Club life june 2015

Editor: Jacqui Barry barrydxb@eim.ae

June 2015

ISSue 50

2

editorial

This summer sees the departure of a few of our long-standing members. Wishing all the best to Johnny and Katie Aldridge who are now in Louisiana, Chris and Rosemary Turlik who are moving to Scotland next month, Lorraine and Bill Logan and Sandie Broedelet and her husband who are returning to The Netherlands.

I am writing this on the final day of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Royal County Down. What a beautiful area this is; it’s very picturesque with a stunning links golf course which looks like it would be difficult to play even on a warn summer’s day but to play it in the conditions we have had for this event would be incredibly difficult (certainly for me anyway!!) The entire week here has seen winter-like conditions with temperatures around nine degrees, fierce winds, hailstones, lashing rain and the odd moment of sunshine. Despite the bad weather, the event has been fantastic with a great field of players, a terrific set-up and a complete sell out of 107,000 tickets. The winner of the Irish Open was a very deserving Soren Kjeldsen from Denmark.

Congratulations to Dubai Duty Free for their sponsorship of the Irish Open whose official charity was the Rory Foundation It was Rory’s idea to get the Foundation involved with the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open 2015.

Christopher May Chief Executive Officer cmay@dubaigolf.com

General Manager awhitelaw@dubaigolf.com

Craig Haldane

Director - Golf Course Maintenance chaldane@dubaigolf.com

Dubai was well represented at the Irish Open with Past Captain Paul Thornberry and his son Sean, Tom, Jacqui and Ross Barry, Nick Tarratt, Director of the European Tour International Office Dubai, Mohammed Juma Buamaim and David Spencer from giD, EGC Head Pro, Stephen Deane,Past Lady Captain Caroline Jones, EGC member Catherine Convery, as well as Dubai Duty Free management.

Jacqui Barry

ith temperatures on the rise and already reaching 40 plus, I am finding it increasingly hard to get out to play golf. I just cannot cope with these temperatures but I admire all of you who are still competing in competitions and playing regular golf! I will be in the Spike Bar after your golf to have a chat and share a coffee with you!!

Andrew Whitelaw

Chef Max Grenard

Culinary Director mgrenard@dubaigolf.com

Kamal Kosta Club Captain 2014-2015

As we near the end of our golfing season I would like to thank you all for your support. I have really enjoyed my Captaincy and I am grateful to everyone for helping me through it and for all your kind

words. My BIG question is though.. where did the time go? I feel like the year has just started and now I am putting together my last writeup for Club Life magazine. It’s almost time for me to say goodbye as Captain and to welcome in our new Captain, Walid Al Attar to whom I wish every success for the season ahead. Unfortunately, when my tenure ends on August 31st I will also lose my preferred parking space..mmm!!

We just celebrated the Captains’ Dinner in Le Classique which was, as always a fantastic evening and I felt so honoured to be in the company of so many Past

COMPETITION RESULTS AUDI BLACK TEE CHALLENGE 8th & 9th May 2015

GROSS CHAMPION Michael Harradine (EGC) (Audi R8 driving experience) Barney Coleman

Director of Golf bcoleman@dubaigolf.com

Adele Cowgill

Head of Sales and Marketing acowgill@dubaigolf.com

71 + 72 = 143

RUNNRS UP

Simon Dunn (YSLGC) 72 + 77 = 149 (Audi Sports car Driving experience)

THIRD

Rayhan Thomas (DCGYC) 74 + 77 = 151 (Audi Advanced driving experience)

FOURTH

Kooros Daneshvar (EGC) 80 + 75 = 155 (Weekend test drive new Audi TT)

OVERALL NET PRIZES OVER 36 HOLES

Andy Meech

Head of Sport and Leisure ameech@dubaigolf.com

Ganesh Mangathil

In House Publishing Manager gmangathil@dubaigolf.com

FIRST NET

Anil Shivanna (EGC) 69 + 71 = 140 (Audi Sports car Driving experience)

SECOND NET

Moustafa Khater (EGC) 68 + 73 = 141 (Audi Advanced Driving experience)

THIRD NET

Olivier Van Migem (TMD) (EGC General Voucher)

68 + 73 = 141

BEST GROSS D-1

Zubin Chandra (EGC) (Weekend test drive Audi A6)

77

BEST GROSS D-2

Mikhail Pinto (DCGYC) (Weekend test drive Audi A6)

75

GROSS DAY PRIZES

Martin Drugan

Food and Beverage Manager mdrugan@dubaigolf.com

Saeed Ahamed

Financial Controller mahamed@dubaigolf.com

There were three reasons; it was being held in Newcastle, in his home county of Down, his love of Royal County Down and because Daisy Lodge is located in the foothills of the Mourne Mountains.

One of the first beneficiaries of the Rory Foundation was the Cancer Fund for Children. In October 2014, Rory launched Daisy Lodge, their therapeutic short break centre, in Newcastle, County Down. The facility, the first of its kind in the UK and Ireland, provides every family affected by childhood cancer in Northern Ireland with a free therapeutic short break and also caters for families in the Republic of Ireland.

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Emirates Golf Club Senior Management

Stephen Deane

Head Academy Professional sdeane@dubaigolf.com

EGC Key Telephone Numbers Main Switchboard

04 417 9999

Members Golf Reservations 04 417 9800 Membership

04 417 9801

Recreation

04 417 9850

Accounts

04 417 9875

SensAsia Urban Spa

04 417 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 22,050 likes. Follow us on Twitter @emiratesgc and Instagram @emiratesgc

NET DY PRIZES BEST NET D-1

Dmitry Skorobogatko (DCGYC) 66 (Weekend test drive New Audi TT)

BEST NET D-2

Gareth Bacon (EGF) 67 (Weekend test drive New Audi TT)

Captains, all of whom have contributed greatly to the progress of the Club.

Incoming Captain Walid Al Attar and incoming Vice-Captains, Vipen Sethi and Maura Duggan received their jackets from their predecessors which I think is wonderful tradition.

So my friends, I hope you all have a great summer wherever your travels take you and I hope to see you all again next season.

Your Kaz

3 in’s Club Capta Message

O

ur season is now drawing to a close and, while the ladies’ competitions have all finished, some men’s and mixed competitions will be continuing for those who will be around for the summer. There is no doubt that EGC is one of the most active clubs in the region in terms of competitions and other golf and social events and it’s great that there is so much support for these by our members. In addition, other areas of the Club are exceptionally busy too with swimming activities, tennis, Padeltennis, Fit Lab and SensAsia Spa. The Academy is always buzzing with activity and all of our Pros have exceptionally busy schedules with individual and group lessons, ladies’ and juniors’ clinics and the very active Junior and Elite programmes. Thank you to all our amazing staff in every department who do such a superb job.

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Friday 15th May 2015

CoMpetition

WINNER:

David Waite

Net 70

RUNNER UP:

Jignesh Sangani

Net 70

THIRD:

Dalip Tripathi

Net 70

BEST GROSS: Kouroche Achtari Gross 76 OVERALL NET WINNER: David Waite

Net 70

WINNER:

Manish Bakshi

Net 71

RUNNER UP:

Ashok Ahuja

Net 73

THIRD:

Haris Michaelides

Net 73

C DIVISION (HCP. 21-28) WINNER:

Sudhir Vora

Net 74

NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 15: Tom Luig

MASHREQ MEDAL in association with BMW & Ruth’s Chris Steak House

Waite Strikes Again in Mashreq Medal The Mashreq Medal for May, in association with BMW and Ruth’s Chris Steak House Dubai, was a closely contested affair with three players tied on the overall winning score of 70 around the Majlis course.

Congratulations to David Waite who played superb golf on the back nine holes to secure victory and the A division honours (handicap 0-10).

Waite adds this victory to his previous win in the March Medal and will now move even higher up the Mashreq

Order of Merit standings. Also tied on a net score of 70 was Jignesh Sangani and Dalip Tripathi. Separated by their back nine scores it was Sangani who claimed the runner-up position with Tripathi settling for third place.

B division (handicap 11-20) was won

by Manish Bakshi with a score of one under par net 71. There was a tie between Ashok Ahuja and Haris Michaelides on net 73. However it was Ashok’s better back nine that was good enough to secure the runnerup position with Haris claiming third place.

