Editor: Jacqui Barry barrydxb@eim.ae
16 MARCH 20
ISSUE 57
Editorial
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Omega Dubai Desert Classic Desert Classic hospitality chalets being dismantled Golf course in fantastic condition Fantastic weather
Emirates Golf Club Senior Management
So…it looks like it’s all systems go again for the remainder of the season.
What a great win by our new Omega Dubai Desert Classic winner, Danny Willett who needed to hole his 15ft putt on the 18th to avoid going into a play-off against Andy Sullivan and Rafael Carbrera-Bello, so it was a very exciting finish. Much credit should go to Craig Haldane and the team at Golf Course Maintenance (GCM) for their endless hours of preparation GCM team with newly crowned winner Danny Willett before and during the event which resulted in such positive feedback from the players about the fantastic condition of the course. I’m sure it’s still all go at GCM but I hope you all managed a short break of relaxation after the Classic - you deserved it!
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
Executive Chef ncuomo@dubaigolf.com
Thank you to ‘golf in DUBAi’ for staging yet another great event. This month I have included a ‘behind the scenes look’ at the Dubai Desert Classic…from a commentator’s point of view; Jay Townsend used to play on the European Tour and now regularly commentates (he has been coming to Dubai since the early 90s and in fact golf in DUBAi management team Tom and I first met him when he came to a party at our house in 1995). It’s a very interesting article - we have been fortunate to have been invited to the TV compound both here and in Abu Dhabi and it is absolutely fascinating…certainly not the luxurious working conditions that people imagine but definitely a great, fun atmosphere where people obviously enjoy what they do. It’s an excellent read…written by Jay (one of his tasks while he was staying with us!!) Also in this month’s issue I have a feature on our DGP department (Dubai Golf Publishing) here at Emirates Golf Club - many people do not even know of its existence but I can tell you that they certainly work their magic there. Every single person working at DGP has his own area of expertise and not only that, but they are all such genuinely great people. I have worked with Mohsin and Ibrahim in the past and I mostly now work with Eugene but it is such a pleasure to work with them all…not only do I learn so much when I am there but I laugh so much - fantastic people who go unrecognised for the huge amount of work they do, often working ridiculous numbers of hours…all headed up by the lovely Ganesh!
Barney Coleman
Director of Golf bcoleman@dubaigolf.com
Ganesh Mangathil
Dubai Golf Publishing Manager gmangathil@dubaigolf.com
Martin Drugan
Andy Meech
Head of Sport and Leisure ameech@dubaigolf.com
Adele Cowgill
Head of Sales and Marketing acowgill@dubaigolf.com
Saeed Ahamed
Food and Beverage Manager mdrugan@dubaigolf.com
Financial Controller mahamed@dubaigolf.com
Stephen Deane
Haridas Palliyalil
So what is in store for next couple of months….annual members’ party, announcement of incoming Vice-Captains, Men’s Club Championship, Ladies’ Curtisy Cup (Europe versus Rest of the World), Talker Cup (men’s Europe versus North America) and still some regular tournaments to be played on our courses that are in superb condition so, enjoy the great weather and everything that the Club has to offer!
Jacqui
Follow Emirates Golf Club on Facebook for the latest news, views and special offers. We already have over 25,000 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
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The course was at its finest for which a big thank you goes to our Golf Course Maintenance team for making us all immensely proud of our Club. A big thank you also goes to ‘golf in DUBAi’ for a spectacular tournament. The Omega Dubai Desert Classic has a
new and worthy champion, Danny Willett, who won the championship with a triumphant birdie on the 18th hole. Midnight Madness was a huge success and is here to stay as an annual tournament. Just as I write this message, we had a fantastic turnout at Moshe’s event, the Kohlman Nations Cup. Once again, the Kohlman Corner – or should I say Moshe’s Corner – on the 12th lived up to its fame.
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Thank you Moshe for your everlasting support of the Club. To my fellow Club members, I look forward to seeing you on the golf course. Let’s make the most of what’s left of the excellent golfing weather.
Captain’s Message
ongratulations to Emirates Golf Club on an exciting and extremely successful 2016 Omega Dubai Desert Classic!
Walid Al Attar Club Captain 2015-2016
COMPETITION RESULTS OMA Emirates Monthly Medal Friday 19th February 2016 Over 90 players tuned out to compete in the OMA Emirates Monthly Medal in association with BMW and Ascots and Chapels. The best score of the day was by B Division winner Stathis Stathis who had a superb five under par net 67 around the Majlis course. In A Division (handicaps 0-10) Tony Azoulay was the winner with a net 74. A further one shot back with a net 75 was runner-up David Waite. Also with a net 75 but settling for third place following a card count-back was Bipin Bhatia. B division (handicaps 11-20) saw the only sub 70 score of the day after a superb round of golf by Stathis Stathis who signed for a net score of 67 to win B Division by a clear six strokes. The runner-up with a net 73 was Christian Klynge and a further shot adrift in third place with a net 74 was young Aayush Bakshi. Mohit Khatwani posted a net 74 to win C division (handicaps 21-28). The best gross score of the day was won by Kooros Daneshvar with a 79.
B Division runner-up Christian Klynge with Club Captain Walid Al Attar and ViceCaptain Vipen Sethi.
A DIVISION (handicaps 0-10) Winner: Tony Azoulay Runner Up: David Waite Third Bipin Bhatia BEST GROSS: Kooros Daneshvar B DIVISION (handicaps 11-20) Winner: Stathis Stathis Runner Up: Christian Klynge Third Aayush Bakshi C DIVISION (handicaps 21-28) Winner: Mohit Khatwani
Net 74 Net 75 Net 75 GROSS 79 Net 67 Net 73 Net 74 Net 74
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KOHLMAN NATIONS CUP Friday 26th February 2016
Competition Results
WINNERS Kush Sama, Jugwinder Brar, Naresh Handa INDIA14 Vikram arora RUNNERS-UP Gaurav Verma, Surjit Namli, Anil Shivanna INDIA 9 Nitin Kripalani THIRD David Formas, Charlie Stricklin, Kenny Babcock USA Richard Pompa NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 4 Gary Black HOLE # 7 Suneel Aggarwal HOLE # 11 Anand Lakhiani HOLE # 15 Scott Macpherson WASHING MACHINE CHALLENGE HOLE # 12 Nelly Amarnani PUTTING COMPETITION WINNERS Nishit Patel HIT THE BOAT HOLE # 2 N. Handa, A. Lakhiani, S. Khanna. SPONSOR’S GUEST TEAM WINNERS Andre Grove, Jaco Hendeson, Brent Henderson Marius Lombaard RUNNERS-UP Daniel Kingston, Darrow Venter, Haddaway Rosi Reiderer
92 91 90
6 putts
103 102
This month congratulations go to Meg Clerc for her fabulous win in the Camel Trophy. This was
the first time that she had played an individual competition with the ladies on a Monday, having progressed from the Beginners’ group. I am sure that this is the first of many successes. There are several ladies who started out in this group and now play regularly in the Monday competitions. The group meets on Tuesday mornings and it is organised by Lady Vice-Captain Maura Duggan. I know that all Past Captains take great pride in watching the progress of the alumni from their groups! If anyone is interested in getting started in the Beginners’ group, please contact Maura. Meanwhile, I hope that Meg’s success will encourage some of the other beginners to take the plunge and join us on a Monday!
LADIES’ COMPETITION RESULTS
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I’m sure that you all enjoyed watching the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and the exciting finish. What nerves of steel our champion, Danny Willett, displayed in holing that final putt! It is also a joy to watch the removal of the hospitality buildings and to be regaining the great views of the course from the Clubhouse, and vice-versa. Happy golfing to you all Helen Srivastava Lady Captain 2015-2016
Monday 22nd February 2016
Monday 15th February 2016
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ongratulations to Meg Clerc who won the Camel Trophy played on the Majlis course. She was one of three ladies tied on 40 points but her back nine was good enough to take the trophy on a card count-back.
Winners
ubai Golf welcomes on board Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach as new sponsors of the Ladies’ Monthly Medal. February was the launch of the new partnership with over 50 ladies competing for fantastic prizes including luxury overnight stays. With a superb score of net 66, it was Swati Singh who posted the best round of the day and the only sub 70 score to secure B division and the overall best score.
