Club Life February 2013 by Jacqui Barry

Editor: Jacqui Barry egc@dubaigolf.com

EBRUary

ISSUE 28, F

2013

MEN’S CLUB CHAMPION 2012 – 2013 Pontus Fredriksson

ongratulations to our newly crowned Omega Dubai Desert Classic Champion, Stephen Gallacher. As usual this was another successful Desert Classic event and a thoroughly enjoyable few days of golf for spectators.

Next month sees the 25th Anniversary of Emirates Golf Club. The official opening date was 8th March 1988 and some members were there on opening day with their application forms and cheques at the ready. In those days, Emirates Golf Club was, as we considered it, the furthest point away from the hub of Dubai but, at the same time, having the first grassed golf course in the UAE was a major milestone. If one considers how it has evolved in 25 years and the events that have happened, the visitors we have had both in terms of tourists and famous people, it really is amazing. The iconic Clubhouse, representing Bedouin tents looks as impressive as ever and the course, designed by Karl Litten is still, for me, the best in the UAE…but then again, I may be biased on that one! So next month will see a month of celebration with the Members’ 25th Anniversary party on 18th March and the 25th Anniversary Golf Day on 22nd March so please put these dates in your diaries as they are sure to be fun events.

J Christopher May

Barney Coleman

Golf Services Manager bcoleman@dubaigolf.com

Julian Danby

Senior Manager - Commercial & Business Development jdanby@dubaigolf.com

Jacqui www.dubaigolf.com

Club Manager awhitelaw@dubaigolf.com

Craig Haldane, our Director of Course Maintenance, and his young assistant Luke Partridge, deserve all the congratulations in the world for putting the Majlis into such great shape. With total passion and relentless effort they thwarted the infection on the greens and all the professional golfers were absolutely amazed and delighted by the condition of the course. Andrew Matthews and his team of Marshals did a great job and Andy’s personal touch and sense of belonging he gave every marshal was really appreciated. The aftergolf party and the atmosphere of the tournament would not be complete without the stellar work of the F&B team who worked very long hours under extreme pressure and with a smile. Steen, Andre, Camille, and your absolutely awesome team…..this list is endless. So well done guys, all of you make us so proud.

Chef Max Grenard

Andy Meech

Culinary Director mgrenard@dubaigolf.com

Head of Sport and Leisure ameech@dubaigolf.com

Adele Cowgill

For those who visited the ‘Members’ Only’ chalet on the 16th green, during the tournament, it was a huge success. Full marks to Andrew and his team for making it most joyful. The bonhomie and spirit, were truly of great carmaderie and truly worthy of our great Club. I must compliment Kate Adams for putting this together with such flair in such a short space of time, and the entire staff for running it perfectly. We all had a great time in our ‘own’ chalet.

Craig Haldane

Marketing & Director - Golf Course Communications Manager Maintenance acowgill@dubaigolf.com chaldane@dubaigolf.com

A lot of issues have been in discussion with EGC management to enhance the membership experience. The Spike Bar Terrace will now be reserved exclusively for members on Fridays and Saturdays in the cooler

Kate Philips

Membership Manager kphillips@dubaigolf.com

Food and Beverage Manager ssimon@dubaigolf.com

Now that the Professional tournaments are over, we can look forward to enjoying our courses in pristine condition with no interruptions. Enjoy the golf and the wonderful seasonal weather.

oyful January has gone and we are into another month in the New Year - time really flies, and life races past. The Omega Dubai Desert Classic has come and gone too, with a worthy winner in Stephen Gallacher. There were not many leading players, yet a fun filled week. The Challenge Match went back to the Jebel Ali course and it was a decadent afternoon like old times. Indeed this was a good move.

Andrew Whitelaw

Chief Executive Officer cmay@dubaigolf.com

Steen Simon

The course under construction 1987

Dear All,

Ganesh Mangathil

In House Publishing Manager gmangathil@dubaigolf.com

Chef Benoit Cart

Executive Sous Chef bcart@dubaigolf.com

Saeed Ahamed

Financial Controller mahamed@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

Stephen Deane

Head Academy Professional sdeane@dubaigolf.com

A DIVISION (HCP. 0-10) WINNER Jignesh Sangani RUNNER - UP Pontus Fredriksson THIRD Tarun Khanna BEST GROSS Pontus Fredriksson

71 72 73 72

B DIVISION (HCP. 11-20) WINNER Stathis Stathis RUNNER - UP Anand Lakhiani THIRD Rabih Sfeila

68 75 77

C DIVISION (HCP. 21-34) WINNER Prem Amarnani

Resident Engineer hpalliyalil@dubaigolf.com

Follow Emirates Golf Club on Facebook for the latest news, views and special offers. We already have over 7,000 likes. Follow us on Twitter@emiratesgc

We now get into Fun February, where the ethos is to leave the golf courses open to members. Therefore, hardly any tournaments are planned in February and the course is available in pristine condition after the Desert Classic. Hope you all save your energy because Manic March is only 28 days away. We begin on 1st March with the Kohlman Cup and then there’s a tournament or two every week. We really get into the month of Manic March with, I hope, a successful day. We then have the Members’ Annual Party on 18th March. On the 22nd is the Silver Anniversary Golf Day which will be a great celebration. We are also starting a regular tournament against Montgomerie Golf Club. The format and entry/ selection process will be transparent and we shall announce it soon. So have a great month, and should any of you like to play golf with Andrew and me, we would be delighted to arrange it. Cheers Moshe Kohli Captain