KLyNGE CROwNED CHAMPION Of CHAMPIONS

5 s

B DIVISION (HCP. 11-20)

MEN'S COMPETITION RESULTS

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A DIVISION (HCP. 0-10)

Sudhir Vora was the winner of C division (handicap 21-28) with a two over par net score of 74.

The honour for the lowest gross of the day went to scratch team player Kouroche Achtari who scored a 76.

BMW kindly sponsored a prize for nearest the pin on the 15th hole which was won by Tom Luig who will now enjoy a weekend test drive of the new 6 series Grand Coupe.

The 2014-2015 season was brought to a close with the annual Tournament of Champions; a small field of 45 qualifiers from the season competed over the Majlis course in a bid to be crowned the best of the best. Congratulations to our winner Christian Klynge who won by scoring a fantastic net score of five under par 67. Christian, a 24 handicapper, enjoyed some great golf including eight gross pars on his way to victory.

One stroke behind was runner-up Craig Dunn who returned a net score of four under par 68. Four players were then tied on net 70 but it was Bhupesh Sharma’s better back nine that was good enough to claim third place.

The winner of the best gross prize was Kouroche Achtari who birdied the 3rd, 6th and 17th holes to score a level par 72.

For more information and a full leaderboard of the Men’s Tournament of Champions please use the link below to the Golf GameBook website.http://www. golfgamebook.com/game/2ur-c23j Friday 29th May 2015 CHAMPION:

CHRISTIAN KLYNGE Net 67

RUNNER UP:

CRAIG DUNN

THIRD:

BHUPESH SHARMA Net 70

BEST GROSS: K. ACHTARI

Net 68 Gross 72

DUBAI DUTy fREE NATIONALS CUP Saturday 2nd May 2015 The 21st staging of the Dubai Duty Free UAE Nationals Cup attracted 38 entries and it was Omar Thabit who clinched top prize with 37 points over the Faldo course at Emirates Golf Club on Saturday, 2nd May. Thabit’s one-under par tally was just enough to hold off the challenge of Abdulla Al Marzooqi who was one shot back on 36 points. A card count-back decided third place overall with Faisal Al Sayegh producing a better back nine within his 34-point tally. The gross competition was also keenly contested with Ahmed Skaik and Hassan Musharrekh both signing for scores of 79, Skaik’s better inward nine gave him the trophy for top gross on the day. It was excellent to witness junior boys and girls participating as well as lady golfers from the region and in the

junior section Mohammed Abdullah fired a fantastic 43 points to win the top junior prize with Khalil Kashwani in second on 40 points. Also in the prizes on an enjoyable day were Hassan Musharrekh who won the nearest the pin prize on the eighth hole and Mohammed Abdulla who won the longest drive prize on the sixteenth hole.

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I am very pleased that I took up golf as it has been a huge impact on my life; it has also given me the opportunity to serve as Lady Captain and to get to meet so many different people. I have enjoyed getting to know you all very much and I would like to thank you for your support these past two years. I would also like to say a huge thank you to my Vice-Captain Helen who has been a great help to me throughout the season and I wish her all the best for the season ahead which I’m sure she will enjoy.

Wherever you are going to spend your time this summer, I hope you have an enjoyable break and I will see you next season. Happy holidays to you all Mitsuko Emmerson Lady Captain 2015-2016

Monday 4th May 2015

Past Lady Captain with the best score: Rekha Bandopadhyay 36 PTS Overall Winner Ellen Johansen

PTS 43

SILVER DIVISION (HCP. 0 – 23) WINNER Rajni Sud RUNNER UP Mimi Hosking

PTS 39 PTS 39

s

All this season’s major competitions are over and summer 2015 has arrived so now we have the dilemma of what to do instead of playing golf, although it is still possible to enjoy a round in the early morning or late evening. It is noticeable that many of our ladies are preparing to leave for the summer or have left already, so soon it will be very quiet especially once schools have finished. Anyway we have numerous options for filling our time and escaping the heat with the huge variety of excellent restaurants in Dubai and Friday or Saturday brunches are always popular too; there is plenty to explore here also with the multitude of shopping malls - one way to keep fit and stay cool.

CoMpetition

in’s lady Capta Message

Dear all,

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LADIES STABLEfORD AND PAST LADy CAPTAINS’ TROPHy

BRONZE DIVISION (HCP. 24 –42) WINNER RUNNER UP

Kiyono Taniuchi PTS 35 Caroline Granger PTS 31

LADIES’ COMPETITION RESULTS

Friday 1st May 2015 GROSS CHAMPION 2015 Anastasia Bakal (TEC) 73 RUNNER UP:

Kim Chiang (ARGC)

THIRD:

Alison Muirhead (EGC) 79

77

NET BEST NET

Mariana Kyrkiris (EGC) 67

SECOND NET:

Josie Tracey (EGC)

70

THIRD NET:

Selma Kehoe (EGC)

70

Anastasia Bakal from the Els Club was crowned the Emirates Ladies Amateur Open Champion after scoring a fantastic one over par 73 on the Majlis course. An excellent outward nine holes with seven pars and birdies on the 2nd and 9th holes saw Anastasia make the turn in 33 strokes. Dropping her first shot at the par 4 12th hole which was followed by further dropped shots at the 14th and 15th holes. Anastasia managed to compose herself to finish with three pars to win the championship by four strokes.

Her nearest competitor and runner-up with a five over par 77 was Kim Chiang from Arabian Ranches Golf Club; a further two shots adrift was Emirates Golf Club junior Alison Muirhead who posted a gross 79 to claim third place.

It was a clean sweep for the ladies of Emirates Golf Club in the net category.

Congratulations to Mariana Kyrkiris who claimed first place by three strokes with a fantastic five under par score of 67. Josie Tracey and Selma Kehoe were tied with scores of two under par 70 but Josie’s better back nine secured second place with Selma claiming third place.

Our sincere thanks to PING for sponsoring this year’s championship. Congratulations to all winners and thank you to all the ladies who competed this year.

SELMA SECURES MONTHLy MEDAL VICTORy

Congratulations to Selma Kehoe who won her first Medal competition after scoring a superb five under par net 67; this was sponsored by JW Marriott Marquis Dubai and was played on the Majlis course by over forty ladies. Selma made seven net birdies and a net eagle on her way to victory. She was closely followed in Silver A division (handicap 0-14) by runner-up Viv Caley who scored a four under par net 68.

Silver B division (handicap 15-23) was closely contested with Jenny Isles and Maureen Platt who were tied on scores of three under par net 69. It was Jenny’s back nine score that was good enough to secure first place with Maureen finishing second.

Bronze division (handicap 24-42) winner was Kiyono Taniuchi with a four under par net 68.

Carolyn Thompson was the winner of the lowest gross prize with a score of 79.

Each Medal is followed by a lucky prize draw, again sponsored by JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, and this month’s winner was Margaret Breen who will now enjoy an afternoon of treats at the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel.

Monday 11th May 2015 SILVER “A” DIVISION (HCP. 0 – 14) Winner Runner Up Overall Best Gross

Selma Kehoe Viv Caley Carolyn Thompson

NET 67 NET 68 GROSS 79

SILVER “B” DIVISION (HCP. 15 –23) Winner Runner Up

Jenny Isles Maureen Platt

NET 69 NET 69

BRONZE DIVISION (HCP. 24 –42) Winner

Kiyono Taniuchi

NET 68

LADIES GREENSOMES COMPETITION Monday 25th May 2015 WINNERS MARTHA WONG / JOSIE TRACEY

66

RUNNERS-UP

THEA HENDRICKX / SUE HOPWOOD

68

THIRD

SABINE CHOUDRY / ANTONIA LUDVIGSON 70

CAPTAIN’S MARIANA KYRKIRIS PRIZE (LUCKY 7TH PAIR) JUNE McDONALD

71

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8

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CoMpetition

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CoMpetition

TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

C

ongratulations to Cathrine Clark who came out on top of a closely contested Tournament of Champions competition which was played on the Majlis course. Any lady who had won a Medal or a major event throughout the season qualified to compete in this tournament as recognition of their victory. A small field of twenty six ladies competed but it was the consistent round of Cathrine Clark that was good enough to claim victory in this end-of-season showdown. Cathrine made thirteen gross pars on her way to a winning net score of two under par 70 closely followed by Carolyn Thompson and young Natalli Gupta on net scores of one under par 71. Carolyn also enjoyed a consistent round of golf, resulting in her back nine score being

good enough to claim the runner-up position. Natalli Gupta played her best golf early in the round and as a result settled for third place.

