and mental skills” Bryan Smith Watch out for further success stories from Amber in the near future as she seems to be making a habit of winning.

Cees & Maria Van Dooren at The Old Course in Mandelieu

Ghaleb & Herta Farha at the K Club in Ireland

Andrew & Matthew Baxter with Mark Bruce at The Open

The Wong family in The Algarve and in Amsterdam

Stephen Deane at Torrey Pines USA

Ian Walton, Ali McMillan, Dave Moody, Lee Bowyer (ex-Leeds United player), Tom Barry, at San Lorenzo course, The Algarve

Fiona Munro in San Diego

The Srivastava family in Alsace

Andrew Baxter & sons Matthew, Mark & James golfing in Mont Tremblant , Quebec, Canada

e r e h e Wn t h i d l r o W

Tom & Jacqui Barry with Nina Larm & Pentti in Helsinki, Finland

Viv Caley with Angela & Bob Connor, Miriam & Frank Rooney, June & Ian McDonald

Angela & Bob Connor with Shona McRae at The Open

Mick Brett, Ivy & Bob Bailey, Bob & Angela Connor, Ed Abernathy at a Pink & Blue day at Machynys Golf Club, South Wales

Jenni Ho Jacqui St the Solhei Germ

Moshe and Baraj at the Taj Mahal

The Gupta family in Holland

The Kohli family at the Golden Temple in Amritsar

Ingrid & Christer Sjodoff with Fiona & Alistair Munro at Kingsbarn & Lundin courses in Scotland

Amresh, Lionel and Kish golfing in Cyprus, Aphrodite Hills.

C G E e wer is h t s r e memb r? e m m su

Jenny Ayres at Port Dogflas, Australia

Scott MacPherson at the Paul Lawrie Matchplay at Murcar Golf Club Aberdeenshire

Carol & Scott MacPherson in Prague Rekha in Gruyere and at Interlaken, Austria

The Tracey’s and the Barrys at Quinta do Lago Golf course, Portugal

Pavel Foubik & family at Lost City South Africa

Surender Kandhari at Srinigar Golf Club, India

oskings & tewart at im Cup in many

Surender Kandhari at Leh, Ladakh, India

Pavel & family in Johannesburg

Pavel Foubik in Sydney, Australia

Club News

14

TRIP TO PRAGUE A

group of EGC members visited Prague during the summer for a golfing trip.

by Shravan Khanna

EGC members included Vipen Sethi, Shravan Khanna, Anand Kapoor, Vikram Tah, Ashish Nanda, Kirtan Desai Non-members were Gromit Singh and Manish Samlakha Courses the group played included:-

Shravan wrote: “It was a great experience. The distance to the courses from the city was anywhere between 30 to 60 minutes. The weather, conditions, price, people ……basically everything pleasantly surprised us!”

Karlstejn Set in the mountains around the Karlstejn castle. Great layout with steep drops and inclines more than 100 meters from tee to greens. Small greens which were very difficult to read leading to numerous fourputts within the group. Great views! It is one of the European Tour courses in the Czech Republic.

Albatross Venue for the Czech Masters in August.

Great condition. True greens and wonderful facilities! Lots of trouble in terms of water and trees.

Konopiste Once again a mountainous course! Set in the Konopiste region of Prague amongst paddy fields and close to an airfield where people were enjoying engineless gliding.

Pilsen Beautiful course and venue for the Czech Ladies European Tour. The whole course is carved out of a forest so anything off the fairway is in dense forest! It’s not too long a course but the best in terms of facilities and beauty! Really nice layout visually!

Teaching Versus Learning Golf: A Conflict?

An Ian Peek Coaching Workshop Monday 9th November 2015, 9.30am - 5.00pm Join Ian Peek, Advanced Fellow of the PGA, for a workshop on Teaching Versus Learning Golf: A Conflict? on Monday 9th November from 9.30am to 5.00pm.

The day will include a morning seminar in M’s restaurant and an afternoon practical workshop on the Par 3 course, where Ian Peek will discuss the coaching of a complete beginner. This workshop is ideal for golf and sports coaches looking to expand their knowledge and engage in dynamic discussions. The workshop will cover a variety of topics including: • The Biopsychosocial Model: What is holistic coaching today?

