Editor: Jacqui Barry barrydxb@eim.ae
MAY 2015
ISSUE 49
Editorial
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t was only when I started to put together this month’s issue of Club Life that I realised just how many events took place last month. We had Captain’s Day, Lady Captain’s Day, Talker Cup, Curtisy Cup, Hankook Greensomes, Annual Members’ party, Monthly Medals, Easter Scramble, Matchplay finals, watching The Masters and even a Club golfing trip to Turkey! There’s no let up this month either with many golf and social events taking place!
Tom and I had the pleasure of being at The Masters last month which was, as ever, a fantastic experience. We were also happy to have spent the week with Past Captains Mike Sim and Mike Gerbich and Francie Mike, Jacqui, Tom, Allan, Mike & Franci which was great fun. Past e Captain, Allan Kidd, drove from South Carolina (45 minutes away) to have breakfast with us all one morning and it was great to catch up with him too. Others we met were Peter Downie, former Director of Golf at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, now General Manager at Clearwater Bay in Hong Kong, former Greens Superintendent at EGC, Jeff Julich, his wife Kerry and family, as well as Adrian Flaherty, Rohit and Jayshree Gupta and Amit and Amarjeet with Richard Chiara ntona Radia.
Our fellow member Gota Akai passed away in Dubai at the end of March. He was the first Asian committee member of Dubai Country Club Golf and served as Vice-Captain of the golf section there during the 80s, He and his wife Kimi joined Emirates Gofl Club when it first opened, left Dubai, but they became members again when they returned to here in 2008. Our heartfelt condolences go to Kimi. Kimi sent out this message:Thank you dear friends for your kind messages on my husband Gota’s demise. He suddenly departed this life while jogging in the park, a happy way to go doing what he loved, as he’d always wanted his exit to be. This picture shows his last view on earth, God bless him.
Emirates Golf Club Senior Management
Christopher May
Andrew Whitelaw
Chief Executive Officer cmay@dubaigolf.com
General Manager awhitelaw@dubaigolf.com
Craig Haldane
Chef Max Grenard
Mike Sim, Mike Gerbich, Tom and I had dinner with Richard Chiarantona who was a member at EGC when the Club first opened and he started the Talker Cup (Europe versus North America) which is still going strong today. It was fantastic going down memory lane with everyone. If there is one tournament you should go to in your lifetime, pencil in The Masters…it is so very special and so different from anything you would experience elsewhere. Put it on your bucket list!
Director - Golf Course Maintenance chaldane@dubaigolf.com
Unfortunately our ViceRohit, Jayshree, Am Captain, Johnny Aldridge has arjeet, Amit & Robin now left for USA and taking his place as Captain next year will be Walid Al Attar who many of you will get to know throughtout the course of the season. Congratulations Walid and incoming Vice-Captains, Vipen Sethi and Maura Duggan.
Jacqui Barry
Barney Coleman
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EGC Key Telephone Numbers
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Resident Engineer hpalliyalil@dubaigolf.com
Thank you to Chris May, Andrew Whitelaw and Barney Coleman for all their help throughout the last two years as they have ensured my Captaincy went very smoothly Last month we had the Annual Members’ party when the new Captain was announced. Unfortunately this season’s Vice-Captain, the everpopular Johnny Aldridge, has moved to Louisiana so he will not be here to take over the reins as Captain next season. I would like to thank him for being at the Club to do many of the competition prize-presentations on my behalf when I was unable to be there myself. Replacing Johnny as incoming Captain is Walid Al Attar and I wish you all the best for next year. Congratulations to incoming Vice-Captains, Vipen Sethi and Maura Duggan, two very popular choices.
you would have noticed how much I was shaking. However, I managed a respectable 214 yards – not too shabby for an old guy!! I have many people to thank for their support and sponsorship of my day. The main sponsor was HSBC to whom I am very grateful for their generosity in providing prizes and dinner. Thanks also to Stathis at BMW, for providing a car for the Hole-in-One prize. It’s a pity nobody won it though.
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This month is the annual Captains’ Dinner when all past Captains, current Captains and incoming Vice-Captains get-together for a special dinner in Le Classique. This was started by Jacqui Barry on August 31st 2000 which was the final day of her Captaincy before handing over to Joan Legnar on 1st September. All Captains were invited and a wonderful dinner was prepared by F & B in a marquee as the Clubhouse was being refurbished at that stage. The then GM, Mohammed Juma Buamaim thought this was a great idea and since that time, the Club has hosted it annually. I must say it’s a wonderful tradition and I am looking forward to this year’s dinner on 22nd May.
in’s Club Capta Message
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day which was stressful, particularly in the few days leading up to the event. Anyway, it was a great day and I thank you all.