Silver Division (handicaps 0-18) was won by Veronica Elias who scored 38 points, followed by Fiona Berry on 36 points.
In Silver A division, Carolyn Thompson claimed first prize with a one under par net 71. The runner-up with a net 74 was Arathi Appaiah and the best gross score of the day was posted by Past Lady Captain Mitsuko Emmerson with a gross 81. Swati Singh was the well deserved winner in Silver B Division thanks to her fantastic round and a six under par net 66. It was a pleasant return for Jackie Thompson who was playing in her fist Medal since recently re-joining the Club securing second place thanks to a net 70. In Bronze Division Petra Willems was the winner with a net score of 73. Each Monthly Medal the ladies are entered into a raffle courtesy of sponsors Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach and this month’s lucky winner was Joumana Petridis.
Bronze Division (handicaps 19-36) was closely contested as there was a tie on 40 points. However, the winner by card count-back was Caroline Granger and in second place was Christiane Sprunck.
Birthday girls - Jenny Ayres and Maria Petre
Net 71 Net 74 Gross 81 Net 66 Net 70 Net 73
Naima Maya receiving her hole-in-one certificate
INTERCLUB RESULTS The latest Interclub event took place last month at Al Badia Club where our ladies did really well. Match 1. Match 2. Match 3 Total Emirates Golf Club 3. 4. 2. 9 Jumeirah Golf Estates 2. 3. 3. 8 Abu Dhabi City Golf Club 4. 2. 1. 7 Al Badia 0. 1. 4. 5 The next match is at Jumeirah Golf Estates 9.00am on Wednesday March 16th. The final will be held at EGC on Tuesday April 19th, afternoon shotgun. Helen Srivastava was third overall with 35 points and Carolyn Thompson won nearest the pin Congratulations to all.
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CAMEL TROPHY
Ladies MONTHLY MEDAL Sponsored by SOFITEL
SILVER A DIVISION (handicaps 0 – 14) Winner Carolyn Thompson Runner-up Arathi Appaiah Best Gross Mitsuko Emmerson SILVER B DIVISION (handicaps 15 –23) Winner Swati Singh Runner Up Jackie Thompson BRONZE DIVISION (handicaps 24 –42) Winner Petra Willems Raffle Winner Joumana Petridis
For some time I have been meaning to thank Bryan Smith for his time and patience running the free weekly Sunday clinics for the ladies’ section. As I work on Sundays, I don’t get to attend these clinics but I know that they are extremely popular (as is Bryan) and much appreciated.
in’s Lady Capta Message
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just arrived back in Dubai yesterday, having spent three nights in Oman with the fifteen other ladies who were on this trip. What a fabulous time we had. Almouj Golf Club management and staff made us all very welcome and we thoroughly enjoyed the stunning beauty of the course, although most of us (with the notable exception of Naima Maya) struggled to come to grips with the challenging links course! Many thanks to Rhys James for organising everything for us and kudos to him for putting up with us all with such good grace!
Raffle winner, Joumana Petridis
Overall Winner Meg Clerc 40 Points SILVER DIVISION (handicaps 0-18) WINNER Veronica Elias 38 Points RUNNER UP Fiona Berry 36 Points BRONZE DIVISION (handicaps 19 – 42) WINNER Caroline Granger 40 Points RUNNER UP Christiane Sprunck 40 Points
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Ladies’ Club Championship
Competition Results
28th & 29th February 2016
2016 CLUB CHAMPION Viv Caley Gross 86 + 82 = 168 RUNNER UP Carolyn Thompson Gross 87 + 82 = 169 THIRD Jayshree Gupta Gross 87 + 82 = 169 net over 36 holes WINNER silver DIVISION Christiane Sprunck NET 74 + 66 = 140 WINNER bronze DIVISION Meg Clerc NET 73 + 70 = 143 day 1 best net Jenny Ayres net 72 best gross Monica Palao gross 84 day 2 best net Yana Jamieson net 68 best gross Veronica Elias gross 80 WEEKDAY MEMBERS’ CATEGORY OVERALL best net Sue Hopwood NET 71 + 73 = 144 OVERALL best gross Mimi Hosking gross 79 + 85 = 164
TRIP TO OMAN by Rhys James
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group of sixteen ladies from Emirates Golf Club recently enjoyed a mini break away to Oman for some golf at Almouj Golf Club. The group, accompanied by Rhys set off by bus for the long journey to Muscat with everyone in good spirits thanks to plenty of tasty snacks and a variety of music by our resident DJ Martha Wong. With four 4-balls dividing perfectly into eight European ladies and eight from the Rest of the World; the challenge was on for some friendly competition. The competition on day one was an individual stableford with the best five scores from eight to count and day two a betterball was played where the best three scores counted. Almouj, a Greg Norman designed course, being totally different
from our Majlis and Faldo courses, proved quite a challenge, however nothing could detract from the fantastic panoramic views and the amazing golf holes that hug the coast line. Naima Maya was the player of the day as she led the Rest of the World team to an eleven point advantage after day one. Rest of the World continued the good
form on day two, thanks to a fantastic 45 points by Naima Maya and Swati Singh, along with a 38 point score by Martha Wong and Elise Hanson, which meant the friendly competition went in favour of Rest of the World. The evenings were spent dining at Tuscany, the Chedi and the final night at Trader Vics for some tiki puka pukas some dancing and some bad karaoke on the way home...(no names mentioned!) A big thanks to our Lady Captain Helen for initiating the trip this year and hopefully we can replicate it next year... Thailand or Ireland ladies???
MIXED COMPETITION RESULTS midnight madness
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idnight Madness returned to Dubai Golf after almost a decade since the last event at the old Nad Al Sheba course. The championship returned emphatically with 108 golfers contesting Midnight Madness supported by Midcom over the Faldo course at Emirates Golf Club. A remarkable 27 teams teed off at midnight on Thursday 11th February each playing 27 holes with the final putt sunk by somewhat weary competitors at 8.00am on Friday morning.
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Following the opening 18 holes of betterball stableford (two scores to count), there was a tie on 91 points, 19 under par. The quartet of Nitin Kripalani, Gaurav Verma, Sujit Namli, Arjun Manghnani and the team of Sameer Joshi, Bhupesh Sharma, Naresh Bhambaney, and Komal Sharma led the field going in to the final nine hole challenge. Three teams were one shot adrift on 18-under par resulting in a competitive final nine holes with stamina and determination in high demand. For the final nine holes each 4-ball was split into two pairs with one pair playing the front nine and the other the back nine in a betterball stableford format. Rahul Yadav, Achal Ghai, Gurinderjit Singh and Ghanshyam Mannghnani clinched the inaugural championship with scores of 90 points, 23 and 23 for a 136 tally with both pairs securing 23 points over the nine hole challenge played on separate nines which was a superb effort from Emirates Golf Club members. Two points adrift and in second place was the team of Bipin Bhatia, Sushant Malik, Dilip Tripathi and IPS Singh who carded scores of 86, 23 and 25 for a 134 tally. Tobias Parkin, Max Burrow, Edoardo Galeppini and Edward Fearn finished one point further back in third place with scores of 90, 21 and 22. Our 18-hole leaders, captained by Gaurav Verma and Sameer Joshi finished 4th and 5th respectively. Also in the prizes for their accuracy on the nearest the pin prize holes were Anil Adnani (hole 2), Rajesh Verma (hole 8) and Abhinava Chandra (hole 12) with Aditya Judge picking up the longest drive on hole 16. All 104 players had an enjoyable (yet tiring) evening but were superbly supported by sponsors Midcom who kept the competitors refreshed on the course with food and beverage stations followed by a buffet breakfast during the prize giving.
