Club life

Editor: Jacqui Barry barrydxb@eim.ae

014

ummer 2 ISSUE 43 S

Editorial

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B

y now many of you will be on vacation in cooler climates no doubt, escaping the 40 plus temperatures and humidity of Dubai. For those of you spending the summer in Dubai, you at least have the advantage of being able to play 18 holes in record time with the courses being much quieter!

Dubai Golf had a professional video put together recently in which colleagues from all departments at the Creek and at Emirates Golf Club were featured singing and dancing to the song Happy by Pharrell Williams.

It was so well done and definitely worth seeing; we obviously have some great dancers at the two Clubs!

The link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ2uMONO3kA Although the season concludes officially at the end of August, all the main events have finished but there are still some competitions being played throughout July and August (check out the summer calendar in this issue). Club Captain Dick Purchase and Lady Captain Barbara Head officially hang up their jackets (and lose their car parking spaces) from 1st September. On behalf of the members thank you to both of you for your time and effort over the last two years. It’s a great honour to be Captain at this prestigious Club and, while it is very time-consuming, it’s also a very enriching experience and it is usually good fun too. Thank you Barbara and Dick – enjoy your retirement!

The Club matchplays finished last month and prizewinners were presented with their trophies and prizes at the conclusion of the end-of-season Scramble. Well done to all winners and runners-up! Thank you to Vipen Sethi and Rajesh Verma, winners of the Men’s Pairs Matchplay who kindly rang the bell so everyone could celebrate their win. There was certainly a party atmosphere going on that day with Bruno Muller also ringing the bell in recognition of his Hole-inOne at the 11th of the Majlis.

Emirates Golf Club Senior Management

Christopher May

Chief Executive Officer cmay@dubaigolf.com

Craig Haldane

Andrew Whitelaw

General Manager awhitelaw@dubaigolf.com

Andy Meech

Director - Golf Course Maintenance chaldane@dubaigolf.com

Head of Sport and Leisure ameech@dubaigolf.com

Barney Coleman

Adele Cowgill

Ganesh Mangathil

Keith Wilkes

Head of Sales and Marketing Director of Golf acowgill@dubaigolf.com bcoleman@dubaigolf.com

In House Publishing Manager Retail Manager gmangathil@dubaigolf.com kwilkes@dubaigolf.com

Chef Max Grenard

Culinary Director mgrenard@dubaigolf.com

Martin Drugan

Food and Beverage Manager mdrugan@dubaigolf.com

Saeed Ahamed

Financial Controller mahamed@dubaigolf.com

The next issue of Club Life will come out on 1st October kicking off the new season; in the meantime please email me your travel photos at any time to barrydxb@eim.ae I will be running the post- summer feature ‘Where in the World” with photos of our members on their summer travels. The photos need not be taken on golf courses but just wherever you happen to get to this summer.

Wishing you all safe travels and see you all in the new season.

Jacqui Barry

Andrew Matthews PGA, Membership Services Manager

Stephen Deane

Head Academy Professional sdeane@dubaigolf.com

EGC Key Telephone Numbers Main Switchboard 04 Members Golf Reservations 04 Membership 04 Recreation 04 Accounts 04 SensAsia Urban Spa 04

417 417 417 417 417 417

9999 9800 9801 9850 9875 9820

Haridas Palliyalil

Resident Engineer hpalliyalil@dubaigolf.com

Follow Emirates Golf Club on Facebook for the latest news, views and special offers.

We already have over 20,652 likes. Follow us on Twitter @emiratesgc and Instagram @emiratesgc

Let me get some rants out of the way first of all. I guess we all have pet hates and mine on a golf course start with unrepaired divots, unraked bunkers and unrepaired pitch marks. The sad fact is that many of these are evident in club competitions, which means they are oversights by members rather than visitors. Where is the respect for fellow members?

Carts driven through the sand will soon be a thing of the past as electronics will be fitted to prevent this since sand plays havoc with the cart. Such a shame that this cost is necessary…..

To win a prize at a club tournament is a terrific thing; how sad therefore that the recipient often receives their trophy in front of a sparse crowd, since many members choose not to attend prize giving.

Again, a sad reflection…..

So those are my rants, and I am sure few would argue against them, at least in public!

What about good things that I will look back upon? Well, the Hickory

Putter was played for, and its first recipient was Suresh Shewakramani with an eclectic score of 58. That will take some beating. I very much hope that this trophy will gain in stature over the years and look forward to seeing the increasing number of golf balls suspended beneath the Putter naming each winner.

There are so many people who work at the Club who have contributed to making my year truly memorable. Craig, Stephen, Keith, Andy Meech, Steen, Martin, Chef Jeffrey, Chef Sylvain, Andre, Mickael, and all the catering staff, both upstairs and downstairs; also Andy Matthews and Lanie, Mohammed, Francis and the check-in team, reception staff, the locker room staff, and particularly, Ummer and all the lads at the driving range. I must make special mention of Barney who has been a stalwart, ably assisted by Nishanthi of course, and the amazing fact is that everything is done with a smile.

How do they all do that?

Senior management has been particularly supportive, and my sincere thanks to both Andrew and Chris in this regard. Their agreement that I could devote a number of my columns to the work carried out in the various departments gave me a fascinating insight, and I am particularly grateful to those department heads who made time

to answer my questions.

Barbara, our Lady Captain was a terrific supporter and I greatly enjoyed working alongside her to raise money and facilitate Club requests. Thanks Barbara, it was a lot of fun.

in’s Club Capta Message

T

he time has come to write my final column for Club Life. It will seem strange not to have Jacqui chasing me for my draft next month…..

3 Kamal and Mitsuko were also very supportive and I hope they have as much fun in their year as I had in mine. Of course I wish Johnny and Helen much success when their turn comes too.

A very big thank you to Jacqui. The contribution she makes to our Club is without parallel, and I for one am very grateful for all that she does. I have two final thank you’s, the first is to my wife, Chris, who has offered unqualified support during my year that has been quite a sacrifice in terms of my free time, and I really do appreciate the help that she gave to me.

My final thanks go to all you members for your support during my year as Captain. Everyone has been very encouraging and helpful.

I shall leave with some wonderful memories.

So, it’s time to hand on the baton; I will however miss the preferential car parking space …..!!!

EGC is a great Club; long may that be the case.

Happy golfing!

Dick Purchase Club Captain 2013 – 2014

COMPETITION RESULTS June Mashreq Medal Championship in association with BMW and Harvey Nichols Dubai Friday 6th June 2014

Hutchinson and Mulligan on Fire in June Mashreq Medal

T

ony Hutchinson and Patrick Mulligan were the star performers in the June Mashreq Medal Championship in association with BMW and Harvey Nichols Dubai. On a swelteringly hot day, accompanied by a tough breeze, both Hutchinson and Mulligan signed for 4-under par rounds of 68 on the Faldo course.

