STEVE DRAKE
JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES CAPTAIN
“I
Dear Members, t’s incredible how quickly time passes, now 3 months into my Captaincy and so much has happened in that time. A huge thanks to the club and sponsors LuxHomes and LoungeSpa for sponsoring the Captains drive-in in October. It was great to see well over 100 of our members participate in what I hope was a fun day for all.
As we start the New Year, I am very much looking forward to working with Jonny Hall, our newly appointed Vice Captain and of course Captain for 2023. I am confident we will form a good partnership to help Stephen and the team continue to take the club forward. This was quickly followed by the Aviv Dubai Championship and the DPW with some world class golfers in both fields. A huge credit to Stuart Horwood and the team for working their magic and presenting the courses in excellent condition. It was also a personal highlight to meet
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the DPW Champion, Collin Morikawa - what an exceptional talent he is and what a way he finished the event to claim the title. We also launched the Tuesday morning Captain & Pro v members 9 hole challenge in October. It has been a great way to meet members, new and not so new, as well as get your feedback and I look forward to meeting many more of you in 2022. Please do sign-up for a fun 9-holes. It’s also been great to see such interest in the monthly medals with really high member attendance rates seen in the last quarter. I know Steff has been working hard to deliver some great events and has a packed schedule lined up for 2022. When I accepted the Captains role I stated I would focus on player etiquette and so wanted to share my thoughts on what I have seen so far. In short, I think we have some way to go still in this area. Areas for particular improvement would include pace of play, raking of bunkers and repairing of pitchmarks. If we are to fully support Stuart and his team we really do need to improve in these areas. It takes no time to rake a bunker you have just stepped in or to find the mark your ball left on the green. So my ask is for all to take personal responsibility for looking after and caring for what are to me, the best two golf courses in the UAE. Let’s keep them that way. Steve Drake Captain