ello my friends. I hope you all enjoyed my Captain’s Day as much as I did. Thank you all for your support on the day and during the evening; it was wonderful to see so many of you there. My Captain’s Day drive was really nerve-wracking and I’m sure many of
There are still a number of golf events left before the end of the season; enjoy your golf before it gets ridiculously hot! I love you all Your Kaz Kamal Kosta Club Captain 2014-2015
I would also like to thank my good friends Tom Luig, Mark GregsonWalters and Ross Bain who were so much help to me in organizing the
COMPETITION RESULTS Indian invitational
Supported by
INDIAN MEMBERS OF EMIRATES GOLF CLUB
Friday 4th April 2015
23rd Indian Invitational Golf Day Once again the Indian Members of Emirates Golf Club hosted a fantastic event with over one hundred players taking part on the Majlis course, followed by a well attended prize-giving dinner and a generous raffle draw. The format for the day was a betterball stableford and the winners were Anil Shivanna and Jairaj Rodham who scored a fantastic 45 points. Runners-up by a narrow one point margin were Bhupesh Sharma and Sameer Joshi who scored 44 points. A further point adrift were the pairing of Anand Lakhiani and Nelly Amarnani who scored 43 points to claim third place. On-course prizes were contested for and won by Lady Captain Mitsuko Emmerson for nearest the pin on the 4th and 11th holes. Kush Sama picked up the prize on the 15th hole. Jairaj Rodham proved consistent as he won the nearest the pin on the 7th hole and also won the straightest drive on the 5th hole. On the 10th hole the straightest drive was won by Amarjeet Radia.
Thanks to the generosity of our Indian community at the Club, the prize raffle and donations raised approximately AED 12,000 for our junior colleagues. Prior to play there was a respectful tribute to the late Ashok Bakshi, a popular Past Captain of Emirates Golf Club and a person who had contributed greatly to the development of the Indian Invitational golf day. OVERALL PAIRS WINNERS Anil Shivanna, Jairaj Rodham RUNNRS UP Bhupesh Sharma, Sameer Joshi THIRD Anand Lakhiani, Nelly Amarnani TEAM PRIZES BLIND PARTNERS TEAM OF FOUR WINNERS Amit Radia, Amarjeet Radia, Martha Wong, Bill Wong RUNNERS UP Manish Bakshi, Aayush Bakshi Johnny Aldridge, Ivan Fornazaric THIRD Madhu Sharma, Archie Sharma Jennifer Ayres, Vipen Sethi NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 4 Mitsuko Emmerson NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 7 Jairaj Rodham NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 11 Mitsuko Emmerson NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 15 Kush Sama STRAIGHTEST DRIVE HOLE # 5 Jairaj Rodham STRAIGHTEST DRIVE HOLE # 10 Amarjeet Radia
45 PTS 44 PTS 43 PTS
82 PTS 80 PTS 79 PTS
Competition
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Friday 10th & Saturday 11th April 2015
HANKOOK GREENSOMES
Aldridge and Tracey Crowned Hankook Greensomes Champions Johnny Aldridge and Josie Tracey triumphed in the Hankook Greensomes Championship with a winning tally of 15-under par for the 36-hole event. The duo found themselves in the last group for the final round on the Majlis course following an opening 63 (9-under par) over the Faldo. Joining them in the final group was the pairing of Lionel Smith and Kish Bandopadhyay following their 67 on the opening day. The winning pair produced fantastic golf over both days to post rounds of 63 and 66 for a 129, minus 15 total and
a six stroke winning margin. The pair complemented each other well with a combination of length and accuracy off the tee by Johnny, and an outstanding short game display by Josie with the “occasional dance routine thrown in to keep the pair amused�, said Josie, as they birdied their way to victory!
Also in the prizes were:
Suresh Shewakramani and Ashok Sindhu gave a good defence of the title they won last year with scores of 68 and 67 for a 135 total.
DAY 1
A further shot adrift was the pairing of Jugwinder Brar and Kush Sama who produced scores of 75 and an incredible 61 for a 136 total. Alan and Soumaya Salem claimed fourth place, losing out on the last eighteen hole score after producing scores of 67 and 69 for a 136 total. The gross section produced yet another husband/wife wining pair in Mark and Mimi Hosking who dropped only six strokes over the 36-holes to post a 150 total. This was four clear of their closest contenders, Ian Scott and Jenny Ayres. The 16th staging of this hugely popular event was a great success with the 140 players enjoying hospitality from Hankook who continue to be a great sponsor of this event.