Tony produced one of his best rounds of the season, his gross 77 being the lowest of the day and his net 68 earning him top prize in Handicap Division A (handicap 0-15). He was delighted to take home the AED 2000 Harvey Nichols vouchers. On the tough opening nine he only dropped one shot which was on the par four seventh; a further six pars followed on the inward stretch. His closest challenger in Division A was Zubin Chandra who carded a 71 with Nikhil Damani in third after a card count-back on net 73.

Patrick Mulligan was delighted with his Medal triumph and commented on how delighted, yet surprised, his family would be on the victory. A solid back nine of 5-under par was the key to his success and the highlight of his front nine was a birdie four on the par five 3rd hole. Mulligan claimed a 4-stroke win over Arjun Kapur with Suresh Shewakramani in third with a 75.

Patrick Mulligan

Tony Hutchinson

4 Competition Results

LADIES’ COMPETITION RESULTS

LADIES’ END-OF-SEASON COMPETITION

Monday 28th May 2014 In the last event on the calendar to close the season, it was only fitting that Lady Captain Barbara Head and partner Marian Pavy took top honours with 36 points. Martha Wong and Lynne Dickinson also matched 36 points but lost out on a count-back for the runners-up prize. Third place went to Mieke Slotboom and Janine Dols with a solid score of 35 points.

COMPETITION RESULTS

MEMBERS/STAFF

SCRAMBLE 12th June 2014

Winners Jacqui Barry, Ross Barry

Sampath Pradeep, Nilantha Prabath Runners Up Gautam Vir, Surjit Namli

Seeraj, Aneesh Third Malik Rubbani, Mohsan

Andrew C., Angelito H. Nearest The Pins Hole # 2 (Members) Naima Maya Hole # 8 (Staff) Jeffrey Brothers Hole # 12 (Staff) Robert Solayao Hole # 17 (Staff) Jega Longest Drive Hole # 3 (Staff) Ali Hole # 16 (Staff) Joel Hole # 10 (Members) Jennifer Ayres Hole # 5 (Staff) Sampath

56.3 57 57.2

5 Friday, 13th June 2014

Competition Results

END OF SEASON SCRAMBLE

The end-of-season Scramble produced an excellent turnout of 96 players over the Majlis course with the team of Nina Larm, Johnny Aldridge, Stephen Jones and Pentti Tahvanainen claiming top prize with a score of 57.5. The 4-ball was captained admirably by incoming Vice-Captain, Johnny Aldridge, and it was a fitting send off for Stephen Jones who will be returning to America in the summer. The closest challengers to the champions were Marian and Peter Pavy, Sandra Chia and David Formas with a 58.6 tally to take runners-up place. Micky Brigg, Keith Prosser, Julian Nicholas and Ian Scott picked up third place after signing for a 58.7 total. The highlight of the day undoubtedly went to Bruno Muller who managed a hole-in-one on the par 3 eleventh. Bruno was delighted to record his first ever hole-in-one and happily ‘rang the bell’ for his fellow members to celebrate the achievement. Also in the prizes on a great day’s golf were Marion Pavy, Suresh Shewakramani and Vipen Sethi for their accuracy on the nearest the pin prize holes.

Winners

Marion Pavy

Third

Runners-up

Suresh Shewakramani

Vipen Sethi

6 Competition Results

DUBAI GOLF

MEDAL Friday, 4th July 2014

Katherine Duffy

Natalli Gupta

Ishwar Jodha

A DIVISION (HCP. 0-15) Winner Ishwar Jodha Runner Up Anand Lakhiani Third David Waite Best Gross Max Burrow B DIVISION (HCP. 16-34) Winner Paul Abouchacra Runner Up James Dickinson Third Patrick Mulligan JUNIOR DIVISION (AGE 7 – 17 years) Winner Natalli Gupta LADIES DIVISION Winner Katherine Duffy Best Gross Kavita Sehmi

Net 70 Net 70 Net 71 Gross 74 Net 72 Net 74 Net 74 Net 65 Net 66 Gross 74

Recycling at Emirates Golf Club

Here at Emirates Golf Club, we take our responsibility to the environment and making a greener future very seriously. At present, Dubai is recycling just 20% of its waste and as per the directives of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, we need to reach a target of 75% by 2021, we all need to think and act ‘greener’ in working towards this goal.

Every month, Emirates Golf Club collects and recycles cartons, paper, PET bottles, plastics, metals and oil. In May alone, the Club collected 1000 kg of paper and cartons, 415 kg of plastics and 200 kg of cooking oil. Our offices all have paper recycling stations and water bottle recycling bins and all our colleagues are discouraged from paper waste.

In June 2014 Emirates Golf Club received an appreciation certificate from the Emirates Environmental Group acknowledging that that the Club had finished in the top 10 in the Corporate Category of the Plastic Collection Campaign 2013 and we are looking to improve on this award in 2014.

Interesting article in the Khaleej Times newspaper recently‌

7 Ramadan

Prague

MEMBERS TRIP

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TOUR

A

group of eight EGC members recently took a long weekend trip to Prague to play golf 12 -15 June. This trip was proposed to GM Andrew Whitelaw by EGC member Pavel Foubik who hails from Czech Republic and who was extremely keen to show parts of this spectacular country to members; Pavel did all the behind the scenes organisation of booking hotels and arranging matches against other clubs there. He also arranged and sponsored the shirts for the matches; travel shirts, showerproof jackets and balls were kindly supplied by EGC.

Arrival at Prague Airport

The group of eight included GM Andrew Whitelaw, Club Captain Dick Purchase, past Captains, Tom Barry and Moshe Kohli, Drummond Welsh, Chris Turlik, Campbell Steedman and Shomail Ghalib.

The Trip

by Tom Barry

T

he group all met early on the first morning to start the trip with a bubbly breakfast in the First Class lounge at Dubai Airport courtesy of Dick and Campbell.

The Emirates flight to Prague was just five and half hours which was a great flight with very attentive hostesses - plenty of white grape juice and red (which Dick says was excellent.)

On arrival, Drummond soon wanted a smoke and Campbell suggested he went to the Arrivals smoke room to which Drum replied, “I would rather go outside - you could get killed in there!”

Outside we were met by Pavel clutching a bottle of a local welcoming drink that he proceeded to dispense into plastic glasses by the roadside!! Then it was onto the bus for what was supposed to be a two-hour drive or less but it seems there was an accident on the highway so we had to detour!! Ugh!!

It was a long bus trip - with pit stops necessary. At one petrol station we had to

ask for a key to use the two toilets (so only two people at a time). Moshe finished, locked the door Pavel and gave the key back. As we began boarding the bus, Chris was missing – unfortunately he had been locked in the toilet!!

Eventually we got to the Marianske Lazne, Esplanade Hotel - a beautiful building in an old spa town. We checked in and each of us got an absolutely huge suite – the biggest hotel rooms/suites any of us had ever been in.

Despite our late arrival, Pavel had organised a lovely surprise for us in the form of two horse-drawn carriages which took us on a sightseeing tour around the spa town; there were many beautiful buildings, streetside cafes and restaurants to be seen – such a picturesque town!

