Club Life April 2016

Editor: Jacqui Barry barrydxb@eim.ae

APRIL 2016

Ladies’ Champion

Viv Caley

ISSUE 58

Men’s Champion

Ed Hesson Jnr

S N IO P M A H C B U 2016 CL Girls’ Champion

Alison Muirhead

Boys’ Champion

Matthew Baxter

Editorial

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ongratulations and thank you to all colleagues at Emirates Golf Club for staging another successful Members’ Annual Party on 29th March. The food was superb thanks to Chef Nicholas and his amazing team. The service staff were brilliant and smiling to the end and even the weather behaved itself despite some light showers earlier in the day!

What a wonderful evening.

The incoming Vice-Captains for the 2016-2017 season were announced at the party and there was a resounding applause when they were announced - Ivan Fornazeric and Najla Bartette. Together with incoming Captains Vipen Sethi and Maura Duggan, I think we have two fun years ahead. Congratulations to you both - I’m sure you feel honoured to be selected and that you are looking forward to it all. Wishing you all the best.

At this stage I think a thank you is in order to our current Captains, Walid Al Attar and Helen Srivastava who have done a great job this season and have put every effort into making it an enjoyable time for us all. There are still a few months to go but I think they are probably on ‘wind-down’ time now!

On the subject of food and service, I had dinner in M’s last week for the first time in many months. I can highly recommend the menu and especially the additional special lobster menu. If you like lobster, this is the best value for quality food in town - a whole grilled lobster for AED 120, not forgetting the member discount and, another plus….reward vouchers may be used in M’s too.

Sadly our GM, Andrew Whitelaw will be leaving the Club in April after 18 years service here. Andrew came to Emirates Golf Club as a teaching professional in 1998, the year I was Vice-Captain; he quickly progressed through the ranks of Head Professional, Director of Golf, Club Manager and, for the last few years he has been General Manager at the Club. His professionalism and personal touch has been second to none and he has always been very approachable. He is staying in Dubai and moving to a new Club which will be opening next season so we will still see him on the Dubai golf circuit. Andrew, on behalf of the members, I would like to wish you every success in your new venture - you deserve it!

This month (27th April) sees the 25th anniversary of the Curtisy Cup which will be played over 36 holes between teams from Europe and the Rest of the World. Best wishes to all present and past players of this wonderful event!

I hope you all had an enjoyable Easter break. There are plenty more events on the calendar for April including the men’s and ladies’ Captains’ days which are sure to be great fun.

Emirates Golf Club Senior Management

Christopher May

Andrew Whitelaw

Chief Executive Officer cmay@dubaigolf.com

General Manager awhitelaw@dubaigolf.com

Craig Haldane

Chef Nicholas Cuomo

Director - Golf Course Maintenance chaldane@dubaigolf.com

Barney Coleman

Director of Golf bcoleman@dubaigolf.com

Ganesh Mangathil

Dubai Golf Publishing Manager gmangathil@dubaigolf.com

Martin Drugan

Executive Chef ncuomo@dubaigolf.com

Andy Meech

Head of Sport and Leisure ameech@dubaigolf.com

Adele Cowgill

Head of Sales and Marketing acowgill@dubaigolf.com

Saeed Ahamed

Food and Beverage Manager mdrugan@dubaigolf.com

Financial Controller mahamed@dubaigolf.com

Stephen Deane

Haridas Palliyalil

Enjoy your golf and enjoy what’s left of the good weather.

Jacqui

Follow Emirates Golf Club on Facebook for the latest news, views and special offers. We already have over 26,000 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

General

otice

Andrew Whitelaw General Manager

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Dear Members,

I am writing to inform you that my role as General Manager at Emirates Golf Club will end in early May 2016 as I move on to the next chapter in my career.

It is my privilege to have been at the helm of your Club over the past six years. My priority has been to make you feel welcome, to give you a Club to be proud of, a warm and friendly environment with the highest standards in facilities, playing surface and service. I am fortunate to have a wonderful team that has worked tirelessly with me in this regard. I thank all of my colleagues for their dedication, enthusiasm, shared sense of pride and continued hard work to ensure Emirates Golf Club remains the iconic Club that it has always been.

Under our parent company Wasl and CEO Chris May I have had the opportunity to lead Emirates through many innovations and developments. These investment programmes have kept the Club at the forefront, leading the way in the quality of experience, in the range and choice of facilities, in technology and in the development of the game in the region. I have valued being part of these great enhancements.

I look forward to seeing you around the Club in the coming weeks before I leave. In the meantime, I thank you for your trust and confidence in me over these past few years and I leave you in the hands of the best team to be found.

Yours sincerely,

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Captain’s Message

t has been an extremely busy month at the Club; the Chairman’s Cup, Indian Invitational, Junior Club Championship and, last but not least, the Members’ Annual Party.

A big welcome to our new Vice-Captains; I personally would like to thank Helen, Vipen and Maura for their support throughout the year, and I wish them both a successful captaincy ably supported by Ivan Fornazeric and Najla Bartette, our new Vice Captains.

COMPETITION RESULTS CHAIRMAN’S CUP 4th March 2016

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elly Amarnani scored a fantastic 40 points to claim the Chairman’s Cup last month.

Over 70 players took part on the Majlis course, Amarnani scored three net birdies on his back nine holes for a total of 20 points to win on a card count-back.

The runner-up, also with a score of 40 points, was Anil Shivana who managed 19 points on the back nine holes to settle for second place. In third place was Bhupesh Sharma who scored 39 points to edge out Marcus Wallman on a card count-back.

A division (handicaps 0-12) was then won by Marcus Wallman with 39 points. The runner-up was Tony Azoulay a further point adrift with 38 points.

B division (handicaps 13-24) was won by the defending champion Anand Lakhiani who signed for 38 points and a put in a great effort in defence of the title. The runner-up was David Moody who scored 36 points.

WINNER

Nelly Amarnani

40 points

RUNNER UP

Anil Shivanna

40 points

THIRD

Bhupesh Sharma

39 points

A DIVISION (handicaps.0 – 12) WINNER

Marcus Wallman

39 points

RUNNER UP

Tony Azoulay

38 points

B DIVISION (handicaps13 –24) WINNER

Anand Lakhiani

38 points

RUNNER UP

David Moody

36 points

We have the Captain’s Day Tournament on 15th April which is open to all members. Please sign up as we want it to be an inclusive and fun event; lots of great prizes and raffles will be on offer and there will be a sumptuous dinner afterwards.

Summer is more or less upon us so please keep hydrated throughout.

Last but not least, a big thank you to our Club GM Andrew who is leaving

us to advance his career elsewhere. Andrew has been with the Club for 18 years - his calm and supportive presence will be missed.

We wish him all the best, and I will personally miss him.

Walid Al Attar Club Captain 2015-2016

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OMA Emirates Monthly Medal In association with

Competition Results

Friday 25th March 2016

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nce again the OMA Emirates Monthly Medal, in association with Ascots and Chapels, was a well supported event with over 80 members competing.

The best score of the day was by C division winner Sudhir Vora who had a superb eight under par net 64 around the Majlis course, putting together a round of consistent excellence with 43 strokes on each nine holes to win by four strokes.