Mashreq Bank to Sponsor Dubai Golf Monthly Medals Series

Monthly Medal Friday, 4th January 2013

Haridas Palliyalil

9999 9800 9801 9850 9875 9820

MEN’S COMPETITION RESULTS

Keith Wilkes

Retail Manager kwilkes@dubaigolf.com

months. The food and beverage pricing across the board is being reviewed and reductions will be visible this month. The issue of the crows is being addressed with total commitment and we should have noticeable relief soon. Food items in the huts are under trial and we shall soon have simpler offerings as approved by the MCC. Flood lighting has been installed and distance markers have been placed at the members’ end of the Majlis driving range. The variety of items in the Pro Shop is also under review. I must sincerely thank wasl and EGC management for their efforts to address issues which affect all of us on a daily basis.

lumn

With our courses closed prior to the Desert Classic, some members, myself included, took the opportunity to play other courses in the area, including Abu Dhabi National where the Abu Dhabi Championship was held as part of the Desert Swing and also the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, home to the Race to Dubai World Championship. Playing these courses in the conditions that the Professionals played, really emphasizes the quality of golf they play. They made it look so easy to hit balls out of the thick rough when, in reality, for many of us amateurs, it was not possible to hit clean shots out of these areas. I suspect it will be the same for us on the Majlis as the course re-opens for play. I think a good score is only possible if you are able to avoid the rough altogether!

Emirates Golf Club Senior Management

Captains Co

Editorial

Pontus Fredriksson with Moshe Kohli

Event to be held in association with BMW

ashreq Bank has come on board as the title sponsor for the 2013 Monthly Medals Series that will be held across both Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club starting from January. BMW, long standing supporter of the Monthly Medals at both clubs is continuing its association with this prestigious series. Christopher May, CEO, Dubai Golf commented, “In 2013, both Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club will be celebrating their 25th and 20th anniversaries respectively. As this is a landmark year for the clubs we have taken the opportunity to transform the clubs’ most prestigious series of events - ‘The Monthly Medals’into a championship league format and have renamed the series as ‘The Mashreq Bank Medal Championship in association with BMW’. Over a 12 month period there will be a total of 22 monthly medals across the two Dubai

Golf managed clubs. The first event for the Emirates Golf Club members took place on January 4th on the Faldo Course and on January 12th at the scenic Dubai Creek Course for the Dubai Creek members. During the months of July and August there will also be joint medals where Dubai Creek members compete against Emirates members and vice versa. Both clubs will run separate order-of-merits and the top 36 players in both order-of-merits will win a place in the grand final. Speaking about this sponsorship Ambar Brahmachary, Head of Marketing & Customer Experience Mashreq commented,” The Mashreq Medal Championship celebrates UAE residents’ passion for a great sport, and we are pleased to show our support for the event through our sponsorship. From its most gripping moments to the final victory, we look forward to enjoying every swing, chip, and putt of the event as much as we trust our customers and players will. We look forward to being a part of other such distinctive sporting events in the future and wish all those participating in The Mashreq Medal Championship the very best.”

www.dubaigolf.com

4 Club News

The January calendar began as always with the New Year’s Day Scramble. Committing to play on New Year’s Day is crucial in making sure we don’t over indulge the night before! However, the refreshing welcome drinks on the first tee were very much appreciated. On such a beautiful day, I’m sure everyone who took part thoroughly enjoyed being out on the Majlis. Janet and Bob Curtis along with Andrew Robinson and Lan Peterson took the honours with a fantastic 58.9. In the runnersup spot, myself, Andrew Hendry, Philip Head and Barbara Head, beating third place by only 0.2. with Chris and Alex Turlik, Daniel Hendry and John Stadwick being awarded third place, Congratulations to all!

Pontus Fredriksson receiving his trophy from Club Captain Moshe Kohli MEN’S CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP 11th & 12th January 2013

Seniors’ Champion Charlie Stricklin with Club Captain Moshe Kohli

2013 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

SENIORS’ CHAMPIONSHIP Friday, 12th January 2013 SENIORS CHAMPION Charlie Stricklin RUNNER UP Jignesh Sangani THIRD Nick Evangelopoulos OVER 60’S CATEGORY WINNER Tony Hutchinson NET DIVISION BEST NET Vijay Devnani SECOND NET Hiromasa Tsuji THIRD NET Ed Hesson

The Ladies’ section started the year with the January Medal on the Majlis. As the course was being prepared for the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, conditions were always going to be testing, with the rough being grown for added difficulty. Not deterring us, Carolyn Thompson, Maura Duggan and Fiona Munro won their respective divisions with Jayshree Gupta winning best gross with a very respectable 80. Well done!

Gross 78 Gross 79 Gross 79 Gross 82 Net 67 Net 69 Net 69

Pontus Fredriksson Eddie Hesson Inaan Budhiraja

Gross 76+73 = 149 Gross 80+77 = 157 Gross 84+74 = 159

Rashid Ali Conor Keegan

Gross 77+83 = 160 Gross 83+79 = 162

Ed Hesson Anand Kapoor Andrew Robinson Johnny Aldridge Stephen Jones Arjun Kapur

Gross 90+86 = 176 Gross 93+86 = 179 Gross 78 Gross 77 Net 72 Net 63

For some light relief, the 3 Clubs and a Putter competition was the following Monday. Not all of our Ladies enjoy playing the more serious tournaments on a Monday, i.e. the Medals, so it’s always fair to include something for everyone in the calendar. I certainly enjoy not having to think about what club to use all the time and to be honest, it doesn’t seem to affect the score too much! The Pro Shop staff were kind enough to display some of their new ladies’ clothes on the par 3’s and they also sponsored the ‘nearest the pin’ prizes with shirts from the participating brands so a big thank you to them as it was a lovely surprise for all the prize winners. Rosemary Turlik and Sandra Chia won their divisions with our overall winner being Kiyono