After freshening up we were invited to dinner with the President of the Golf Club and the hotel owners, all friends of Pavel.

This was the start of the huge meals with nice wines and many toasts etc.

Then, of course, we went back to the bar for a few more and to watch golf and football on the TV; naturally there were a few slideoffs to much longed for beds while some stalwarts stayed on.

It was an early start the next morning for a sumptuous buffet breakfast and then off to the Royal Golf Club Marianske Lazne which was a journey of three minutes!

With clubs out, and after some animated discussions about format, we were off, some of us with rather stunning caddies - Dick’s was a young 18-year old girl who played off a handicap of seven!

It was a beautiful course, beautiful weather, but neither of which helped us to defeat the local club team. We lost 3-1 but a good time was had by all. It was wonderful to walk the course seeing little squirrels scampering across the fairways and up trees, presumably to hide their nuts!

Andrew had one of the best short game days of his life and putted phenomenally so he and Dick won their match comfortably.

Chris and Shomail were winning three up with six to play but were undone by Pavel and his local liqueur shots and succumbed to four birdies as they lost two down. What to do?

A few drinks later and we were at it again - another huge meal with more beverages

Di

d cart by horse an Sightseeing

Royal Golf Club Marianske Lazne v EGC

lass Pavel, first-c

organiser

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THE ITINERARY

’ MEMBERS TRIP

12th June ne Hotel Esplanade - Arrival at Marianske Laz .cz/en/ zne kela ians http://www.mar - Festive dinner in hotel 13th June 10:00 tee time ke Lazne / EGC v. RGCML - Royal Golf Club Marians z/en ml.c golf ww. ://w http se - Festive lunch in clubhou - Transfer to Prague - Festive dinner in hotel

at Pavel meeting the group

the airport

14th June Golf Resort - 12:00 tee time Karlstejn lf.cz - http://www.karlstejn-go 15th June ss Golf Club - 07:00 tee time Albatro ss atro Alb v.

- EGC - Festive lunch

and numerous toasts and speeches. We had some wonderful hosts and hopefully we will welcome them back to Dubai sometime.

Then it was back to Prague and into the hotel restaurant for MORE food! After another banquet and copious beverages we all decided on a stroll downtown to see the sights but inevitably ‘dropped into’ a street bar for a refresher - and, of course never left to see the sights! It was quite noisy at times with bands of Dutch supporters passing by singing the praises of another Dutch victory in the World Cup. Eventually some of the team decided it was time for bed - or to move on. Move on most of us did to yet another hostelry close to the hotel where we spent another few hours sipping and people watching. Good fun but the after-effects would be expected in the morning.........

Next morning most of us made it to breakfast but the odd straggler just about made it to the bus, clutching a McDonalds coffee and breakfast burger!

A 45-minute journey brought us to the spectacular Karstejn Golf Course and we were out on the course fairly quickly. This time we were in two four balls - no match against a team from the host club. It was overcast, a bit windy and some rain at the very end, but nevertheless we enjoyed a beautiful course with the castle in the background. Pavel continued to patrol us as

we played, dispensing further shots of local hospitality if anyone cared to indulge!

It was straight back to the city and hotel afterwards as we were all going out to dinner later to a very special restaurant, arranged by the redoubtable Pavel, of course.

Special? It was spectacular! A restaurant in a cave underground! Electric atmosphere and food that was out of this world. We were treated to six courses with different grape beverages for each course. A few speeches and numerous toasts were the order of the day and believe you me, we didn’t want to leave but had to in the end.

What a restaurant - called Svata Karla , so if you are ever in Prague, book it and go!

The next morning we were up bright(?) and early as we had to travel to Albatross Golf Club, play, have a formal lunch and get to the airport to catch our afternoon flight to Dubai.

his partner managed to beat GM Andrew Whitelaw and myself. Our only winners were Moshe and Shomail so we lost the match 3-1.

A good time was, however, had by all, with the inevitable hard luck stories for some defeats. Pavel again tried to raise our spirits out on the course but it didn’t seem to work - I wonder why?!

A very nice luncheon followed, sprinkled with pints of the local brew (excellent), a thank you to our hosts by Dick and then we had to be on our way to the airport.

Our host team all seemed keen to come on a return trip to Dubai and hopefully they will so that we can get our revenge.

A wonderful long weekend - thank you Pavel. Great organisation, great fun.

Can we go again??

Svatá Klára

So it was straight on the coach, after checking out and loading all the bags - at 06.00 in the morning - a quiet bus journey and we were at Albatross, which is a beautiful course and due to have the European Tour there in August.

The Albatross team to play us included David Carter, ex European Tour Pro and well known to many of us in Dubai.

Unfortunately he was on form and he and

Arrival at Hotel Esplanade

President of RGCML and EGC Captain

ick’s caddy

Karstejn

Albatross match

Lunch at Albatross

MEMBERS TRIP

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Mariánské Lázně Mariánské Lázně means beautiful spa parks, romantic colonnades, charming pavilions, pleasant cafes and cozy hotels. The town is endowed with many healing mineral springs and revels in a unique atmosphere that attracts thousands of visitors. This town and surrounding region can also satisfy the sports enthusiasts amongst its visitors. The magnificent natural beauty of the nature reserve Slavkovský that surrounds Mariánské Lázně is perfect for hiking, Nordic walking or taking an exhilarating bike ride. For golf players too, this town offers a memorable opportunity to experience a game at one of the oldest golf courses in Europe. The eighteen-hole course of the Royal Golf Club in Mariánské Lázně was awarded its ‘Royal’ title by Queen Elizabeth II of England. The winter season here also offers visitors plenty of opportunities for cross-country and downhill skiers. The downhill slopes at Skiareál Mariánky reach lengths of up to 1600 metres and offer terrains of several difficulty levels. Within the town and its surroundings rise around one hundred mineral springs, containing carbon dioxide and mineral salts.

Esplanade Spa & Golf Resort Hotel Luxurious wellness Esplanade Spa & Golf Resort hotel in Mariánské Lázně, Czech Republic is situated in a calm environment with wonderful views of the city, not far from the Royal Marienbad golf course. Mariánské Lázně is one of world’s well-known spa towns in central Europe, just 12 km away from the Czech border with Germany. With more than 40 mineral springs, beautiful Art nouveau architecture, historical Mariánské Lázně Colonnade and marvellous natural scenic views it has been attracting visitors from all over the world for over two centuries. The visitors have included such outstanding names such as Goethe, Straus, Kafka, Kipling, Nobel and many more. English King Edward VII has visited the city nine times. Today, Mariánské Lázně is a town overflowing with rich cultural and sporting life.