(left to right): Walid Al Attar (Emirates Golf Club Captain), Gurinderjit Singh, Ghanshyam Mannghnani, Rahul Yadav, Vipen Sethi (Vice-Captain) Achal Ghai, and Anand Kapoor (Chairman Midcom Group)
Midnight Madness
Thursday 11th and Friday 12th February 2016
WINNERS Rahul Yadav, Achal Ghai, Gurinder jit Singh, Ghansyhyam Mangnani 90 + 23 + 23 = 136 RUNNERS UP Bipin Bhatia, Sushant Malik, Dilip Tripathi, I.P.S. Singh 86 + 23 + 25 = 134 THIRD Tobias Parkin, Max Burrow, Edoardo Galeppini Edword Fearn 90 + 21 + 22 = 133 Nearest the pin Hole # 2 Anil Adnani Hole # 8 Rajesh Verma Hole # 12 Abhinava Chandra Longest Drive Hole # 16 Aditya Judge
Competition Results
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MEMBERS PRO-AM CHALLENGE Friday 12th February 2016
WINNERS: Jack Bailey, Kuttan Mallatiri, Anish Mallatiri, Pher Vallenius -16 RUNNERS UP: Bryan Smith, Jenni Waite, Amber Waite, Tobi Waite -12 THIRD: Mark Bruce, Eric Koeman, Jayshree Gupta, Yash Gupta -7 SPECIAL EVENTS Nearest the pin Hole # 8 (amateurs): Gary Black Longest Drive Hole #16 (amateurs): Ken Pestwidge
Mariano Ochoa, Mena Tour Player from Spain
Mariano has been based in Dubai for a few months where he has found some sponsors. He told me that he needed a mental coach. He has a swing coach, fitness coach and nutrition adviser, but he feels that it is now time for a mental coach, because he knows that in tournaments 99 % of the game is mental. I’m proud to prepare a second Mena Tour player here at Emirates Golf Club.
TORSTEN KANZMEIER
WHAT’S NEW IN THE TK CAMP? Coaching with EGC member Conor Forbes
I met Conor in January at Emirates Golf Club and we talked about golf and my way of coaching then I met him and his family at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. One week later we did a coaching session and Conor was more than impressed. I showed him how to connect better with the natural force in the pre-shot routine with amazing results. Conor commented: “Torsten’s work is magical”. Copy the link below to hear Conor’s views on his experience with Torsten https://youtu.be/H0GeudG5BFc
Aaron Leitmannstetter
Last month I did two weeks training camp with Aaron Leitmannstetter preparing for the Mena Tour. “Stephen Dean and I worked for 16 days consecutively with Aaron to make him ready for the Mena Tour. We are both sure, that Aaron will finish in the top three”.
Meeting with Peter Cowen at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic
I had the pleasure of introducing Peter Cowen to the principles of my TK Mental Performance Coaching. I was very happy to hear him say, “I like your work. You use the natural force. That is one of the main things in golf”.
Faycal Serghini, Mena Tour Player at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic
I had met Faycal before as I caddied for Aaron last year for some tournaments on the Mena Tour. At the Omega Desert Classic we met again and I helped Faycal to find the right mind set.
Torsten: 0557075421
9 Almouj Golf CLub muscat
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l Mouj Muscat has exceeded expectations of the sporting world after successfully hosting the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series. The event was held for the first time in the Middle East as Oman created sporting history, with spectators watching the event from the fairways of Almouj Golf Course and Al Majlis tent. Light winds led to challenging conditions for the
teams, as Sir Ben Ainslie’s Land Rover BAR team won the Oman leg of the America’s Cup World Series, and the British team moved overall to third place in the series. Mubarak Hill, Club Manager at Almouj Golf said, “The America’s Cup, which is sailing’s equivalent of Formula 1 is yet another high profile event we are pleased to have after our recent flagship European Challenge Tour final,
Almouj
The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series in Oman
the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final. Almouj Golf will continue to foster sportsmanship to the highest level, while offering a multitude of experiences for golfers, non-golfers, their friends and family. This momentous occasion was no different as we offered our members and visitors the opportunity to enjoy a world class race and witness the ‘oldest trophy’ in the history of international sport being awarded in Oman.
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RULES
Rules
BY RHYS
True or False
Question 1 A player is deemed to have given the wrong information if, during the play of a hole, he gives incorrect information regarding the number of strokes taken and does not correct the mistake before his opponent makes his next stroke. A. TRUE B. FALSE Question 2 A player is deemed to have made a stroke if he starts his downswing and his club head is stopped by a branch of a tree. A. TRUE B. FALSE Question 3 A player replaces his ball on the putting green and before he addresses it, the ball is moved by a sudden gust of wind. The player must play the ball from its new position. A. TRUE B. FALSE Question 4 In a stroke play play-off, if the player incurs a penalty of disqualification it applies to the play-off only. A. TRUE B. FALSE Question 5 If the flagstick is in the hole and anyone stands near it while a stroke is being made, he is deemed to be attending the flagstick. A. TRUE B. FALSE
Question 6 In matchplay, the player makes a stroke on the putting green and his ball strikes the unattended flagstick in the hole. He must replay the stroke. A. TRUE B. FALSE Question 7 A stake defining out of bounds is a movable obstruction. A. TRUE B. FALSE Question 8 A rattlesnake or a bees’ nest is a “dangerous situation” from which the player is entitled to relief. A. TRUE B. FALSE Question 9 In stroke play, if a player, when starting a hole, plays from outside the teeing ground, the player incurs a penalty of two strokes and the ball must be played as it lies. A. TRUE B. FALSE Answers can be found on page 25 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
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est of luck to Le Classique’s Chef de Cuisine, Remi Verrier, who travels to Paris later in the month as a finalist in the ‘Trophees des Francais de L’stranger’. The awards, for French title ‘La Petit Journal’ are in their 5th year and celebrate the achievements of French nationals living abroad. Chef Remi is a finalist in the ‘Art de Vivre’ or Lifestyle category, sponsored by Air France and with over 300 entries this year, the competition is tough – other talented finalists in Remi’s category include a lady chef from Costa Rica and an Artistic Director from Singapore. Remi is attending the black tie Gala Dinner on March 15th at the Quai d’Orsay in Paris with all the other finalists so we wish him the very best of luck and look forward to hearing how he got on. He is definitely a top contender for the accolade!
JUNIOR LINKS
Emirates Golf Club Juniors had a great match against Birkdale Private School last month! There were four betterball matches with the overall result Birkdale -3 and EGC -1. The overall standard was extremely high. Birkdale had a slight playing advantage with all players competing between plus 1 and 3 handicaps including a two to six year age gap. Nevertheless the EGC Elites had the home course advantage and each match was extremely competitive going down to the last few holes to decide the results. It was great playing experience for the Juniors and well done to all who took part.
Hi!
T
Academy
Emirates Golf Club Juniors v Birkdale Private School UK
Pro’s Tip of the Month WITH PGA Golf Professional DONG LEE
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his is Dong Lee, PGA Golf Professional at Emirates Golf Club. This is not a bunker lesson I have to say but I would like to give you a simple tip which will give you instant feedback and improve your ‘striking’ with your mid to short iron play.
Obviously, how we look and our physical fitness level can be varied but I’m sure we all hold the desire for a ‘crisp strike’ just like touring pros. Often, after a decent drive off the tee I see people chunking behind a ball which leads to a another sigh of frustration. Well, why don’t you try this drill and let’s get rid of the poor strike!
Pic.1 Draw a line in the bunker or waste area and put the line in the middle of your stance The line represents where your club rests at your address
Pic.2 First take few swings without a ball and see where you are actually taking the sand Left picture shows ball first and then ground which is Ideal for a pure strike. Right picture shows ground first and then ball which leads to less efficiency in the ball striking and poor strokes. Pic 3 Next time when you practice, do have a go and see if you can keep your divot in the sand to the left of the line like mine :) Better efficiency to the ball and you will not chunk a shot!
Emirates Golf Club Welcomes Exclusive Partnership with Dubai Islamic Bank Dubai Golf is proud to welcome Dubai Islamic Bank, the new title partner and exclusive bank sponsor of the Majlis Driving Range at Emirates Golf Club. Senior officials from Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) and Emirates Golf Club signed the Memorandum of Understanding in a ceremony held at Emirates Golf Club on January 10th 2016. This exclusive partnership marks DIB’s commitment to raising Dubai’s profile as an international hub for both business and sports while the bank aims to offer Islamic Banking to a wider customer base.
and financial solutions, including Wajaha, the bank’s private banking proposition targeted at high net worth Individuals and recognised for its unmatched privacy and bespoke privileges, and its highly competitive home finance solutions to Club members and guests. As such, golf admirers will have the opportunity to engage with DIB representatives and learn more on how they can own their dream properties through Sharia-compliant financing facilities offered by the bank. Additionally, DIB will also sponsor monthly activities to give Club members the chance to win a host of selected prizes.