WHAT’S ON AT EGC IN FEBRUARY? GOLF EVENTS

Monday

Ladies’ Medal 08.30 Majlis

Monday

Ladies’ Competition 08.30 Faldo

Thursday

Emirates Amateur Open Round 1 06.30 - 16.00 Faldo

Friday

Emirates Amateur Open Round 2 06.30 - 16.00 Majlis

Taniuchi with 36 points. (See what I mean about the scores?). A lot of fun was had by all! With December’s Medal cancelled, it was decided to hold this on the 21st January, making sure we scheduled enough Medals during the season. Fiona Munro continued her winning form in Bronze division with a net 73, with Elaine Belcher winning Silver’B. Naema Maya had a particularly strong day, collecting both the silver ‘A’ and best gross prizes, so big congratulations! Lunch followed as usual and being so close to Burn’s Night, Lynne Whitelaw very kindly provided delicious Scottish tablet. Thank you Lynne!

5 in’s Lady Capta Message

fter the busy festive season, it’s always good to get back into the routine of Club Life!

When this goes to print, the Omega Dubai Desert Classic Champion will have been crowned. Such an exciting time at the Club, rubbing shoulders with the professionals and having the opportunity to really witness how the wonderful game of golf should be played. Thoroughly enjoyable! Due to commitments, I have altered the calendar slightly with the Camel Trophy now being held on April 15th. February 25th will now be a Pairs Betterball competition. I hope this doesn’t inconvenience anyone too much. Congratulations to our Men’s Club Champion, Pontus Fredriksson and to our Senior Men’s Champion Charlie Stricklin! Lady Captain’s Charity Day is to be held on March 11th and I am still looking for a deserving local charity for us to support. If you have any suggestions please contact me on glynis.hendry1@yahoo.com. I will be making my final decision within the next few weeks. Raffle tickets will of course be available, with donations, raffle prizes and sponsorship required as always. Looking forward to everyone’s very generous and continued support. Many thanks, Glynis Hendry Lady Captain

LADIES’ COMPETITION RESULTS

Monday

Ladies’ Camel Trophy 08.30 Majlis

3 CLUBS and A PUTTER Monday 14th January 2013 OVERALL WINNER Kiyono Taniuchi SILVER DIVISION (0-14) WINNER Rosemary Turlik BRONZE DIVISION (15-23) WINNER Sandra Chia

SOCIAL EVENTS emirates Golf Club

36 Pts 34 Pts 33 Pts

MeMbers Pro AM Monthly Medal Monday 7th January 2013 Put your golf skills to the test with a 9 hole Pro Am with The Academy Golf Professionals on the Faldo course on Thursday 28th February, with tee times from 6.05pm to 6.50pm. Enjoy a prizegiving and refreshments after play on the terrace at M’s restaurant. Simply fill in your details below to guarantee your place, we look forward to seeing you there!

Tuesday 19th February, 8pm – 9.30pm Participate in this exclusive outing for Emirates Golf Club members by completing your details and signing on the form below. The cost is AED 475 per person. Spaces are limited to 25 participants. Name

Membership number

Mobile number

Email address

Sign to charge to Membership Account

Name

www.dubaigolf.com

4 5

Membership number

Email address

Telephone number

SILVER ‘A’DIVISION (HCP. 0 – 14) Winner Carolyn Thompson Runner Up Jayshree Gupta Overall Best GrosS Jayshree Gupta SILVER B’ DIVISION (HCP. 15 –23) Winner Maura Duggan Runner Up Fiona Berry BRONZE DIVISION (HCP. 24 –42) Winner Fiona Munro

Net 70 Net 72 Gross 80 Net 70 Net 73 Net 73

Overall winner Kiyono Taniuchi receiving her prize from Lady Captain Glynis Hendry

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Monthly Medal Monday, 21st January

Net 70 Net 73 Net 73

Gross and Net Medal winner, Naima Maya with Glynis Hendry

MIXED COMPETITION RESULTS NEW YEAR’S DAY SCRAMBLE 1st January 2013 WINNERS Robert & Janet Curtis, Lan Peterson, Andrew Robinson RUNNERS-UP Andy & Glynis Hendry, Barbara & Philip Head THIRD Chris & Alex Turlik, John Stadwick, Daniel Hendry NEAREST THE PINS Ladies 13th Chris Dyball Men 8th Eric Koeman

58.9 59.5 59.7

Spotlight on

Inaan Budhiraja

’ve been playing the game of golf for the last two years. As we all know, it can be quite frustrating at times. The reason I love this game is because I’ve progressed from a beginner to a low handicapper in these two years. I began to take the game seriously within four months of starting, when I finally felt my swing coming together. I was unsuccessful in gaining any merit for the first year but in the last six months, things have changed. I have become much better and more solid as a player, thanks to the great work with the duo of Alan Walters on fitness and Mark Gregson-Walters on golf. As we all

Club News

Net 67 Net 72 Gross 78

Junior Link

SILVER ‘A’DIVISION (HCP. 0 – 14) Winner Naema Maya Runner Up Najla Bartette Overall Best Gross Naema Maya SILVER “B” DIVISION (HCP. 15 –23) Winner Elaine Belcher Runner Up S.L. Rim BRONZE DIVISION (HCP. 24 –42) Winner Fiona Munro

know today golf as a game requires as much fitness as any other sport. Lately I’ve manage to snatch a few podium positions which has made me think more seriously about the game and where I want to take it. My basic aim and goal, which Mark and I have established, is to become a better player mentally and physically and the rewards will come on their own. Last but not least, I would like to thank the Club for providing me with such great facilities and equipment to use. I will continue to share my experiences and (hopefully) successes with my home club.