The Royal Golf Club Marianske Lazne http://www.golfml.cz/en/ Marianske Lazne Hotel Esplanade http://www.esplanade-marienbad.cz

www.dubaigolf.com

Golf Resort Karlstejn http://www.karlstejn-golf.cz

’ MEMBERS TRIP

The first 18 holes of the Golf Resort Karlštejn were opened in 1993, designed by two Canadian golf architects, Les Furber and Jim Eremko who are responsible for 70 golf courses around the world, two of the most famous being ‘Valderrama’ in Spain and ‘Varadero; in Cuba. Thanks to a sensitive approach they successfully integrated the famous Czech castle Karlstejn, the residence of the Czech kings, with this wonderful course; a hilly landscape with limestone rocks, rich fauna and flora is the oasis of calmness and peace. In 1997 the course had the honour of hosting the European PGA Tour event. A number of golf celebrities from all over the world took part in it. The winner, Bernhard Langer, won with a score of 265 (-20) after four rounds. The record holder is Swedish player Patrik Sjöland with 61 strokes in the second round of Chemapol Trophy, which took place on 8.8.1997. In 2008 a further nine holes were created on the South slope of the hill Voskov, again designed by the Furber/Eremko team. With narrow fairways, three ponds and numerous sand bunkers, it is a quite difficult and technical course where the planning of the shots and the strategy of the game will be very important to achieve success.

‘Easy bogey, difficult birdie’ was the designers’ strategy while building the course, enabling golfers of different levels to play together. Located in the protected landscape area of Karlštejn with rare species of plants and animals, Golf Resort Karlštejn provides an excellent opportunity for active relaxation, only 15 km from the city of Prague.

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Albatross Golf Club • An 18 hole championship golf course of the highest standard and Ladies European Tour venue • Official venue of European Tour - August 21-24, 2014 • The Golf Resort of the Year in 2011 and 2012 and No. 1 golf course in the Czech Republic in the Golf Digest USA official golf course rankings • A contemporary clubhouse with a complete range of facilities including conference rooms, a pro shop and a restaurant • State of the art practice facilities including a custom fit centre to cater for the needs of the most demanding clientele • A top class team of professional golf instructors to assist golfers.

Exclusive partnership agreements with Emirate Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club

The Restaurant: Svatá Klára http://www.svataklara.cz/en

Restaurant “Svatá Klára” originally a wine cellar on one of the Prague vineyards is neighbouring the Baroque castle Troja. Grapes for Prague wine have been grown here, whose shrubs were brought here in XIV. century by emperor Charles IV. According to the archival records the wine cellar was established from the original cave gallery located 16 metres under the surface. After the completion of the Troja castle construction, the cellar was used by Count Václav Vojtěch from Šternberk as a wine depository. Today after a sensitive reconstruction that included the historical roots and tradition a unique restaurant was established, furnished with antique furniture, Baroque statues, period pictures and Persian carpets. A dominant fireplace with calming a fire and pleasant music create an atmosphere that can satisfy even the most demanding guest.

www.dubaigolf.com

Members’ Consultative Committee (MCC)

Committee

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Dick Purchase Captain 2013-2014

Mitsuko Emmerson Lady Vice-Captain 2013-2014

Eric Koeman

Barbara Head Lady Captain 2013-2014

Boyd Edmondson

Jaimal Shergill

Kamal Kosta Vice Captain 2013-2014

Rosemary Turlik

Alan Main

Dear Members, The Members’ Consultative Committee (MCC) was formed in 2008 and has been an extremely successful forum for members to voice their feedback to the management on a monthly basis. The MCC is made up of nine members and includes the Club Captains and Vice-Captains who remain part of the committee during their term of office. Our current committee has just finished its two year term, and we are therefore starting the process of appointing a new committee who will come into office from September 2014.

I would like to thank the current MCC members for all their time and commitment in enhancing the experience at Emirates Golf Club over the last two years; their contribution has been invaluable and with their hard work we have actioned over 50 points to improve the member experience.

In order to form the new committee we would like to invite any member who wishes to be considered for the committee to register their interest with Andrew Matthews at Membership Services, either in person or by email at amatthews@dubaigolf.com. Once we have all the interested individuals registered, the committee will be chosen by the Captains, Vice Captains and management team to ensure a fair representation of members are on the final committee.

The committee meets once a month from September to May and members will be expected to bring feedback, from not only themselves, but also from other members in the Club.

We hope to be able to have a committee that represents all sections of the membership so that we can get the views of as many different users of the Club as possible and this will be an important consideration in our final selection process. The deadline for applications will be 31st July 2014. The selected committee will be announced in the first week of September.

We look forward to finalising and welcoming the new committee to Emirates Golf Club soon.

Best Regards, Andrew Whitelaw, General Manager

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The Insider Stephen Deane Head Academy PGA Professional

Where are you from?

Born and raised in Co.Down, Northern Ireland How long have you been in Dubai?

I’ve been here almost seven years now! It certainly doesn’t feel that long. Time flies in Dubai!

What is the most interesting thing about your job?

Having the opportunity to help all levels of golfer reach their goals and meeting lots of interesting characters.

What is your favourite hole at Emirates Golf Club?

Hole 8 Majlis course.

Fantastic backdrop and tough par 4.

What is your best advice?

Understand how your own swing works, and the road to improvement will become easier.

What do you do outside work/hobbies?

I have a passion for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and I enjoy playing and visiting the world’s top golf courses during my holiday time.

Favourite expression?

Hit the small ball before the big one!!!

Alastair Brown

Mark Bruce

Where are you from?

I’m from the coastal town of Portrush, Northern Ireland.

Where are you from?

Carnoustie on the east coast of Scotland, host to the 2018 Open Championship.

How long have you been in Dubai?

I have been in Dubai since almost six years.

How long have you lived in Dubai?

Three years come September.

What is the most interesting thing about your job?

The most interesting thing about my job is relating complex information on the golf swing to many different people as we all think/learn differently.

Favourite hole at Emirates Golf Club?

My favourite hole is the first on the Majilis.

What is your best advice?

Best advice I received is to question everything.

What do you do outside of work?

Outside of work I enjoy time with my family and still play some competitive golf when I can.

What is your favourite expression?

Before you insult a man, walk a mile in his shoes.

That way, when you insult him, you will be a mile away and you will have his shoes!

What is the most interesting thing about your job?

The most interesting thing about my job is that every lesson is a different challenge. A high percentage of my lessons are first time golfers and it is my disciplines that will be instilled in them as a platform throughout their golfing life.

What is your favourite hole at Emirates Golf Club?

Favourite hole on the Majlis is the 8th, Unbelievable view of the Dubai skyline.

What is your best advice?

Best advice is, detail is everything, life or golf; in golf the basic fundamentals allow good swing mechanics, so never overlook them.

What do you do outside of work?

Outside of work I like to explore Dubai’s hot spots and socialise.

What is your favourite expression?

If you’re not moving forward, you’re standing still, and if you’re standing still you’re falling behind.

The Insider

We all know our Pros at the Club but here are a few things you probably didn’t know about them!

Jonathan Craddock

Where are you from?

Cannock in Staffordshire in the UK How long have you been in Dubai?

I have been here for four years so far!