In A Division (handicaps 0-10) both Charles Hermon and Donavan Benson were tied with a score of one under par net 71, both players sharing identical scorecards on the back nine with the exception of the 18th hole. Young Benson made a double bogey six to hand the winner’s prize to Charles Hermon. In third place with an even par net 72 was Ewan Cameron who also won the best gross score of the day with an impressive 74 in tricky conditions.

B division (handicaps 11-20) was again a closely contested affair but it was early starter Manish Bakshi who came out on top with a four under par net 68. One shot further adrift was Ishu Rupani with a net score of 69 and in third place with a two under par net 70 was Joseph Smith.

A DIVISION (handicaps 0-10) Winner

Charles Hermon

Net 71

Runner Up

Donavan Benson

Net 71

Third

Ewan Cameron

Best Gross

Ewan Cameron

Winner

Manish Bakshi

Net 68

Runner Up

Ishu Rupani

Net 69

Third

Joseph Smith

Net 70

C DIVISION (handicaps 21-28) Winner

Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd April 2016 Ed Hesson Matthew Baxter Kabir Nanda

Gross Gross Gross

78 + 76 = 154 77 + 77 = 154 81 + 79 = 160

Christian Klynge Bipin Bhatia

Gross 73 + 69 = 142 Gross 74 + 72 = 146

David Thompson Dileep Kumar Hrithik Khurana Bradley Mogire Stuart Thomson Nitin Kripalani

Gross Gross Gross Gross Net Net

Gross 71

B DIVISION (handicaps 11-20)

MEN’S CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP

2016 CLUB CHAMPION RUNNER UP THIRD DIVISION A (0 –12) WINNER RUNNER UP DIVISION B ( 13-24) WINNER RUNNER UP BEST GROSS DAY 1 BEST GROSS DAY 2 BEST NET DAY 1 BEST NET DAY 2

Net 72

74 + 73 = 147 68 + 79 = 147 77 79 70 69

Sudhir Vora

Net 64

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in’s Lady Capta Message

t was lovely to see so many of you at the Members’ Annual Party; I hope that you all enjoyed the fantastic spread that had been provided by the F&B team. Thanks to the Club management and all the staff for organising such a wonderful evening.

The big announcement that is always eagerly awaited at the annual party is to find out who will be the Vice-Captains for the next season. Congratulations to Ivan Fornazaric and Najla Bartette on their appointments for the 2016-17 season. It was very evident that these are both very popular choices and I have no doubt that they will do a terrific job representing all the members and being ambassadors for the Club whilst also providing great support to Vipen and Maura next year.

Congratulations also go to Viv Caley, our 2016 Ladies’ Club Champion after holding her nerve to secure a one shot victory over Carolyn Thompson and defending champion, Jayshree Gupta. Well played ladies!

There has in fact been some great scoring from a number of ladies this month. Elise Hanson won the March Medal with an amazing net 64, and in addition Sandra Chia, Antonia Ludvigson, Yana Jamieson and Rajni Sud all posted net scores in the 60s. I have to wonder if they have all been inspired by the fact that we have a great new sponsor?

Many thanks to Sofitel Jumeirah Beach for the fabulous prizes including overnight luxury stays and brunches.

Well done to all the ladies who were victorious in the last

Inter-Club game at Jumeirah Golf Estates, securing a place to compete in the final against Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club and Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

Emirates Golf Club has the honour of hosting this Rotana Ladies Inter-club Final on 19th April and I would like to wish all the team the best of luck on the day.

April looks set to be another busy month as, in addition to the inter-club final, we also have a few other events to look forward to, namely the Curtisy Cup on 27th, Walid Al Attar’s Captain’s Day on 15th (which will be a mixed event) and Lady Captain’s Day on 25th. With the mercury already starting to rise we need to get out on the course and make the most of the last few weeks of good weather.

Happy golfing!

Helen Srivastava Lady Captain 2015-2016

LADIES’ COMPETITION RESULTS

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LaDY captain s CHARITY TOURNAMENT in aid of IIMPACT

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Monday 7th March 2015

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WINNERS Sandra Chia, Christiane Sprunck

Haide Wright, Yana Jamieson 95 points RUNNERS UP Mitsuko Emmerson, Noemy Bertuol

Selma Kehoe, Swati Singh 93 points THIRD Rekha Bandopadhyay, Rena Sethi

Annette Stewart, Jackie Thompson 90 points Nearest the Pin (Silver division (handicaps 0-18) HOLE# 4 Jackie Thompson HOLE# 15 Mitsuko Emmerson Nearest the Pin (Bronze division handicaps 19-42) HOLE# 7 Meg Clerc HOLE# 11 Caroline Granger

Fiona Munro

Sandra Chia

Elise Hanson

Jayshree Gupta

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LADIES MONTHLY MEDAL

Mitsuko Emmerson

Rena Sethi

Sponsored By

Monday 14th March 2016 SILVER A DIVISION (handicaps 0 – 14) Winner: Mitsuko Emmerson Runner Up : Jayshree Gupta Overall Best Gross Veronique Rosset

SILVER B DIVISION (handicaps 15 –23) Winner: Elise Hanson

Runner Up: Sandra Chia BRONZE DIVISION (HCP. 24 –42) Winner: Fiona Munro

Raffle Winner: Rena Sethi

Net 70 Net 72 Gross 80 Net 64 Net 66 Net 73

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lise Hanson scored a fantastic net 64 to win the March Monthly Medal sponsored by Sofitel, Dubai Jumeirah Beach. Elise scored ten gross pars on her way to victory; even with a triple bogey 7 on the 5th hole she managed to keep her focus to win the overall medal and Silver B division (handicaps 15-23) by two strokes. Her nearest competitor and runner-up, also in Silver B division, was Sandra Chia with a superb net score of 64. Outstanding scoring by the ladies over the Majlis course.

In Silver A division (handicaps 0-14) the winner was our in-form past Captain Mitsuko Emmerson with a net score of two under par 70. The runner-up with a level par net score of 72 was Jayshree Gupta. The best gross score of the day was won by Veronique Rosset with a gross 80.

In Bronze Division Fiona Munro was the winner with a net score of 73.

At each Monthly Medal the ladies are entered into a raffle, courtesy of sponsors Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach, and this month’s lucky winner was Rena Sethi.

All of the above winners are now happy ladies as they look forward to overnight luxury stays and fabulous brunches at the wonderful Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach.

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Ladies EASTER SCRAMBLE Monday 21st March 2016

Competition Results

WINNER Maura Duggan, Margaret Breen

Jenny Isles, Carolyn Thompson 57 RUNNERS UP Monica Palao, Veronique Rosset

Caroline Sabbagh, Hillary Winter 59.8 THIRD Martha Wong, Lynne Dickinson

Naema Maya, Najla Bartette 60.7 BEST EASTER Meg Clerc BONNET Anne Lundgren, Katrine Karlsson

Jane Vail NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 7 (Bronze division) Sulafa Hamdan HOLE # 11 (Bronze division) Marie Benson HOLE # 4 (Silver division) Maura Duggan HOLE # 15 (Silver division) Monica Palao

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LADIES BLIND PARTNERS Monday 28th March 2016 Winners Meg Clerc and

Helen Srivastava Runners up Jenny Ayres and

Margaret Breen Third Veronica Elias and

Sulafa Hamdan

73 points 69 points 68 points

EMIRATES LADIES REACH INTER-CLUB FINAL

by Maura Duggan

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n Wednesday 16th March the interclub team went to Jumeirah Golf Estates needing a win on the Fire course to qualify as one of the four finalists in the ICC Final to be held on the Faldo on 19th April.