Andrew Robinson, Lan Peterson, Robert and Janet Curtis

Asia v Rest of the World

Rest of the World Secure Narrow Victory

he annual match play championship between Asia and Rest of the World produced a terrific contest over the Faldo Course. The Rest of the World team, captained by Dick Purchase, secured a one point victory over Asia. There were 18 points up for grabs for the 72 strong field and it was Purchases’ team that prevailed by clinching 9.5 points to Asia’s 8.5. The stand-out performers for the Rest of the World outfit were, Maureen & Robert Platt, Chris & Tony Hutchinson and Alan & Lorraine Main, all with comprehensive victories. Rohit Gupta, the Asian team captain, handed Dick Purchase the trophy to make the overall score in the series 4-2 to Asia. Club Vice Captain/Rest of the World Captain, Dick Purchase receiving the trophy from Rohit Gupta, Asia Team Captain

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Also in the prizes were Jacqui Barry, Maureen Platt, Tony Hutchinson and Surjeet Namli for their accuracy on the nearest the pin prize holes. The longest drive prizes were won by Chris Purchase and Jega.

Maho Hayakawa

Update on - former EGC Junior

t’s been a while since we left Dubai in 2009. I hope everyone is well and enjoying their lives in Dubai especially at EGC! Many changes have taken place in the past three years and a half since I left; I love my life right now, as I am attending Mike Bender Elite Golf Academy in Lake Mary, Florida. In June 2009, my parents and I moved back to Tokyo, and a year later, we moved again, this time to Mexico. Back then, I was struggling a lot with my game, but luckily, I met a coach, Dylan Ross, who helped me get to where I needed to be. I worked with him for the two years I was living there, and as I improved, FMG (Federacion Mexicana de Golf) started giving me opportunities to compete in international tournaments as a Mexican representative. These experiences inspired me, and I became more ambitious to compete in a bigger field as the Federation gave me more chances. Although I will never be a Mexican, being able to play for a country was really amazing, and helped me bring my game to the next level. This summer, I shot 70-74-80-75 (+11) to come in T-2 in a field of almost 150 girls in the Optimist International Junior Championship. This achievement was very important for me; playing under-par on the first day gave me new confidence, and this result was also a huge improvement from the previous year when I did not even make the cut. Straight after the event, I moved

on to Lake Mary Preparatory School in Florida. In two of the first few tournaments I played this season, I managed to shoot under-par. In September, I shot 68-68 (-6 and a month later shot 74-68 (-2), both to win. My wedge-game has been improving significantly and my swing is more technically sound than before. Although managing school and golf is extremely challenging, I have managed to keep both under control so far. I have been looking at several colleges and on top of my list are University of Virginia, Northwestern University and University of Pennsylvania. I loved my life in both Japan and Mexico, and even more I love my life in the States. However, I miss Dubai, and especially Emirates Golf Club, my second home. Hopefully, I will get a chance in the future to visit Dubai again, so I can see everyone and play on my favourite golf course!

www.dubaigolf.com

ACADEMY NEWS

hroughout the year The Academy will compete in a variety of match play and strokeplay events against the UAE National Junior Development team. The first of these matches took place on Monday 14th of January on the Par 3 Academy course. The event was a huge success with some impressive scoring from both The Academy and the National team players. The goal of these events is to create a competitive platform for our Junior

members as well as Academy and National team players to compete. The Academy was proud to have five Junior members compete in the first match of the season and all produced impressive scoring against the National team. Junior E.G.C Team Members Alex Turlik James Baxter Hugo Garcia Mark Baxter Blair Lightbody

ofile

eek JuonmiomritLtin C

9 Member Pr

8 The plan is to eventually move these matches away from the Par 3 Academy course and onto the larger 18 hole course as the Juniors’ games and scoring progress throughout the season. We look forward to an exciting season ahead as well as the continued support from the Juniors and parents. Stephen Deane Head Academy Professional

Hal and Jane

Hemmerich Where were you living before coming to Dubai? We came from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where we lived for 30 years before coming to Dubai. How long have you been in Dubai? We’ve been in Dubai since 2003. Do you have family members here? We have two sons, Steele and Dain who are here with us. That makes Dubai truly home for us. What brought you here? Our first visit was to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. We stayed at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel which we thought was absolutely beautiful. It was also July and we thought it was incredibly hot - coming from Canada 20 degrees Celsius is a hot summer day! The second visit was business related. We came, as most people do, to stay for a couple of years and here we are, well past a couple of years with no plans to leave anytime soon. What were your first impressions of life in Dubai? When we first came to set up house we lived in Mirdif. We had two big Mastiff dogs who needed space to run and at that time Mirdif was a sleepy little village surrounded by sand dunes. There was very little traffic in that area and Emirates Road had just opened to traffic. There were many days when we first arrived that we would be one of just a handful of cars on Emirates Road. Planet Hollywood on Sheikh Zayed was still a major landmark. It was a world away from the mountains and the forests of British Columbia but it didn’t take us long to feel very comfortable here. We arrived just as the boom times began. It was fascinating

Meet the staff at In-House Publishing

l to r: Ibrahim, Vinod, Ajith, Mohsin, Muna, Ganesh - IHP Manager, Satheesh, Eugene and Radha

to count cranes everyday but it was also terrifying to travel on Emirates Road beside the trucks full of rocks heading to build the Palm. Now we marvel at the infrastructure. It is staggering how many new hotels, new restaurants, new entertainment venues have opened since we first arrived and though there was a lull for a few years, Dubai seems to be gearing up again and the traffic is back.