All of the above mentioned ladies were in contention for the best gross prize but it was Mimi Hosking who took the honours.

Jayshree Gupta was crowned the Birdie Tree winner for a total of four birdies made on par 3s during this season’s Medal rounds.

In addition to the Tournament of Champions there was a Stableford competition. Silver division (handicap 0-23) was won by the runaway leader Sue Hopwood with 44 points. Bronze division (handicap 24-42) was won after a count-back by Caroline Granger with 33 points.

This event saw the launch of the live scoring app Golf GameBook which will be used for future events at the Club. For more information, including scorecards and pictures for the Tournament of Champions and the Ladies Stableford competitions, please follow the links below to the Golf GameBook Website.

Ladies Tournament of Champions: HYPERLINK “http://www. golfgamebook.com/game/2ur-cq72” http://www.golfgamebook.com// game/2ur-cq72

DUBAI GOLf TROPHy

Ladies Stableford: HYPERLINK “http://www.golfgamebook.com/ game/2ur-cou6” http://www. golfgamebook.com//game/2ur-cou6

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UAE PROFESSIONALS RETAIN DUBAI GOLF TROPHY

he Professionals of the UAE continued their dominance of the Dubai Golf Trophy as they defeated the best amateurs in the region in a Ryder Cup style showdown. The match took place over two days at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, followed by round three on the Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club. This year was the 16th staging of this popular match with the professionals enjoying a fine run of form as they celebrated victory for the eighth consecutive year.

On day one the professionals, captained

by Callum Nicoll, claimed the morning foursomes by 5 points to 3. A similar story followed in the afternoon as the professionals claimed five of the afternoon better ball games to secure an overnight advantage of 10-6.

The amateurs, led by stand in captain Chris Alderman, needed a fast start for the final day singles and after losing the opening game, they went on to mount a comeback

as they won five of the next six games.

Thiscomeback was sparked by young Rayhan Thomas who was four down at the turn to win by two holes. Rayhan has enjoyed a record breaking season that has included six major victories including both the Emirates and Dubai Creek Men’s Club Championships. However the resurgence of the amateur team was halted by victories for the pros by captain Callum Nicoll and Brendan O’Leary who secured comfortable wins. Miki Mirza and Ryan Hunter gave the amateur team a glimmer of hope as they earned valuable victories over their professional opposition. However, victories for professionals Ruddy, Marshall, Buchanan and Blackadder at the back end of the draw secured yet another victory for the professionals by a winning margin of 18.5 - 13.5.

Notable mentions go to Gavin Sutherland, Steve Munro, captain Callum Nicoll and Anthony Buchanan who earned maximum

Chris Alderman (Amateur Captain), Chris May (CEO Dubai Golf) and Callum Nicoll (Professional Captain) points for their side. Also to amateur Christopher Rahm who went undefeated and gained three from three points.

Once again the Dubai Golf Trophy was played in great spirit over the two days; our thanks go to all players for taking part and competing so honourably in what has grown to be a hotly anticipated local golfing spectacle.

Further appreciation goes to OnSide Sports for supporting the event with a livescoring system, Golf GameBook and also to ProSports International for sponsoring the clothing for all competitors.

CLASH Of THE TITANS LADIES TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS Monday 18th MAY 2015 CHAMPION : Cathrine Clark RUNNER UP : Carolyn Thompson THIRD : Natalli Gupta BEST GROSS : Mimi Hosking LADY GOLFER OF THE YEAR WINNER : Veronica Elias

Net 70 Net 71 Net 71 Gross 81

BIRDIE TREE WINNER : Jayshree Gupta LADIES STABLEFORD COMPETITION - RESULTS Handicap 0-23 WINNER SILVER DIVISION : Sue Hopwood

44 Pts

Handicap 24 –42 WINNER BRONZE DIVISION : Caroline Granger

33 Pts

The annual Dubai Golf Pro-Am event, the Clash of the Titans, took place last month at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. This long standing event is a contest between two of the Dubai Golf clubs, DCGYC & EGC, with each club presenting teams of ten players made up of teaching professionals and club members. The Dubai Creek team set out looking to make the most of a home course advantage, whilst the Emirates Team was eager for a victory to balance out the home defeat they suffered in the last outing on the Majlis course.

and his partner Adonis Nasr saw them put a staggering 45 points on the board for their team. Dubai Creek professional Jack Woods and Dubai Creek Past Lady Captain Maureen Platt also put in a great performance and finished with a fantastic total of 43 points.

This is always a closely contested affair between the clubs and Emirates answered back with Boyd Edmonson and Josie Tracey who paired well to finish with a total of 42 points.

Some fantastic golf was played by both sides and the scores at the end of the day truly reflected this with seven out of the 20 teams managing to break the 40 point barrier. An outstanding performance from the Dubai Creek Captain, Joseph Ghossoub

After a fantastic afternoon of golf it was time for the scores, and in the end it was Dubai Creek who made full use of the home course advantage and made a successful defence of the title to beat their

Emirates Golf Club counterparts with a total of 388 points to 369.

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PRO'S TIP Of THE MONTH

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Junior link

Over the past few months I have seen my golf really step up a level. I brought my handicap down from 14 in July 2014 to 3 which it is currently. I have had good finishes in Junior Opens around the UAE and I have started to compete in men’s tournaments as well. One of the highlights of my season was at the Faldo Series Middle East Championship this year at Al Ain Equestrian Shooting and Golf Club. Although I didn’t win the tournament, I played rounds of 72 and 77 which boosted my confidence greatly. Another huge learning experience came this year at the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters played on the Majlis course. I was given the opportunity to caddy for one of the pros playing and it was an unbelievable experience. I learned so much and I will remember the week for a long time to come.

My short term goals are to bring my handicap down to scratch in a couple of months and hopefully have some good results at the tournaments I am playing in the US this summer. Among the tournaments is the Callaway Junior World Golf Championship which is being held at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego in July. I am really excited to play at Torrey Pines and I think it will help me improve my game mentally and physically. My long term goal is to be able to play golf in an NCAA Division 1 College in the US when I graduate from high school. I am still in 9th grade so I have a long time to develop my game overall and hopefully I will be able to achieve this goal of mine.

CLEMENT FLAHERTY Congratulations to 15 year old junior, Clement Flaherty who was successful at the French Golf Federation’s trials in Paris (Poles Espoirs) 17th - 19th April when he competed in three days of trials to secure a place to study and play/ be coached in golf at Antibes in France; this is a dedicated golf programme integrating extensive golf training, academic studies and full-time boarding Clement went to the trials at Le National Golf Club (Ryder Cup venue 2018) where the Federation’s headquarters are. There he was tested over: 18 Holes - full set of clubs 18 Holes - four clubs Short game test Putting test Long game test Irons test Driving distance analysis Physiology test Physical test One week later he received a letter congratulating him; only eight players from all over France were selected from his age group.

Clement will be based in Antibes, near Nice from September and attached to Royal Mougins Golf Club.

Congratulations to Clement who has worked extremely hard at his golf in recent years and has competed in many junior events in the UAE. Clement is the son of golf professional Adrian Flaherty.

The Academy Summer Packages with The Academy at Emirates Golf Club Make the most of your practice time this summer with The Academy at Emirates Golf Club. In addition to individual lessons, we have a range of Summer Packages available from 1st June to 14th September 2015.

Individual Lessons 30 minute lesson Member AED 205 Guest AED 250 Bronze Pass 4 x 30 minute lessons One month range access Member AED 760 Guest AED 920 Silver Pass 8 x 30 minute lessons Two months’ range access Member AED 1,400 Guest AED 1,600 Gold Pass 8 x 30 minute lessons Unlimited driving range access until 14th September Unlimited Par 3 access until 14th September AED 2,800 To register, please contact The Academy at Emirates Golf Club on +971 4 417 9845 or email emiratesacademy@dubaigolf.com

One of the most important questions you can ask of your game is how far you hit each club?

