15 minute read
Club Update
CLUSTER CLUB MANAGER – VIYA GOLF
Yas Links Abu Dhabi
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Dear Members,
Welcome to our latest Viya Golf Update. These last couple of months have quite literally flown by. I am now officially a resident of Abu Dhabi and very much enjoying life on Yas Island - it truly is an incredible location, with so much to offer for both residents and overseas visitors. Over the last few months, I’ve had the great fortune to meet many of our members at the club, but I appreciate that I haven’t quite yet met everybody. One thing I’d like to communicate is that I’m very approachable and open to discussions on how we can Abu Dhabi further develop the great standing that Yas Links has in the market. Please always feel free to reach out to me and I very much look forward to making your acquaintance if I haven’t yet had the opportunity.
From a golf perspective, I always love this time of the year. It’s that exciting transition point where we say goodbye to the hot sticky summer months and begin to welcome the cooler winter period, where our courses are beginning to peak and when you as a member start to enjoy the fruits of the labour put in by our amazing agronomy team. This being said, by no means will we be resting on our laurels. Corey and George have grand plans this winter to further enhance the playing surfaces, repair native areas and also continue the drainage program within bunkers. As we all know, golf courses are living breathing creatures and require constant attention. If you do happen to see any of the agronomy team out on the course during your round, please do give them a thumbs up as they gain great encouragement and motivation in knowing you appreciate their efforts. Please do enjoy the read and take in some of the operational updates. As always if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me personally for further clarification.
New Member Features go live on Viya – Tuesday, 1st November
As mentioned in my update last month, our target date of the 1st November for launching online bookings and other member benefits on the Viya App will be met, and so from 6.00am on Tuesday, 1st November, I’m delighted to say that you will have access to the following Viya features: -
- Membership Card (plastic cards are no longer required) - 5% Viya Points on all purchases (F&B and Golf Shop) - Live online tee time bookings - Tournament entry - Golf lesson bookings - Online golf shop - Membership renewal
IMPORTANT NOTE: Viya identifies you as a member and your specific membership category, through your mobile number and your email address that you have registered with us when you joined the club. If you have changed your email address or if you have more than one mobile number or if your mobile number has
changed and you haven’t got around to updating us, please do check in with Ann or Soukaina in membership (see contact details below), as soon as possible. If either does not match the records we have for you, then you will not be able to activate your account and access the new features.
Ann Daniel, Cluster Membership Manager adaniel@viyagolf.com
Soukaina Er-Raissi, Membership Coordinato membership.ylad@viyagolf.com
Membership Office 02 404 3000
How To Use Viya – Web Resource
To help you navigate Viya, we have created a webpage which explains the functionality and provides you with a central resource, to enable you to get the most out of the application as quickly and smoothly as possible. If you have any trouble accessing Viya, activating your account or simply need some guidance on how to use a specific feature, then please do visit the link below or alternatively reach out to Ann or Soukaina who’ll be delighted to support you.
www.viyagolf.com/viya
Viya Moving Forward…
The next phase of development for Viya is the integration of our corporate network and then the Micros POS system which we use across all of our restaurants. The go live date for this it will be early in the new year. Once the system is fully integrated, this will enable all members to settle all club purchases onto their membership account, directly within Viya. In the meantime, you will still be able to avail of your 25% discount at the time of settling your bill and receive an additional 5% in the form of Viya Points onto your account, by simply having one of our colleagues scan the QR code within the App at the time of payment.
New Membership Numbers
As part of the integration process of our new membership and tee time booking software (which feeds Viya), we also needed to re-align membership numbers, so they are compatible with the system. When you log into Viya for the first time and click on the ‘card’ icon in the bottom left side of the screen, you will see this page now contains some of your personal information including your new membership number. We appreciate that some members do get attached to their membership number, as it takes time to remember, however unfortunately this is a step we couldn’t avoid. The good news is that your membership card is now always with you, as long as you have your phone at your side. We hope that the additional features and services that you will now receive, more than make up for this slight inconvenience.
Farewell to Lee Waggott
Many of you will now know that after completing 5 tremendous years of service as Golf Operational Manager at Yas Links Abu Dhabi, Lee is sadly moving on to start an exciting new role heading up 59Club in southern Europe. I’ve only known Lee for 3-4 months, however during this time he has been exceptionally supportive, as we moved through the transition phase with Viya Golf, and it was very clear from the outset that he is not only a great operator, but a true professional and a gentleman to go with it. I have no doubt that that he will excel in his new role, and I’d like to wish Lee and his wife Lucie all the very best in their next adventure.