Emirates Golf Club ladies rose to the challenge and came out on top beating the Jumeirah Golf Estates team by 18 points. Sue Hopwood was second with 39 points with Josie Tracey coming third after a count-back with Maura Duggan on 37 points.

Well done ladies and to all who have played on the ICC team this season. Let’s go all the way and bring the trophy back to Emirates; it’s been five years since our last win.

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Caley Crowned as New Ladies' Champion

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Competition Results

iv Caley became the new 2016 Ladies’ Club Champion with scores of 86 and 82 over the Faldo and Majlis courses. Viv who trailed by two shots going in to the final round claimed that the key to her success was by simply playing her own game and focusing on only her ball, not worrying about the leader board which led her to a one stroke winning margin with a 36 hole score of a 168 strokes.

Carolyn Thompson continued her fine run of form this season by securing second place with scores of 87 and 82. Carolyn claimed second place following a card count-back with defending champion

Jayshree Gupta.

Jayshree finished in third place also with scores of 87 and 82 in a great title defence.

The 36 hole net categories were won

by Christiane Sprunck in Silver division with net scores of 74 and a fantastic second round score of 66.

Bronze division was won by Meg Clerc with consistent scoring of a net 73 and a net 70.

One of the most improved players on day two was Veronica Elias who scored a gross 80 with Yana Jamieson scoring the best net with a superb 68 around the Majlis course.

There was some good scoring also in the weekday members’ category with Sue Hopwood claiming the best net prize with scores of 71 and 73.

Mimi Hosking was the best gross winner with scores of 79 and 85.

MIXED COMPETITION RESULTS

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MEMBERS PRO-AM

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ell done to all members and professionals who took part in the recent Members’ Pro-Am Challenge on the Faldo course!

Congratulations to the magical team of PGA Professional Dong Lee with Rohit Gupta, Yash Gupta and Duckweon Choung with a team score of -22, followed by Professional Petr Dedek with Naima Maya, Jenny Ayres and Martha Wong in second place with a team score of -15. In third place with a team score of -15 was Professional Mark Bruce with Dileep Kumar, Chandu Manghnani and Raj Janardhan!

This was a great event and we are looking forward to the next one!

Runners-Up

Third

Winners

24TH INDIAN INVITATIONAL GOLF TOURNAMENT Supported by INDIAN MEMBERS OF EMIRATES GOLF CLUB Friday 11th March 2016 OVERALL PAIRS WINNERS Rajinder Razdan, Qamar Rasheed 46 points RUNNRS UP Kush Sama, Vikram Arora 45 points THIRD Aman Nanda, Tania Sangani 44 points TEAM PRIZES (BLIND PARTNERS TEAM OF FOUR) WINNERS Gokul Mani, Tom Luig,

Kuttan Malattiri, Byron Kraemer 83 points RUNNERS UP Manoj Kapur, Tarun Khanna

Fran Cole, Darren Cole 82 points THIRD Anil Shivanna, Nishit Patel

Vipen Sethi, Rena Sethi 82 points NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 4 : Nishit Patel NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 7 : Rajinder Razdan NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 11 : Tom Luig NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 15: Rekha Bandopadhyay STRAIGHTEST DRIVE HOLE # 5: Yana Jamieson STRAIGHTEST DRIVE HOLE # 10: Gokul Mani

9 Club News

Barclays Hickory Series 2016 at Emirates Golf Club Barclays presents the Hickory Series 2016 at Emirates Golf Club, guaranteed to be an exciting competition over six fixtures on the iconic Faldo course.

Emirates Golf Club is proud to announce their entry into the 2016 World Hickory Open Championship Final, taking place at Panmure Golf Course in Carnoustie, Scotland on Tuesday 11th and Wednesday 12th October 2016.

Join the Golf Professionals on Sunday 10th April for the US Masters Par 3 Pro Am and put your golfing skills to the test against the rest of the field to become the 2016 Par 3 Master! Following the conclusion of the tournament, head over to the Poolside for the prize presentation and the live final round of the US Masters.

Time: 9.15pm shotgun start Venue: Par 3 Course Format: Pro Am - 9 hole strokeplay (two out of four scores count)

Emirates Golf Club will host six qualifying events on the Faldo course with the three winning teams qualifying for the final on Saturday 10th September. Winners of the September final at Emirates Golf Club will qualify to play in the 2016 World Hickory Open Finals in Carnoustie, inclusive of tournament entry fee and return economy flights from Dubai to Scotland.

During the qualifying rounds, each four ball will be given a set of Hickory Clubs flown in from the home of golf, St Andrews in the UK. All players MUST use the Hickory Clubs provided during the qualifying rounds, the regional final and the Grand Final.

9 Hole Qualifiers: Round One: Wednesday 13th April Round Two: Wednesday 27th April Round Three: Saturday 30th April Round Four: Wednesday 4th May Round Five: Saturday 14th May Round Six: Wednesday 8th June Final: Saturday 10th September

4.00pm shotgun 4.00pm shotgun 5.30pm shotgun 4.00pm shotgun 5.30pm shotgun 4.00pm shotgun 5.30pm shotgun

Tournament entry fee per fixture Member AED 75 Member’s Guest AED 250 Guest AED 275

Tournament fee per person Member AED 110 Member’s Guest AED 180 Guest AED 200

Entry fee includes nine holes of golf on the Faldo, cart hire, hickory club hire, snacks and prize presentation after play.

Tournament fee includes green fee, range balls, trolley hire, dinner buffet and prize presentation.

Open to all golfers with a valid handicap, the competition is a pairs betterball stableford with full course handicap allowance. If oversubscribed, priority will be given to EGC members and their guests.

To secure your space, please contact +971 4 417 9845 or email ereservations@dubaigolf.com

Click here to download the registration form.

To register for the Barclays Hickory Series 2016, please contact golfoffice@dubaigolf.com or visit the Member Zone on www.dubaigolf.com

DUBAI GOLF AWARDS

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ongratulations to the Dubai Golf team who had an outstanding evening at the annual 59Club Awards held recently in the UK by receiving five prestigious awards and further cementing its world-class reputation. Regarded by many as the ‘Oscars’ of the golf service industry, the awards are designed to reward the top golf venues across all business elements while 59club’s industry benchmark, the Gold and Silver Flags recognise the finest membership clubs and commercial venues in the UK and Europe. In addition to the

much-vaunted ‘Golf Group of the Year’ title, Dubai Golf’s Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club received a Gold Flag award, as well as the award for the ‘Ultimate Members Club’, an honour given to the venue which leads the average scores of all those receiving a Gold Flag. Emirates Golf Club also took home an

esteemed Gold Flag award while Dubai Golf’s Director of Golf Course Maintenance, Craig Haldane, left with the award for ‘Greenkeeper of the Year’. 59Club is fast becoming the industry standard for measuring and comparing customer-service levels and analysing all key revenue streams for golf venues, and is committed to the on-going development of club managers and PGA professionals. The unique benchmarking and training service has already benefited hundreds of PGA members and golf course operators. The services include a series of mystery shopper recorded-enquiry calls and live visits, followed up with regular analysis and training to ensure venues can identify trends and compare, improve, or maintain, service standards. Congratulations team!