Knowing the distance you hit each club and the distance gaps between them will allow you to plan shots with greater confidence. Knowing you have the right club in your hands will encourage greater commitment to the target and promote positive, confident swings for lower scoring.

Your distance gapping session will use the latest Trackman technology to accurately measure how far you hit the ball with each club in your bag, both carry and total distance. The Academy team will provide you with an A6 laminated copy of your distances to attach to your golf bag making it easy to confirm the correct club selection for every shot during your round (see

example on the right).

This effective process will also highlight any distance gap discrepancies in your current equipment, possibly due to an incorrect mixture of clubs or a change in the original loft settings through play and practice.

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I was born in Singapore and I am 15 years old. As a kid I was always into sports and played a lot of tennis and football. I still enjoy watching my favourite football team Chelsea FC whenever a game is on. At the age of 13 I started to play golf.

My love for the sport grew quickly and now I practice three to four hours every day and I play 18 holes or tournaments at the weekends. I started lessons in April 2013 with Mark GregsonWalters at Emirates Golf Club and in August 2014 I joined the Junior Elite Programme and was coached by Stephen Deane through group lessons, individual sessions and fitness training.

It has been another fabulous golfing season at Emirates Golf Club with many opportunities to play and great tournaments to compete in. It won’t be long before the start of another season so we recommend you begin your preparations now by booking a Trackman Distance Gapping session at The Academy.

the aCadeM

ZUBIN CHANDRA

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Based on the distance findings The Academy Professional team will be happy to make recommendations to optimise your game - perhaps adding a new club to fill a key distance gap in your short irons, removing clubs that hit the ball similar distances or simply adjusting your loft settings, grips or shafts to ensure you are ready to go for the season ahead.

To reserve your distance gapping session simply call or mail The Academy team on 044 179845 / emiratesacademy@dubaigolf.com

CHECK THIS OUT Stephen Deane, Head Professional at Emirates Golf Club, shows a great drill to help you master your downswing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB1velb0EqU

This summer enhance your game with The Academy at Emirates Golf Club. In addition to individual lessons, we also have a range of Summer Packages available from 1st June until 14th September. Our experienced team of golf professionals are on hand to ensure that a holistic approach to learning is taken. As well as instruction on your swing, you can expect guidance in key areas including custom fitting, diet and nutrition, physical conditioning, injury prevention and treatment.

Summer packages start at AED 205 per member for a 30 minute individual lesson, up to AED 2,800 per member for the Gold Package, which includes 8 x 30 minute lessons and unlimited driving range and Par 3 access.

As The Academy makes its way towards the summer months it’s an ideal opportunity to ask, what is your summer golf plan? This could mean playing more abroad due to the hot and humid conditions or for many of you, putting the clubs away until the cooler weather returns.

Here at The Academy we believe summer provides the ideal opportunity to hone your games for the start of the Middle East season. Early morning and late evening 30 minutes of range tuition combined with on-course playing sessions are the ideal way to give you that head start and sharpen your game before the cooler weather arrives.

It’s also a good opportunity to consider other elements of your game rather than just technical tuition: Goal Setting Aim Point Green Reading On course management Mental approach Statistics Individual Equipment specifications Golf Fitness / Biomechanics Practice routines and drills Skills testing The strong team of Academy professionals are more than happy to sit with you and consolidate a summer plan of individual improved golf. You will work as a team to reach your desired goals. For more information on how to put this in place please contact The Academy via email to Eacademy@ dubaigolf.com.

The Professional Team looks forward to hearing from you soon.

Stephen Deane Head Academy Professional For more information, please contact The Academy at Emirates Golf Club on + 971 4 417 9845 or email emiratesacademy@dubaigolf.com

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Dear Members,

Fit lab

It’s that time of year when we are getting ready for our summer holidays. What better place to get into shape than your very own Fit Lab? As you well know there are plenty of classes, personal training and many other activities to keep you occupied at the Club. With an extensive studio timetable there are some great classes to make your exercise routine fun.

BESPOKE WELLNESS

– Trigger Point training at EGC hosted by Bespoke Wellness

Aquatix will be hosting a swimming summer camp for those of you who will be staying in Dubai throughout the summer and there will be many swimming classes for both adults and children.

Watch out for a great Fitness Challenge that the Fit Lab team are currently putting together to add a bit of extra incentive for you to keep fit and healthy during the next few months.

On April 21st, the teams at Bespoke Wellness, Fit Lab and Dubai Golf Academy got together to learn how the Trigger Point Therapy kits can help in the game of golf. Bespoke Wellness’s GM Chris Quint has been trained in the art for several years and held this interactive seminar to share his wealth of knowledge on the subject to the teams at Emirates Golf Club for the benefit of Club members.

Photo showing our ladies looking fit and happy at our last tournament which had two winners as there were two groups.

Carolyn Thompson took the honours in the Blue group and Annie Ellerby in the Orange group.

The two runners-up were Fiona Donaldson in the Blue group and Angie Spiller in the Orange group.

Exercise of the Month

by Michael Lancaster

Press ups (Upper body)

The techniques are a fantastic way of helping release tension and stiffness in the muscles and to help activate the muscle to function better during sport with more range of motion and greater explosive power. This can help greatly in golf specific swing movements at the shoulders, hips and lower leg to help release any restrictions that may be occurring in those areas. With less restriction, the better the biomechanical freedom to enhance the golf swing.

If you are keen to learn how Trigger Point works, please ask one of the DG Golf Academy, Fit Lab or Bespoke Wellness team. We are more than happy to help pass on our knowledge of how to use the TP kits and how you can help keep yourself performing at your optimum level on the golf course.

Hands should be placed flat on the floor, shoulder width apart with fingers pointing straight. Ensure the head is up and looking forward, with the back straight. Legs and feet should remain together and straight. Bend the arms at the elbow, lowering until the chest taps the floor, or as low as possible.

Once done, push through the hands and straighten the arms.

This is a great exercise for upper body and core strength.

Complete 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions, with a 30 sec. - 1 min. rest.

Feeling more than a little stressed by summer? SensAsia Urban Spa is about to soothe you back to sanity as it announces two whole months of unbelievable savings on a whole host of musttry, most-booked massages.

The Summer Massage Celebration prices apply to select signature massage treatments (as listed below) which can be booked and taken between 10.00am and 4.00pm on weekdays at SensAsia Urban Spa.

We will also be putting on extra activities for adults and children to suit everyone’s needs during summer time.

Tennis

THE SENSASIA URBAN SPA SUMMER MASSAGE CELEBRATION

The largest independent spa chain in the UAE which proudly celebrated ten years of sparkling success in the autumn of of 2014, is bringing back the hugely successful Summer Massage Celebration for a third year, as demanded by its loyal and longstanding clients. Running from July 1st to August 31st, this is the chance for women and men alike to escape the frustratingly toasty temperatures outside and make switching off within the blissful, modern Oriental surroundings of SensAsia, a far more frequent part of their routine.

Planning ahead, the upgrade of the cardio machines should be in place

by September 1st and there will be some fantastic additional equipment to enhance the gym. We try hard to be the very best and with these new machines it will certainly put us in that category - you will not be disappointed and we are very excited about this.