What made you want to join EGC? Hal’s brother was a member and he introduced us to the Club. Club Night was our first experience. We thought it terribly unfair there were no ice hockey questions included and we had no idea cricket was considered a real sport (Hal said that)! Being so far from home, the Club had such a welcoming sense of community and the golf course was the only green

space around. We have made so many friends over the years and have enjoyed so many special occasions there. I learned to golf in the Beginners’ Ladies Group with 23 other ladies new to the game. Hal thoroughly enjoys the tournaments and traditional competitions especially the Talker Cup. Where else on earth could you stand so close to world-class golfing talent and follow the play so intently but here at the Desert Classic. The Club and its facilities have significantly added to the quality of life we enjoy in Dubai. We felt it was a special place when we joined and we still feel the same way. Tell us about your game. When asked the question “When did you start playing golf?” Hal always replies, “I haven’t really started playing golf. I am just practising hitting the ball.” My game is a work in progress. That being said we both really enjoy playing golf together and we especially enjoy playing golf as a family. It is a great way to spend a day together. I cannot tell you the number of times we have been out on one of the courses on a beautiful sunny day, looked at each other and wondered how a guy from Uranium City, Saskatchewan and a girl from Gimli, Manitoba got so lucky.

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AT THE OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

Dubai Golf’s CEO, Chris May with Rock legend, Alice Cooper who played in the Dubai Desert Classic Pro-Am

Omega Dubai Desert Classic underway!

Thomas Levet celebrated his longevity in the game when he teed it up on the first day of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic for his 500th appearance in a European Tour event

England’s Paul Casey led the DUBAL team to a narrow victory in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic Pro Am (morning shotgun)

EGC members enjoying Omega hospitality!

The Hubert Privé exhibition will be at EGC until December 2013. Special rates are granted to EGC members and Creek members for all sculptures and small items

The Dubai Duty Free team, led by Shane Lowry of Ireland, took the honours in the afternoon Pro Am, with a score of 20-under. The three amateurs in the team included George Horan, Niall McLoughlin and Ara Nakhnikian

Hubert is a very well known French artist and has been appointed official golf artist by the French federation for the Ryder Cup 2018 photos courtesy of Pascale Despieres

The bean bags in the members’ chalet were obviously too comfortable

Sam Torrance and Golf Art Sculptor, Hubert Privé with one of his creations

Hubert Privé with Mohammed Juma Buamim

Kate’s interior design project! It looked fantastic!

Jenny Ayres & Barbara Fotheringham with fellow Scot, Stephen Gallacher

Sergio Garcia and Ignacio Garrido trying out Padeltennis at EGC

Hubert Privé with 2014 European Ryder Cup Team Captain, Paul McGinley

Club News

12 GALLACHER LANDS

OMEGA DUBAI DESERT

CLASSIC WITH EAGLE

Go with the Pro to

25th Anniversary Photos

tephen Gallacher needed to produce something special to track down an ominously charging Richard Sterne. Holding a stunning eagle on the 16th did the trick for the Scotsman, who, in the end, won the Omega Dubai Desert Classic with a healthy margin of three shots on the final day at Emirates Golf Club. A good three shots ahead of his playing partner from South Africa going into the final round, Gallacher closed with a 71 to go 22-under for the tournament, equaling the tournament’s lowest 72-hole score recorded by Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn when he beat Tiger Woods in 2001. It was Scotsman’s first win on the European Tour since the 2004 Alfred Dunhill Links, a gap of eight years and 116 days. “I’m obviously delighted. It’s taken a long time, but it’s sweeter now. I’m maturing with age hopefully,” he said after receiving the winner’s trophy from Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in the presence of Mohamed Juma Buamaim, vice chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAi. Gallacher’s victory margin, however, hardly reflects on the drama that unfolded on the final day. Back-to-back bogeys on the opening two holes by the Scotsman threw open the race, allowing Sterne to draw level when he chipped to two feet on the second for a birdie. The lead kept changing hands as the round wore on, but stars, it seemed, were perfectly aligned for Gallacher who virtually settled the issue when he eagled the 16th, holing a sand wedge from 115 yards.

that these days to win,” Gallacher said. “The scoring is so low and the players are so good that you need that little bit of magic,” said Gallacher whose caddie Damie Moore celebrated his 42nd birthday on the final day. With the win, Gallacher moves into the top 60 of the world rankings and in a strong position to qualify for the World Golf Championships for the first time. Felipe Aguilar of Chile (69) and Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark (71) finished five shots back in a tie for third. Eighth-ranked Lee Westwood (68) and Marcus Fraser (67) of Australia were a further shot back in fifth. With Gallacher and Sterne dropping shots early on, several players attempted to make a run none more so than Westwood. Nine shots out at the start of play, the Englishman had three birdies on the front nine including a chipin on the 7th. He had two more to start the back nine but then hit a poor chip on the 12th for bogey. Westwood started rolling again with two more birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 and narrowly missed a third on the 16th when his approach rolled to within two feet but he missed the putt. Westwood birdied the 17th to draw within three shots of Gallacher but bogeyed the last after his second shot hit the green and rolled back in the water.

It was his fifth eagle of the week - the first came when he sank a seven iron at the sixth on day one - and when Sterne three-putted again the gap was suddenly four. And it was all over for Sterne.

“Overall, I played lovely and made a lot of birdies. There’s not really a weakness in the game at the moment, so, yeah, looking forward to the season ahead,” said Westwood.