Junior Link

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10 JUNIOR LINKS

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here were double honours for Amber Waite, EGC Junior Member, at the Grand Finals of the Dubai Inter Schools League which took place at Arabian Ranches on 7th March. Amber was the cornerstone of the overall winning team Jumeirah College and she was also crowned overall series individual champion. Congratulations Amber!!

JUNIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP 18th March 2016

BOYS’ CHAMPION: GIRLS’ CHAMPION: RUNNER UP: THIRD BEST NET BOYS’ DIVISION: BEST NET GIRLS’ DIVISION:

Matthew Baxter Alison Muirhead Arjun Gupta Erik Hartzuiker Mark Baxter Tatyana Mogire

GROSS 73 GROSS 74 GROSS 78 GROSS 79 NET 74 NET 69

Golf Performance Programme

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

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

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

The programme includes: • Full body assessment to determine your strengths and weaknesses • Training programme tailored to client’s specific needs through one-on-one sessions with both a Golf and Fitness Professional

• Video and ball flight analysis • Functional training methods specific to golf and fitness to help lower your handicap • Improved fitness, strength, flexibility, positive mood and general well being through the programme Package cost 10 Sessions (five with The Academy and five at Fit Lab) Member AED 5,250 Guest AED 7,500 20 Sessions (10 with The Academy and 10 at Fit Lab) Member AED 10,000 Guest AED 14,500 For more information please contact Stephen Deane, Head Academy Professional on sdeane@dubaigolf.com or +971 50 910 8114 or David Poole, Golf Specific Personal Trainer at Fit Lab on DPoole@dubaigolf.com or +971 50 314 0683.

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had the pleasure of being asked to help conduct a four-day training camp during the recent Hero Indian Open.

Pro’s Tip of the Month

by Head ACADEMY Professional,

Stephen Deane

Maintain the Plane!!!

Academy

STEPHEN DEANE IN INDIA

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It was a fantastic opportunity to work with the country’s talented juniors and professionals and to pass on some valuable knowledge to the players.

The camp took place just outside New Delhi and I was extremely impressed with the attitude, work ethic and talent of everyone involved.

I had the opportunity to establish links with the India Golfers Union and Delhi Golf Club as they look to establish a link between The Dubai Golf Academy and the future development of golf in India.

This is a simple drill which will help create consistency with all your clubs but especially the driver.

Your driver shaft sits naturally around 45 degrees relative to the ball. If you can return the driver shaft to this natural starting position during the swing your chances of creating a consistent ball flight will dramatically improve.

As a drill, place two alignment sticks in the ground around two feet apart and angled around 45 degrees relative to your driver shaft starting position. From here have the feeling of swinging under the alignment sticks as you strike the ball.

You’ll sense the importance of maintaining your initial body position and also the element of pressure working through the club shaft and into the ball as you make contact.

This is a great drill and one with instant feedback. To find out more, contact The Academy Professional team and we look forward to helping you with your game.

Happy Golfing!

Stephen Deane Head Academy Professional

EPER’S GREENKE CUTTINGS

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Greenkeeper s Cuttings Dear Members.

…and then the rain came!

I have been in the Middle East for 15 years and that has to be one of the biggest rain events I have seen for sure! For those of you who were here to witness it, you will agree that it was pretty spectacular.

If you were stuck on the roads however, it will have been a very different experience. of rain, no question about that. The damages experienced are not nearly significant enough to complain about, vs. the benefits gained from some natural H2O! Nature’s irrigation system is always welcome in this part of the world.

Enjoy the great weather ahead, summer will be with us in no time at all!

I have been very fortunate, over the past 12 months in particular, to speak at a number of events both locally and abroad on our Golf Club. This has not been exclusively to an audience of greenkeepers I might add, which has made the experiences more rewarding.

Sharing and educating others on what our Club is about, what impact it has had in this region and the challenges we face that may be different to others, has been an eye opener for me personally. You tend to get so bogged down in the dayto-day running of things that you forget to sometimes look up, take a breath and realise just what a special place we are so fortunate to be a part of.

The months of March and April are always a busy time for us, we are trying to get the course back to a more regular pattern of maintenance. It takes a good three weeks, post tournament for the turf to kick back into gear so to speak, following a pretty stressful period during a tournament set up. I am pleased to say that all surfaces are in good shape and healthy! As explained in last month’s update, we brought the rough down to more manageable levels and we will mow this down even further in the coming weeks. By doing so, we allow more sunlight to penetrate into the canopy and warm up the soil which in turn gets our Bermuda grass to start actively growing again.

Both courses enjoyed the natural flush

This facility has grown so much. I have been involved with the Club for a relatively short period compared to most of our long standing members.

However, ten years in the Club’s 27 year history is a pretty significant chunk and I am fortunate to call Emirates Golf Club my ‘home’ when it comes to managing turf.

I have just finished preparing a talk which I will be delivering in London on April 4th to around 40 course managers from a variety of clubs in the Surrey and Greater London area. Often the Q&A is all about what is different about growing turf in this region compared to the north of England. In this instance, although touching on this, I am keen to deliver something a lot more important. My aim is to deliver not only some of the agronomical challenges that we are faced with but also to showcase the uniqueness of being an expatriate, compared to how things are run when the majority of colleagues are all from the same

country and mindset. I will show how managing a variety of individuals from various parts of the world becomes THE most important part of our job.

How dealing with a colleague losing a family member, having him in your office and being involved with ensuring he gets back home ASAP to be with family, is different. How being able to overcome a cultural difference of significant proportions among your team, is different. How vital it becomes to create a family within our team, as we are all working abroad away from our immediate families and we all need that support.

We have colleagues from 41 different nationalities in Dubai Golf. In my department alone, we have six different nationalities. English is not everyone’s first language meaning the ability to effectively translate becomes vital, until such time as those newer colleagues in fact learn English, very quickly and very well! If you were in a situation where you had to move to a foreign country and learn a different language to get by, think how challenging that may be for you.

The golf courses are still in good shape and this multicultural team works really hard to keep it that way as consistently as possible throughout the year. We have our overseeding events, we have transition, we have summer maintenance procedures and host tournaments. It’s a dynamic environment to work in and also a privilege. Let’s not forget that we are all expatriates, each and every one of us. We are all here for the same reason, to provide a better future for ourselves and our families. This is what unites us whether you are a member or indeed a colleague serving our guests. We are in fact a family who spend most of our time together here at Emirates Golf Club.

Enjoy the experience, every day.

Good golfing

Craig Haldane Director - Golf Course Maintenance

Leading Ed ge

Second ‘Leading Edge Series’ Event Hosted By Emirates Golf Club

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The Leading Edge delegates outside the Emirates Golf Club clubhouse

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he second Leading Edge event – the Desert Series – a unique educational, networking and social event for club and course managers, took place at Emirates Golf Club.