• Andarogogy Versus Pedagogy: Should we coach adults differently than children?

• Self-Determination Theory: How do we really motivate our players?

• Psychological Ecology: How does our training environment affect learning and performance?

Date: Timing: Location: Price:

Monday 9th November 2015 9.30am - 5.00pm M’s restaurant and the Par 3 course AED 590 including lunch

To book your space please contact The Academy at Emirates Golf Club on +971 4 9845 or email emiratesacademy@dubaigolf.com www.dubaigolf.com

15

Members’ Consultative Committee (MCC)

Committee

What is the Members’ Consultative Committee?

T

he Members’ Consultative Committee was formed as a result of Emirates Golf Club becoming a part of Dubai Real Estate Corporation (now known by its brand name ‘wasl’), and the management of both teams recognising the role that the membership of the Club plays in its success, both financially and in creating a good Club spirit.

As such, a cross section of members were invited to take part in a Members’ Consultative Committee, which meets

regularly to discuss the general operation of the Club, to hear feedback from members, and to provide a link between members and management.

We have created an online forum specifically for the purpose of enabling you, our valued Club Member, to: - be able to view the minutes taken from each meeting and comment accordingly through a related message board.

- have the ability to contact any one of the committee members directly via email with your constructive comments and ideas.

The Committee will not be involved in the actual administration or finances of the Club, but will concentrate on service and facilities, and how we as managers can best serve you as a member of the Club.

This does not mean that management is no longer directly approachable quite the reverse in fact, as we will continue to operate our ‘open door’ policy to ensure that every member has a voice and enjoys a sense of belonging to the Club.

Committee Members for 2015-2016 Season

Walid Al Attar Men’s Captain 2015 - 2016 Walid has been a member of Emirates Golf Club since 2009. He played for the UAE National Golf Team from 1994 to 2006 and claimed the title of UAE National Champion in 2000, 2003 and 2004.

Lynne Dickinson Lynne started to play golf in UK 1983 and has sat on many committees.

She has been a member of Emirates Golf Club since 2006 and time has flown by as she has had great fun with friends and family!

Helen Srivastava Lady Captain 2015 - 2016 Helen is from the north west of England and is married to Aditya who is from India.

They have been members of Emirates Golf Club since 2003, although they have been in Dubai since 1997.

Pavel Foubik Pavel was born in Prague, Czech republic and was educated at Charles University as a Doctor of Law. Pavel has been resident in Dubai since 2008 and along with his wife, daughter and son, joined Emirates Golf Club in 2009 and his passion for golf has further grown.

Boyd Edmondson Boyd was born and brought up in South Africa and was educated at Maritzburg College and The University of Natal. A keen sportsman from early childhood he has loved and played the game of golf all his life.

Boyd joined Emirates Golf Club as a member in 2007.

Vipen Sethi Men’s Vice Captain 2015 - 2016 Having played a lot of golf in his college days, Vipen finished third in the All India Junior Amateur Golf Championship in 1976 and won the title in 1977. He also won the Western India Junior Golf Championship in 1976 and 1977. Vipen is a member of the Bombay Presidency Golf Club, Delhi Golf Club, The Els Club and Emirates Golf Club.

Buddy Morin Buddy has been a member of Emirates Golf Club since 2007 and has enjoyed all the experiences involved. Buddy has had high-level involvement as a European Tour Guest Referee following his certification as an R&A and USGA referee.

Maura Duggan Lady Vice Captain 2015 - 2016 Maura comes from Ireland and moved to Dubai in 2009, which was the seventh country for Maura and husband Frank to live in. Maura started golfing in Warsaw, Poland but became addicted when they returned to Ireland where she joined Old Conna GC where she is still a member.

Ghaleb Farha Ghaleb has lived in Dubai for over 40 years having joined Emirates Golf Club as a member in 2003. He plays regularly at EGC and enjoys all the the Club has to offer.

Parry Bahri Parry is married with two children and has been a member since inception of the Club. It has been a privilege for Parry being a member at Emirates Golf Club and he has enjoyed playing as often as possible.

www.dubaigolf.com

16

Dear Members,

NEW CLASSES WITH TRACY MARKS

elcome back after your summer vacation; it’s great to see so many of you returning to Fit Lab and getting into shape.

