Putting In - Spring

Editor: Paula Savage

Spring - Issue # 8

Editorial, by Paula Savage…..

Hello and welcome to the new look edition of Putting In, which will cover the competitions around the club held over the first three months of the year, news from both on and off the fairways, plus promotions from around the club over the coming months.

I do hope 2015 has been bright and positive for you so far, both on the golf course and off it! There are still so many exciting golf competitions to come before the summer heat really takes hold, so please do check out the tournament calendar and be sure to sign up. Our 2015 Captains, Joe Ghossoub and Harini White have made an excellent start to their year and with the backing of their vice captains, Patrick Morrow and Vanessa North, I’m sure you will agree the Mens and Ladies sections are in very good hands for some time to come!

Winter does seem to be behind us now and the temperatures will start to rise, but one thing remains the same: the fantastic condition of our wonderful golf course- how lucky are we to call Dubai Creek our home course?!

Until next time… Play well!

Make the most of your Reciprocal Club Benefits For all full golf members here at Dubai Creek Club & Yacht Club, don’t forget about the reciprocal golf programme that we have with a number of top courses throughout the world. Whether you’re going on holiday or visiting family and friends, take advantage of the member’s guest green fee rate when playing at the following golf courses.

Albatross Golf Resort, Czech Republic Banyan Golf Club, Thailand Blue Canyon Country Club, Thailand Centurion Club, Hemel Hempstead, UK Close House Hotel & Golf, England, UK DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon, India Hong Kong Golf Club, Hong Kong

Laguna National Golf & Country Club, Singapore London Golf Club, UK Mission Hills Golf Club, Guangdong Province,China Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club, Victoria, Australia Real Club de Golf el Prat, Barcelona, Spain Saujana Golf & Country Club, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The Heritage Golf Club, Mauritius

Tee time reservations need to be made in advance through Membership Services. Your valid 2015 membership card must be produced at the reciprocal club when playing golf.

McGinley scores a spectacular hat trick of aces!

All golfers dream of a hole in one, and many never achieve it. However, the month of February will surely live long in the memory of our very own Creek Member, Michael McGinley. Michael made not only one, but three holes in one within the space of 6 days – a feat that has probably never been achieved here in the UAE! The first of Michael’s holes in one came on Thursday 12th February, when he hit a superb shot with his 4 iron to ace the challenging 208 yard par3, 4th hole on the Jumeirah Golf Estates Earth course, an amazing achievement in itself. This became even more incredible on Friday 13th, obviously not unlucky for Michael, when he struck a beautiful shot with his 9 iron into the par3 5th hole at Dubai Creek, only to see the ball drop straight in for his second ace in as many days. The hat trick was completed on Tuesday 17th February, again at Dubai Creek, when his magic 9 iron struck again to ace the tricky par3 8th hole.

After completing this unimaginably rare feat Michael commented: “It is an amazing feeling. I had a hole in one when I was 15 years old and haven’t had one since. To have three in a week is just incredible and something that I will remember forever”.

Ladies Night – with a difference!

Oh yes it’s ladies night, oh what a night! Our fabulous Golf Pros down at the Academy are inviting all Ladies to join them for some night golf. Over 8 weeks, our qualified pros will take you through various aspects of the game, whatever your playing level, in a fun and friendly atmosphere. Equipment is provided if required – and so are the refreshments after your lesson!

For more information or to book your lesson package please call +971 4 205 4666 or email areservations@dubaigolf.com

Enjoy 2 for 1 Members’ Guest Rates on Dubai Creek course

GOLF PROMOTIONS

Make the most of your golf membership at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club with our special offer on Members’ Guest rates. Bring your friends and family to play a round of 18 holes from Sunday to Thursday between 15th April and 31st May 2015 and receive 2 for 1 on Members’ Guest green fees. Pay just AED 375 for one guest and a second guest plays for free. Offer is applicable for golf members for play between 15th April and 31st May 2015, from Sunday to Thursday (excluding weekends and public holidays). Bookings are subject to availability.