“I’ve holed four shots this week but then again you have to do

Report by Viren Verma, golf in DUBAi

Hole No 10 under construction

Curtisy Cup 1992 (only three ladies still here - Team Europe: Margaret Bain, middle row, 2nd from right; Jacqui Barry, front row, 4th from left; Jacqui Josephson, front right)

Emirates Golf Club Members’ Trip to Banyan, Thailand 11th – 16th March 2013 Join our Academy Golf Professional this spring on a fantastic five night golfing break to the luxurious Banyan Golf Resort in Hua Hin, Thailand. • Five nights in a luxury villa with jacuzzi or private pool, includes daily breakfast • Two rounds of golf at Banyan Golf Club • One round of golf at both Black Mountain Golf Course and Palm Hills Golf Club • Welcome Night and Farewell Evening Dinners Accompanying you on this trip is Mark Bruce, Golf Professional from The Academy at Emirates Golf Club. Mark will be on hand throughout the trip, giving you the opportunity to work on your game in the idyllic surrounds of the Hua Hin region.

r EGC Pros Some of ou GM tt Gray, now lio El , ld aherty, Greg Schofie Fl n ia dr A , anches of Arabian R f in DUBAi’ now with ‘gol

It’s a Knock-out competition at the pool, 1988, organised by Tom & Jacqui Barry and Peter Bruce. right: Paul Thornberry

What better way to work on your golf game! For more information or to make a booking, please contact Mark Bruce on +971 56 115 6201 or email mbruce@dubaigolf.com.

It’s a Knock-out competition l to r: Paula Johnstone, Lawson Spedding, Frank Johnstone, Danny & Rachel Kilgallon

New Year’s Day 1989 ‘Swim the Lake’ from the far end of the 9th to the 18th greenside. 2nd from left, former EGC Manager, Andrew Millar

19th HOLE

Jumeirah Group recently held a reception at the Burj Al Arab to honour Rory McIlroy’s five-year association with them. CEO of Dubai Golf, Chris May, presented Rory with a replica of the Dubai Desert Classic Trophy which was his maiden European Tour win

Snippets

All-Ireland Champions Donegal Football Team and Galway Senior Hurling team

Comedian, Michael McIntyre was on holiday in Dubai last month and decided to try his hand at golf by having a lesson with EGC Pro, Mark Bruce

Congratulations to Marian Pavey who had a Holein-One on the Majlis 7th on New Year’s Day.

Congratulations to Lucy Villacorta (ladies’ locker room) and Guus Driessen who got married in Sri Lanka on 8th January 2013

It was a sad day at EGC last month when a farewell presentation was made to Jun who had worked at the Club for many years in his roles of bag storage supervisor and also checking and computing all competition score cards. Best wishes for the future Jun - you will certainly be missed by staff and members at EGC

Andrew & Grainne Whitelaw

Glynis & Andy Hendry

Le Classique was recently nominated as one of the top three best French restaurants in Dubai by What’s On magazine resulting in being highly recommended All M’s service and kitchen team members were also congratulated by Chef Max for achieving 100% score at international service check - the best performance of all Dubai Golf outlets

Chris & Clare May

The team members each received a certificate and Chef Max made a speech to thank them for their efforts

Tom Barry

Some EGC ladies played in the Stoncor Ladies’ Greensomes at Sharjah Wanderers Golf Club recently (sponsored by EGC member Joe Hanson) Congratulations to EGC prize-winners 3rd Place Angela Connor and Ivy Bailey 35 points 4th Place Elise Hanson and Josie Bushnell 35 points Best Gross Ashley Anderson and Sandy Meyer

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Two members, Raji Kohli and Robert Curtis, enjoyed their birthday celebrations in Le Classique last month

The 10th hole on the morning of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic final day. Congratulations to Craig Haldane and his greenkeeping team for maintaining the Majlis course in such superb condition throughout the tournament.

Gerald & Neasa Lawless

Stathis Stathis

Moshe & Raji Kohli

Greenkeeper’s Cuttings

s you would have experienced during the festive period, we had our hands full with some of the greens following the Ladies Masters and leading into the Desert Classic and on this note, I want to personally extend my thanks to the entire membership for their patience, support and understanding during this period. I know the greens were not rolling up to their regular standard as we simply had to lay off them during this time to ensure we did nothing to further harm them leading up to the event. Thanks to your support we were in a position to present the greens as well as we possibly could for the tournament. We overseeded the Majlis as is traditionally done for the season, but did so for this first time after the Ladies event. There were two reasons for this decision, primarily focused on our membership and their experience on the golf course. Typically when we overseed in late October/early November you are playing through the grow-in during our peak season. We also need a longer time to close the course as the Bermuda is a lot more competitive and the preparation is a lot more difficult and intense. This season we decided to overseed