Tracy Marks has two fantastic new classes as described below. Please book in at Fit Lab Sports Desk to avoid disappointment.

Fit Lab

W

We class this as the New Year in Dubai and we have so many new activities happening from now until the end of the season.

If you have recently visited Fit Lab you will have noticed that we have a brand new range of cardio equipment. We decided to change from Life Fitness to Precor largely due to the unique pieces of equipment they have like the AMT. This is like a running motion without the impact on the joints in running and can get your heart rate to the same level and burn the same amount of calories as when you run.

Secondly the TV screens are far superior to the previous ones; we still have to make some slight adjustments but once these are completed you will not be disappointed.

Watch out for the winter schedule for the poolside - we are trying to add some activities in which all families can get involved to make your weekend at EGC even more fun.

Fit Lab would like to introduce our latest addition to the team Sonja Belgard.

Holding a MSc in Sport Science and a BSc in Physiotherapy, Sonja has over 15 years experience working (amongst others) with the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia and with high profile businessmen in the financial district of London.

Sonja is specialised in sport rehabilitation, weight management, health and fitness and sports performance training. As a mother of three, she will safely guide you through pre and post natal exercises. She also writes for the Middle Eastern Women’s Health magazine.

In her spare time she is an ambitious sporty person who runs marathons, loves snowboarding, surfing and swimming and of course, she enjoys hanging out with her family and friends.

Exercise tip of the month PISTOL SQUATS WHY DO PISTOL SQUATS? SYMMETRY Pistols can help eradicate imbalances between the two sides of the body.

SIMPLICITY Pistols build monstrously strong legs without needing to go to the gym.

EFFICIENCY Pistols simultaneously train strength, balance, and mobility with just one exercise.

PiYo is a the new low impact body weight workout from Beachbody - the makers of Insanity.

Beachbody have brought out this low impact version to offer an amazing workout but without the impact and is driven by fantastic music. It’s a unique total body conditioning workout inspired by the muscle sculpting, core firming benefits of pilates and the strength and flexibility training of flowing yoga movements.

It’s SWEAT, STRETCH and STRENGTHEN - all in ONE workout.

As a mainstream alternative to traditional practices, it does not involve chanting, meditation, sanskrit terminology, or expressed spirituality. However, fitness enthusiasts who participate in PiYo classes can gain the same benefits individuals seek from pilates and yoga. This is NOT a pilates class or a yoga class this is something UNIQUE. What is great about this workout is that it’s a cardio low impact workout with strengthening and stretching all in ONE class - it’s three classes in one!

Insanity is a high-intensity interval training, total body conditioning programme. It’s based on the principles of MAX Interval Training, which allows a person to beat the stress adaptation response that’s what normally happens when one’s body gets used to exercising at one level of exertion. The result of this adaptation is to halt progress on the fitness improvement journey. INSANITY workouts push individuals to new training heights, resulting in more calories burned, faster results, and a more efficient metabolism. INSANITY’s interval training is the pinnacle of cardio training.

It has been designed to give participants a safe, challenging, and results-driven experience.

Insanity is driven by fantastic and motivating music as well as your instructor Tracy pushing you to your limit safely! This class is for ALL fitness levels, MODIFICATIONS are provided to ensure a safe effective result based workout for ALL participants.

Looking forward to seeing you all at Fit Lab. Healthy Regards Andy Meech

17

SENSASIA URBAN SPA GETS IN THE PINK FOR OCTOBER AND LAUNCHES SENSSPORTS FOR THE BOYS

The UAE’s largest spa chain has put together its most gorgeous, supersoftening and sweetest-smelling In The Pink package for October. The COMPLETE cost of each SensAsia In The Pink treatment (as detailed below) will be donated directly to local non-profit organisation, Friends of Cancer.

IN THE PINK: 110 mins AED 565 Balinese massage, Tickled Pink SensPolish and Even Pinker SensWrap. Even Pinker uses rosehip tea, white clay and cranberry to cleanse, purify and nourish In addition to In The Pink, SensAsia has created a bespoke and limited edition adaptation of its best-selling ‘Signature Blend’ for Breast Cancer Awareness.