For more information and bookings, please call +971 4 205 4555 or email creservations@dubaigolf.com www.dubaigolf.com

Upcoming Events APRIL 2015 Sat 4th Mashreq Medal Championship 1.30pm Sgn In association with BMW Sat 4th Easter Adult - Child Par 3 Event 2pm & 4pm Sgn Sat 12th Masters Par 3 Event 6pm & 8pm Sgn Wed 15th Ladies Strokeplay Tee Times Fri 17th Dubai Golf Par 3 Junior Series 9am & 11am Sgn Fri 17th OMA Emirates Creek Pairs

1.30pm Sgn Sat 18th Dubai Creek Captain’s Day 1.30pm Sgn Thu 23rd Dubai Duty Free Junior Medal Championship Tee Times Sat 25th Dubai Creek Junior Open Tee Times

MAY 2015 Sat 2nd Mashreq Medal Championship 1.30pm Sgn In association with BMW Wed 13th Ladies Strokeplay Tee Times Fri 15th The Creek Cup 1.30pm Sgn Thu 21st Dubai Duty Free Junior Medal Championship Tee Times Fri 22nd OMA Emirates Creek Pairs

1.30pm Sgn

JUNE 2015 Sat 6th Mashreq Medal Championship 1.30pm Sgn In association with BMW Fri 12th Dubai Creek Inter-Society Championship 1.30pm Sgn Fri 19th OMA Emirates Creek Pairs 2pm Sgn Sun 21st US Open Par 3 Event 6pm & 8pm Sgn Sat 27th Dubai Golf Summer Series Fixture 1 2pm Sgn

Getting to know you All good things come in threes? Well, that would seem to be the case here at the Creek. Please give a warm Creek welcome to Jack Woods, Jon Garabieta and Luke Tidmarsh who have recently joined the Pros Team down at the Academy. Jack, from Hertfordshire, England and Jon from Bilbao, Spain join us as teaching Pros, whilst Luke has joined the Club as Golf Operations Intern.

All are settling in really well, so please be sure to say hello next time you are passing through the Academy.

And finally...

In February we said farewell to Craig Waddell who joined us here at the Creek in 2011. Craig was hugely popular with all our members and helped so many of us improve our game. He also oversaw the ladies section and with his help and support we ladies really did go from strength to strength. We wish him well as he takes up a new position at the home of golf, yes, Craig headed back to Scotland to work at St Andrews with The Old Course Hotel and The Dukes Course! Many thanks, Craig, we wish you, Cian and Maya lots of happiness in your new adventure.

Dubai Creek Members Party 2015

The Future Generation - Creek Juniors Our thanks as always to Mr George Horan and his team at Dubai Duty Free for their wonderful support since this event started over a year ago, and for their continued support in sponsoring this event for another year.

Thursday 15th January 2015 was the first edition of the 2015 Dubai Duty Free Junior Medal Championship. First off the mark with the first win of the series was Ayub Sethi who scored a superb 31.5 to claim top honours. Rishi Nair made it back to back wins with a 33.5 to win the boys division as he did in December 2014.

Asanka White returned a score of 36, but it was his strong finish that earned him the boy’s division runner up title as he edged out fellow competitors Dhruv Nair and Jacobo Fisas on a count back after they all finished tied. Eshna Bhargava also came in with a score of 36 which saw her win the girl’s division trophy. Aarkesh Bhatia picked up from where he left off last season, continuing his recent run of form and collected the best gross trophy for a solid 1 over par 36.

A limited number of four bedroom villas are now available for lease at Dubai Creek

Uniquely designed these luxury villas reflect the architectural style of ‘old’ Dubai and yet incorporate features which are distinctly modern day. A perfect marriage of history and contemporary style.

Spotlight on The Pros In this issue we say hello to Dong Lee, our Korean Pro who we share with Emirates Golf Club. One of the quieter guys down at the Academy – until, that is, you get him talking about his gorgeous baby girl, Sarah Lee, then there is no stopping him!!