Most interesting thing about your job?

Meeting varied people from all walks of life!

What is your favourite hole at Emirates Golf Club?

8th hole on the Majlis for its rich history and beautiful views of the Dubai landscape!

Best advice?

Efficient practice is the key to improvement. Practising key swing improvement movements as opposed to simply ball beating.

What do you do outside work?

Rock Climbing, Muay Tai, Snowboarding and Football.

What is your favourite expression?

Think outside the box!

Junior Link

s

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JUNIOR LINKS Dhruv Verma and Tanishq Lalvani

C

ongratulations to Tanishq Lalvani and Natalii Gupta, both members of the Junior Elite Programme at Emirates Golf Club, who both fired 41 points over the Faldo Course in the opening fixture of the Dubai Golf Summer Series sponsored by GolfLan The youngsters clinched the top individual prize and overall ladies’ winner respectively with their 5-under par scores. The Summer Series sponsored by GolfLan with support sponsors IP Global, Titleist and Worldwide Golf teed off on the Faldo course at 17.00 on Saturday 28th June. Tanishq Lalvani won the best individual with 41 points; also

on that mark was Suvansh Arora who settled for runners-up place following a back nine card count back.

Asanka White claimed third with a 4-under par total of 40 points. Rayhan Thomas continued his excellent form with a gross 69, a superb effort on the tricky Nick Faldo designed course. His play earned him the prize for best gross with Natalii Gupta clinching the Titleist sponsored prize for the ladies’ category following her 41 points.

Natalii Gupta

Also in the prizes for their accuracy on the nearest the pin prize holes were Carl Downham and Glory Xavier.

The series continues on Saturday 26th July at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club. Competitors will then play the Majlis course on Saturday 30th August with the final fixture back at Dubai Creek on 13th September.

Don’t forget to register for the Dubai Golf Summer Series Fixture Two on Saturday 26th July at the championship course at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club - 1.30pm shotgun start! To register please contact golfoffice@dubaigolf.com Check out this great video from the first fixture of the Dubai Golf Summer Series 2014 on 28th June! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SJY0hjWQEk

PRO’S TIP OF THE MONTH

15

by STEPHEN DEANE Pro’s Tip

5 Tips To Play Your Best Golf In The Heat!!

Just because the temperature is rising, doesn’t mean your score has to as well. Maybe you think you can manage the conditions just fine, but check the scorecard. Do you start to fade around the 10th hole or do you feel strong, energised and focused till the end? Along with a hat and sunscreen, try the following to withstand the heat and enjoy your game.

1. Hydrate.

An obvious tip, but, more than water, go for a sports drink. With all the sweating, you need to replenish carbohydrates and electrolytes for your energy level.

2. Snack right.

Carry easy protein and fibre - dried fruit, bananas, apples, nuts, any sports bar with ten grams of protein and three grams of fibre.

3. Snack strategically.

Eat on holes, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15. Having something small and at regular intervals will stabilise your energy levels, keep you from becoming over-stimulated, and help you maintain your focus and fine motor control. It will also curb the desire to gorge on the 19th hole!

4. Grab for more.

Even at your best, it’s hard to hit for maximum distance. It’s even harder in the sapping conditions. Adjust your expectations for your game and use a little more club - the 6-iron over the 7-iron and so on.

5. Hit the treadmill.

Or bike or elliptical trainer. While good for overall health, cardiovascular exercise will help prepare you for challenging conditions, building overall endurance, leg strength and power.

• Moderate Intensity Intervals. Go for 30 minutes in total, but start by warming up for five minutes, and then alternate four minutes at a strained conversation pace with one minute of recovery. End with five minutes of cool-down.

• High Intensity Intervals. Do 30 minutes, with a five-minute warm-up, then alternate 30 seconds of 90 percent effort with one minute of recovery, ending with five minutes of cooldown.

• Recovery. Do 30-60 minutes of an easy, constant pace, good for keeping the blood flowing and maintaining your overall fitness.

Start out doing this rotation three days a week, with moderate on Monday, high on Tuesday and recovery on Wednesday, and build from there.

Hope the above tips help your game this summer and look forward to seeing you on the course.

MAJLIS SUMMER OPENING TIMES

Dear Members, Please be advised that the Majlis course opening times will be extended for the summer months, changes will be in effect from 1st June until end of August. Please note that during Majlis course closures the Faldo course will open earlier to compensate.

Majlis course Sunday to Thursday: the first tee time from the first tee will be at 06.00. The tenth tee will open from 06.00 to 07.30 for nine-hole rounds. Please note that golfers starting from the back nine should give the right of way tothe Golf Course Maintenance team.

Friday and Saturday: the first tee time on the Majlis course will be at 06.00 from the first tee; tee times from the tenth tee will not be available at weekends.

We hope that you are able to take advantage of the longer opening hours during the summer!

Best Regards, Barney Coleman Director of Golf

Golfer of the Year

Fiona Berry

LADIES SINGLES CHAMPION

JENNY AYRES

MEN’S DOUBLES CHAMPIONS

VIPEN SETHI & RAJESH VERMA

MIXED C

N BE & BE

LADIES SINGLES RUNNER UP

ROSEMARY TURLIK

LADIES DOUBLES RUNNERS UP

LADIES DOUBLES CHAMPIONS

ROSEMARY TURLIK & CATHRINE CLARK

www.dubaigolf.com

E

MARGARET BREEN & ELAINE BELCHER

Matchplay Re

ear - net

MEN’S SINGLES CHAMPION

erry

EWAN CAMERON

Golfer of the Year - gross

CATHRINE CLARK

D FOURSOMES CHAMPIONS

NOEMY ERTUOL & LUIZ ERTUOL

MEN’S SINGLES RUNNER UP

DALIP TRIPATHI

Men’s Doubles Runners-up

Ewan Cameron & Scott Doak MIXED FOURSOMES RUNNERS UP

PAUL BYRNE & MAURA DUGGAN

esults 2013/14

www.dubaigolf.com

Member Pr

ofile

18

Pavel Foubik Where are you from?

Prague, Czech Republic

Where and what did you study at University?

Charles University in Prague, Doctor Of Law What brought you to Dubai and how long have you been here?

I came to Dubai for the first time 15 years ago as a tourist. Ten years ago I decided to buy a small residence to spend more time here, just for fun, and holidays with the family etc.

I was surprised at how beautiful Dubai was. I made lot of new friends and I also discovered a new business opportunity.

Now I have been resident in Dubai for almost eight years and I have my own company in the Free Zone, a small boat on The Palm, a few good friends at Emirates Golf Club and a fantastic life like never before.

What field of work are you in now?

Since 1992 I have had my own company in the Czech Republic named BRUDRA where we manufacture all types of uniforms with just over 50 employees.

Do you ever lack ideas when it comes to business?

Worse than that, I get even bigger ideas and I see the potential in combining activities between the UAE and the

Czech Republic on the basis of trade, leisure and golf. I have a vision for the Expo 2020 and other thoughts but ultimately it’s all about the team of people in the company and about the details that make this world.