Introducing Martin Duff, Golf Operations Manager
Following on from Lee’s departure, I’m delighted to welcome Martin Duff to the team at Yas Links, replacing Lee as Golf Operations Manager. Martin adds valuable professional and regional experience to our team having moved to the UAE in 1999, working initially at the EGF as National Coach, and more recently as Director of Golf at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club. I am sure all of our members and colleagues join us in welcoming Martin to the Club and to Abu Dhabi.
Introducing Grace Einberger, PGA Professional
I’m equally delighted to announce the arrival of Grace Einberger to our Golf Academy coaching team here at Yas Links. Grace is a PGA Professional and hails from Kitzbuehel in Austria. Her passion for golf started at a very young age (5), through her father who is also a golf coach. After playing numerous tournaments on the Austrian Junior Golf Tour and winning the Club Championship at her home club three times, she decided to turn Professional at the age of 18. She has been teaching golf for five years now and loves helping people at all skill levels to achieve their golfing goals. If you would like to discuss your own golfing needs and see how Grace can help you, please drop her a note on: geinberger@ viyagolf.com
Member Referral Scheme
Hopefully you would have had chance by now to read the details of our new membership referral scheme, which offers both the member and the referred new joiner between Aed 1,000-1,500 in credit when a referral made by a member, results in a new member joining the club. There are terms and conditions linked to the program, which Ann or Soukaina will happily talk you through, if you have any questions.
Member Tournament Survey
As conditions around Covid continue to relax and the world is becoming more normalised, we have had a number of requests from members to run competitions as a shotgun start so that we can host a prizegiving at the end of the event. The benefits of this are a much more social, fun and engaging atmosphere, as well as getting members together as a group more frequently really helps to build the community spirit which any club needs to thrive. Prior to making any decisions, we’d firstly like to ask you – our loyal members, for your opinion on what you’d like to see. It’s not always easy to please everybody, however at the end of the day we’re here to serve the best interests of the membership as a whole, and in order for us to make the best decision for the club, we’d very much appreciate it if you could click on the link below and answer this very quick survey. Once we’ve collated the findings, we’ll then discuss with the Club Captains prior to making any decisions and subsequent announcements.
Membership Prices 2023
Over the last few weeks, we’ve received a number of enquiries from members regarding membership prices for 2023. Although a decision on what the 2023 fees will be for new ‘incoming members’ joining from 1st January hasn’t yet been made, we have agreed that the 2022 membership rate card will be fixed for any existing member at the time of renewal, which is scheduled to start from the middle of November. We will be aligning the membership loyalty programmes we have at our existing operations with the clubs in Abu Dhabi as we feel it is essential to reward member loyalty uniformly across all clubs. Members will receive a credit back to their account based on three and seven years of continuous membership. This new loyalty credit benefit will replace any current discounts in place.
As mentioned in my last Club Update, as of September all full golf members of Yas Links or Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, now receive a very special ‘Viya Golf’ or ‘VG’ rate to play any of the Dubai Golf courses. This rate is 50% off the Rack Rate of the course and is always the lowest rate available in the market. To avail of this rate, you simply need to show your membership card as proof of ID at the time of check-in at the club. From 1st November, this will mean you showing your digital membership card in Viya. Please also remember that you now also receive 25% discount in the F&B outlets across all Viya Golf and Dubai Golf clubs, including Topgolf Dubai, as well as an additional 5% in Viya Points when you show your Viya QR code on the ‘card’ page in the App.
Membership Prices 2023
Over the last few weeks, we’ve received a number of enquiries from members regarding membership prices for 2023. Although a decision on what the 2023 fees will be for new ‘incoming members’ joining from 1st January hasn’t yet been made, we have agreed that the 2022 membership rate card will be fixed for any existing member at the time of renewal, which is scheduled to start from the middle of November. We will be aligning the membership loyalty programmes we have at our existing operations with the clubs in Abu Dhabi as we feel it is essential to reward member loyalty uniformly across all clubs. Members will receive a credit back to their account based on three and seven years of continuous membership. This new loyalty credit benefit will replace any current discounts in place.