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Dong moved to the UK at the age of 12. He came to the UAE four years ago when he joined Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club before moving to Dubai Golf in October 2012.

PS: At what age did you first start playing golf?

DKL: I was 13 years old and just played for fun PS: Where is your home club?

DKL: My home club is Leatherhead Golf Club in Surrey, UK. PS: When did you turn professional and at what age?

DKL: I turned professional in 2004, when I was 23 years old PS: Which tours did you play on?

DKL: I played many Surrey PGA events and some qualifying tournaments in UK PS: When did you decide to become a teaching pro?

DKL: Not very long ago... four years!

PS: How old were you the first time you broke par and on which course?

DKL: I can’t remember how old I was exactly but I broke par on my home club PS: Favourite golf course / the best course you have played?

DKL: I know there are plenty of wonderful courses out there for me to play but my choice is St. Andrews Old Course.

PS: Who would be in your dream fourball ?

DKL: Me, Lydia Ko, Tiger and HyoJu Kim PS: Favourite club in your bag?

DKL: Definitely the Driver!

PS: What would be your best tip for amateur golfers?

DKL: Don’t stop hitting that ball!

PS: Which other sports do you play / have an interest in?

DKL: I used to play a lot of basketball PS: What gym advice would you give to stay golf fit?

DKL: Work on your glutes and core

For more information contact +971 4 205 4600, email living@dubaigolf.com or visit www.dubaigolf.com

This is why we offer not one but two brunches every single Friday!

Join us from 12 noon to 3.30pm for our traditional Friday afternoon brunch with live jazz duo and DJ or visit from 7pm to 10.30pm for our new evening brunch.

Our Legendary brunch offers an endless starter and dessert buffet along with your selection from the a la carte menu, with a choice of seating inside or on the terrace overlooking the Dubai Creek.

AED 250 for food and soft beverages AED 370 with selected beverages AED 400 with sparkling AED 550 with premium bubbly AED 85 for children between 7 and 12 years Children below 7 dine for free Happy Hour is available from 3.30pm to 5.30pm.

January to March Golf Round Up Mashreq Gold Cup Grand Finale Saturday 3rd January 2015 was The Mashreq Gold Cup Grand Finale, held on the Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club and contested by members from both Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek. The top 36 players from each respective order of merit were invited to the Mashreq Gold Cup Grand Final in association with BMW. Each club staged eleven events throughout 2014 and points were allocated accordingly based upon performance with the aim to find the most consistent golfer over the season.

Claiming these honours were Ashok Sindhu from Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club and Jignesh Sangani from the Emirates Golf Club. Congratulations to both on a fantastic achievement.

The Gold Cup itself was a clean sweep for the Dubai Creek members claiming the top 3 places. In third place with a net 72 after a count back was Ishwar Jodha. A further shot ahead of the pack was Praveen Kalia with a one under par net 71. Ashok Ahuja was crowned the winner of the Mashreq Gold Cup Grand Final with a fantastic score of a net 67.

Congratulations to Ashok, Praveen and Ishwar who will now be invited to participate in the BMW Golf Cup Qualifier with the possibility of winning a once in a lifetime trip to the World Final, held in Sydney this coming March.

OMEGA Dubai Creek Men’s Amateur Open Friday 9th & Saturday 10th January 2015 saw the Creek host the first EGF order of merit event of 2015, the OMEGA Dubai Creek Men’s Amateur Open.

Round 1 There was not much to separate the leaders after round one with just a few shots between the top 10 players. Dubai Creek junior member Mikhail Pinto took the overnight lead after a superb 2 over par opening round 73. This earned Pinto a 2 shot lead over Sweden’s, Christopher Rahm, who opened with a 75. Dubai Creek Club Champion, Bayhaan Lakdawala kept himself in the mix with a 76 on day 1.