Healthy Regards Andy Meech Head of Sport & Leisure, Dubai Golf 050-4573170 ameech@dubaigolf.com

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND:

TP kits can also be purchased at Bespoke Wellness reception, Fit Lab. Happy golfing, For bookings at Bespoke Wellness, please call +971 55 372 4670

THAI YOGA STRETCH MASSAGE (60 mins) – Dynamic, stretching and stress-busting WAS: AED 399 SUMMER CELEBRATION PRICE: AED 239

Fitness Activity Schedule June 2015

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

STUDIO

STUDIO

STUDIO

STUDIO

STUDIO

STUDIO

07.30 - 08.30 Artistic Yoga

07.30 - 08.30 Artistic Yoga

07.30 - 08.30 Artistic Yoga

07.30 - 08.30 Artistic Yoga

07.30 - 08.30 Artistic Yoga

07.30 - 08.30 Artistic Yoga

08.40 - 09.10 Metafit (Tracy)

08.45 - 09.45 Insanity (Tracy)

08.45 - 09.45 Zumba Toning (Tracy)

08.45 - 09.45 Zumba (Tracy)

09.00 - 09.30 Grade 1 Modern

09.15 - 10.15 Zumba Step (Tracy) 10.00 - 10.30 Insanity (Tracy)

12.15 - 13.15 Grade 1 13.15 - 14.15 Grade 3

KNEAD IT MASSAGE (60 or 90 mins)– Intensive massage that is just as it sounds... much needed! WAS: AED 440 (60) / AED 540 (90) SUMMER CELEBRATION PRICE: AED 299 (60) / AED 351(90)

SENSASIA HOT STONE MASSAGE (60 mins) – Relaxing, detoxifying and seriously stress-relieving WAS: AED 560 SUMMER CELEBRATION PRICE: AED 398 To book a treatment, please contact SensAsia Urban Spa on +971 4 417 9820 or visit www.sensasiaspas.com

14.15 - 15.45 Grade 7 15.45 - 17.00 Inter 17.00 - 18.00 Inter Foundation 18.30 - 19.00 Metafit (Tracy)

18.00 - 19.00 Artistic Yoga

18.30 - 19.00 METAFIT (Tracy)

18.00 - 19.00 Artistic Yoga

14:30 - 15:30 Fit Kids (5-12years) (Nikky)

19.05 - 19.55 Insanity 50min (Tracy)

19.00 - 20.00 Artistic Yoga

19.05 - 19.55 Insanity 50min (Tracy)

19.00 - 20.00 Artistic Yoga

18.00 - 19.00 Artistic Yoga

19.00 - 20.00 Circuit Training Outdoor

19.00 - 20.00 Circuit Training Outdoor

19.00 - 20.00 Circuit Training Outdoor

20.00 - 21.00 20.00 - 21.00 20.00 - 21.00 20.00 - 21.00 Weightloss Yoga Weightloss Yoga Weightloss Yoga Weightloss Yoga

On Thursday 21st of May, Real Racquet Academy started a new alliance with sponsors Head, hosting the first of a series of three Open Tournaments that will take place throughout For reservations, please call +971 4 417 9850 or email egcfitlab@dubaigolf.com this year. www.dubaigolf.com With 36 pairs registered, the competition started with a first knockout stage to divide the pairs into categories A & B (advanced and intermediate players). After 20 matches and great Padel, the four finalists were ready to go for a welldeserved rest to come back on the Friday morning to play their finals.

At 8:30am the matches began. In the main category, Dirk and Simon won in three sets against the pairing of Juan de Dios and Oriol. It was a great final with amazing shots from both teams. From the B event final, Eduardo and Fabio beat Jean and Jerome in two very tight sets. All four pairs battled, not only against each other, but also against the high temperatures which played a big part.

All that’s left to say is, thank you to all participants and of course to Head UAE for the support given.

We look forward to seeing you at the next one, but, in the meantime…..let’s get Padelin’ Kind Regards Toni Salord Club Director, Real Racquet Academy PO Box 391192, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Mobile: +971 (0) 501892739

10.30 - 11.30 Grade 2 Ballet 11.30 - 12.15 PBB

BALINESE MASSAGE (60 mins) – De-stress and unwind with this classic massage WAS: AED 399 SUMMER CELEBRATION PRICE: AED 279

BALI CHIC MASSAGE (90 mins) – That little bit more... and pure urban bliss WAS: AED 499 SUMMER CELEBRATION PRICE: AED324

STUDIO

09.30 - 10.30 Primary Ballet 09.45 - 10.45 Zumba Toning (Tracy)

YUMMY MUMMY-TO-BE MASSAGE (60 mins) – Completely bespoke and bump-friendly WAS: AED 399 SUMMER CELEBRATION PRICE: AED 239

SATURDAY

19.00 - 20.00 Artistic Yoga 20.00 - 21.00 Weightloss Yoga

13

14

Ca p t a i ns’ Di n ner

Thursday May 21st 2015

15

Greenkeeper’s Cuttings

Bird: Purple Swamphen Scientific Name: Porphyrio porphyrio Shot: Dubai Emirates Golf Club (Faldo Course) Date shot: April 2015 Wiki link: http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Purple_swamphen

Club news

As you are aware, this time of the year sees the transitional period for the Majlis when the Rye grass (winter grass) becomes dormant and the Bermuda grass (summer grass) grows through.

The golf courses have held up well throughout the season and we have gained great conditions with the Rye grass overseed having been down since November of last year. As is typical at this time of year, temperatures suddenly increase which will of course see the onset of transition of the Rye. This Craig Haldane simply means that the cool season Rye Director grasses that were planted for winter now Golf Course begin to die back and we encourage the Maintenance warm season grasses, that have been lying dormant throughout the winter, to start actively growing again to become strong for the summer months ahead.

As always this period of the year remains challenging. What can you expect to see/experience? In terms of playability, you may encounter some bare lies in the rough in particular. Fairways generally transition out smoothly; however, at this stage of the season you may experience a few bare areas on fairways. The greens are not overseeded so they do not go through this process. Our first aerification on greens is not scheduled until the middle of summer, so you can expect to enjoy great putting surfaces throughout the transition period.

May I please encourage you to drive your carts sensibly and not drive over areas of turf that are already weak. You will see certain areas that may have been roped off to manage traffic for faster recovery and I would appreciate you all adhering to the go and no go areas throughout the property. The better we are at managing traffic, the sooner we get through transition and the sooner we can all enjoy 100% grass coverage throughout our courses.

As always, if you have any queries do not hesitate to ask questions we are only too happy to explain the processes in detail.

BIRDS Of THE EMIRATES AT EGC

Here are some current photos showing the progress of the Bermuda.

As the name suggests, the Purple Swamphen is a bird commonly seen in swamps which belong to the family of birds called ‘Rallidae’. They are also called Purple Coot or Purple Moorhen as well as Sultana Bird which is a name derived from its french name talève sultane. Some distinctive features of this chicken-sized bird is its purple plumage, the large feet that are disproportionate to its body and the red bill with a red shielded forehead. The large feet allow these birds to walk over floating swamp leaves on water. These features can also help identify the 13 or more sub-species that have similar features.

These birds are highly dispersive in nature. They make very loud, quick, bleating and hooting calls and they are particularly noisy over breeding season. Clumsy in flight, they can fly long distances and are great swimmers although they don’t possess webbed feet. They are seasonal breeders but the season varies - some breed around the peak rainfall season and others over summer in certain regions. They lay eggs in warm reed beds. The courtship dance of the males is quite elaborate with them holding water weeds in their bills and bowing to females with loud chuckling sounds.

A successful courtship results in two to six eggs. They commonly feed on tender shoots and vegetable-like matter found in the water; however, they are also known to eat other eggs, ducklings, small fish and snails.

It was interesting to spot this bird at Emirates Golf Club and unusual too, during the onset of the summer months. On the Faldo course the bird was spotted in the early morning hours and as you can see from the picture, the bird was seen walking over the green, occasionally pecking on the ground and feeding. The purple colour of the bird is hard to miss against the sunlight so keep your eyes out for this one.

Aquil Menon

Good evidence of Bermuda creeping on fairways

Up close fairways transition not an issue due to the lower mowing heights throughout the season allowing more sunlight to hit the Bermuda therefore limited shade effect from the Rye Cart parked in fairway (low mown area) versus the higher maintained rough in the left. High mowing highs mean the Rye shades out the Bermuda for longer resulting in a slower recovery of Bermuda Also this is a high traffic area CHECK THIS OUT Check out the great series of video blogs by Craig Haldane, Director of Golf Course Maintenance at Emirates Golf Club, detailing the transition from a Rye grass golf course to a Bermuda grass golf course as the summer months approach. http://www.dubaigolf.com/…/go…/bermuda-grass-transition.aspx

Cart Safety on the Course We have had an increase over the past few months in the number of golf cart related accidents on the courses which have led to serious damage to several carts, but thankfully resulted in no injuries. These accidents have been caused by poor driving and mainly a disregard for our cart driving rule of keeping the carts off sand areas at all times. It is very clear with our signage on the golf cart and from the briefing given by the 1st tee starter that carts may not be driven on sand areas and must be driven on grass at all times. This regulation is in place for three reasons:đŏ %./0(5ŏ * ŏ)+/0ŏ importantly, for your safety đŏ ! +* (5Čŏ"+.ŏ0$!ŏ3!((ŏ being of the natural habitat that lives in the desert areas as this requires protection đŏ $%. (5ŏ0+ŏ)%*%)%/!ŏ damage to our cart fleet which is an expensive and important asset of the golf club Please drive responsibly and carefully

TOP TIPS ON ETIQUETTE 1. Don’t be the slowest player

In my casual games at Bay Hill, we get around in under four hours - and that’s in fivesomes. Evaluate your pace of play honestly and often, and if you’re consistently the slowest one in your group, you’re a slow player, period.