The much-loved and magical oil, which

is an empowering and uplifting mix of lemongrass, geranium and lavender, bears a pink ribbon for October, and is available at all SensAsia Urban Spa locations for AED 99. The COMPLETE cost of each SensAsia Breast Cancer Awareness Signature Blend oil will also be donated to Friends of Cancer.

From 20th September, SensAsia Urban Spas will also be stocking Elemis ProRadiance Illuminating Flash Balm Pink Edition.

A limited edition of the hugely popular hybrid moisturiser/primer, housed in a quirky pink tube, complete with pink phone pouch, the product has been created by Elemis in conjunction with Breast Cancer Care. The retail price is AED 155, and Elemis donates AED 57,000 (£10,000) to UK charity Breast Cancer Care each year as an international initiative.

Also new for October is SensSports at SensAsia.

Available for men only, SensSports is a specialist, high performance 90-minute massage that combines stretching and reflexology to

target the effects of intense fitness training.

Fit Lab

S

ensAsia Urban Spa is proudly getting ‘In The Pink’ for another October, in support of both the global and local drive to raise awareness of breast cancer. Breast cancer still accounts for more than 30 per cent of female deaths in the UAE and as a homegrown brand of 11 spa-tacular years, SensAsia is once again inviting clients to support the cause as they pamper, all month long.

The perfect accompaniment to extensive training regimes (such as those associated with the Dubai Marathon coming up in January 2016) as well as regular gym sessions, weightlifting and team sports is SensSports; this is aimed at men who find a regular, and even, deep tissue massage treatment unable to relieve tension and SensSports targets the dull aches and acute pains that come from the continual build up of lactic acid in their bodies.

SENSSPORTS: 90 mins

A high perfomance massage for men only, combining stretching and reflexology to break down lactic acid and target the pain associated with intense fitness training. Until 31st October only, SensSports is available for the introductory price of AED 299.

For more information and bookings at SensAsia Urban Spa, Emirates Golf Club, log on to www.sensasiaspas.com or call 04 417 9820.

How physiotherapy can benefit me?

by David Baines

P

hysiotherapy can be useful in many different ways depending on your goals or problems at the time. No matter what your level or ability, whether you’re an elite or recreational athlete or just wanting to stay healthy, a physiotherapy assessment can help to ensure you’re training optimally and continue to train at your best level.

Physiotherapy and rehabilitation: If you’ve had a niggling injury or injured something suddenly while moving or playing sport, having the correct diagnosis and treatment plan is imperative to make sure you strengthen and recondition the area in the right way to avoid causing further injury and to reduce the likelihood of the injury recurring.

Physiotherapy and Injury prevention: Even if you’re not injured, physiotherapy assessment and treatment can help to

identify potential weaknesses or problematic areas that may develop into injuries if left untreated. Identifying movement restrictions, muscle and joint control as well as stability and muscle imbalances are some of the ways in which a regular check-up with your physiotherapist can help prevent injury.

Physiotherapy and training recovery : A sports physiotherapy massage and soft tissue techniques can be employed on a regular basis to aid your recovery from training and competition. Ideally sports massage should be a part of every athlete’s recovery whether you are injured or not. Sports massage can generally help maintain the body in better condition, prevent injuries and loss of mobility, cure and restore mobility to injured muscle tissue, boost performance and extend the overall life of your sporting participation.

Physiotherapy and sports performance: At any level or stage of your sporting performance, having a sport specific physiotherapy assessment can help you train smarter and more efficiently. It can also help you identify and develop areas that prevent you from performing at the level or frequency you want to, as well as helping to prevent common injuries linked to the sport or activity you do.

Physiotherapy and running gait analysis: Video gait analysis is used to assess your running technique and can identify any abnormalities in your running style.

Improving your running style can improve your running efficiency, allow you to run faster and easier and prevent and resolve current injuries. Following the assessment, a programme will be devised to improve your running style which can involve running specific mobility, stability and strengthening exercises.

David Baines MSc sports physiotherapist Bespoke Wellness Tel 055 790 8760

EPER’S GREENKE CUTTINGS

18

Greenkeeper’s Cuttings Dear Members,

I

t is good to see so many of you back and for those of you who are still away, we look forward to seeing you soon.

What has happened this summer out on the golf courses?