Round 2 The final group of Pinto, Dominguez and Rahm were separated by just 3 shots as they teed off. The lead changed hands early on as the overnight leader Pinto, got off to a slow start, which meant that Bayhaan Lakdawala was now out in front after 2 birdies in the opening nine. Lakdawala, who narrowly missed out on last year’s event was determined to keep hold of the lead and went on to make another birdie just after the turn. Lakdawala was now 3 under for the day, and ahead by three over Sweden’s, Christopher Rahm. Knowing that a lot would have to be done to close the gap Lakdawala followed a birdie on the 11th with a steady 2-putt par on the 12th. All looked to be going very well until a slightly wayward tee shot on the par 5 13th.

After failing to find the fairway with his approach shot Lakdawala found himself placed awkwardly behind a tree with a very narrow view of the island green. He managed to find dry land and gave himself a chance of an up and down par, but it was not to be as a misjudged chip ran away past the hole and a subsequent 3 putt meant that his lead was back to 1. However, in the true style of a champion Lakdawala recovered immediately with two fantastic 1-putt birdies on holes 14 and 15. A perfect drive from Lakdawala on the demanding 18th hole put him in perfect position to make his par. The pressure seemed to be non-existent as he calmly stepped up and played his approach shot 20 feet short of the hole. By this time a crowd had gathered at the back of the 18th green to witness the finish and with the lead now up to 6, a 2 putt was all that was needed. Lakdawala left his first putt slightly short of the hole but well within range to finish out for a par and the victory. This is exactly what he did to be crowned the 2015 OMEGA Dubai Creek Men’s Amateur Open Champion.

Christopher Rahm finished runner-up after rounds of 75 & 76 for a total of 151. Previous champion Miki Mirza finished in 3rd place with rounds of 78 & 75 for a 153 total. Another Creek member Max Burrow, shot 77 both days, which gave him a 154 total and saw him, finish in 4th place.

The net division proved to be a very closely contested battle and it came down to the wire with Emirates golf club members, Kush Sama and Imran Qayyum and Dubai creek junior member Jai Bhalla all finishing tied with 2-day totals of 151. The winner would have to be decided by count back and in the end it was Qayyum who was victorious with a better round 2 score. Sama claimed 2nd spot over Bhalla on a better round 2 inward half.

JW Marriott Ladies Stokeplay Wednesday 14th January The January JW Marriott Ladies event marked the start of the 2015 season for the Creek ladies. It was also the first event for the newly appointed Lady Captain, Harini White. Getting off to a flying start and picking up the first win of the season, as well as her first win in this series, was Swati Singh. Despite a shaky start, Swati finished strongly on the inward half to card a net 68 and take top honours in this opening event. Mini Philip narrowly missed out on top spot but claimed the runner-up prize with a superb net 69. Maureen Platt also got the season off to a positive start with a level par net 72, to claim 3rd place. Veronique Rossett won best gross with a superb round of 85.

Our thanks as always to the JW Marriott for their most generous support of the Creek ladies section.

Creek Pairs Friday 16th January 2015 saw the third edition of the Creek Pairs event. Each month sees a different pair’s format with this month being a Pairs Better Ball Stroke play, and with course and weather conditions being almost perfect it promised to be a great afternoon’s play. Taking top honours in the first event of 2015 and winning their 2nd Creek Pairs title was the team of Warren Panting and Vanessa North who carded a superb 6 under par net 65. Another sub-par score on the day came from Mark Joliffe and David Gowans who finished runners up after a great score of 67. Two of Dubai Creeks new members, Richard Aybar and Russell Yeomans, wasted no time at all in getting a taste for victory as they were both awarded the nearest the pin prizes on the par 3 5th and 14th holes.