Encourage everyone to move quickly enough so you find yourself right behind the group in front several times, both early and late in the round.

Remember the old staples of getting around in good time: Play ‘ready golf’ (hit when ready, even if you aren’t away) until you reach the green; be prepared to play when it’s your turn on the tee and green, and never search for a lost ball for more than five minutes.

2. Keep your temper under control

In the final of the Western Pennsylvania Junior when I was 17, I let my putter fly over the gallery after missing a short putt. I won the match, but when I got in the car with my parents for the ride home, there were no congratulations, just dead silence.

Eventually my father said, “If I ever see you throw a club again, you will never play in another golf tournament”. That wake-up call stayed with me. I haven’t thrown a club since.

Throwing clubs, sulking and barking profanity makes everyone uneasy. We all have our moments of frustration, but the trick is to vent in an inoffensive way.

For example, I often follow a bad hole by hitting the next tee shot a little harder -for better or worse.

3. Respect other people’s time

Because time is our most valuable commodity, there are few good reasons for breaking a golf date. Deciding lastminute to clean the garage on Saturday, or getting a call that the auto-repair shop can move up your appointment by a day, just doesn’t cut it. Always make your tee times, and show up for your lesson with the pro a little early. Social functions are no exception.

4. Repair the ground you play on

I have a penknife that’s my pet tool for fixing ball marks, but a tee or one of those two-pronged devices is fine. As for divots, replace them or use the seed

mix packed on the side of your cart.

Rake bunkers like you mean it. Ever notice that the worse the bunker shot, the poorer the job a guy does of raking the sand? Make the area nice and smooth - don’t leave deep furrows from the rake. Before you exit the bunker, ask yourself, “Would I be upset if I had to play from that spot?”

5. Be a silent partner

During one of my last tour events as a player, I noticed another pro making practice swings in my field of vision as I was getting ready to hit a shot. I stopped, walked over and reminded him (maybe too sternly) that it was my turn to play. Stand still from the time a player sets himself up until the ball has left the club.

Even with the advent of spikeless shoes, the etiquette rule of never walking in someone’s line of play on the putting green is an absolute. The area around the hole in particular is sacred ground.

The first thing to note when you walk onto a green is the location of every ball in your group, then steer clear of their lines to the hole.

Know where to stand and when to keep quiet. Position yourself directly across or at a diagonal from a player setting up.

Never stand on the line of play, either beyond the hole or directly behind the ball.

6. Make your golf cart ‘invisible’ Carts are very much a part of the modern game. Think about it, they’re mentioned on the backs of scorecards, discussed in the Decisions on the Rules of Golf, bags and other items are designed specifically for them, and they’re used at most courses. The sheer pervasiveness of them makes cart etiquette vitally important.

Your goal when driving a cart should be to leave no trace you were there.

Because we tend to look where we’re going and not where we’ve been, it’s easy to damage the turf and not realise it. Avoid wet areas and spots that are getting beaten up from traffic. Golfers tend to play “follow the leader” and drive in single file out to the fairway before branching off. It’s usually better to ‘scatter’ -everyone take a different route so that cart traffic is spread out.

BY ARNOLD PALMER

16

7. Always look your best

From Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen to Ben Hogan and Sam Snead to Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, the best players have been meticulous about their appearance. Their clothing has been sharp, and not one of them has shown up on the first tee with his cap backward, mud caked on his shoes, or his shirt hanging out. Your appearance speaks volumes about you as a person, and the neatly appointed golfer, like a businessman or someone headed to church, gives the impression he thinks the golf course and the people there are special.

8. Turn off the cell phone

Nobody knows less about technology than I do. But I know enough to recognise a cell phone when it rings in my backswing. If I had my way, cell phones would be turned off at all times on the course, but most clubs have given in to the fact that people are going to use them. I don’t know all the gadgets and settings on those phones, but do whatever you have to do to keep it quiet and if you absolutely have to make a call, move away from the other players and keep the call so brief that they don’t even know you made it.

9. Lend a hand when you can

It’s easy to help out your fellow players, if you just pay attention. One obvious way is looking for lost balls - better yet, watching errant shots so they don’t turn into lost balls. Pick up that extra club left on the fringe or the head cover dropped next to the tee, and return it to its owner after saying, “Nice shot!” If you see a cart out of position or a provisional ball that needs picking up, don’t just walk by.

10. Learn the little things

There are a hundred bits of etiquette I haven’t mentioned, like laying the flagstick down carefully, tamping down spike marks when you’re walking off a green, letting faster groups play through, and so on. All of these things are learned by observing, with a sharp eye and a considerate heart. Just know that golf has a way of returning favours, and every piece of etiquette you practice will be repaid tenfold.

GOLF OFFICE UPDATE

LATEST NEWS OF EGC’S HONORARY MEMBERS

Dear Members,

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ Miguel Angel Jimenez hit a record 10th hole-in-one on the European Tour during his third round at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth last month.

With the season drawing to a close I would like to congratulate our Omega Matchplay Champions: Rohit Gupta:

Men’s Singles Champion

Rosemary Turlik:

Ladies’ Singles Champion

Nitin Kripalani & Surjit Namli: Men’s Doubles Champions

Update from Director of Golf Barney Coleman

Update on Member Feedback GPS Accuracy

On the left hand side of the GPS screen we provide distances to the front, middle and back of the green which are fixed measurements using longitude and latitude data. For the pin position there can be human error as the process involves the following steps: 1) The pin is measured off by the greenkeeper and details are provided to Golf Operations.

2) These are entered each evening for the 36 holes on the property 3) The carts are remotely updated overnight for the following morning.

Human error for points one and two can lead to some variation. If point three fails it will result in the user’s cart having the pin positions from the day before; this should become apparent early on in your round and you can ask a marshal to swap the cart.

Also please note that due to a number of different satellites, the GPS can be 3 metres out at cart location and pin location which could total 6 metres out. Two carts working fine next to one another can show a 12 metre difference and nothing is ‘wrong’.

Therefore there is a strong possibility that the GPS reading will be different to the one provided through a Bushnell.

To acquire the exact yardage then a Bushnell is the way forward. We have the choice to show the centre of the green reading or ‘to the pin’. We feel that the second option is preferred by golfers on the whole, but we appreciate there will always be some inaccuracies.

We also plan over the summer to check all the greens to try to tighten up the accuracy.

Lynne Dickinson & Fiona Berry: Ladies Doubles Champions Paul Byrne & Maura Duggan:

Mixed Foursomes Champions

Please note all competitors wishing to participate in next year’s Omega Matchplay Championships must have recorded at least twenty games on their Golferscard account between 1st October 2014 and 30th September 2015. New members will be allowed to participate if they have an official handicap certificate from their previous club.

Dear Members

Please be informed of the changes to the opening times of the Majlis course from 7th June until end of August Majlis course Sunday to Thursday - the first tee-off time will be 6.00am The 10th tee will open from 6.00am to 7:30am for 9-hole rounds. All golfers starting from the back nine please be informed that the Golf Course Maintenance team have right of way.

Friday and Saturday - the first tee-off time on the Majlis course will be at 6.00am on the front nine. The back nine is not applicable.

Faldo course will operate as normal.

It is his third ace this season and his second in consecutive tournaments, after the par-3 eighth in his second round at the Spanish Open.

The 51-year-old Jimenez also became the first player to have two holes-in-one at the BMW PGA Championship.

His first came at the fifth hole in the final round in 2008 when he went on to win the tournament.

Recently a number of members have commented that it would be beneficial to show a calendar of all events on our courses over the coming month to enable members to plan their golf around member and external events. This has actually been in place on the member zone for the past two years but it seems many members don’t know it’s there or fail to consult it prior to booking. I have highlighted below where these pages are located; availability is shown across all courses including Dubai Creek.