Well, we have been really busy with our annual maintenance programmes, in particular, our hollow coring and dethatching work which has all gone very well. We have made a few small changes on the Majlis course this season. Firstly, we have introduced an additional fairway bunker on the right hand side dogleg on hole one primarily to give the hole some more shape and also to make our professionals and longer hitters think a bit more whilst standing on the tee. From the back tees it will affect the very long hitters running out at around the 320 yard mark. Flying the left hand side bunker is easy, but with the addition of the right hand side bunker and with firmer surfaces, you are likely to run out into the bunker unless you put a good right to left shape on the ball, or decide to take a 3-wood from the tee taking this out of play, but meaning a longer iron into the green.

New fairway bunker on 1st

The greenside bunker in front of the hole has been further enhanced purely from an aesthetical point of view.

You can now see the base of the green and the boring straight line is a thing of the past. The bunker now has good movement with the approach area sloping from the front of the green back towards the bunker.

Deepened 10th greenside

Widening of 1st fairway right side

Improved contouring 6th fairway Drill and fill in greens this summer

Bunker on 13 greenside been made smaller on right

Deepening fairway bunker on 9

Dr. Kwon’s Golf Biomechanics Instructor Training Programme Emirates Golf Club Dubai, UAE 4th & 5th January 2016, 9am-4pm

On the 13th, we made a very similar change to the bunker in front of the green for the same reasons as hole one and we have also changed the bunker on the right of the green, filling Team topdressing greens in the front half and leaving a smaller bunker back right. This means we have a larger run-off area on the right putting a premium on your second shot into this par 5 should you choose to have a go for the green. Anything missed to the right will now be subject to a run-off towards the water unless you are long enough to have the bunker act as protection from the water hazard.

We added some additional short mown areas around the greens and have created some more approach areas. These include the 4th, 13th, 15th and 17th green complexes. We have also enhanced some of the mowing lines on fairways 5, 6, 12, 14 and 17 creating more continuity throughout the golf course.

For those of you who remember Luke Partridge who was with us in GCM from April 2011 to June 2014, he has recently returned to fulfil the Senior Assistant position following a year out in China. He is a great addition to the team and has returned with enthusiasm to continue his career with us at Dubai Golf. I hope you will join me in welcoming Luke back to Emirates Golf Club.

Good golfing, Craig Haldane Director - Golf Course Maintenance

Join Emirates Golf Club for a Two Day Training Seminar with Dr. Kwon. The seminar will consist of seven classes focusing on the understanding of athletic performance.

Seminar Content: • Basic Mechanical Concepts • The Golfers Body • Linear Kinematics • Functional Swing Plane • Angular kinematics • Linear & Angular Kinetics With a PhD in Exercise and Sport Science, and an MEd in Physical Education, Dr Kwon has worked as a Professor and Senior Researcher within the Departments of Kinesiology and Biomechanics, at and training programmes focusing on Golf Swing Biomechanics. This two day training seminar will understanding of the key biomechanical concepts and principles.

Price USD 1,000 per person To secure your space and for more information, please contact Head Professional Stephen Deane on sdeane@dubaigolf.com or call +971 4 417 9859 www.dubaigolf.com

19

UPDATE FROM THE GOLF OFFICE

Club News

GOLF OFFICE NEWS Dear Members

I

hope you had an enjoyable summer and managed to escape the high humidity and Dubai heat at some point.

On 1st September we welcomed Walid Al Attar and Helen Srivastava as incoming Captains and the new Vice-Captains Vipen Sethi and Maura Duggan also commenced their invaluable supporting roles. Wishing you all the best of luck for the season.

The new tournament calendar is now available from Golf Reservations as a pocket hand-out. It is of course available to view online through the members’ zone at www.dubaigolf.com. Please note the Diwali Scramble has moved to Saturday 31st October.

Cart Kill/Disable In the near future all golf carts will be enabled with ‘Cart Kill’ technology linked to the Stay Prime GPS System. The system is designed to prevent members and guests from driving the golf carts into prohibited areas. From now on please drive the carts on the paths and fairways when possible. Please keep clear of the tee boxes, green surrounds, lakes and ALL SAND AREAS. For example, if you attempt to drive in a SAND AREA your cart will stop slowly and you must reverse the cart out of the restricted area before you can drive forward once more. During the launch of this function please forward any feedback to starters, marshals and management.