Dubai Duty Free Junior Medal Championship 5th February 2015 Picking up his first win of the 2015 series and claiming top honours with a superb score of 32.5 was young Jacobo Fisas. Rishi Nair continued his recent form and made it 3 wins in a row as he claimed the Boys Divison title again this month with a 2 under par round of 33. This was enough for Rishi to edge out his older brother Dhruv, who carded a 35 to finish runner up in the division. The result also saw him climb to the top of the order of merit. After narrowly losing out to her sister in last month’s event, Anushka Bhargava made sure this month and took the Girls Division trophy with a solid score of 36.5. Aryan Chordia was almost without fault as he carded a solid 1 over par 36 to claim the Best Gross prize. Eshna Bhargavaand Rishi Nair were awarded for their accurate tee shots on the par 3, 5th and 8th holes.

Mashreq Medal Championship 7th February 2015 Continuing a recent run of form and producing another superb score was Ashok Ahuja, who carded a fantastic net 62 to claim top honours. Ashok Sindhu followed suit and continued his good run of recent performances as he took top spot in the Men’s Division A with an impressive score of 69. Ashok finished 2 shots better than Patrick Morrow, who was the division’s runner up with a net 71. In the Men’s B Division, Yves Aboukhaled claimed 1st place with a net 73, beating fellow competitor Joseph Andrade on a better inward half. Pradeep Havaldar picked up his 1st win of the series as he won the Seniors Division with a solid net score of 73. Henna Jodha was able to claim top spot yet again in the Ladies Division, making it win number two for the year with a net 71. Bayhaan Lakdawala continued his impressive scoring run, carding a gross score of 70.

Dhruv Chopra, Alok Pant, Tobias Parkin, Kristi Sealey, Adonis Nasr, Bayhaan Lakdawala, Rohit Gupta, Praveen Kalia and Parvez Merchant were all successful in the 2’s club whilst Rohit Gupta and Sammy Eldin were able to the Beat The pro on hole number 8 and 14 respectively. So, after another great championship, it is Dubai Creek’s Omega Open Champion Bayhaan Lakdawala who now holds top spot in the order of merit standings.

JW Marriott Ladies Strokeplay 11th February 2015 After being crowned the 2014 Ladies Order of Merit champion, Daniella Sacchini continued her run of form and claimed her first win of the 2015 series with a superb 1 over par net 72. Lady Captain Harini White claimed runner up spot, finishing just one shot back from Daniella with a solid effort and a score of 73. Glory Xavier finished strongly, edging out Annette Carstanjen on a better back nine and claiming 3rd spot after the pair finished tied on 74. Veronique Rossett was a double winner for the 2nd month in a row as she claimed the Best Gross prize for a fantastic round of 82, along with the longest drive prize on the par 5 13th hole. Visiting competitor Sandra Chia was another double winner as she claimed the best visitor’s stableford score and the visitors nearest the pin prize on the par 3 14th hole. Lida Hoekstra was another nearest the pin winner on hole 14, whilst Annette Carstanjen claimed the same on the 8th hole. Thanks to Captain Harini White, there was an additional on course competition running, with the winner being the player with the lowest number of putts. Proving to have had a good morning on the greens was former Lady Captain, Maureen Platt who was awarded the prize for her total of 31 putts.

Creek Pairs 13th February 2015 The format for the February event was Pairs Shambles. Taking top honours and winning their first Creek Pairs title was the team of Giovanni Canducci and Daniella Sacchini who displayed superb teamwork and carded an outstanding net 60. Narrowly missing out on making it 3 wins from 3 was the successful duo of Warren Panting and Vanessa North who finished with a solid net 66 to finish runners up.

Daniella also collected the nearest the pin prize on the par 3 14th, whilst Obe Sealey was awarded the same on the par 3 5th hole.