Following this exclusive tie-up, DIB will be able to showcase its unique suite of products
For more information please visit www.dubaigolf.com or www.dib.ae
Omega dubai Desert Classic 2016 by Viren Varma Danny Willett drained a nerve-jangling 15-foot birdie putt on the closing hole to win the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in a dramatic finish at Emirates Golf Club on Sunday 7th February. The 28-year-old Englishman, one in front overnight, closed with a 69 to reach 19-under for the tournament, one clear of his compatriot Andy Sullivan and Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello for his fourth victory in 192 starts on the European Tour since turning professional in 2008. “I’m ecstatic. You can’t buy that feeling, coming down the back nine, the last three holes, in contention in a golf tournament. It’s something that you can’t pay for in life. You’ve got to earn it,” said Willett after receiving the winner’s trophy from Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. A tense drama unfolded on the final hole as Cabrera-Bello, the 2012 champion here, birdied the last and Sullivan walked away with a birdie-birdie finish, both reaching 18-under which meant Willett needed to make his birdie which he duly did to avoid going into a three-way playoff. “Coming down the last with all the situations that were going on. It’s just nice to know that I can dig deep there and produce,” said Willett, who received a cheque for $441,660 for his week’s work.
“You’d love to win by five or six every time you win, but when you win in that fashion, it does feel that little bit extra special. It’s a relatively daunting last hole. I needed to make a four to win. So I’m just delighted with how I dug deep and found it,” said the Englishman, who was making his seventh appearance in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. Defending champion Rory McIlroy excited crowds with a birdie-filled final round, but his brave Sunday charge fell short of his intended target as he finished in a tie for sixth on 15-under after a final round 65. “All in all, it was a decent weekend and decent way to play the last 27 holes, anyway. My game feels in decent shape. Still a few things to work on as I am struggling with the driver a little bit, so just want to try and work on that,” he added. For Sullivan, meanwhile, it is the second consecutive tournament in Dubai where he has been edged out, after finishing second to McIlroy at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai in November. It is the second week in
succession that Cabrera-Bello, winner here in 2012, has finished in a share of second and makes it three top 15 finishes on the 2016 Desert Swing for the Spaniard. Willett and Sullivan had been battling it out throughout the day, with the latter taking a one-shot lead early as he got off to a brilliant start with birdies on the second and fourth. But Willett found his rhythm, and when he made a birdie on the par three seventh, his lead was up to three shots and he looked to be cruising to the title. The lead was cut to one by the turn but back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th had it back at three before a bogey on the 14th, coupled with a Sullivan birdie on the next, tightened things up again. Cabrera-Bello had turned in level par but birdied the 13th and when he made another on the 17th, he was just a shot off the lead. Sullivan showed great heart with a 12-foot putt on the last for birdie to join Willett at 18 under and, when Cabrera-Bello also birdied the last, the stage was set for Willett to roll in his putt for a brilliant victory. Byeong-hun An and 2011 champion Alvaro Quiros both finished with rounds of 65 to sit three behind the winner at 16 under, while McIlroy was a further shot back after a 65 of his own, alongside Henrik Stenson.
DID YOU KNOW? OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC
(courtesy European Tour) Website facts and figures leading up to the start of the 2016 Omega Dubai Desert Classic • The Omega Dubai Desert Classic was first played in 1989 and the roll of honour includes seven different Major Champions. They are: Seve Ballesteros (1992) Ernie Els (1994, 02, 05) Fred Couples (1995) José María Olazábal (1998) Mark O’Meara (2004) Tiger Woods (2006, 08) Rory McIlroy (2009, 15). Between them they have won 32 Major Championships. • On his way to victory in 2011, Alvaro Quiros made a hole-in-one at the 11th hole in the fourth round. He became only the then third player in European Tour history to win a European Tour event and record an ace in the final round. He followed Thongchai Jaidee (2004 Malaysian Open) and Miguel Angel Jiménez (2008 BMW PGA Championship). • The 2011 event witnessed four holesone. All of them were in separate rounds. The only other time this has occurred on The European Tour was the 1991 Fujitsu Mediterranean Open. • Ernie Els has played 14 times in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic over the Emirates course. In that time he has recorded three victories and nine top threes. His first 11 appearances yielded 11 consecutive top eight finishes. Of his 52 rounds on the Majlis course he is a total of 172 under par, with a stroke average of 68.69. He set the current course record of 61 (-11) on the opening day in 1994, which contained a European Tour record of 12 birdies in a single round. He has broken par in 45 of his 52 rounds. The South African has never finished the tournament with an over par score. • Since 1989 the tournament has seen 21 different winners from 12 different nations. • Another player who enjoys the Emirates layout is Rory McIlroy. The 2009 and 2015
winner has been placed in the top ten on each of his last six visits. The World Number Two is 81 under for his last 24 rounds in the event, with 20 of those 24 being at par or better. Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the region, announced the introduction of a brand new experience that replicates the tension and rewards of professional golf for amateur players. The Emirates NBD Million Dirham Putt campaign, which was organised in conjunction with the bank’s sponsorship of the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters and the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, was designed to attract new audiences with a fun and inclusive golfing experience. Participants were given the opportunity to enter at JBR The Beach and at the Tournament Villages during the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters and the Omega Dubai desert Classic. This unique putting competition tested amateur skill and beginners’ luck as participants putted their way around a specially designed putting green for the lowest score possible. Daily champions progressed to one of two play-offs hosted on the final day of each tournament. Both final tournament putting champions, Jonathan Lane and Jong Jin Park, went head-to-head in one last six-hole contest held on Sunday 7th February, the final day of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. The ultimate champion, Jonathan Lane, earned the opportunity to make a tricky 60ft putt to win the Million Dirhams cash prize in front of thousands of viewers on the ninth green of the world-renowned Majlis Course; also on the green to encourage Jonathan was the newly crowned Omega Dubai Desert Classic winner Danny Willett, 2016 Ryder Cup Captain, Darren Clarke and Matt Fitzpatrick ‘golf in DUBAi’ Ambassador. Jonathan made a tremendous effort and finished just inches from he hole; however, he still won the prize of a round of golf with one of the Tour’s rising stars Ambassador, Matthew Fitzpatrick. This is the 26th year that Emirates NBD sponsored the Dubai Desert Classic. The bank has also sponsored the Dubai Ladies Masters since its inception. It is in line with the bank’s commitment to engage the wider Dubai community in the great game of golf.
ODDC
14 L-R: Craig Haldane, Mohamed Juma Buamaim, Peter Cowen, Gary Player
Golf Course Maintenance Team with Danny Willett
Sales & Marketing team
Past & present Lady Captains with the winner
Senior Management
Emirates Golf Club starters and marshals with the winner
Bob & Angela Connor Paul Thornberry, Elliott Gray & Peter Downie
Volunteers with Danny Willett
Past & present Captains with Danny Willett
VISITING PAST MEMBERS Rai Legnar, James Williams, Mike Tracey, Saeed Khalfan, Tom Barry, Stephen Deane
Ann & John Harrington Mike Tracey, Jeremy & Stacey Walton Simon Blenkinsop
Wayne & Mick Brett
Barbara & Ronnie Fotheringham
Former Dubai Golf employees Simon Mees & Peter Downie, life member, Stewart Turpie, former Pro at EGC Elliott Gray, Tom Barry, past member Darius Rakhshani, past Captains, Rai Legnar, Colm McLoughlin
Life member Danny Kilgallon
Chris & Rosemary Turlik
15 Dinner by ois Chef Franc
CHEF FRANCOIS HOSTS A SPECIAL DINNER During the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, Mohamed Juma Buamaim, vice-chairman and CEO of ‘golf in DUBAi’ invited a number of friends to a special dinner he hosted in Le Classique cooked by longtime friend and former Executive Chef at Emirates Golf Club, Chef François Porte. The dinner was a huge success and it goes without saying that the food was superb. Another surprise on the evening was having former Le Classique Maitre’d, Jeremy, overseeing the evening.