Ba y rne

Ask

when the conditions were more favourable and the results were outstanding. We only closed the course for four days and we were open again for play. The germination this season is as good as I have seen and this is largely due to the cooler temperatures and less competition from the Bermuda, as well as the fantastic irrigation system we now have, ensuring great coverage and enabling the germination to be smooth and even across the entire course. I foresee this practice continuing; however with the germination as good as it has been, we need to experience the transition first to fully appreciate the impact and to see if we need to slightly adjust timing or rate of seed for the end of this year. The Faldo has been getting a lot of play this year with rounds significantly up compared with last year. The conditions through the winter period thus far have been fair to middling. Considering that the night time temperatures have been as cold as they are, the Paspalum is handling the traffic reasonably well. Greens have performed well too, and were not overseeded this season either. Once again, we are trying to find the best scenario in terms of areas to seed that suits playing surfaces best. We seeded the embankment on the 7th to prevent the balls running into the lake following a good drive. In the past this area was dormant and had no growth. By overseeding it we

have created some rough to assist. We will be reviewing the 7th hole in detail this year to see if we can aid in making it a bit more friendly. The Faldo will be a focal area in this year’s maintenance plan. Please keep an eye on the notice board as we plan to post monthly updates on planned maintenance during the calendar month ahead. We as a team at GCM take immense pride in our daily tasks. I know at times we are in and around you but we continue to do our best to manage our work so that disturbance is at a minimum. The team gets in very early (4am) to get the main tasks completed ahead of play, but at times we simply need to do other essential maintenance jobs leading into the weekend (since the team finishes early at the weekends). This is more evident leading into events. One of our objectives for 2013 is to minimise disruption to play as much as possible and we are putting in procedures that will hopefully assist us in achieving our goals.

17 John Baker, Physiotherapist TRAINING FROM A PHYSIO’S PERSPECTIVE

s an ex-professional football player, I used to take my strength and fitness for granted. It’s only in recent years I have come to appreciate the importance of training with a purpose and setting short term goals. I do believe that it is vital to have variety in your regime and challenge your body, but equally it is imperative not to overload yourself with a new exercise or sport without allowing your body time to adapt and condition. You typically see this with novice marathon runners who worry so much about not completing the run that they religiously follow grueling training regimes which often leads to injury and subsequently decreases their cardiovascular fitness.

Thank you again to all who have given the team words of encouragement and support throughout the festive season. It does not go without our sincere gratitude and thanks. Good golfing Craig Haldane Director - Golf Course Maintenance

The Rules Wizard

Colem an

Do you have any questions about the rules. If so, please email them to Barney on BColeman@dubaigolf.com with the subject heading ‘Ask the Rules Wizard’ and we will put a selection of questions and answers in ‘Club Life’ magazine each month.

iving an epically busy lifestyle has definitely taken a toll on my training schedule and diet. I fell into the trap of exercising very late at night, therefore having very little energy and no time to prepare and cook healthy food. Making a few alterations to both routines has had marked results. The first change I made was going out for a 20-30 minute early morning run before breakfast. Adhering to this three times per week has certainly helped shift that stubborn body fat. I have also been getting excellent individualised nutritional advice from Andrew Picken (Bespoke Wellness) and have since never felt more energized on my new meal plans of high protein, low carb and plenty of healthy oils, fresh fruit and vegetables.

The penalty for the breach of this Rule is 2 stokes in stroke play which is unfortunately what happened to Tiger Woods at Abu Dhabi. The other point to note with this specific incident is although there was vegetation and bushes in the area the actual surface was of course sand.

would definitely say my main source of training is gym based. I too am guilty of exercising those muscles that all men want – pecs, biceps and shoulders. As a physio I know the dangers of over training the same muscle groups and neglecting others. This often leads to shoulder pains and lower back ache due to muscle imbalances. To combat this, my workout always consists of plenty of core stability training using TRX, swiss balls and balance work. These exercises target and strengthen the deep stomach muscle (transverse abdominis) which supports the lumbar spine and keeps lower back pains away; they also prevent those ‘clicky’ shoulders, making sure that a good stretch of the chest/pecs is routinely carried out, along with plenty of strengthening exercises which stabilize the shoulder blades. This helps prevent a rounded shoulder posture and improve the general biomechanics of the shoulder. To make an appointment with John, please call +971 55 372 4670 or email info@bespoke-wellness.com

February 2013

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Studio

07.30 - 08.30 Artistic Yoga

08.45 - 09.45 Zumba Circuit (Tracy)

09.00 - 10.00 Aqualates (Corrina)

08.45 - 09.45 Zumba Toning (Tracy)

08.45 - 09.45 Primary Ballet (Lisa)

08.45 - 09.45 Pilates Reformer Intermediate/ Advance (Amanda)

15.15 - 16.00 Grade 1 Tap (Lisa)

08.45 - 09.45 Pilates Reformer Intermediate/ Advance (Amanda)

09.45 - 10.15 Beginner Ballerinas (Lisa)

10.00 - 11.00 Pilates Mat (Amanda)

16.00 - 17.00 Grade 4 Jazz (Lisa)

10.00 - 11.00 Pilates Mat (Amanda)

10.00 - 11.00 Trx Team Camp Outdoor (Martha)

13.30 -14.30 Private Dance Lesson (Lisa)

10.25 - 11.15 Pre primary Ballet (Lisa)

14.30 -15.30 Grade 2 Tap (Lisa)

11.15 - 12.30 Grade 5 Ballet (Lisa)

Embedded Ball Rule explained

There’s a note to this rule, which all the major tours in the world adopt, which extends embedded ball relief to through the green, this includes rough. However there is an exception to this which states – ‘A player may not take relief if the ball is embedded in sand in an area that is not closely mown’.

POSTURE/ CORE STRENGTH/ STRETCHING

Fitness Activity Schedule

The Rules of Golf (Rule 25-2) allow for a ball embedded in its own pitch mark in any closely-mown area (excluding hazards) to be lifted, cleaned and dropped, without penalty, as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole. A ‘closely -mown area’ is any area of the course cut to fairway height or less.