Ping Dubai Creek Ladies Amateur Open 20th February 2015 The 2015 PING Dubai Creek Ladies Amateur saw Els Club member Anastacia Bakal produce a fantastic performance and 2 over par round of 73 to claim her second Dubai Creek Ladies Open title in three years. Arabian Ranches member Kim Chiang also produced a fine performance and finished runner-up for a second year running after a round of 80. Dubai Creek’s Aashka Desai took the Silver Divison title with a superb 1 over par net 72, whilst Alkyonie Aharidis finished runner up just two shots back with a 74. In the Bronze Division it was Dubai Creek junior member Eshna Bhargava, who came out on top with a solid 1 over par net 72. Beatrice Galeppini marked her return to the game with a net 75 and a strong finish to claim the runner up spot in the division with a better inward half. Mini Philip used a her knowledge of her home course and claimed the nearest the pin prize on the par 3 8th, whilst Alkyonie Aharidis became a double winner on the day as she claimed the same for her accurate tee shot into the par 3 14th.

Dubai Creek Men’s Championship 2015 27th & 28th February 2015 Previous champion Miki Mirza put himself into pole position with a one under par opening round of 70. A 74 from young Rayhaan Thomas ensured he was still in the hunt along with Max Burrow who finished day one with a 75 and defending champion Bayhaan Lakdawala who carded 76. Rayhaan Thomas kept his lead to be crowned the 2015 Dubai Creek Men’s Club Champion with a two day total of 146. A total of 149 saw Mirza finish runner-up for the second year running, whilst last year’s champion Bayhaan Lakdawala took 3rd after rounds of 76 and 75 for a total of 151. Despite the Club Championship being a gross competition there was also a chance for prizes in the net category. Stephen Barker took top honours there with rounds of 73 and 75 for a six over par total of 144. Alok Pant was runner up in the division, just two shots back on 150 with rounds of 77 and 73. Although he struggled on day two and fell out of contention, Max Burrow was awarded the best gross prize for day one for his solid round of 75, whilst young Erik Hartzuiker took the same for day two also for a round of 75.

Mashreq Medal Championship 2015 Saturday 7th March 2015 was the third edition of the 2015 Mashreq Medal Championship. Boasting another full field of competitors, the battle was on for those all important order of merit points. This month’s event carried even more value thanks to Turkish Airlines who were offering the top 3 performers a spot in the regional qualifier of the Turkish Airlines Golf World Cup, which is to be played at Emirates Golf Club in April.

Claiming his first win in the series and moving his way up the order of merit board, was Sami Eldin, who produced a superb net 68 to claim top honours and book his place in the Turkish Airlines Golf World Cup qualifier. Dhruv Nair was also on fine form as he carded a level par 71 to top the Men’s A Division. Nair finished just one shot ahead of Michael Nielsen, who was the division’s runner up with a net 72. In the Men’s B Division, it was another level par net 71 form the winner, Praveen Kalia. Ashok Kumar finished strongly claiming the runner up spot on a better inward half after a round of 72, which also earned him a place in next month’s Turkish Airlines event. Navneet Chopra came out on top in the Senior Division with a solid score of 81. Swati Singh was victorious in the Ladies Division and booked the last spot for the Turkish Airlines qualifier with a level par net 71. Bayhaan Lakdawala was almost without fault as he carded a 75 to claim the best gross prize.

The Ladies Club Championship Friday 13th & Saturday 14th March 2015 The Ladies Club Championship is a much anticipated event in the ladies calendar and a strong number of ladies turned out to compete in this 36 hole strokeplay event.

Round 1 The ladies set out in almost perfect conditions on Friday afternoon all looking to take advantage of the stunning course condition. A solid day one performance from Sahana Paravantavida gave her the overnight lead. Sahana carded a 7 over par 78 on day 1 to lead by 5 shots over 5 time champion Nasha Sarkari and by 9 shots from Kristi Sealey. Another previous champion and a regular contender Naema Maya was not out of it after a round 1 score of 88. With only 10 shots separating the last 2 groups, the final round promised to be a closely contested one.