Click here to view Dubai Golf Bookings for May/June Home

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Click here to view Dubai Golf Tournament Bookings May 2015 Click here to view Dubai Golf Tournament Bookings June 2015

Bulletin Board Letter from CCM General Manager

General Manager Update May 2015 - It was great to see so many of you at the 27th Annual Member's Party last month, it was a fantastic evening which I hope you all enjoyed.... Read more.

Director of Golf Update Golf Course Maintenance Update Golf Academy Update Recreation Update Pro Shop News Reminder

Director of Golf Update

Course Closure Dates Club Life Magazine

June 2015 - With the season drawing to a close I would like to congratulate our Omega Matchplay Champions.... Read more.

Upcoming Members Events Member's Questionnaire Feedback

RORY MCILROY The month of May was a very successful one for Rory McIlroy as he secured two wins on the PGA tour. He coasted to victory at the WGC-Cadillac Match Play, defeating Gary Woodland 4 and 2 during the Sunday championship match to become just the second No. 1 overall seed to win the event. (Tiger Woods won the event three times as the top seed).

The No. 1-ranked player in the world put on a show during the final match, recording three straight birdies on the front-nine (Nos. 5-7), including a 17-footer on the 7th hole that gave him a 4-up lead.

Two weeks later he won in dominating fashion at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow. It was the 11th PGA TOUR victory for the 26-year-old McIlroy who finished seven strokes ahead of his nearest competitor.

After the round, McIlroy said, “There were a couple of things that really pleased me today, my iron play and then how I putted. I rolled the ball really well, which I haven’t been doing for the past couple of weeks so to see a lot of putts drop like that was really nice.”

Notification of Events/Closures/ Course availability

RULES By RHyS Unplayable Ball Options Explained...

This is a rule that often occurs and one that can be explained with three simple options. Firstly, it must be known that a player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable. Examples are that your ball may come to rest in a bush, stuck up a tree or your swing and stance may be restricted. This can be claimed anywhere on the course EXCEPT when the ball lies in a water hazard.

of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole. To gain maximum range you may use your driver when measuring your two club lengths.

under options a, b or c above. However, if deciding to proceed under option b or c then the ball MUST be dropped in the bunker.

Must a ball be found and identified to be declared unplayable and to proceed under options a, b or c?

When proceeding under this Rule, the player may lift and clean his ball or even substitute a ball.

Penalty For Breach Of Rule: Match play - Loss of hole; Stroke play - Two strokes.

What If... a player decides to drop within two club lengths and the ball comes to rest in the same position or in a similar position that is unplayable?

Worry Free Boat Club Seawings

MEMBERS’ UPDATE

The Spaniard surpassed Colin Montgomerie’s tally of nine when he holed his tee shot from 148 yards at the par-3 No. 2 at the European Tour’s flagship event.

The Mashreq Bank Medal Championship in association with BMW

Director of Golf Course Maintenance Update

Course Closure Dates

May 2015 - The golf courses have held up well throughout the season and we have gained great conditions with the Ryegrass overseed having been down since November of last year. Read more.

Book Tee Times

Please note the following upcoming course closures: Majlis Course 2nd - 4th June Course Maintenance 12th - 16th July Course Maintenance 19th - 21st July Course Maintenance 23rd - 27th August Course Maintenance 1st - 5th November Overseeding My Reservations Tournaments

Members Consultative Committee (MCC) Member Offers

We trust you are enjoying the great golfing weather at present. Our courses are in good condition at this time of year with us doing the basics to keep things in shape.

My Profile

Member Update

Handicap

Please be informed that the opening times on the Majlis course have been extended from 7th June until 31st August 2015.

Pace of Play Policy Dress Code

Majlis course - Sunday to Thursday • The first tee time off the 1st tee will be 6am • The 10th tee will open from 6am to 7.30am for 9 hole rounds. For all golfers starting from the back nine, please be informed that the Golf Course Maintenance team have the right of way.

• Friday and Saturday - the first tee time on the Majlis course will be 6am off the front nine. The back nine is not applicable.

Faldo Course 24th - 28th May 26th - 29th July 2nd - 5th August 9th - 12th August 30th August - 1st September 18th - 20th October Golf Etiquette

Hall of Fame – Men's Events

Hall of Fame - Ladies Events Useful Websites

Reciprocal Clubs

The Faldo course will operate as normal.

Course Maintenance Course closed until 3pm Course closed until 3pm Course closed until 3pm Course Maintenance Overseeding

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

18 Club news

Club news

17

A player who decides that his ball is unplayable has the following three options, all of which can be applied with a one stroke penalty. a) Proceed under stroke and distance, which is to return to play a ball as nearly as possible to the spot from which the original ball was last played. b) Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped. c) Drop a ball within two club-lengths

Option a: No...which is effectively the same as a lost ball and you may continue under penalty of stroke and distance.

Option b or c: Yes, since options b and c require a reference point to where the ball lay, the player MUST be able to find and identify his ball.

What About In A Bunker?

Same rules apply and you may proceed

Unfortunately, the rules state that the ball is in play once it is dropped.

Therefore you are not entitled to a free re-drop simply because the ball remains unplayable whether in the original or in a new position. However, you may add an additional penalty stroke and proceed under options a, b or c.

If you have any rules queries that you would like to discuss over the coming weeks then please do not hesitate to ask on your next visit to the Club or simply email your query to rjames@dubaigolf. com

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AN MAKING wAVES SINCE OMAN OUTING European Tour - 25th May 2015

European Challenge Tour graduate Byeong-Hun An continued his startling rise in the world of golf by winning the biggest title of his career in recordbreaking fashion in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club.

Korean An was one of the star performers at last year’s National Bank of Oman Golf Classic at Almouj Golf – The Wave in Muscat, where he finished tied fifth to follow up from his

sixth place finish in the inaugural event the previous year.

He went on to finish fourth in the seasonending Challenge Tour Grand Final, which was last year played in Dubai, to secure one of the 15 cards on offer for this season’s European Tour. Having won his maiden title with tournament record total of 21 under par 267 and rocketed to third place in The Race to Dubai in a stunning debut season, it’s clear that his experiences on the Challenge Tour were the perfect preparation.

“It’s like a fifth Major to me,” said An after firing a closing round of 65 to finish six strokes ahead of Thongchai Jaidee and Miguel Angel Jimenez, beating the previous tournament record by two shots. “It’s the biggest title I’ve won and it gets me into a lot of events.

This is life-changing.

“Playing on the Challenge Tour in events like the National Bank of Oman on tough courses like Almouj Golf over the past few years definitely helped prepare me to play with the big boys on the main Tour. It really helped me step my game up a level.”

The Challenge Tour event at Almouj Golf – The Wave has now been promoted to become the season-ending NBO Golf Classic Grand Final, meaning it will play host to the top 45 players on the newly-named Road to Oman Rankings from Wednesday November 4-7, and An believes its elevated status is thoroughly deserved.

“The National Bank of Oman Golf Classic was a great event,” he said. “The Wave course can play really tough if the wind picks up, but there are some birdie holes. It can be daunting in the wind, though – it totally changes the course.

The overall organisation of the event was first-class and the hospitality was excellent. I’d definitely like to go back there and maybe one day in the future it will host a European Tour event.”

WildFlight Falconry Services and Crow Abatement Written by Ruan Botha of Wildflight Dubai

Hopefully by now all Emirates Golf Club members are aware of the implemented non-chemical feral bird abatement partnership between EGC and WildFlight to control the numbers of the invasive Indian Hooded Crow (Corvus Splendens) on our golf course. We understand that hawks hunt this invasive species but it gives life to so much more. Though still in its infancy, one of the most exciting findings over this short period is watching the start of an ecological phenomenon that starts at the top of the food chain and tumbles down to the bottom, a process known as “trophic

cascade”.

With the absence of any large predator, the number of crows had increased to such an extent that they chased away other indigenous birdlife. Once the hawks arrived it had a remarkable effect and small changes are now apparent.

Many species such as songbirds and migratory birds have started to increase greatly. Ducks and various water birds visit the dams and the discovery of two pairs of Shikras (Little Banded Goshawk – Accipiter Badius) moved onto the course to call it home as well.