The Club’s policy is to keep carts out of all sand areas to: • avoid disturbance to the natural habitat • avoid damage to the golf carts including getting them stuck and rolling over • avoid tyre tracks disrupting the game of fellow members playing behind • maintain the aesthetic qualities of the course • prevent sand blowing up into the cart resulting in maintenance issues We had anticipated launching this system by Sunday 13th September. However, due to installation issues this has been delayed. The carts have been fitted with the new system but unfortunately we are experiencing a number of cases when carts are stopping in the middle of fairways. Therefore ‘cart kill’ will be disabled until these issues are resolved.

Please also be reminded that we have a two golf carts per 4-ball policy. This is so we can manage the demands of two busy golf courses as well as maintain the condition of the fairways and rough by managing traffic. Please note that occasionally a member or guest requires personal security so on these occasions we allow an additional cart.

Match play Championships Please note all competitors wishing to participate in this season’s Omega Matchplay Championships (entry is open online now) must have recorded at least twenty games on their Golfers Card account between 1st October 2014 - 30th September 2015. New members will be allowed to participate if they have an official handicap certificate from their previous club.

Golf Services Manager Most of you would have met Rhys James last season who was working as a Golf Operations Intern. We are delighted to announce that he is now working as Golf Services Manager in a full-time capacity.

Golf Performance Programme Fit lab and The Academy at Emirates Golf Club have linked up to create a long term fitness and golf development programme to help improve your overall game.

Many golfers find it difficult to consistently produce the correct mechanics to routinely get fantastic results. Our Golf Performance Programme can help you improve your overall game by learning how your body functions and how much flexibility, strength and balance you have in key golf specific areas.

Experienced coaches from The Academy and Fit Lab will work closely to help you achieve the desired result of long term enhanced performance.

The programme includes: • Full body assessment to determine your strengths and weaknesses • Training programme tailored to client’s specific needs through one-on-one sessions with both a Golf and Fitness Professional • Video and ball flight analysis • Functional training methods specific to golf and fitness to help lower your handicap • Improved fitness, strength, flexibility, positive mood and general well being through the programme Package cost 10 Sessions (five with The Academy and five at Fit Lab) 20 Sessions (10 with The Academy and 10 at Fit Lab

Member AED 5,250 AED 10,000

Guest AED 7,500 AED 14,500

For more information please contact Stephen Deane, Head Golf Professional at The Academy on sdeane@dubaigolf.com or +971 50 910 8114 or David Poole, Golf Specific Personal Trainer at Fit Lab on DPoole@dubaigolf.com or +971 50 314 0683. www.dubaigolf.com

Entrance Road Closure (Saturday 12th September 2015) For those members who played on Saturday 12th September you would have experienced a difficult scene on your arrival at the Club. Unfortunately there was a burst pipe from a DEWA main line outside of the Club. The damaged part of the service road was after the roundabout adjacent to the villas access. As a result, the main entrance was completely blocked off. This was NOT planned maintenance and was completely out of the Club’s control; as a result, the operational team worked tirelessly to implement a solution. Cars were diverted through the villa entrance and down the left hand side of the 9th hole. As a result of innovation from colleagues the Majlis tee times commenced on time and the Faldo shotgun was only delayed by 30 minutes. We thank you for your patience on the morning and for those members and guests who thought the road blocking was scheduled and the Club failed to plan appropriately this was incorrect.

Ladies Monthly Medal We are pleased to announce that the new sponsor of the Ladies’ Monthly Medal is BIG BRANDS, the retail enterprise of Time Machine Group.

Big Brands offers authentic luxury products in fragrances, sunglasses, watches and accessories at very attractive prices. Big Brands stores are now open in Dubai Outlet Mall, Bay Avenue Mall at Business Bay, and also at Burjuman, Al Fahidi and Al Ghubaiba metro stations. Big Brands houses some of the most prestigious brands in luxury. The store also has exquisite celebrity brands such as Kim Kardashian, Madonna, One Direction, George Clooney, MS Dhoni and Harajuku (Gwen Stefani). Big Brands store caters to their little customers as well. New ranges of kids’ products such as Looney Tunes, Lalaloopsy, Dora the Explorer and Winnie the Pooh have recently been acquired. Big Brands is full of surprises and the perfect place to pick the perfect gift.