Hosted by the team at Emirates, in conjunction with GEO (Golf Environment Organization) and supported by Jacobsen, the Desert Series was an opportunity for members from senior management at golf clubs across the Middle East to network and learn from each other and respected experts from within the golf industry.

The first presentation, to the 20 guests from Oman, Azerbaijan and United Arab Emirates, saw the return of Dr Thom Nikolai of Michigan State University. His presentation focussed on generating customer satisfaction by ensuring the playing surfaces on golf greens were at their optimum trueness and smoothness.

He was followed by Chris Haspell, Course Manager at Castle Stuart Golf Links, who provided an insight into the construction of his course back in 2009 and the exciting project that will see a new 18-holes being added in the near future.

The presentations concluded with David Bateller, head greenkeeper at PGA Catalunya Resort in Spain, talking about the history of the courses and the new

experimental turf management techniques that he is employing at Spain’s premier golf resort.

As well as the educational aspect, two 18-hole golf tournaments were played over the two magnificent courses at Emirates, the Majlis – home to the recent Dubai Desert Classic – and the Faldo. Played in glorious weather, this provided an excellent networking opportunity for the delegates.

The winner of the first competition was Steve Johnson of Al Mouj Golf Club in Oman and Patrick Walker of GEO was the winner on the second day.

“The Leading Edge Series creates a platform for two sides of our business to interact in a professional, yet informal environment,” Chris May, CEO at Emirates Golf Club added. “Having a forum to speak about bridging the gap between Maintenance and Operations was indeed a privilege and beneficial for all attendees. Emirates Golf Club is a proud patron of the event, which allows us the opportunity to showcase our facilities and provide great networking and learning opportunities; we look forward to hosting this again in the future.”

Patrick Walker, Industry Engagement Manager at GEO, said, “This second session in the Leading Edge Series has been another resounding success, the scope of the discussions around

issues and opportunities for clubs was extremely interesting and feedback from the attendees has been very positive.

Hosting the event at GEO Certified® clubs, like the Emirates, is a fantastic way of demonstrating to delegates some of the practical applications of sustainable golf and we are already looking forward to continuing to work with our partners, Jacobsen, on the next Leading Edge Series event.”

Commenting at the end of the event, Nick Brown, International Corporate Accounts Manager at Ransomes Jacobsen said, “The concept of the Leading Edge Series is different from other events. Usually Club Managers and Superintendents have separate networking and educational events, but Leading Edge enables both to interact with their counterparts, in a convivial and relaxed environment. Craig Haldane and his greenkeeping team at the Emirates provided immaculate conditions on both courses and received numerous compliments. CEO Chris May and his staff were the perfect hosts and the food and hospitality was spectacular.”

The next event in the Leading Edge Series is scheduled for September 2016 and will be hosted by Castle Stuart Golf Links, with PGA Catalunya hosting their first event in April 2017.

Recipe

18 Check out this Raw Tuna from Emirates Golf Club’s Executive Chef Nicholas Cuomo

Recipe by Maltese Executive Chef Nicholas Cuomo, Emirates Golf Club on Golf Kitchen (www.golfkitchen.com)

Serves 4

Ingredients

Preparation

Assembly

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1. Source best quality blue fin tuna and slice 14cm long, 2cm wide and 0.5cm thick.

1. Brush a 3.5cm wide stripe of squid ink onto the centre of the plate.

280g Blue fin tuna 8pcs edible flowers 8pcs pea shoots 1pc orange (zest) 10ml squid ink 60gms white radish 60gms green apple 50g olive oil caviar 150g capers 50gms white sugar 50ml white vinegar 20gms heart of frizzy lettuce 5gms micro herbs 30gms Himalayan rock salt salt pepper

2. Slice green apple from top to bottom to have 3cm slices. Cut the apple into equal-sized cubes, 1.5cm x 1.5cm. Do the same for the white radish.

3. Mix the white vinegar and sugar and reduce by half over medium heat. Add the capers and allow to cool overnight with capers in liquid.

4. Take zest of orange and cut into strips. Blanche for 10 seconds x 3 times, changing the water every time.

Make sure the zest has no white rind attached.

WHAT’S ON AT EMIRATES GOLF CLUB: APRIL

2. Place the apple, radish, capers into a mixing bowl.

Add some salt, liquid from the capers and set aside.

3. Take a rectangular mould, 14cm long x 3cm wide and place 1/3 over squid in strip. Place the diced vegetable and level out to have a flat even surface.

Place the tuna onto the diced vegetables.

4. Place olive oil caviar along the squid in strip 1/2cm apart.

5. Place Himalayan rock salt crystals evenly spaced on top of the tuna and add mini salad.

6. Place the 3 orange zest strips, pea shoots, flowers and piment d’espelette as seen on the image.

2016

GOLF CALENDAR Monday 4th Ladies’ Competition

08:30

Faldo

Friday 8th Hankook Greensomes: Round 1

06.35-14.05

Faldo

Saturday 9th Hankook Greensomes; Round 2

06:30-14:00

Majlis

Monday 11th Ladies Monthly Medal

08.30

Majlis

Friday 15th

13.30

Majlis

Monday 18th Ladies’ Monthly Medal

08:30

Majlis

Monday 25th Lady Captain’s Day

08.30

Majlis

Wednesday 27th

08.00-09.10

Men’s Captain’s Day

Curtisy Cup

13.10-14.20 Majlis

Friday 29th

08.00 & 13.00

Majlis

06:30 - 11:30

Majlis

OMA Emirates Monthly Medal Championship

Saturday 30th Ladies Amateur Open

Le Classique Try Le Classique’s delicious business lunch of roasted quail, eggs, tomatoes confit and celeriac purée!

Join us at Le Classique on Wednesday 20th April from 7.30pm for an evening of delicious food and a fine selection of wine from France.

Price includes a four course meal with wine pairings and a glass of sparkling on arrival.

AED 400 per guest For reservations, please contact Le Classique on +971 4 417 9999 or email emiratesdining@dubaigolf.com

19

KOREAN LADIES PAR 3 EVENT

Whats On

It was great to have 37 players taking part in the second Korean Ladies Par 3 tournament last month! Well done to everyone who took part!

OSN ICC T20 at the Fanzone at Emirates Central It was great to have OSN Presenter Jim Rosenthal host a Q&A session with four cricket greats Anil Kumble, Misbah-ul-Haq, Graeme Smith and Michael Vaughan at the opening ceremony of the OSN ICC T20 at the Fanzone at Emirates Central!

Cricket fans were able to catch all the live action from the ICC World Twenty20 in the OSN Fanzone at Emirates Golf Club last month, concluding on 3rd April. Every match was screened live on the big screens with a host of food and beverage promotions!

'

Dubai Golf Ladies Programme

The Dubai Golf Ladies’ Programme is the perfect way to improve your game of golf, whether you are a complete beginner or a regular player, as well as getting to know other lady golfers!

Register for Term 3 of the Ladies Programme and enjoy a morning or evening’s golf while you are taken through various aspects of the game over a period of ten weeks. Enjoy complimentary access to the Par 3 course from Sunday to Thursday between 7.00am and 4.00pm and members’ guest rate on the Faldo course from Sunday to Thursday before 4.00pm.