Round 2 Naema Maya was out in the second to last group and applied some early pressure with a strong start. Sahana didn’t start in quite the same fashion and was shaky through the front 9 which saw her lead drop to just one over Maya. However, a triple bogey 7 on the 15th from Maya was a real turning point, especially as Sahana had really steadied herself after that rough start. Although making a bogey on the par 4 15th, Sahana’s lead was now up to 3. She showed great composure over the finishing holes and closed out a 2nd round of 82 for a 2 day total of 164 to be crowned the 2015 Dubai Creek Ladies Club Champion. A very respectable 2 day total of 168 from Naema Maya saw her take the runner up spot. Kristi Sealey was awarded the Net Winners prize for a superb 2 day total of 135, whilst Vijaya Brahmachary finished net runner up with a total of 144, winning on a better day 2 score of 69.

Audi Dubai Creek Men’s Back to Black Open Saturday 21st March 2015 saw the Audi Dubai Creek Men’s Back to Black Open and this ever popular event proved a great success again this year boasting a field of over 80 players. As always for this event, and the only time it happens in the year, the stunning Dubai Creek course is set even tougher than usual with play happening from the very back, black tees. Added length along with some breezy conditions and tight pins would provide a great test for the entire field.

It was young Rayhaan Thomas who was making headlines once again as he continued his recent run of fine form and produced a superb 3 over par 74. Rayhaan had some competition though as Dubai Creek veteran John Fellingham was also in fine form and matched Rayhaan’s round with a 74 of his own. After the pair finished tied on 3 over par, the winner would have to be decided on a count back. This went down to the wire as both players were home in 37, but it was Rayhaan who picked up his 3rd win in as many weeks beating John on a better last three. Although narrowly missing out on top spot, John Fellingham finished one spot better than he did in this event last year and finished runner up. A new member of Dubai Creek, Gary Swan, picked up his first win since joining the club as he claimed the 3rd place prize with a solid 5 over par 76.

Thanks to the wonderful event sponsors Audi, along with the main gross prizes, there was also 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes for the top net performers. Young Arjun Gupta produced arguably the afternoon’s finest performance to claim top honours in the net category with a superb 3 under par net 68. Mohammed Omer Safi also produced a fine performance and finished as the net runner up with a 1 over par net 72.

Andy Odell finished just one shot back to claim the 3rd place net prize after a round of 73.

Dubai Duty Free Junior Medal Championship Thursday 19th March 2015 was the third edition of the 2015 Dubai Duty Free Junior Medal Championship. It was young Samuel De Souza who made headlines for the month of March as he produced a fantastic performance to card a winning 4 under par 31 and claim top honours.

Aboutorab Arghandiwal was not far behind and also performed extremely well to win the Boy’s Division with a round of 32, one better than Asanka White who finished runner up in the division with a 33. Aashaka Desai was the Girls winner, winning on a better last 6 holes, also with a score of 33. Aryan Chordia was almost without fault as he fired a superb 1 under par gross 34 to claim the Best Gross prize.

OMA Emirates Creek Pairs Friday 27th March 2015 saw the newly launched OMA Emirates Creek Pairs take place. This event was originally introduced back in 2014 but has now gained a new level of prestige with the support of the new event partners, OMA Emirates as well as prize sponsorship from Ascots & Chapels and Jaermann & Stubi. The format of these events gives members a great chance to play and socialize with fellow Creek members and now with a host of fantastic prizes up for grabs, it looks like becoming a very popular and successful monthly affair.

The format for the March event was Pairs Betterball stableford. Continuing a fine run of form was the brother and sister team of Arjun & Natalii Gupta who made a superb total of 44 points to claim top honours in this launch event. There were plenty of good performances throughout the field and the scoring was very tight. Finishing just one shot back with a total of 43 points and claiming the runners-up spot was the team of Suresh Shewakramani & Ashok Sindhu. John Fellingham & Bilal Belaid were also amongst the winners as they claimed 3rd place with a solid team total of 42 points.

Surjit Namli had his eye on the target and put it close on the par 3 8th hole to claim the nearest the pin prize there. Alok Pant followed suit and claimed the same with a fantastic shot into the par 3 16th hole. Although nobody managed the task of a hole in one on the 14th hole, Jaermann & Stubi were still offering a nearest the pin prize which was collected by Ed Fearn.