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DIET

Recreation

Course Con

dition

17.00 - 18.00 Grade 3 Tap (Lisa)

SATURDAY Studio

13.15 - 14.00 Grade 1 Ballet (Lisa) 18.00 - 19.00 Artistic Yoga

14.30 -15.30 Grade 2 Tap (Lisa)

19.00 - 20.00 Zumba (Tracy)

19.00 - 20.00 Artistic Yoga

18.00 - 19.00 Artistic Yoga 19.00 - 20.00 Artistic Yoga

18.00 - 19.00 Artistic Yoga

19.00 - 20.00 Kettlebell Training (Outdoor) Intermediate/ Advance

19.00 - 20.00 Artistic Yoga

19.00 - 20.00 Kettlebell Training (Outdoor) Intermediate/ Advance

19.15 - 20.15 Trx Team Camp Outdoor (Martha)

20.00 - 21.00 Artistic Yoga Weightloss

Andrea Toth Personal Trainer

ith 12 years experience in the fitness industry, Andrea offers the highest level of personal training. With her background as a National and European figure and fitness model and competitive 400 metre runner, Andrea has a passion for helping people’s transition to achieving a healthier lifestyle. Andrea is qualified in many aspects of fitness training and nutrition and she offers the highest level of personal training to get your body into perfect shape and peak performance.

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Your Golf Tip of the Month

Golf Acade

ark

Bruce

uring the Desert swing I’m sure many of you observed the top players in the world not only competing on the golf course but also spending endless hours on the range grooving their swings. From outside the ropes it looks like the players are hitting ball after ball and not necessarily going through a specific routine! In actual fact they have got this down to a fine art and always follow a specific routine as much as possible. I have listed some of the key factors that the top professionals stick to whilst practicing and in particular before they tee off. Try to follow these points the next time you’re on the range and hopefully you’ll see an improvement in your game. Happy Golfing!

Always Warm Up Completely

Prepare your body to swing the club by using golf-specific stretching and by beginning to strike the ball using small swings.

Celebrate at Emirates Golf Club Treat your loved one to a special Valentine’s Day celebration at Emirates Golf Club. With three romantic options, you’ll be spoilt for choice!

Using alignment aids to practice

Train Mechanics With Short-to Mid-Irons. When working on swing mechanics, begin with short irons and work up from there.

Practice In a Station

Always set up an alignment station to support your practice.

Each Practice Session Should Include ‘Training to Play’ At the end of each ball-striking session, play some imaginary holes on the practice facility; go through your full routine before each shot. This puts the mechanics that you just trained to the test and makes it easier to transfer the new mechanics to the course.

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Each Practice Session Should Include the Short Game

Make sure you set aside a significant portion of each practice session for some short game work. This is the most direct route to improving your score, as two out of three shots during each round are struck from within 100 yards of the hole.

A Valentine’s Day to Remember at Le Classique

Celebrate Valentine’s Day at M’s restaurant

Experience the Ultimate Romantic Celebration

Make it a Valentine’s Day to remember in the multi-award winning French fine dining restaurant Le Classique. Enjoy a decadent six course set menu with French flair prepared by Chef Benoit Cart featuring delicious dishes including sea bass tartare, duck breast with rhubarb and vanilla chutney and pear crumble. Choose to dine indoors or simply enjoy the idyllic al fresco setting on the terrace for a memorable celebration.

This Valentine’s Day, M’s invites you to enjoy an exceptional five-course menu in relaxed sounds. With its starlit terrace or cosy interior, couples will enjoy a menu of delightful dishes including mushroom veloute with black truffle, slow cooked veal chops and chocolate tart.

Treat your loved one to the ultimate Valentine’s experience underneath the stars on the award winning Majlis golf course. With a private transfer from your home to Emirates Golf Club, you will be treated to a romantic evening under a beautiful canopy. Enjoy a glass of bubbly on arrival before indulging in our specially selected seven course gourmet feast including a bottle of bubbly and expert wine pairings. A Valentine’s Day to remember!

AED 295 per person inclusive of a five-course menu with half bottle of sparkling per couple.

AED 2,495 per couple inclusive of a private shuttle to and from Emirates Golf Club, seven course gourmet meal, wine pairings and bottle of bubbly

AED 395 per person inclusive of six-course set menu with a glass of bubbly. To make a booking, please contact +971 4 417 9999 or email emiratesdining@dubaigolf.com

Spike Bar Promotions Monday Quiz Night Test your knowledge at Emirates Golf Club’s weekly quiz night, arguably the longest running quiz night in Dubai! Taking place every Monday from 8.30pm, why not come early and indulge in Spike Bar’s delicious buffet for just AED 115 per person or AED 285 per person including selected house beverages.

Thursday Prawn Night Every Thursday from 6.30pm –10.30pm, enjoy music from our live band while you choose your favourite from our Chef’s specially selected varieties of prawns, which are then prepared in your own preferred cooking style for AED 25 per 100g.

Friday Sunset BBQ Relax on the Spike Bar terrace and enjoy a hearty BBQ of fresh seafood and succulent meats every Friday from 6.30pm – 10.30pm from AED 110 per person or AED 285 per person inclusive of selected beverages. With live music from resident performer Party Pete

Rib Rack and Burger Night Every Saturday from 6.30pm – 10.30pm, choose from a variety of burgers, including beef, lamb, salmon and chicken, barbequed to your preferred taste. Build your own burger for AED 75 per person, enjoy the Pork Rib Rack BBQ for AED 110 per person or add unlimited selected beverages for AED 285 per person.

Spike Bar is your dedicated venue for live sporting coverage on all major upcoming sporting events. With state of the art TV screens indoors as well as our big screen on the terrace and a host of special sports packages, you won’t miss any of the action!

For more information, please contact Spike Bar on +971 4 417 9999 or email emiratesdining@dubaigolf.com dubaigolf.com