To register contact 04 417 9845 or emiratesacademy@dubaigolf.com

20

RULES

Rules

BY RHYS

I’m sure that everyone will agree that a round of golf is far more enjoyable when the speed of play is flowing nicely and every group stays in position for the duration of the round.

What Influences Pace of Play?

• The players • The management of play • Golf course design and set-up Very few golfers will admit that they are slow players but I’m sure we can all do our bit to play a little bit faster. Below are some basic guidelines that can help us do just that.

Be Ready to Play: • While you are waiting to play, use this time wisely so when it is your turn to play you are ready.

• Put your glove on and check the yardage • Assess the wind strength and direction • Decide on the type of shot you’re going to play • Select your club ALL OF THE ABOVE CAN USUALLY BE DONE WHILST WAITING FOR YOUR TURN TO PLAY. • When it is your turn to play, play promptly.

• Consider your pre-shot routine - saving even a few seconds will help.

• When the play of a hole has been completed, leave the putting green without any delay.

Play at a Good Pace: • Make every effort to keep up with the group ahead.

• Always play a provisional ball to save time if you think your ball may be lost outside of a water hazard or is out of bounds.

• Play from the tees that reflect your ability. One of the reasons behind different tee options is to cater for all abilities.

• Be mindful of your position on the course. Be more conscious of the group ahead rather than the group behind...especially relevant if you are a 4-ball following a 4-ball etc!!

• Follow any guidelines/policies set by the Club Management.

BARNEY AND RHYS WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ON OUR POLICIES HERE AT THE CLUB. On the Putting Green: • DO assess your line, repair pitch marks and remove loose impediments whilst others are playing.

• DO move away from the green once all players have holed out.

• DO mark scorecards on the way to or at the next tee.

Emirates Golf Club Time Allocations for 4-Ball Groups: • Majlis Course: 4hrs 6minutes • Faldo Course: 4hrs 10minutes • Faldo Night Course: 4hrs 20minutes PLEASE NOTE that our policy states that these are only guidelines.

It’s the pace of play on the day, the number of players in the group and any gaps between groups that will determine any decision made by our marshalling team. We kindly ask for your assistance and co-operation with our course marshals. They are there to help and are for the benefit of all golfers.

Golfing etiquette states that ‘it is a group’s responsibility to keep up with the group in front. If you lose a clear hole and are delaying the group behind, you should invite the group behind to play through, irrespective of the number of players in the group’ (R&A Rules of Golf 2016, page 27) One misconception is that the above statement is irrespective of your PACE OF PLAY IN RELATION TO TIME. For example two hours is perfectly acceptable for a 4-ball to complete 9-holes of golf BUT if they are delaying a full course behind with a two-hole gap ahead of them, then the above statement should be adhered to.

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.

MEET THE RECREATION TEAM

21 Fit LabTea m

Andy Meech

Head of Sport and Leisure, Dubai Golf Fitness Manager of the Year 2014, Fit Awards Andy runs Dubai Golf’s Fit Lab facilities at both Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. With 15 years of experience in the leisure industry, 11 of those years based in the UAE, Andy is a successful Fitness and Squash professional whose experience is second to none. With a Sports Science degree and having attended the Paul Chek Institute in both the UK and USA, Andy offers Corrective Holistic Exercise Kinesiology (CHEK) programmes to members and guests.

David Poole

Sonja Belgard

After a successful professional football career, where David played for a list of clubs including Manchester United, Yeovil town, Stockport county and Darlington, David went on to study personal training and gained his Level 3 Personal Trainer qualification. David also has a diploma in functional performance which gives him the ability to assess a client’s movement to see where their weaknesses lie so he can build a programme around the needs of the client. With David’s professional sports background, he has a proven ability to help sports professionals and beginners achieve their goals, whether it be injury prevention, improving strength, speed or dexterity, David’s passion and desire to succeed makes him a valued member of the team. Get the most out of your exercise programme and enjoy a complimentary 30 minute fitness consultation with David!

Holding an MSc in Sport Science and a BSc in Physiotherapy, Sonja has over 15 years experience, working with the Royal family of Saudi Arabia and high profile business men in the financial city of London. She is specialised in sport rehabilitation, weight management, health and fitness and sports performance training. As a mother of three, she will safely guide you through pre and post natal exercises. She also writes for the Middle Eastern Women’s Health magazine.

Recreation Assistant

Nicky Harradine

Michael Lancaster

Squash Coach

Personal Trainer

Michael graduated from the University of Central Lancashire, acquiring a BSc (Hons) in Personal Fitness Training, with REPS Level 3 Personal Trainer accreditation. His particular focus is sports performance and development, and he also enjoys developing health related fitness. With three years personal training experience in Dubai, he understands how to help individuals achieve a more balanced and fulfilling lifestyle. Michael offers training for weight loss, fitness training for sports or general well-being, strength and conditioning, boxing and Muay Thai, as well as circuit training.

Personal Trainer

Alan Walters Personal Trainer

Alan has been in the fitness industry for over 10 years. He is a CHEK level 1 practitioner and has studied with the Gray Institute. Alan specialises in sports performance (golf) and injury rehabilitation, as well as general fitness and weight loss, providing you with an effective and safe way to reach your goals.

Nikky has been coaching and training juniors, teenagers, ladies and men for the past twenty years in the UAE. She represented the National Team of Cyprus, her mother’s country, for six years, winning gold and silver medals. Nikky is the founder of the Dubai Ladies Squash league and continues to run it to date.

She has taken many courses in fitness, speed, power, agility and functional & mobility training and has been running fitness bootcamps since 2005. In 2012, Nikky became a group exercise instructor; she has the knowledge and experience to give you an all-round physical work out whatever it may be!

To get in touch with any of the team, please contact Fit Lab at Emirates Golf Club T +971 4 417 9850 or email egcfitlab@dubaigolf.com

22

Dear Members,

TRX Single Leg Backwards Lunge.

Fit Lab

We hope you had a great March and that you are all sticking to your fitness goals.

It’s quite easy to get sidetracked and fall back into old habits, If you are wanting help or guidance then please feel free to ask a member of the Fit Lab team who can give you some advice and a push in the right direction.

Exercise tip of the month

Member of the Month The March Member of the Month goes to Ingrid Sjodoff. Ingrid had a horrific knee injury from skiing some time ago and she has made a remarkable recovery by working exceptionally hard and she always pushes herself in the gym every day trying out different exercises. Well done Ingrid - keep up the great work you have been doing. Photo below shows Ingrid being presented with a Precor Goodie bag.

Well done to all ladies who participated and to Paulo, Monika & Luis for organising.

We look forward to all members having a super healthy April and if you require any assistance from my team or myself please feel free to contact me anytime.

Healthy Regards

This is an incredibly functional exercise that targets single leg strength, a key component for improving speed, balance and injury prevention.

It is a fantastic exercise to get the core and glute muscles working which are essential for everyday living and great for your golf game!