As one matures, one begins to believe one‘s own ideas. When you’re young and you have visions, you don’t believe them yourself. It takes a long time before you convince yourself that they are really good. It’s another story to convince others How do you measure success?

The greatest success is if you find a person or people with whom you can share your path and be happy doing it.

That’s basic and everything else goes sort of hand-in-hand with it. The other thing is setting your values correctly. I know a lot of people who have really advanced in terms of work, who have made plenty of money, but they weren’t able to share this with anyone or enjoy it with anyone close to them. I am always surprised at how so many rich people are so stingy and relentlessly try to save money and purchase properties without enjoying anything. I don’t see the sense, or the satisfaction in that!

So how do you envision happiness?

Happiness to me is to understand my mission on this planet now in this life, and to find harmony and balance with everything else around and also to know myself.

What about your family life?

My wife is a golf pro and her most enjoyable time is playing the

Majlis course. My son and daughter finished studying at Raffles International School last year. They would like to continue their studies in Europe, in Prague but every three months they come back to Dubai as they enjoy it here and they love playing the Faldo and the Majlis.

When did you start playing golf and when did you join EGC? I started playing in 1999 and I joined EGC with my family in 2010.

What made you decide to join EGC and not one of the other golf clubs in Dubai?

From the first time I set eyes on the course and set foot in the Clubhouse I sensed the professionalism of the staff and the friendliness of the members. It was a very easy choice.

How could anyone say ‘no’ to entry to Paradise?

Why do you enjoy being a member here?

It’s true to say that I am really such a proud Emirates Golf Club member now. It’s just so difficult to explain how happy I am here.

Whenever I enter the main EGC gate, I only feel great happiness and I thank God for it.

What is your current handicap and your lowest?

Currently 18.3 lowest 14.1 What is your favourite golf course to play and why?

Majlis Course. It’s simply the best I feel so at home here Which celebrities would you most like to play golf with??

I would be happy to play with any celebrities but my personal choice of four-ball would be to play with friends like Rudolf, Moshe, Petr Jnr., Petr Snr., although I am always very happy to play a family foursome with my wife and with my son Pavel and daughter Paula Marie.

r’s Greenkeepe Cuttings

Greenkeeper’s Cuttings

19

Dear Members Thank you for your patience in allowing us to complete our maintenance on the Majlis Golf Course. It has gone very well with a combined 11,000 man hours from the maintenance crew over a period of 12 days to get done in time for opening. The greens have really had a good workout as you will see, and recovery has been very good indeed. For those of you who are away for the summer, we wish you a lovely break and look forward to you returning for the season ahead.

Good golfing!

Craig Haldane Director - Golf Course Maintenance

1

After mowing behind we use the Drill and Fill machine which literally drills 5/8” bits into the green to a depth of 12” to assist us with drainage and root development.

Verticutting the greens in multiple directions to remove any unwanted thatch over the season.

Next we hollow core the green using 5/8” hollow tines. This is so that we can work the new silica growing medium into the growing profile and relieve compaction plus improve drainage.

5 The matieral is then blown from the surface prior to brushing and applications of soil ammendments and a good water behind our flushing spray mix. Recovery takes ten to fourteen days.

6

8

Last day of closure.

Clean up day and all done and dusted ready for opening.

Incredible effort from the entire Golf Course Maintenance crew!

2 3

4

Scarify fairways and tees.

7

Cleaning material off fairways and tees.

We now topdress the green with clean silica sand which will get Next we hollow-worked into the profile.

TES CENTRAL A IR M E T A 14 0 2 P U WORLD C

24 Dear Members,

Fit Lab

Fit Lab would like to introduce the latest member to our team: Michael Lancaster

M

ichael 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 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.

COME AND PLAY PADEL

Our Challenge for you this month is:-

Are you missing a partner or opponents to fuel your Padel match? Let us know as we can arrange matches for you with as many players as you need of a similar level of skill.

TEST YOUR STRENGTH CHALLENGE - 10 exercises, 25 reps each in the quickest time possible, adding 25 reps each in the week for the four weeks!

To get involved in this challenge please see the Fit Lab team for more information Even during the quiet summer months we still have lots going on at Fit Lab. Our Nyla classes continue to grow and Lee Hurford Boxing Academy is steadily coming along. The demand for personal training is also on the increase and the latest addition to the schedule is assisted stretching which is proving to be very popular with our members. To find out more on these classes please call in and speak to one of our fitness professionals.

As always the Fit Lab team continues to do its very best in giving members what you need and want in order to achieve your goals so please feel free to contact any member of the team if you have any ideas or suggestions to make fitness more fun for you. The Fit Lab team is on hand to help you stay on the right track and get even better results than ever before.

I look forward to seeing you at the gym.

Healthy Regards, Andy Meech Head of Sport & Leisure

Are you new to Padel? Sign up to our weekly free trials and learn the basics of the game!!

For more information, contact: info@realracquetacademy.com +971561798324 Ana Lopez General Manager Real Racquet Academy

The End of the Ice Age

Corporate Wellness

Donna Masing Bespoke Wellness

M

ost of us have used the RICE routine at some point over the years which stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation and this has been a staple for injury management since the 1960s.

However, in the past few years more and more research has been done in the field of cryotherapy with surprising results.

By Annabel Sara Lynch

B

Recommendations from top therapists and sports scientists are to leave the ice behind and instead focus on gentle movements and compression to alleviate swelling caused by an injury.

We have been told for years that inflammation is bad, and whilst inflammation may cause some pain, it does play an important role in healing. The reconstruction phase that follows an injury is facilitated by proteins and antibodies carried through the blood as a part of the inflammatory response.

Applying ice to an injured part stops the inflammatory response completely, which we now know only delays the healing process, rather than expedite it.

While ice can help with pain relief, it’s still OK to apply it to an injured area but follow these rules 1. No more than ten minutes on 2. No more than three times 3. For no longer than six hours after an injury For more information on sports injury management, get in touch with Donna Masing, Soft Tissue Specialist by liking her Facebook page ‘Sports Massage Dubai’ or call to book a treatment with her on 055 372 4670.

MEMBERS’ NOTICE

Thank you for your understanding.

Bespoke Wellness uses a combination of cutting edge scientific methods combined with holistic health solutions to provide unique wellness services to organisations. Our range of solutions include stress management, nutrition and dietetics, medical testing and team building exercises. These can be conducted on-site or off-site and range from senior management packages to programmes that can be filtered throughout the whole organisation.

For a free assessment of your organisation’s wellness needs, please contact Bespoke Wellness on +971 55 372 4670.

Dear Members,

I

n order that we can continue to improve our service delivery to our members even further we are currently in the process of updating member photographs that we have stored on our system. Many of the images that we have were now taken some time ago and we would like to ensure that we have current images available.