Barney Coleman Director of Golf Operations

Reciprocal

Clubs

20

Spotlight on

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Archerfield Links

Dirleton, East Lothian, Scotland At Archerfield Links, it’s definitely not golf as usual We’re certainly not about clubhouse cliques, old-fashioned dress codes or petty rules. After all, this is the 21st century. We like to think we play a different game - more relaxed, more welcoming, more about you and your enjoyment of two great golf courses.

The historic 17th century Mansion House, which can include names such as Winston Churchill and Mary Queen of Scots in its history, is the jewel in the crown of the 70 bedrooms offered across the 550 acre estate.

Golf Archerfield Links comprises two 18 hole golf courses, the Fidra Links and the Dirleton Links, both of which were designed by European Seniors Tour player and Ryder Cup Vice-Captain David J Russell.

Fidra Links

Spa

Home to the 2015 Scottish Senior Open The par 72 Fidra Links is a mixture of pine forest and fast running links, on land where golf has been played for over 100 years. In more recent years the Fidra Links has played host to the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open, Gary Player European Invitational and charity events for Sir Ian Botham, Darren Clarke and Ian Woosnam.

Now offering far more than just golf for those visiting the property, Archerfield House opened the acclaimed Fletcher’s Cottage Spa in March 2012 and it has fast become a ‘must visit’ destination in the UK. Fletcher’s Cottage Spa is a rustic yet luxurious spa, offering peace and tranquillity for those looking for the perfect spa retreat. Whilst the ethos of Fletcher’s Cottage focuses strongly on health and wellbeing, the treatments all use natural and organic brands including Sisley, Aromatherapy Associates, Spezia Organics and VOYA; guests are still very welcome to tuck into a brownie and sip a glass of Billecart-Salmon champagne.

Dirleton Links The Dirleton Links, also a par 72, is more of a traditional Links course with the front nine holes passing the back of the imposing Archerfield House and nearby village of Dirleton, from which the course takes its name. The Dirleton Links offers a different challenge from the Fidra, with menacing bunkers and undulating dunes bordering the fairways

Archerfield Links offers reciprocal rates for Dubai Golf full golf members; advance tee time bookings can be made through Membership Services.

For more information please visit: www.archerfieldgolfclub.com

INTRODUCING

E

mirates Golf Club would like to extend a warm welcome to our new Executive Chef, Nicholas Cuomo. Hailing from Malta and having worked there as well as in London, Hamburg and Dubai. Nicholas fuses his strong Mediterranean influence with various cooking styles including French, Arabic and South Asian cuisine, to create unique and fresh flavours.

By Akhil Menon IT Manager, Golf Citizen

Club News

NICHOLAS CUOMO

BIRDS OF THE EMIRATES

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Nicholas has over 17 years of experience behind him at some world-renowned establishments including Intercontinental Malta, Hilton St James Park London, Crown Plaza Hamburg, Crown Plaza Dubai, One & Only Royal Mirage Dubai, Radisson Royal Dubai and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club and he now brings his wealth of culinary expertise to Emirates Golf Club.

His culinary style reflects the growing trend towards a healthier and more down-to-earth lifestyle and in addition to cooking, Nicholas’ passion is to work with younger chefs and develop their talents in the same way that he was encouraged.

With new menus launching in all our outlets, Nicholas is already making exciting new changes to our F&B outlets.

The Spike Bar’s new menu was launched on Sunday 13th September. Throughout the new menu creation process information was taken from the member survey and feedback that was received from members and guests.

Some new additions to the Spike Bar menu include a selection of burgers, a choice of sharing platters and a range of new tasty desserts, all to be enjoyed in Spike Bar’s relaxed dining environment.

Our team of chefs have been working hard during the summer months, tasting, adjusting and practising the new menus; we are delighted with the results and we are looking forward to sharing these with you very soon. Look out for the new menus at Le Classique, M’s restaurant, the pool and the huts over the coming month.

Nicholas Cuomo Executive Chef

Have you downloaded the official Dubai Golf App? It is a great way to easily view comprehensive course information, GPS positioning, digital scorecard and many more useful features for both Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club that are easy to use and interactive!