Due to all these amazing additions you will not only have melodic bird songs while golfing but you should also, over the next couple of years, notice the vegetation beginning to show small changes. Certain bird species’ diet consists of insect, caterpillars and moths.

With indigenous birds balancing the eco system, various plant species will have time to regenerate. So the hawks will not only get rid of the Indian Hooded Crows but they will also help to transform the eco system of EGC to a perfect balance.

We have progressed through a couple of seasons since the start of the project.

Summer is the breeding season of the invasive Indian Hooded Crow. This might make them more aggressive and there might seem to be a slight increase in crow numbers but the truth of it is that each crow is now not only feeding itself but two to three chicks as well. Our main objective during this breeding season will be to eliminate at least two out of the three reasons why they find comfort at EGC. Firstly by deploying an apex predator into the environment we are releasing the element of fear or a predator-prey relationship; secondly

farewell to Ranil Perera

My name is Ranil Perera and I come from Sri Lanka. My hobbies include playing tennis and cricket, watching movies and listening to country music My overseas working career started in 1979 when I got the opportunity to work for Kuwait International Airport as a waiter.

I had the pleasure to work there until 1990 but due to the Kuwait - Iraq war I had to evacuate immediately and fly back to my home country. It was a very interesting, and unforgettable period in my life and I think I was lucky enough to come back in one piece.

After spending a few years with my family in Sri Lanka I got the opportunity to work at Emirates Golf Club. Since then Dubai Golf has been part of my life for 21 years (1994-2015); it will be sad to leave an organisation that has been very close to my heart for so many years. However, I am looking forward to spending more time back at home with my family but I will be leaving my eldest son Yohan Perera behind who is currently working for Emirates Golf Academy as an Academy assistant.

I would like to thank all my seniors in my department who guided me in my job and because of them I have learned so many things. I am also thankful to my team mates.for their support, and to all the other departments at Emirates Golf Club.

It has been a wonderful experience working within Dubai Golf and I wishing all my colleagues and members the very best.

OMAN’S SUMMER GOLf PASSPORT IS BACK!

In a first of its kind collaboration, four of Muscat’s best golf courses have united offering golfers the opportunity to experience what the capital has to offer through the unique Summer Golf Passport.

In its third year running, the programme sees Ras Al Hamra Golf Club join Almouj Golf at The Wave, Muscat, Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club and Ghala Golf Club offering a total of 16 rounds, four nine-hole games at each course, from June 1st until September 30th. Each course participating in this year’s Summer Golf Passport comes with its own signature features, playability, and character that would enchant and challenge the most seasoned golfers.

Enjoy 16 x 9 hole games, valid until 30th September 2015 for just RO120!

You can buy your Summer Golf Passport from Membership at both Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.

For more information, visit www.almoujgolf.com

Meet our new Club fitter Hi, my name is Brendan O’Leary from Youghal, Ireland and I have been involved in club fitting for the last two years for Titleist and Ping in the MENA region.

I have a passion for playing golf and I also enjoy watching Rugby Union. The experience I have gained from working with every type of golfer from Tour Professional to beginner has only reinforced my passion to help golfers enjoy the game more. Working with such a variety of golfing abilities has certainly taught me that custom fitting will lead to improved scores and consistency. If a Tour Pro, playing for his livelihood, needs a correction in his golf equipment, certainly the club golfer would too… so book your fitting with Brendan today by calling +971 55 324 5318 or emailing Brendan@prosports.ae

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES we need to eliminate all food sources as much as possible. This will encourage the crows to move their breeding and roosting habits away from the coveted property.

We would like to request our valued members, guests and residents to not feed any of the birds onsite in order to assist with this project.

From EGC and the entire WildFlight team we wish you happy golfing.

The award-winning French fine dining experience, Le Classique is a Dubai institution and an unmissable dining experience. Le Classique has garnered numerous accolades during its 25 year history, including the What’s On Chef’s Choice Restaurant winner and was a finalist on three other occasions.

Le Classique can be described in three simple words - sensational, balanced and consistent. And you can be assured that your dining experience there will be simply unforgettable!

Cuisine: French Fine Dining Opening Hours: Sunday - Thursday and Saturday, closed all day Monday Lunch: 12noon - 3pm (last food order at 2.30pm) Dinner: 7pm - midnight (last food order 10.30pm) Reservations Recommended Dress Code: Smart Elegant T +971 4 417 9999 or email emiratesdining@dubaigolf.com

Thanks Ahlan magazine! for choosing Le Classique at Emirates Golf Club in the Hot 100 Restaurants in the UAE!

Emirates Golf Club is proud to have been awarded the TripAdvisor 2015 Certificate of Excellence! This is an achievement of consistently great reviews from TripAdvisor travellers!

Visit our TripAdvisor page or leave a review here: http://bit.ly/1c448Zy

S N I P P ET S

ed to Terri h got marri it e K House n so elaw’s ss Country Andy Whit at Loch Ne ld e h as Lynne and w e wedding recently; th cotland S , ss Inverne

BEGINNERS’ DINN ER The beginners’ gro up, which has been guided by Lady Vic Captain Helen Sriva estava this year, celeb rated the end-ofseason with a dinne r in Le Classique

’s daughter Ivy and Bob Bailey to Chris d rrie ma t go Sarah in live ey on 9th May. Th ing took dd we the d an le Seatt USA. rth wo en av place in Le ! ns tio ula rat ng Co

L-R: Gerry McIlroy, EGC member, Cathe rine Convery and Colm McLoughlin, Executi ve Vice Chairman, Du bai Duty Free at the DDF Irish Open

19th hole

e l o H h t 9 1

23

Wedding Bells

Super-caddy Steph en Deane; his previous caddying experience was with Fred Couples at the Omega Dubai Dese rt Classic; this time it was with Tom Barry at the Du bai Duty Free Irish Open Pro -Am at Royal Coun ty Down in Northern Ireland!

Achal Gai and Garin der Singh, winners of the Daman Invest ments UAE Pairs Final held at the Cr eek. They have now qualified for the Wo rld Finals being held in Spain later this year.

Past Captain Mike Gerbich trying to find the Golf Channel. His eyesight must be failing as he was looking into the oven!!

Lynne Dickinson ce lebrating a big Birthday recen tly!

juniors Sean Former EGC SA, and siting from U Thornberry vi ndon, siting from Lo Ross Barry vi ish Open at the DDF Ir

There were some great little competitions at the DDF Irish Open at the end of May including a Wacky Trousers Day to outdo Rickie Fowler in the fashion stakes! People were invited to wear their most outrageous attire on Friday, May 29th to win a €500 Emirates voucher!

so Perhaps Past Captain, Mike Sim’s eyesight is not lime good either as he blinded everyone with his bright the in him ng spotti e troubl no had green trousers. We crowds at The Masters this year!

Cute photo at the Dubai Duty Free Iris h Open press confe future players there rence... perhaps? Emily and David Howell’s three Freddie, Charlie an boys, d Sam.

QUIZ NIGHT May first Quiz winners 18th Chance who won team Norfolk and AED ing nn wi y, Ma Congratulations to h 18t Bar Quiz Night on done to place in the Spike tes Golf Club! Well ira Em at p ho oS d third an nd co se 400 for the Pr ed rty Fears who finish Pa d an QE ms tea place respectively.

The Dubai Duty Fr ee Irish Open - so many we ather conditions in the sp ace of one hour - torrential rain, hailstones, dark clo uds and sunshine!!!

HOLE-IN- ONE Dubai Golf member, Kristi, who is a very keen golfer, wa s ecstatic when sh e had her first ever ho le-in-one on the Faldo 8th hole recen tly Kristi commented, “I’ve always struggled with this tee shot. If it doesn’t land short in the bunker, it usually hits the gre en and rolls off the back. This time I too k out my eight iron, took a steep ba ckswing and hit down on it. I made great contact and the ball flew in a nic e high arc straight at the flag and disap peared behind the bunker. I assumed it would roll off the back as usual, but this time I had bette r luck. I never thoug ht my first eagle would be an ace!”

HOLE-IN- ONE Najla Bartette who Congratulations to the Majlis 7th on had a hole-in-one on 19th May 2015