P

lease note that it is mandatory that you bring your valid membership card with you whenever you would like to charge your account for all transactions made within the Club including dining, Pro Shop, Recreation, Golf Academy and Golf Reservations. Without your card, we will be unable to provide you with the members’ discount and close the bill to your account.

espoke Wellness offers tailored corporate wellness programmes to reduce stress, increase employee motivation and increase productivity.

A recent YouGov study in the UAE reported that 59% of UAE residents were stressed, with 65% of this being work related. It has also been estimated that around 60% of lost workdays each year can be attributed to stress. Employees experiencing elevated levels of stress make more mistakes, have trouble concentrating, can become disorganised and are less motivated towards their work. Current research shows that health-based interventions are effective at targeting employee stress levels as well as increasing performance and motivation.

In order to assist with this process we would appreciate it if you could take the time to send a current photograph (head and shoulders) of yourself and other family members attached to your membership to allow us to update our systems.

Please send photographs of yourself and any family members to marketing@dubaigolf.com with your full name. Please note that images will be used for internal purposes only and will not posted on our websites or used in any other public information.

Dubai Golf

26 Service Awards ice

of Serv Congratulations to all staff who were recipients Awards 2014!

MER? WHAT’S ON THIS SUM endar Summer Cal

July

mmer Series Saturday 26th Su August Friday 1st

4-Ball Shamble

pm Dubai Creek 1:30

ashreq Medal Saturday 2nd M Championship in

BMW and association with

ubai Harvey Nichols D

er Open ubai Creek Summ Saturday 16th D mmer Series Saturday 30th Su

Majlis 1:30pm

pm Dubai Creek 1:30

pm Dubai Creek 1:30 Majlis 1:30pm

EGC HONORARY MEMBERS’ NEWS

27 Honorary Members

David Howell became the second youngest player in history to make 500 appearances on the European Tour after opening with a round of 72 on the first day of the Alstom Open de France.

Congratulations to Emirates Golf Club Honorary Member Rory McIlroy on his great victory at the BMW PGA Championship with a final score of 14 under!

More congratulations to Rory on winning The Open at Royal Liverpool, Hoylake last week, his third career Major Championship!

What a superb performance with a total score of -17 to win by two strokes from Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia!

Gregory Havret, along with EGC Honorary Members, Rafael Cabrera Bello and Henrik Stenson lost in play-off to Fabrizio Zanotti in the BMW International Open Golf Club Gut Lärchenhof, Köln, Germany.

TALES FROM THE TOURS Wacky incident of the weekend of the Scottish Open was this scene with Miguel Angel Jimenez intentionally touching the sand with his club head while inspecting a bunker. He appeared to be rescuing a little mouse in the trap. The Spaniard obviously knows his rules inside out because he was not awarded a penalty after the incident. Rule 23 covers that if the mouse was dead, it’s treated as a loose impediment and cannot be removed but if alive, it can be removed from the bunker without penalty.

John Singleton, a 30-year old factory worker from Wirral, booked his place at The Open after winning a qualifier at Royal Liverpool Golf Club with a couple of borrowed wedges from a friend (deciding that his own wedges were in a dilapidated state!). Factory bosses have not only agreed to give the 30-year-old two weeks off to compete in the tournament but they have also paid for his colleagues to cheer him on at the course. The 30-year-old makes his living driving a forklift truck at a resin factory some ten minutes from Hoylake. It was his fiancée who persuaded him to try to qualify for The Open, with it being on the doorstep. ‘It’s every golfer’s dream to play in The Open and now it’s happening to me on my doorstep. It’s a bit overwhelming to be honest.’ To help get over the shock and awe, Singleton took a look around the course last week and at the magnificent wraparound grandstand on the 18th ‘I don’t think it’s going to hit me until I see the people in the stands,’ he said. ‘It’s just a dream come true.’

PINEHURST, N.C. Before he hit a shot in the U.S. Open, Erik Compton already had travelled a remarkable journey. He underwent his first heart transplant at the age of 12. He had another when he was 28, after driving himself to the hospital while suffering a near-fatal heart attack. Six years on from that traumatic experience, Compton turned in the greatest performance when he tied with Rickie Fowler for the runners-up spot behind winner Martin Kaymer at the US Open last month.

“My mom summed it pretty well the other night,” Compton remarked, “She said, ‘Erik’s a golfer with two transplants, not a transplant recipient who plays golf.’”

Club News

28

Members’ Questionnaire Fe

T

hank you to all members who recently completed the members’ questionnaire; we received 310 results which is slightly less than previous years but we did receive some excellent feedback.

Please find below comments on your frequently asked questions:

It is difficult to get a tee time on the Majlis course on the weekends As most of you will be aware, the Majlis course is more popular than the Faldo.

As our membership capacity is based on a 36-hole offering, there will always be members who are unable to secure a tee time on the Majlis course and play on the Faldo instead. For example, if 400 members wish to play the Majlis on a Friday with only 200 slots available then 50% of members will miss out on a Majlis game.

Please see below the play percentages of the Majlis course on weekends (Friday/ Saturday) from 1st October to 31st May: Weekends (1st October - 31st May) – Majlis Rounds: Members – 85% Member Guests – 10% Visitors – 5% Weekdays (1st October - 31st May) – Majlis Rounds: Members – 59% Member Guests – 9% Visitors – 32% Total Members - 72 % Member Guests – 9 % Visitors – 19% Back in December 2013 we also introduced the below measures to ensure as many tee times are available as possible for members at the weekends which are reflected in the percentages above.

• Friday and Saturday tee times were allocated exclusively to members in peak season periods.

• The ‘member only’ slots where members may not bring guests to join them on weekends was increased. This extension allowed more members access to tee times rather than members’ guests.

From 20th December 2013, the 08.0010.00 member block became 08.0011.00.

• The cancellation period of 48 hours remained in place; however the late cancellation/no show charge was increased to the member’s guest rate as a deterrent to cancelling last minute.

Visitors have more rights; members should have priority at weekends!

Members have a 10-day booking; visitors may book seven days in advance (note, for weekends, the Majlis in particular will be fully booked with a waitlist), also note as above no visitor allocation on the weekends since December 2013 (in the past, six tee times were reserved for visitors on a weekend day but this was removed last season).

Are restrictions on tee times at weekends for member guests necessary? It is very challenging for us to invite guests on weekends.

The above issue demonstrates that this policy is necessary.

Still many non-members are seen at the weekend and there is a perception that certain individuals have preferred booking rights The only non-members, particularly on the Majlis course, will be members’ guests.

Certain members do have preferred booking rights as follows:

• Current Captains and Vice-Captains may book 14 days in advance.

• Past captains may book 14 days in advance on six occasions during the season.

• Any member competing in a matchplay competition may book 11 days in advance.

Tee times are held back/blocked from members on weekends The only time this happens is for Member/ Open tournaments. There are occasions, if the entries are lower than expected, that times are released back to members post the ten-day booking window. When this occurs, members on the waitlist are contacted first. Many cancellations give the impression that times are held back, but this is not the case.