Aquatix Swimming Programme Aquatix classes are for all ages ranging from babies all the way through to young children, teenagers and adults. The new 11week term commences from Friday April 8th and runs until Thursday 23rd June To stay up-to-date with Aquatix please like our FB page at https://www.facebook. com/Aquatix2015/?fref=ts

For enquiries please contact any of the Fit Lab Team or the Aquatix swimming instructors:Natasha Leask-Walley, Lindsay Johnson or Karl Evans

Andy Meech Head of Sports & Leisure

Don’t miss a special offer on personal training sessions with Fit Lab’s David Poole, valid until 31st May 2016, for just AED 2,500 for 10 sessions (was AED 3,000). David has had a successful professional football career and is a level 3 qualified personal trainer with a diploma in functional performance, which gives him the ability to assess a client’s movement to see where his or her weaknesses lie so he can build a programme around the needs of the client. David offers training for improved strength and flexibility, golf performance programmes as well as general fitness and weight loss, providing you with an effective and safe way to reach your goals.

Fitness Activity Sche Spring 2016

Employee of The Month Employee of the Month goes to Fit Lab’s top receptionist Vilma who joined the team nearly a year ago; she has gone from strength to strength and is a fantastic asset to the Fit Lab department. Well done Vilma and keep up the great work.

Fitness challenge of the month For this month we are going to let the 2500m row continue. Please speak to a member of the Fit Lab team to log the time it takes you to row 2500m. The member with the fastest time will win two Personal Training sessions with David Poole and a Sports Massage with Reiss Adams from Bespoke Wellness. This could really help kick start your fitness with summer only around the corner. It is a great competition to enter and there are some excellent prizes to be won.

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

STUDIO

STUDIO

STUDIO

STUDIO

THURSDAY 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

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

9.30 - 10.30 Head to Toes Ladies Workout (Nikky)

08.45 - 09.45 Zumba (Tracy)

07.30 - 08.30 BOOTCAMP (Nikky)

Tennis Elite Tennis Academy/Emirates Golf Club hosted a team in the Dubai Ladies’ League for the first time in January. The team exceeded all expectations by winning the league finishing ahead of Clark Francis Tennis Academy, Tennis 360, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai Ladies’ Club and PSS. Due to the team’s success we decided to field three teams this season, more than any other academy in Dubai and all sponsored by K Swiss. This came about as a substantial number of players from opposing teams have requested to join our academy as they were very impressed with the way we work with our ladies. Team practice is held on Sundays and Mondays and matches are played on Tuesdays at different venues in Dubai. Elite teams practice and play home matches at Emirates Golf Club and Atlantis The Palm. With the new season currently underway Elite teams currently sit 1st and 2nd in the league.

08.45 - 09.30 PIYO (Tracy)

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

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

10.00 - 10.50 Insanity 50min (Tracy)

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)

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

19.00 - 20.00 Circuit Training Outdoor (Michael)

23

’

SENSASIA URBAN SPA S APRIL OFFER FOR EGC MEMBERS SENSSPORTS MEN S MASSAGE

’

’

Fit Lab

Ouch… some aches and pains are hard to shift! It’s great news then, that SensAsia Urban Spa is offering Emirates Golf Club’s male members a very special April rate on its muscle-melting SensSports treatment.

SensSports is a specialist, high performance 90-minute massage that combines stretching and reflexology to target the effects of intense fitness training.

This is the perfect accompaniment to extensive training regimes, as well as regular gym sessions, weightlifting and team games, SensSports is aimed at men who find that a regular, and even deep tissue massage treatment is unable to relieve the tension, whereas SensSports targets the dull aches and acute pains that come from the continual build up of lactic acid in their bodies.

To complement the SensSports massage, SensAsia will also be extending a 10% discount on Elemis Instant Refreshing Gel which is perfect for tired legs and muscle tension, particularly in the shoulders and neck; this best-selling SensAsia product cools, refreshes and revives in seconds.

SensAsia Urban Spa is offering Emirates Golf Club members its SensSports massage at a special price of AED 320 (usually AED 545) throughout April.

Members can also purchase Elemis Instant Refreshing Gel at 10% off throughout April (full price is AED 256).

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

edule FRIDAY STUDIO

SATURDAY STUDIO 06.30 - 07.30 Artistic Yoga 07.30 - 08.30 Artistic Yoga 09.00 - 09.30 Baby Ballet 09.30 - 10.00 Beginners Ballet 10.00 - 10.30 Gym Tots (Age 2) 10.30 - 11.30 Gymnastics 11.30 - 12.15 RAD Pre Primary Ballet 12.15 - 13.00 RAD Primary Ballet

13.00 - 14.00 Juniors, Teenagers Fitness & Squash (Nikky)

18.00 - 19.00 Artistic Yoga 19.00 - 20.00 Artistic Yoga 20.00 - 21.00 Weightloss Yoga

Introducing

Laila Banki

L

aila enjoys working with people in transforming their relationships in the areas of time, family, career and money which inspired her to pursue life coach training and tap into a lifelong dream of helping people find their happiness. Her formula is simple: it is all about a good design - clear vision, strong foundation, structural support and definitive action steps. The combination of her humour, creative sensibility and her no-nonsense results oriented style is impactful. Her intuition allows her to see straight to the heart of the issue, quickly guiding her clients from their limiting beliefs to their goals. She believes that everyone deserves to live a beautiful life and her mission is to give people the skills and techniques to create a life that they are truly proud of. She comes from a background of finance and she also owns a Bikram yoga studio and her own fashion line.

Benefits of life coaching will enable you to…..

• Take control of and responsibility for your life, health and well-being • Get in touch with your authentic self and start an exciting journey towards creating a truly fulfilled life.

• Expand awareness of your thoughts, feelings, actions and begin to align them to what you truly desire.

• Develop a new, healthy wholesome relationship with eating by changing the emotions you may have around food.

• Find the life/work balance that suits your needs.

• Unravel the root cause of ANY unwanted habits or behaviours • Discover your core values, and the impact that it may have in your life • Clear obstacles from your past and focus on living in the present • Recognise and unlock your potential with a renewed sense of optimism and motivation • Create strategies and action plans to help you maintain the future of your dreams Live in health and balance with full awareness of how to maintain this natural state Laila may be contacted through Fit Lab or Bespoke Wellness

Club Updat

e

24

UPDATE FROM DIRECTOR OF GOLF, BARNEY COLEMAN Dear Members.

9-Hole Qualifiers:

ongratulations this month go to Viv Caley for winning the Ladies’ Club Championship! A fantastic effort, well done Viv! Congratulations also go to our new Men’s Champion Ed Hesson Jnr, his scores of 78, 76 for a 154 total saw him tied at the top with Matthew Baxter who posted 77, 77 also for a 154 total.

Hesson took the honours following a two hole playoff.

Round One:

The Junior Club Championships were also decided with Matthew Baxter and Alison Muirhead securing the Boys’ and Girls’ titles, firing gross 73 and 74 respectively which were outstanding efforts over our Majlis course.

Round Five:

C

The Indian Invitational produced an excellent turnout once more on Friday 11th March with 116 members supporting the longest running event on our tournament calendar. Thank you to all members who supported the event by donating prizes and purchasing raffle tickets. It was superbly managed by Surender Kandhari, Rekha Bandopadhyay and Jayshree Gupta helping to raise AED 24,000 for the junior colleague fund. Please join us next year for the 25th Anniversary of the event.

There are some new events in April as below so we look forward to welcoming your participation in these new tournaments:

Barclays Hickory Series 2016 In conjunction with Barclays the Club has purchased a number of sets of hickory golf clubs. Each player in the Barclays Hickory Series will be taken back to the traditions of the game and will use hickory clubs over nine holes of the Faldo course!