ODDC
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BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC by Jay Townsend “Welcome to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic”…
That’s what you hear when you turn on your TV to watch the Desert Classic, or something similar at other events around the globe. Have you ever wondered what goes on to make that four to five hour broadcast? Well I’m going to try to give you some insight. Let’s dial the clock back about five months - it’s called a recce (rek-ie) and the event’s producer from European Tour Productions (ETP) makes a one-day site visit and lays out camera tower locations on all 18 holes, coordinates with the ETP technical staff with regards to rigging (layout of the camera and sound wiring) and the location of the TV compound. Also included in all of this is power, so there are massive generators required to run power to all of the production trucks starting several hours before airtime and after. Satellites have to be booked in a window and allowances have to be made for extra time required for weather delays or, heaven forbid, slow play.
perfect harmony - that’s what it’s like. Almost everyone wears a headset and they are listening to either the producer or the director and they are producing anything from statistics to graphics, to leaderboards. The real heroes have been described above and plenty of details have been left out, but that’s what happens so we commentators can try to bring our take on what you are watching.
Looking very relaxed
in Dubai, many times we are doing breaks for two different local broadcasters, so it can be mind boggling to say the least The two outside monitors act as Programme monitors, essentially those are playing what is going out live on the air that we use to commentate from. Between those two is one large monitor that has several (typically four, but it can be more for a Ryder Cup) camera shots which are showing either taped or live shots which will be played in later. Trust me, multitasking is required! Commentating is fun, and we all recognise how lucky we are to be doing something we love and sharing our passion with you viewers. I can’t speak for everyone, but to me commentating is nothing more than having a conversation with my fellow commentators about what it going on, but with a few million people eavesdropping. We all have our own style, and I try to give you insight into what a player faces on a particular shot, what his options are and typically what the best percentage play would be. As a student of the game, I try to give you viewers some tips on how to help you improve your game as well. There is an incredible knowledge base in the team that often amazes me, and like you I learn something every day. I find it very interesting how those of us who played the tour sometimes look at things differently, but
Around the same time frame the Production Manager starts booking hotels and plans flights for the necessary ‘crew’ required to make everything work. Brace yourself…the crew can be anything from as few as 70 people for a small event to close to 400 for a Ryder Cup. It’s essentially a travelling circus and thankfully we do have a lot of fun. So what is in the trucks? Well, there are graphics, scoring, EVS (video replay turnaround), statistics, Spoit the distance measuring, RF (Radio Frequency) sound, RF cameras, line cameras (hard wired cameras), line sound, a massive crane for the high camera and, the most impressive is the production truck. Inside the production truck looks like something from NASA headquarters. It is intimidating the first 100 times you walk inside it and marginally gets less so over the next decade! There are about 40 monitors on the wall and the director and the producer are looking at all the monitors and putting together a story that we commentators voice over live. I’ve spent a lot of time in the production truck and to watch things work during a broadcast is mind-boggling to say the least. It is a well oiled machine of about 20+ people working as one unit. Imagine a ballet stage of 20+ people working in
guest commentator!
Daytime view of the tv compound during a break
All of you are familiar with us as you hear us week in and week out, the most recent Desert Classic featured Julian Tutt as lead commentator, Sam Torrance and I in the commentary box and Ken Brown on the course. The commentary box, when outside of Europe, can take on many different configurations and most, if not all ,are less than what the viewer might expect. The commentary box in Dubai is nice and roomy with several monitors. Of course, like everyone else, we are wearing headsets and listening to the producer who is telling us what is going on, where we are going next, what graphics are coming onscreen and when the commercial breaks are coming. With the World Feed commentary you listen to
most of the time we all see things in a similar manner but might verbalise it in different ways. Days can be long, often arriving before sunrise and leaving as darkness sets. At the end of the week, which in our world is Sunday night, it’s often a mad dash to the airport so we can either get home or travel to next week’s location to do it all over again the following week. We are lucky to do something we love, but more importantly, to work with such great people who I also call friends. I hope that you now have a better insight into what goes on behind the scenes.
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interview with
Bryson DeChambeau by Viren Varma
B
ryson DeChambeau is the 22-yearold he reigning US amateur champion, became only the fifth man to land that prestigious title as well as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) individual crown in the same year. The achievement puts him in the elite company of Jack Nicklaus (1961), Phil Mickelson (1990), Tiger Woods (1996) and Ryan Moore (2004) as the only other players to win the NCAA and Amateur titles in one season. The Californian says he is doing a form of internship before turning pro once he has competed at the Masters in April. He will be one of the most talked-about players in the Augusta field. DeChambeau calls himself “a golfing scientist”. He is a physics major and has evolved a game that hinges around those unique irons that are all 37 and a half inches long, whether it is a three-iron or a wedge. He wields them with the same upright swing, wrapping his palms around chunky grips rather than using his fingers to hold the club. The idea came from a book called ‘The Golfing Machine’, self-published by Homer Kelly, a Seattle aircraft mechanic, in 1969. Californian golf instructor Mike Schy came across the book and was intrigued by Kelly’s theory surrounding “geometric oriental linear force” and the impact it could have on a golf ball. It also appealed to the scientist in DeChambeau Viren Varma from ‘golf in DUBAi’ Interviewed Bryson DeChambeau ahead of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic Welcome to Dubai and the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic. Thank you for having me. This is awesome. Pretty cool for an amateur.
Give your thoughts on The Desert Swing so far and how it’s going for you. Do you enjoy it? Yes, the hospitality has been incredible; I can’t say thank you enough to the whole European Tour and The Desert Swing, it’s just been awesome and I look forward to coming back the next few years. Again, regarding the past two weeks, it’s been fun. I have learned a lot, messed up a couple times but that’s how it goes as an intern, so it’s fun. And how does it feel when people say you’re the most interesting man in golf? Again, I’m just a person. I just look at myself as, hey, I’m here to play some golf and do my best, whether that’s a win or a major championship, it doesn’t matter, it’s about learning every single day. With regards to being the most interesting person in golf, look, I just like being different I guess, and if people say that I’m that, then it’s fun. I guess it’s cool. 22-year-old Jordan Spieth tis he No. 1 player in the world, you are 22; how much does that motivate you? Oh, absolutely. Jordan Spieth is an incredible ambassador. He’s done a lot for the game already at 22. To see him performing so well and No.1 in the world, that’s just unbelievable. I certainly didn’t imagine that for anybody when I was growing up. I thought Tiger would always be No.1. Obviously that’s changed a little bit and I look forward to playing some more golf with him and hopefully competing with the best for quite a while. You said there’s been a lot of media attention around you, especially this past couple of weeks. How have you embraced that? How has that been for you?
ODDC
ahead of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club
process. It’s a little different obviously. Last year at this time, I was kind of a nobody, you know, and to be honest with you, I still think of myself as that. I try to be as humble as possible, and it’s difficult at some points in time but I’m learning how to go through that process and it’s a lot of fun, too. It’s a platform where you can speak your mind and say what you want for the world to hear; it’s a little different but I’m embracing it. I’m liking it. It’s enjoyable. It’s something I look forward to doing quite honestly for a long time.