Available to download in the App Store and Google Play

Greater White Fronted Goose (European, Juvenile) Scientific Name: Anser albifrons albifrons Shot: Dubai; Emirates Golf Club (Faldo Course) Date shot: December 2014 Wiki link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Greater_white-fronted_goose Description: The bird gets its name from the patch of white feathers around the base of its bill. They are winter visitors to Dubai and can be seen around November-February.

The image shows the juvenile birds by the shoreline at the lake on the Faldo golf course. In Europe, these birds are commonly known as ‘White-fronted Goose’.

The birds are migratory, seen in groups and are known to have a faster fattening rate in their bodies to aid with migration. Once fat and fit enough to fly, these birds move out of the UAE further up north into Europe to their breeding grounds.

e l o H h t 9 1 SNIPPETS Haris Michaelides played a final round of golf on the Majlis with Stephen Deane before leaving Dubai for Houston

Congratulations to Past Captain Mick Brett on his hole-in-one on the 11th of Machynys golf course, South Wales, witnessed by Ed Abernathy and Wayne Brett

Photo below is from August at The Royal oldest golfing societ L - R: Chris Turlik, Ca Matthew Baxter at the Scottish U16 Boys Open.

Matthew Mark and James at St Andrews a week before the Open.

Emirates Golf Club Members and Head Professional Stephen Deane took the trophy in the inaugural Annual Summer Tri-Club Summer Series against The Els Club Dubai and Jumeirah Golf Estates. The last event of the three-club series took place at The Els Club Dubai.

A great performance from the Emirates Golf Club membership in all three events helped them secure this highly contested trophy.

Congratulations to all involved!

Moshe Kohli at Okterbest with Alexander Saltzer, General Manager and Mirjam Ludwig, Marketing Director of our reciprocal club, Munchener Golf Club, Munich

Congratulations to Ghaleb and Herta Farha’s son George who was recently awarded a Fellowship of University College London Maura Duggan had a Hole In One, at Old Conna golf course in Ireland during the summer

C o fo

Tom & Jacqui Barry with Dick & Chris Purchase in Portugal

Thanks to EGC member Surjit Namli for this stunning photo of EGC

Naima Maya’s son Nasser got married to Raya at Château de Champlâtreux in France in August.

Congratulations!

Congratula September, Team Party

m the Stephen Gallacher Foundation Golf Day held in l Burgess Golf Club, Edinburgh which is home to the ty in the world, established in 1735. ampbell Steedman, Paul McKechnie, Bryan Smyth.

It was a great start to the Rugby World Cup 2015 with the Rugby Central Launch Dinner last month. Special guests Jeremy Guscott, Scott Gibbs and Jim Rosenthal were present for a Q&A session.

The Tracey family had a reunion in Portugal this summer to celebrate Mark Tracey’s (Mike’s younger brother) 60th Birthday. Mark travelled from Ottawa Ontario Canada, Mike’s elder sister Lynn Fuchs travelled from Phoenix Arizona USA and brother-in-law, Mike Carroll came from Quebec, Montreal Congratulations to Humpty Dumpty who were Spike Bar Quiz Night winners on 3rd August. In second place was Team Skippy, followed by Tea Leaves.

Congratulations to Spike Bar Monday Quiz winners Party Fears on 7th September. In second place was Team Tea Leaves, ollowed by Team Quizimodo in third place.

ations to the Spike Bar Monday Quiz winners on 21st r, Skippy Has Norfolk & Chance. In second place was y Fears followed by Team Kernow in third place.

Mike & Josie Tracey, Mark Tracey, Dick Purchase, Lyn Fuchs, Mike Carrol, Tom & Jacqui Barry at Quinta do Lago Golf Club, Portugal

Brothers-in-law, Richard Fuchs & Mike Carroll

Mike’s sister, Lynn Fuchs & sister-in-law, Carolyn Tracey

Congratulations to Kirsty, (daughter of Sandy and Pat MacPherson) and Mick Wright on the birth of their daughter Madeleine on 14th August Congratulations to Jamie & Kirsten Ferguson (from Sales & Marketing) on the birth of their baby daughter Emilie on 15th September

Congratulations to Tom Petre (son of Maria and Lars Petre) and Simona on the birth of their first child, Max, born on 20th September in Sweden