We are proud to announce our entry into the 2016 World Hickory Open Championship Final, taking place at Panmure Golf Course in Carnoustie, Scotland on Tuesday 11th and Wednesday 12th October 2016.

We will host six qualifying events on the Faldo course with the three winning teams qualifying for the final on Saturday 10th September. Winners of the September final will qualify to play in the 2016 World Hickory Open Finals in Carnoustie, inclusive of tournament entry fee and return economy flights from Dubai to Scotland.

Wednesday 13th April

Round Two:

Wednesday 27th April

Round Three:

Saturday 30th April

Round Four:

Wednesday 4th May Saturday 14th May

Round Six:

Wednesday 8th June

4.00pm shotgun 4.00pm shotgun 5.30pm shotgun 4.00pm shotgun 5.30pm shotgun 4.00pm shotgun

Final: Saturday 10th September

5.30pm shotgun

Tournament entry fee per fixture Member Member’s Guest

AED 75 AED 250

Entry fee includes nine holes of golf on the Faldo, cart hire, hickory club hire, snacks and prize presentation after play.

Open to all golfers with a valid handicap; the competition is a pairs betterball stableford with full course handicap allowance. If oversubscribed, priority will be given to EGC members and their guests.

To register for the Barclays Hickory Series 2016, please enter online through the Member Zone on www.dubaigolf.com.

BMW Seniors Open The Club will be hosting a BMW Seniors Open on the weekend of Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd April 2016 - entries for this will open shortly.

Regards, Barney Coleman Director of Golf, Emirates Golf Club

TRACKMAN CHALLENGE It was great to have Dubai Islamic Bank Home Finance sponsoring the TrackMan Challenge on the Majlis driving range recently. Thank you to all members who participated and congratulations to • Monica Paolo on winning the Ladies’ Longest Drive • Henrik Andersson on winning the Men’s Longest Drive • Lucas Karlsson on winning the Overall Straightest Drive We are looking forward to next month’s challenge!

25 Club News Photo Courtesy: Akhil Menon, golf in Dubai

BIRDS OF THE EMIRATES

by Akhil Menon IT Manager

Congratulations to Le Classique’s Chef de Cuisine Remi Verrier, who has been presented with the ‘Art de Vivre’ award at the Trophees de Francais de l’Stranger. Remi attended the Gala Dinner on 15th March at the Quai d’Orsay in Paris, where he was presented with the lifestyle award. The awards, for French title La Petit Journal, celebrate the achievements on French nationals living abroad. Many congratulations to Chef Remi!

Eurasian Curlew Scientific Name: Numenius arquata Shot: Faldo Course Date shot: March 2016 Wiki link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_curlew Description: The Eurasian Curlew, which is one of the most widespread of the curlews, is our bird of the month.

These birds generally breed across temperate Europe and Asia. For some interesting trivia, in Europe, this bird is referred to as just “Curlew”; however, in Scotland, it is called “Whaup”. This bird also is one of the largest wading birds in its range with a wingspan of up to 106cm and length of up to 60cm.

Although these birds have a curved beak which makes one think that they got their name from its beak, it is actually their loud curloo-oo call that’s responsible for its Curlew name. They can often be confused with a similar species called the Whimbrel as they both have this distinctive curved beak. These birds are migratory species over most of its range, wintering in Africa, southern Europe and even the Middle East. They can be found almost all year in milder climates of the UK and adjacent European coasts. These birds are also one of the species that is declining in numbers and currently listed as near threatened in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List.

At Emirates Golf Club, this bird is a winter visitor and stays on until the heat picks up. This image was captured in the last week of March. They then migrate back to Europe. As these birds are wading by nature, you may spot them around the water features on the Faldo and Majlis courses; however they are sometimes noticed on the fairways foraging ground dwelling insects as well.

s t e p p i n S e l 19th Ho

Congratulations to Craig Haldane’s wife Aneisha on completing her first level falconry course!!

Team Triathlon

Dubai Golf recently entered three teams in the Oceanic Triathlon Series held in Khorfakkan at the Oceanic Hotel. This triathlon was made up of an 850m sea swim in the bay of the Oceanic Hotel, a 30km bike ride through the beautiful mountains of Fujairah and a 7km run along the stunning corniche! Each individual of the team took on one or two of the disciplines to complete the race, with all three teams making the podium in their first outing! Congratulations to all who took part! Great effort!!

Bike to run transition Swim course sunrise

All 3 teams! — with Reiss Adams, Annie Crookes, Fiona Ward, Bryan Smyth, David Poole and Matthew Perry.

Getting ready to go Ready for the swim event!

Finished! 1 hour 58 minutes

Coach and event manager Trace Rogers

Criag with Annie Crookes, Fiona Ward, David Poole, Reiss Adams, Matt Perry and Bryan Smyth

Relay team with Bryan Smyth and David Poole

Running shoes on!

Craig on the podium with Bryan Smyth and David Poole

Support crew!

Podiums for all !

Congratulations to Dubai Golf colleague Hani who received the ‘best employee award’ at a recent wasl gathering.

Great to have friends from Singapore Islands Country Club with us last month and thanks to Martha Wong for organising the match against our ladies!

Jega with Cricketer Michael Vaughan

Congratulations to Peter Ludvigson, winner of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic members’ raffle!

Peter is now the proud owner of a new set of custom fitted Ping G30 clubs!

Congratulations to Ashok Sindhu, Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club member, on scoring an Albatross 2 on the Faldo course hole 3 during the Midnight Madness event held on February 12th at 4.00am! Ashok is now a registered member of the ‘Double Eagle Club’ and was delighted to receive a medal from Emirates Golf Club to mark his rare achievement!

Check out this great video tutorial from Emirates Golf Club’s own Bryan Smyth on reversing your grip to improve pitching! https://youtu.be/2Umz7e4XIOo Congratulations to team Norkolk & Chance on winning the Spike Bar Quiz on 7th March taking home a voucher for dinner at Lakeview Dubai, followed by teams Quizimodo and Murphy Law.

Andrew Whitelaw with David Patrick and Lauren Carpentier from Gulf Arena Middle East.

Golf Award for Best Corporate Golf Tournament - IADC

Congratulations to team Quizimodo who won dinner vouchers for winning the Spike Bar Quiz on 21st March, followed by teams Party Fears and No Hopers.

Al Dobowi founder and chairman, Surender Kandhari, was honoured with the ‘Business Excellence Award 2016’ at the May 17 gala event, organised by the Indian Business & Professionals Council (IBPC), the exclusive organisation of Indian businessmen and professionals in Dubai. The award was presented by H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Congratulations to team Quizimodo on winning the Spike Bar Quiz again on 28th March, taking home a voucher for dinner at Lakeview Dubai; other winners were teams Kernow and TTTMMGTRBISN.

Guests at Ivan Formazaric’s home enjoyed an Easter celebration catered by the Spike Bar Team!

TEAM BUILDING SESSION AT EMIRATES GOLF CLUB Thank you to all colleagues for the support at the team building session which was also a fun afternoon. Great spirit and great team work.

Well done team.

Nicholas Cuomo Executive Chef