Has it surprised you that it’s been so quick that you’ve managed to get all this media attention? Yes, it’s incredible. I never thought I would win the NCAAs and US Amateur in the same year. That’s just something that I never even dreamed of. That’s something that’s come about because of the process and how I’ve worked through this and with that comes a lot of attention, and we’re working through that. I’m getting better at it. I wasn’t very good at first but I’m improving and enjoying it. When you say working on it, who is helping you with that? I have people who help me out, speech coaches and things like that, and brain coaches I guess you could say. I can’t talk too much about it, endorse anything, but it’s great fun. I’m learning and figuring out how to talk and what to say at the right time. It’s great. Bryson DeChambeau was presented best amateur award by Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum after the final round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic
It’s been great. Everybody has been incredible and really nice through this whole
Haide Wright with Kuson Waimer, Barbara Fotheringham, Swati Singh, Naima Maya, Najla Bartette, Jennifer Ayres, Vijaya Brahmachary, Martha Wong and Bryson DeChambeau at Emirates Golf Club
ODDC
18
E
Omega Dubai Desert Classic
EMIRATES NBD MILLION DIRHAM PUTT CAMPAIGN
mirates NBD, a leading bank in the region, announced the introduction of a brand new experience that replicates the tension and rewards of professional golf for amateur players. The Emirates NBD Million Dirham Putt Campaign, which was organised in conjunction with the bank’s sponsorship of the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters and the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, was designed to attract new audiences with a fun and inclusive golfing experience. Participants were given the opportunity to enter at JBR The Beach and at the Tournament Villages during the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters and the
Omega Dubai Desert Classic . This unique putting competition tested amateur skill and beginners’ luck as participants putted their way around a specially designed putting green for the lowest score possible. Daily champions progressed to one of two play-offs hosted on the final day of each tournament. Both final tournament putting champions, Jonathan Lane and Jong Jin Park, went headto-head in one last six-hole contest held on Sunday 7th February, the final day of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. The ultimate champion, Jonathan Lane, earned the opportunity to make a tricky 60ft putt
Members’ Chalet
to win the Million Dirhams cash prize in front of thousands of viewers on the ninth green of the world-renowned Majlis course; also on the green to encourage Jonathan was the newly crowned Omega Dubai Desert Classic winner Danny Willett, the 2016 Ryder Cup Captain, Darren Clarke and Matt Fitzpatrick ‘golf in DUBAi’ Ambassador. Jonathan made a tremendous effort and finished just inches from the hole; however, he still won the prize of a round of golf with one of the Tour’s rising stars, Matthew Fitzpatrick. This is the 26th year that Emirates NBD has sponsored the Dubai Desert Classic. The bank has also sponsored the Dubai Ladies Masters since its inception. It is in line with the bank’s commitment to engage the wider Dubai community in the great game of golf.
Some of our members entering the members’ draw in the Members’ Chalet on the 16th Green during the Omega Dubai Desert Classic for a chance to win a full set of customised PING G30 Clubs!
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY FOR MARCH GOLF EVENTS Friday 4th Monday 7th Friday 11th Monday 14th Wednesday 16th Thursday 17th Friday 18th Monday 21st Friday 25th Saturday 26th Monday 28th
Chairman’s Cup 13:00 Lady Captain’s Charity Tournament 08:30 Indian Invitational 13:00 Ladies Monthly Medal 08:30 IADC - Majlis closed all day, Faldo closed until 6pm IADC - Both courses closed all day Junior Club Championship 09:00 - 10:00 Ladies Easter Scramble 08:30 Monthly Medal Championship 08:00 & 13:00 Easter Scramble 13:00 Ladies Competition 08:30
Majlis Majlis Majlis Majlis Majlis & Faldo Majlis & Faldo Majlis Majlis Majlis Majlis Faldo
Wines Blends From Around The World Join us at Le Classique on Wednesday 16th March from 7.30pm for an evening of delicious food and a fine selection of wine blends from around the world. Price includes a four course meal with wine pairings and a glass of sparkling on arrival. Price Member AED 335 Member’s Guest AED 365 Guest AED 400 Advanced reservations are recommended. Dress code: Smart elegant For reservations, please contact Le Classique on +971 4 417 9999 or email emiratesdining@dubaigolf.com
Celebrate
Enjoy our live carvery brunch buffet and ‘make your own’ pizza station, along with plenty of Easter entertainment for the youngsters, including face painting, colouring, PlayStation corner, an egg hunt and a visit from the Easter bunny. Price AED 165 per person inclusive of food and soft beverages AED 335 per person inclusive of food and selected house beverages AED 390 per person inclusive of food, selected house beverages and sparkling upgrade AED 45 per child aged 4 to 12 years To make a reservation at Emirates Golf Club, please call +971 4 417 9999 or email emiratesdining@dubaigolf.com
Keen to learn golf but put off by the prospect of spending hours on the driving range? The new signature beginners’ group programme from the Dubai Golf Academy at Emirates Golf Club offers a new and unique approach to learning the game. Taking on a hands-on approach to learning, we promise that you will play golf on the course during your very first lesson! With a lesson brief at the start of each class, which covers the basic elements and safety features, you will then head out onto the course with your Golf Professional. The course covers the basic golf fundamentals and golf swing mechanics, body motion, ball striking and practice drills.
with Dubai Golf
Come along to our family friendly weekend brunch with an Easter twist on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th March between 12 noon and 3.OOpm at M’s restaurant.
So You Want To Play Golf…?
Emirates Golf Club invites you to join us in celebration of the 28th Annual Members’ Party. Date Tuesday 29th March 2016 Timing 7pm to Midnight Venue Clubhouse Dress Code Lounge Suit and Cocktail Dress Please RSVP to vdaniel@dubaigolf.com by 14th March. This invitation is applicable to Emirates Golf Club members over the age of 21 years. Tickets for non-member partners and guests can be purchased for AED 495. The team look forward to seeing you there. Kind regards,
Andrew Whitelaw General Manager
The course runs over one week and consists of four x 90 minute classes. A maximum group size of five ensures you receive the necessary support from your qualified Golf Professional. Session one Fridays Session two Saturdays Session three Sundays Session four Mondays
10.00am - 11.30am 2.00pm - 3.30pm 7.00pm - 8.30pm 7.00pm - 8.30pm
All golf equipment will be provided. Please wear smart shorts or trousers and a polo shirt with golf shoes or trainers. Price Member AED 850 Guest AED 1,000 Exclusive Group Package (maximum of five) AED 5,000 *Please note there has to be a minimum of three people participating for the class to run
To find out more or to book a place, please contact The Dubai Golf Academy at Emirates Golf Club on +971 4 417 9845 or email emiratesacademy@dubaigolf.com
EPER’S GREENKE CUTTINGS
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Greenkeeper s Cuttings Dear Members,
I
t has been a busy time for the team over the past few months with many hours spent out on course preparing for the various events throughout the season. We enjoyed a very successful Omega Dubai Desert Classic and we were fortunate to receive some very positive feedback of the golf course. Over the coming weeks in particular, the rough will slowly be lowered to a more manageable level. We cannot simply cut it right down in one go as it will really hurt the plant and go backwards leaving us with undesirable conditions to play from. This has to be a gradual process and we should be back to our regular mowing height of two inches by the end
of this month. The greens are currently still very firm and fast. The firmness will start to decrease as we slowly take our foot off the pedal in terms of frequency of cut and bring our moisture levels back, ensuring a more receptive surface to play into. It certainly gives us an appreciation of just how good the best golfers in the world are. We have planned our maintenance schedules for the year ahead and we will be undertaking a variety of projects over both golf courses and the Par 3 course. Our aim on the Faldo this season, is to convert all the teeing surfaces and approaches to the same grass variety as we have on the Majlis. We have found that we are able to control the infestation of broadleaf weeds a lot better within a Bermuda stand and, with the high traffic this course receives, it is in our best interest to ensure we give ourselves every opportunity to do so. Many of the fairways have already
changed to Bermuda by nature and we will encourage this once more throughout the year. I don’t foresee any major changes to the Majlis this year. The feedback from what was achieved with the bunkering has been great and the only area in which we may make some enhancements is adding some extra tees. We have a handful of bunkers still to complete in terms of the shaping and deepening and this will happen during the summer. The golf courses are in great shape, the weather is near perfect so take advantage and enjoy great golf with family and friends. It’s about time I dusted off the clubs too so I look forward to seeing you on the fairways for a game! Good golfing, Craig Haldane Director - Golf Course Maintenance
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Ganesan Mangathil • Masters in Finance & Marketing • Masters in Business Administration • 22 years with Dubai Golf
IHP
Mohsin Ajaz • Electronic Graduate • 16 years with Dubai Golf as Sr. Graphic Designer • Responsible for all creatives
Muna Khamis • Higher Diploma in IT and Business, • Presently doing graduation in Finance and Banking • 9 years with Dubai Golf
DUbai Golf Publishing (DGP) — GOING `FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
I
f golf is evolving, every day, every shot, as Tiger Woods once said, things at Dubai Golf Publishing of Emirates Golf Club, or IHP as it is popularly known by its acronym, are evolving too, page by page.