Late cancellations resulting in gaps on course The weekend cancellation period of 48 hours is actively enforced and the late cancellation/no show charge was increased to the member’s guest rate as a deterrent to cancelling last minute.

Constant offenders are now also monitored.

It is impossible to book on short notice This is correct particularly for weekends as your fellow members will have booked up to ten days in advance

The online booking system is not good enough A number of changes have been made to the system to facilitate the process.

Further developments will take place over the summer. The equation of 400 members wishing to play the Majlis on a Friday with only 200 slots available is the main obstacle, with 40 tee times booked within five minutes (06:05) this does lead to understandable frustration.

29 Club News

eedback

By Barney Coleman

Frequently the online system indicates the course is fully booked This is the one area that will be developed over the summer. If a member requests a time and then decides it is not suitable the time will be blocked for five minutes unless the user presses ‘CANCEL’ or ‘CONTINUE’. This will be amended to a 30-second delay.

Online booking should open later than 06.00 .. maybe 07.00?

In the past we have had a number of members mention not to move later due to conflict with school, work and other commitments.

Why don’t you show all the tee times and players on the online booking system This is possible but impractical. The main issues surrounding online bookings are for Fridays and Saturdays tendays in advance.

Over 40 tee times can be booked within four minutes; we are constantly striving to improve the efficiency and speed of this system but showing all the times and the names booked would negate this. By the time the screen shows all the times and your fellow members’ names it would have already changed as it is in constant transition. Once you consider the screen it will be out-dated by the time you are ready to book.

Majlis course is closed for corporate events A number of corporate events are staged on weekdays, generally a 13.00 shotgun start. No corporate events are hosted on weekends. Thursday is a popular afternoon but we generally host only two corporate events per month on the Majlis on a Thursday.

There are not enough members’ lockers and inadequate space for members’ guests to change in the visitor area Plans are being considered to increase the male locker room in size, resulting in more members’ lockers.

Central reservations/reception/ reservations not answering phones An automated switchboard may be rolled out in the near future. Members have been asked to facilitate reservations staff by, for example, putting in their scores for handicap purposes themselves as opposed to requesting the reservation team to do.

Poor quality lighting for night golf There are specific areas of the course that could be better lit, this will be an objective for the coming season.

There isn’t enough bag storage

Currently 300 bags are stored; we are looking at other storage options/units to take on more requests.

The number of corporate and other non member tournaments held at the club have increased The quantity of these events has remained consistent for the past two to three years.

Ladies’ locker room location is terrible Admittedly the location is far from ideal.

We will strive to improve the appearance of that area.

The GPS System is ‘way-off’ We aim to give the exact pin location every day as opposed to an area on

the green. This involves the golf course maintenance team pacing off the 36 pin locations for the following day. The marshals then upload this data wirelessly to the carts for the following day’s play.

There are occasions when carts don’t upload due to connection issues and as two human functions are involved. human error is possible (e.g. occasionally one or two pin positions are inaccurate). Note the GPS always shows the front, middle and back yardage of the green also.

More weekday competitions are needed This has been tried in the past with poor turnouts. Last season we ran a number of midweek staff/member matchplay challenges and the interest in these was also poor.

Fewer shotgun starts Particularly during peak season when daylight hours are short, shotgun starts maximise the capacity of the Majlis course. This is essential due to the main complaint of poor availability of the Majlis on weekends. Whenever we host an afternoon member or guest tournament we have a morning shotgun preceding it.

For the coming season we will look at a morning 2-tee start prior to an afternoon weekday shotgun. This will give members the option of teeing off between 07.0008:30 as opposed to 08.00.

Carts breaking down Last year we suffered a delivery issue of new batteries causing strain to the operation; this has now been rectified and systems put in place with suppliers to prevent future similar issues.

I welcome further feedback on the above points to improve the golf experience for all members. Please drop me an email on bcoleman@dubaigolf.com

e l o H h t 9 1

SNIPPETS

Past Lady Captain Brenda Cornwell and Roger recently visited Past Lady Captain Angela Connor and husband Bob in Wales where they played at the Connors’ home course Mychynys.

Spotted in GM Andrew Whitelaw’s home Club in Scotland…

Junior Club Champion…a long time ago!

Thanks to Johnny Aldridge for the photo

Our ‘famous’ retail manager, Keith Wilkes

Winner of Silver Division in the Aegean Pro-Am recently, was the team of Stathis Stathis, Nick Evangelopoulos and Haris Michaelides with Lady Professional, Anja Monke. Congratulations!

I posted a photos in Club Life last month of our John Bishop lookalike Retail Manager, Keith Wilkes meeting the man himself and that picture has now made the Graham Norton show in UK. Check out the link below http://youtu.be/radUcx6T_0g

HAPPY VIDEO Dubai Golf colleagues from Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club dance to Happy by Pharrell Williams!

If you have not seen this video yet, do take a look; it features staff from all departments from EGC and from the Creek as you have never seen them before!!

Congratulations to EGC member Drummond Welsh who was the lucky winner of the Club Night Accumulator draw on July 7th, winning AED 6500

Here’s the link…. http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=iQ2uMONO3kA

Chelsea and England defender Gary Cahill and former Scotland Rugby Union Captain Rory Lawson enjoyed watching the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final at Emirates Golf Club!

U H 1

​ irthday boys, B Drummond Welsh and Mike Tracey celebrating their Birthdays in M’s restaurant!​ Congratulations to long-time EGC member, Victoria Nektheden who married Andreas Johansen in Italy recently.

Justin Rose named the 8th Hole on the Majlis at Emirates Golf Club as one of his nine favourite holes around the world in a great video by British Airways!

Nice evening setting at EGC

Uday Sinha Hole 15 : Majlis 10th June 2014

Ian Ellis Hole 15 : Majlis

Bruno Muller Hole 11 : Majlis 13th June 2014

Sang Woo Park Hole 12 : Faldo Course 6th June 2014

Dine At Spike Bar This Summer Monday Quiz Night Test your knowledge at Emirates Golf Club’s weekly quiz night every Monday from 8pm. Arrive early and indulge in Spike Bar’s delicious buffet for just AED 115 per person or AED 285 per person including selected house beverages.

Meat Feast Thursday Calling all meat lovers, visit Spike Bar on Thursdays between 6pm and 10.30pm for a meat feast! For just AED 175, indulge in two strip loin steaks and two glasses of house grape.

Friday Rib Night Tuck into unlimited pork ribs and a bottle of hops for just AED 115 per person, served every Friday in Spike Bar between 6pm and 10.30pm.

Weekend Sports Night Enjoy live sports and great food at Spike Bar every Saturday and Sunday from 5pm to 10pm. Choose any dish from our Weekend Sports snack menu and sit back and relax with one pint for AED 75.

Early Bird Breakfast This summer, enjoy Spike Bar’s early bird breakfast served daily between 6am and 8am. Grab a bacon and egg bap and a Starbucks coffee for AED 30 – ideal before your round!