As mentioned in my last Club Update, as of September all full golf members of Yas Links or Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, now receive a very special ‘Viya Golf’ or ‘VG’ rate to play any of the Dubai Golf courses. This rate is 50% off the Rack Rate of the course and is always the lowest rate available in the market. To avail of this rate, you simply need to show your membership card as proof of ID at the time of check-in at the club. From 1st November, this will mean you showing your digital membership card in Viya. Please also remember that you now also receive 25% discount in the F&B outlets across all Viya Golf and Dubai Golf clubs, including Topgolf Dubai, as well as an additional 5% in Viya Points when you show your Viya QR code on the ‘card’ page in the App.
New Menu at Hickorys
Over the last 4-5 weeks Chef Iro, our Head Chef along with his team have been working on a new refreshed menu for Hickorys. You’ll be glad to know that we won’t be removing any of the member favourites, however you can expect to see a wider range of vegetarian dishes and some new additions and twists on some existing dishes. The menu is under some final touches, and we will be introducing it in early November. As always, your feedback will be very much appreciated.
Festive Period
Many of you will have seen the recent festive offerings being promoted at the club. I wanted to highlight that we’re already seeing a lot of interest across the board and so if you were thinking of enjoying any of the below activities, then please do reach out to our F&B team at dining.ylad@viyagolf.com or 02 4043077.
Christmas Tree Lighting
9th December - 6.00pm-7.00pm (Free of Charge)
Turkey Takeaway
21st November – 31st December (AED 475)
Christmas Day Brunch
24th December – 12.30pm – 4.00pm (AED 250/385)
New Year’s Eve
31st December – 9.00pm – late (AED 250/385)
New Year’s Day Brunch
1st January – 12.30pm – 4.00pm (AED 150/220)
Where dual pricing is shown above, this is related to soft and house beverage packages. The above pricing is a set member’s price – no further discount will apply on festive promotions, although 5% Viya points will be issued upon scanning of your QR code.
F1 Brunch
For all F1 enthusiasts within the membership, we have a special F1 brunch at the club over the 2 practice days and the main event. It is traditionally always sold out, therefore please do book soon to avoid disappointment. Member discount applies.
Friday 18th, Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th November 12.30pm – 4.00pm (AED 200/350)
25% Member Discount will apply to the above price including 5% Viya points.
Large Events throughout November
We are extremely proud to be the official venue of several high-profile entertainment related events throughout the winter period. The events are located on our purpose-built event lawn near the main entrance of the club, which also accommodates the tournament village for the HSBC Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. As you’re reading this, we’ve just concluded the ‘Club Social’ 3-day concert, which featured Kaiser Chiefs, Clean Bandit, Example, DJ’s and a local Battle of the Bands. Upcoming events to keep an eye out for, are as follows: -
Movies in the Park
5th & 6th November (1980’s retro cinema theme) Movie timings each night: 5.30pm / 7.30pm / 9.30pm
One Republic
11th November (venue opens 7.00pm)
CAS
12th November (venue opens at 6.00pm)
Corporate Events and Overseas Golf Groups at the Club
As covid related restrictions in Abu Dhabi and at the club begin to ease, we’re beginning to see the return of overseas golf groups and corporate golf events. This is a welcome sight for the club; however we are also very mindful that there will be times whereby the golf course won’t be available for members, which can be an area of concern. As a club, we will always endeavour to prioritise members whenever possible, however it’s important to appreciate that the facility also exists to service various other market segments, all of which are an important and essential part of the Abu Dhabi economy.
Our focus will always be to move large groups into off peak times (weekdays) to protect as much as possible, the peak times when members typically like to play. This won’t always be possible of course, however for the few times we are required to accommodate a large group during a weekend time, we will try and give you as much notice as possible, so that you can make alternative arrangements to play golf. During times when the golf course is unavailable, please do take advantage of your reciprocal benefits and/or Viya Golf discount across all of our golf courses.
Ladies Golf Mornings
At our recent monthly Captains Meeting, our Lady Captain – Sonia Cox, stated that although the ladies section is beginning to grow nicely, there are still quite a lot of lady members that don’t participate in the weekly Wednesday morning fun competition program. We of course appreciate that many of our lady members work and find it difficult to play golf on a midweek morning, however we believe that there could well be a number of ladies that are available, but perhaps are just not aware... On this note, if you would like to hear more information on the types of events and activities that we host on a Wednesday morning, please do reach out to Ann or Zoukaina and they will gladly connect you to either Sonia or our Lady Vice Captain – Leonie Sullivan.
I would like to thank you once again for your valuable time in reading this Club Update. Please do feel free to pass on any feedback to myself, your club captains or to any member of our management team, and we will review, consider and respond as quickly as possible.
Looking forward to seeing you at the Club soon.
With very best regards,
Julian