Such evolution is necessary to keep pace with customer service demand. Ours isn’t quite the quintessential scratch-to-success story yet, but the journey that began 16 years ago with a small team of two, has certainly has gone on cruise control mode. DGP has played and is playing its role, however small it might appear on the face of it, in adding extra value to the region’s premier golf events like the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters and the MENA Golf Tour in addition to promoting UAE Golf Clubs.
Sarah Al Zaabi • Graduate in Graphic Designing • 2 years with IHP
Conceptualisation, designing and printing of the tournament sponsors’ hoardings is just a small part of the job. Placing them strategically during the events requires special skills to ensure the sponsors get maximum television and newspaper coverage.
Ibrahim P Mohammed • Adobe Specialist • Diploma in Graphic Designing • 15 years with Dubai Golf
That is one area we specialise in as we believe that to give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity. Providing publishing-related support services to the international events held at Emirates Golf Club is at the core of our business; our team, which comprises five experienced graphic designers and six support staff, including two UAE nationals, also liaises with corporate houses to meet their needs in organising and branding corporate events. DP World, Rivoli, Amex, IADC, CitiBank, ISS Shipping, to name a few, are our trusted clients. In addition, we deal with all golf clubs in the UAE on a day-to-day basis, designing and printing all their materials, ranging from club menus to scorecards, apart from assisting in golf operations.
Ajith Kaliyath • Graduate in Arts • 4 years with IHP
The brainchild of Mohamed Juma Buamaim, the then GM of Emirates Club who is now the Vice Chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAi, IHP strives to be a one-stop destination for all who intend to promote their companies through golf — the fastest growing sport in the region and beyond.
Vinod Madiyan • Masters in English Literature • 10 years with Dubai Golf
’
We deliver. It s just that simple!
Elmer Cannoy • Bachelor of Fine Arts • Graphic Designer • 3 years with Dubai Golf
Anoop Puravankara • Technical Assistant • In charge of production
Jo-Eugene Inso • Bachelor of Fine Arts • Graphic Designer • 10 years with Dubai Golf
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Dear Members,
I
Fit Lab
hope you all had a fantastic month of February. As we move into March Fit Lab has some exciting fitness challenges every month with some great prizes for the winners. The first challenge will be a 2500m row - the person recording the quickest time will get two free personal training sessions with David Poole and a sports massage with one of the Bespoke Wellness team. Please speak to a member of the Fit Lab team for more information. I would like to welcome back Wendy Smithson who is part of the Bespoke team, Wendy took some out after giving birth to another baby boy - congratulations Wendy! It’s great to have you back and I’m sure there will be plenty of members who will need their bodies fixed by you to help improve their golf game. The Fit Lab team is really working hard on linking up with the Golf Professionals at the Club and, as a result we are now offering Golf Specific Training Programmes. David Poole is leading this after working closely with Robbie Cannon who was out recently. Robbie is an experienced Golf Specific Strength and Conditioning Coach and was helping some of the members and giving valuable advice to the Fit Lab team.
Fit Lab Member of the Month Congratulations to Neil Pope who is our February member of the month, Neil constantly has a smile on his face and is always extremely hard working here at Fit Lab. He will receive a Precor goody bag with some exercise equipment inside. Well done Neil and keep up the great work.
Exercise Tip Of The Month Trx Side Plank The TRX side plank is a great way to strengthen the obliques and core muscles. Place the heels into the straps and make sure your shoulder is directly over your elbow, raise your hips and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
ARTISTIC YOGA Artistic Yoga continues to expand and it now takes place in the Players’ Lounge where even more classes can be offered, thereby accommodating more members in classes. Yoga is a fantastic way to keep in shape and live a healthy and longer life and it is also great for your golf game. If you require any more information on Yoga please contact one of the Fit Lab team. Healthy Regards Andy Meech Head of Sports & Leisure
JUST GYM MEMBERSHIP Get motivated with our Fit Lab Personal Trainers! The Just Gym membership is the perfect way to kick start your fitness regime from just AED 375 per month!
Glycaemic Index & Weight Loss What is the Glycaemic Index? The Glycaemic Index (GI) is a ranking (score of 1-100) of carbohydrate-containing foods according to how fast the carbohydrate is converted to glucose in the body. Carbohydrates that have high GI’s (70+) cause a rapid increase in blood glucose whilst carbohydrates that break down slowly have low GI’s (55 or less). To reduce GI choose unprocessed foods, soluble fibre found in oats, barley, apples, pears, stone fruits & legumes, resistant starch found in basmati or brown rice. Eat with protein, good fats or fibre to lower the GI of a meal. Factors that increase GI are processing (and cooking, over-ripe fruits, salty and acidic foods (vinegar, lemon juice, gherkins), glucose. Is the GI important for weight loss? Eating lower GI foods is more desirable to control fluctuations in blood glucose which is important for diabetics. It may also help to control blood lipid levels, assist with endurance for athletes and reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Low GI foods may delay hunger and control appetite to assist with weight loss. However, a low GI food does not necessarily mean it is healthy - you also need to look at saturated fats and how processed it is, i.e. chocolate and potato chips are considered low GI but will not assist with weight loss! Carol Quelch Nutritionist - Bespoke Wellness
European Tour Performance Coach, Robbie Cannon, was at Emirates Golf Club recently working with Emirates Golf Club members on golf specific strength and conditioning in Fit Lab
23 Fit Lab
ADORE MUMS AT SENSASIA URBAN SPA – AN INCREDIBLE MOTHER S DAY DEAL
’
Branded ‘things of wonder’ by The Sunday Telegraph and given the verdict, “Boy, does it get results” by Tatler magazine. Biotec facials are the latest launch from Elemis to cause a global beauty storm – and the perfect Mother’s Day gift for ladies looking for clinicallyproven results! The combination of a unique fusion of high-potency actives, touch and bio-electric technology, Biotec represents a new generation of facials from Elemis, and the most results-driven facial programme SensAsia has launched to date. In just 30 minutes, Biotec uses a bespoke mix of microcurrents, ultrasonic and galvanic technology, oxygen infusion, light therapy and powerful hands-on techniques to target a multitude of skin complaints. For the gift-perfect price of AED 399, mums can choose from a 30-minute Biotec Radiance Renew, Blemish Control or Sensitive Skin Soother facial, complemented by a 30-minute head, neck and shoulder massage. For more information, online bookings and purchases, visit www.sensasiaspas.com or call +971 4 417 9820
Fitness Activity Schedule Spring 2016
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
STUDIO
STUDIO
STUDIO
STUDIO
STUDIO
STUDIO
06.30 - 07.30 Artistic Yoga
06.30 - 07.30 Artistic Yoga
06.30 - 07.30 Artistic Yoga
06.30 - 07.30 Artistic Yoga
06.30 - 07.30 Artistic Yoga
06.30 - 07.30 Artistic Yoga
07.30 - 08.30 Artistic Yoga
07.30 - 08.30 Artistic Yoga
07.30 - 08.30 Artistic Yoga
07.30 - 08.30 Artistic Yoga
07.30 - 08.30 Artistic Yoga
07.30 - 08.30 Artistic Yoga
07.30 - 08.30 BOOTCAMP (Nikky) 08.45 - 09.45 Insanity (Tracy)
08.45 - 09.45 Zumba Toning (Tracy)
09.45 - 10.45 Zumba Toning (Tracy)
09.45 - 10.45 PIYO (Tracy)
10.00 - 11.00 PIYO (Tracy)
15.00 - 15.30 Beginners Street Jazz
15.30 - 15.30 Baby Ballet
9.30 - 10.30 Head to Toes Ladies Workout (Nikky)
08.45 - 09.45 Zumba (Tracy)
09.30 - 10.00 Beginners Ballet 10.00 - 10.30 Gym Tots (Age 2)
10.00 - 10.50 Insanity 50min (Tracy)
10.30 - 11.30 Gymnastics 11.30 - 12.15 RAD Pre Primary Ballet 12.15 - 13.00 RAD Primary Ballet
17.30 - 18.30 Aqua Fitness (Sonja)
17.30 - 18.30 Swissball (Sonja)
18.30 - 19.00 METAFIT (Tracy)
18.00 - 19.00 Artistic Yoga
18.00 - 19.00 Artistic Yoga
19.05 - 19.55 Insanity 50min (Tracy) 19.00 - 20.00 Circuit Training Outdoor (Michael)
19.00 - 20.00 Artistic Yoga
19.00 - 20.00 Artistic Yoga
19.00 - 20.00 TRX (Parveez)
STUDIO
09.00 - 09.30 Baby Ballet
08.45 - 09.30 PIYO (Tracy)
15.30 - 16.00 15.30 - 16.15 Beginners Junior Ballet Street Jazz 16.15 - 17.00 16.00 - 16.45 Musical Theatre RAD Pre Primary Ballet 17.00 - 18.00 16.45 - 17.45 Contemporary RAD Grade 1 Ballet
SATURDAY
19.00 - 20.00 Circuit Training Outdoor (Michael)
19.00 - 20.00 TRX (Parveez) 19.30 - 20.30 BOOTCAMP (Nikky)
20.00 - 21.00 20.00 - 21.00 20.00 - 21.00 20.00 - 21.00 Weightloss Yoga Weightloss Yoga Weightloss Yoga Weightloss Yoga
13.00 - 14.00 Juniors, Teenagers Fitness & Squash (Nikky)
19.00 - 20.00 Circuit Training Outdoor (Michael)
18.00 - 19.00 Artistic Yoga 19.00 - 20.00 Artistic Yoga 20.00 - 21.00 Weightloss Yoga
One of our favourite dishes at Le Classique is the Irish organic salmon fillet, wasabi flavoured pea purée and poached turnip in Thai broth ... Try one of Le Classique’s delicious desserts for the perfect end to the evening! Call 04 417 9999 to make a reservation. We love the Russian King Crab and Creamy Yuzu at Le Classique! Call 04 417 9999 to make a reservation.
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ave you tried Le Classique’s Business Lunch, updated weekly with seasonal produce? Available Sunday to Thursday (closed Mondays) from 12.00pm to 3.00pm for just AED 105 for two courses or AED 135 for three courses and a glass of house wine. Book now on 04 417 9999.
whatever financial targets you’re aiming for we’ll help you get there.
Have you tried the duck breast from south east France, roasted with three types of pepper, smoked broccoli purée and mushrooms?
BIRDS OF THE EMIRATES
Little Grebe Scientific Name: Tachybaptus ruficollis Shot: Majlis Course Date shot: January 2016 Wiki link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_grebe Description:
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Old Mutual International Middle East Limited, registered in the Dubai International Financial Centre under number 0962 Office 7 and 8, Level 2 Gate Village 7, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), PO Box 482062, Dubai, UAE. Old Mutual International Middle East Limited is authorised and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority.
Also called the Dabchick, the Little Grebe is the smallest European member in the Grebe family of water birds which are often found near waterbodies and only known to migrate if the water freezes. The adults have unmistakable dark brown plumage but the juveniles are usually grey in colour with yellow beaks. The Little Grebe’s breeding call, given singly or in duet, is a repeated weet-weet-weet which sounds like a horse whinnying. These birds are excellent swimmers with a skill for diving. Besides diving to catch fish and aquatic invertebrates, they use their diving mechanism to escape from danger. The birds also make excellent use of vegetation to camouflage and hide themselves from intruders. These birds lay six to seven eggs at a time in nests thats are mounds of sand near the water. They are also careful to hide their eggs by covering them well using weeds and vegetation. The younglings then hatch on their own and can immediately swim to join their parents and they are usually carried on the back of the adults. These birds are almost resident at the Emirates Golf Club, with a chance to spot them early morning almost all year round.
25 Club News
FOOD TRUCK BRUNCH The UAE’s first food truck brunch, organised by Alexandre Teodoresco (who also organises the Street Nights Festival), was held last month at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai. There were ten food trucks from the region, including Melt, GOBai, Toasted and Calle Tacos, Moti Roti, Bio Bean and The Shebi Brunchers were able to avail of unlimited food from the array of food trucks for one set price (AED 285), which included unlimited select beverages. This inaugural brunch was quickly booked out (with nearly 1,000 people on the waiting list). The food truck brunch will be a regular feature, happening on alternating Saturdays each month until mid April. Following the brunch, Teodoresco introduced another new concept called the Food Truck Jam. From 5.00pm to 11.00pm up to 2,000 ‘foodies’ and families are able to relax, eat, watch the sun go down and listen to live music. Entry to the Food Truck Jam is free and visitors can buy their food and drink separately during the event. To book, email your name and number of people attending to reservation@truckersdxb.com
BATTLE OF THE CHEFS
Congratulations to Chef Remi and his team on winning the finale of the Battle of the Chefs against Chef Francois from Dubai Creek last month! Thanks to everyone who came and voted for their favourite!
Correct Answers from RULES BY RHYS Question 1 Correct answer: A Question 2 Correct answer: A Question 3 Correct answer: A Question 4 Correct answer: A Question 5 Correct answer: A Question 6 Correct answer: B Question 7 Correct answer: B Question 8 Correct answer: A Question 9 Correct answer: B
s t e p p i n S e l o 19th H Miguel Angel Jimenez spending a one week holiday in Dubai after the Desert Classic, pictured with Maria Petre, Angela Connor and Rekha Bandopadhyay Ashok Sindhu from DCGYC had an albatross on the par 5 third hole on the Faldo course during Midnight Madness; the shot was holed from 230 yards at approximately 4.00am!
The Legnars and the Barrys played at Al Zorah Golf Club in Ajman recently and were greeted by ex- Emirates Golf Club colleague Jhun who is now employed at Al Zorah
Check out this great video of the Golf Trick Shot Boys when they visited Emirates Golf Club last month for the Liverpool Legends Golf Day! http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=gy3gkZeP8vs&sns=em
Ganesh from DGP pictured with Sunny Gavaskar, Indian former cricketer who played during the 1970s and 1980s for the Bombay cricket team and Indian national team. Mike Tracey with past members Mike Komitsky and Jim O�Malley who were visiting the Club recently
IHP colleagues with Ranganathan Madhavan, Indian actor, writer and film producer.
AIMING HIGH
Congratulations to Sarah Al Zaabi from DGP who recently completed her first skydive in Dubai
Congratulations to Jen and Ryan, son of Mike and Josie Tracey who got married recently!
Joan and Rai Legnar with Matt Fitzpatrick
Jega with Rafa Cabrera-Bello
Bob Connor with female police officers
Miguel Angel Jimenez and his wife played a round of golf with Helen and Aditya Srivastava
Luke Partridge with Ernie Els
Peter Dawson at Pebble Creek - check out the cap!
Emirates Golf Club is proud to have won the Gold Flag Award in the 59Club last week. Congratulations to Craig Haldane on being awarded Greenkeeper of the Year and Dubai Golf on winning the Golf Group of the Year! Congratulations team!
Hole-in-One Club Moustafa Khater Faldo hole 13 (PAR 4!)
Hole-in-One Club Naima Maya Majlis hole 7
Emirates Golf Club members at the Omega Chalet during ODDC 2016
GM Andrew Whitelaw with exEngland cricketers Kevin Pietersen and Darren Gough who played the Majlis after the Omega Dubai Desert Classic tournament.
Craig Haldane with Gary Player Congratulations to team Humpty Dumpty who won the Spike Bar Quiz Night on 15th February winning a dinner at Lakeview Dubai, followed by teams Quizimodo and Party
President of the World Bank Jim Yong Kim on a recent visit to Emirates Golf Club when he played the Majlis course the day after the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and then continued on the Faldo course to try night golf after dark! Our Pro Dong Lee played with him.
Rosé Chic Friday Brunch at Le Classique Every Friday, between 12.30 and 3.30pm, enjoy an afternoon of contemporary French fare with live musician and DJ. Stay on after brunch and keep the vibe going with Happy Hour between 3.30pm to 5.30pm Ladies are invited to enjoy special offer with unlimited food, pink beverages and selected house beverages and grape for just AED 290*. Unlimited food for AED 195 per member, AED 215 members guest or AED 235 for guest Unlimited food and selected grape for AED 335 per member, AED 385 member’s guest or AED 405 per guest Unlimited food, selected house beverages and grape for AED 395 per member, AED 415 member’s guest or AED 435 per guest *Members discount does not apply For bookings please contact +971 4 417 9999, email emiratesdining@dubaigolf.com or visit dubaigolf.com
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