BEST NET DAY - 1: Lionel Smith (EGC) Kish Bandopadhyay (EGC)
67
BEST NET DAY - 2: Amresh Sangani (EGC) Tania Sangani (EGC)
67
NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 2: Karam Sehmi NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 12: Maria Victoria Arias LONGEST DRIVE HOLE # 16: Cornelia Ulm DAY 2 NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 15: Darren Cole NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 4: Dathan Beasley LONGEST DRIVE HOLE # 12 Mimi Hosking
MIXED EASTER SCRAMBLE Friday 4th April 2015 NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 11 (LADIES) HOLE # 4 (GENTS) HOLE # 7 (ALL PLAYERS) STRAIGHTEST DRIVE HOLE # 1 0 (ALL PLAYERS) WINNERS RUNNERS-UP THIRD
KAMAL KOSTA’S CAPTAIN'S DAY Sponsored by
Friday 24th April 2015 RESULTS WINNERS Anil Sobthi Gurjit Grewal 64.5 Pts RUNNER UP Manish Bakshi Aayush Bakshi 66 Pts THIRD Luiz Bertuol Nigel Thompson 66.5 Pts SPECIAL EVENTS GUESS CAPTAIN’S DRIVE 214 YARDS WINNERS Tony Hutchinson Aayush Bakshi NEAREST THE PIN IN TWO HOLE # 16 Eric Koeman NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 4 Peter Pavy NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 11 Rajesh Verma NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 15 Andre Grove LONGEST DRIVE HOLE # 8 David Evans LONGEST DRIVE HOLE # 12 Andre Grove
MASHREQ MEDAL in association with BMW & Ruth’s Chris Steak House Saturday 25th April 2015 A DIVISION (HCP. 0-10) WINNER: Rakesh Shah Net.73 RUNNER UP: Bipin Bhatia Net.73 THIRD: Job Mogire Net.73 BEST GROSS: David Thompson Gross.77 OVERALL NET WINNER: Robert Underwood NET. 65 B DIVISION (HCP. 11-20) WINNER: Robert Underwood Net.65 RUNNER UP: David Thompson Net.66 THIRD: Ishu B. Rupani Net.69 C DIVISION (HCP. 21-28) WINNER: Mark Yanchus Net.72 NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 15: Ed Hesson
Sandra Chia Nishith Patel Gunilla Hardt Naresh Bhambhaney Komal Sharma, Naresh Bhambhaney Manoj Shivanani, Gurmukh Ghuldu Anil Shivanna, Nishith Patel Veneet Mohan, Tom Luig Andy Hendry, Eric Koeman Malcolm Wood, Peter Mackenzie
SATURDAY 25TH APRIL 2015 – RESULTS A DIVISION (HCP. 0-10) WINNER RUNNER UP THIRD BEST GROSS OVERALL NET WINNER B DIVISION (HCP. 11-20) WINNER RUNNER UP THIRD C DIVISION (HCP. 21-28) WINNER NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 15
Rakesh Shah Bipin Bhatia Job Mogire David Thompson Robert Underwood
Net 73 Net 73 Net 73 Gross 77 Net 65
Robert Underwood Net 65 David Thompson Net 66 Ishu B. Rupani Net 69 Mark Yanchus Ed Hesson
Net 72
60.4 61.3 61.8
in’s Lady Capta Message
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e had unusual weather last month - one week was cool and another week was very hot, but this is not only happening here. Some countries where it was supposed to be the end of spring had a big hailstones. We also had huge hailstones some years ago in Dubai in 1981 and hundreds of cars including new ones were badly damaged. I hope they had insurance! Last month on 14th April we had the 27th Annual Members’ party and it was great as usual. We enjoyed food and dancing till late. Our new Captain was announced who is Walid Al Attar, along with incoming Vice-Captains Vipen Sethi, and Maura Duggan. Congratulations to all of you; I’m sure you are very honoured and pleased to be appointed and looking forward to the season ahead. As I have mentioned so often, time flies very quickly particularly
LADIES’ COMPETITION RESULTS
in Dubai. We are nearly coming to the end of the busy golf competition and social season. We had Men’s Captain’s day on 24th April and my Lady Captain’s day on 27th which was a wonderful day. Many thanks to all the ladies for your support and for all your generous contributions towards my beautiful gift which is much appreciated. On and off the course was a Japanese theme (surprise, surprise) with sumo suits, and kimonos and I think everyone had great fun. Kamal and I have both enjoyed these two years with the Club and with all the members very much and we hope you enjoyed it with us. Big thanks to JW Marriott Marquis for supporting the Ladies’ Monthly Medal for two years and also to Special K who supported eight ladies’ competitions this season. The winner of the Special K Order of Merit was Naema Maya finishing far ahead of the other ladies. Well
done Naema! The top ten in the Order of Merit were: Supported by
Kelloggs Series Points 1 Naema Maya 2 Rosemary Turlik 3 Viv Caley 4 Fiona Berry 5 Martha Wong 6 Mimi Hosking 7 Carolyn Thompson 8 Arathi Appaiah 9 Lynne Dickinson 10 Sulafa Hamdan
98 66 56 55 54 49 47 46 46 46
We recently had the Curtisy Cup which is very popular at the end of season and this year’s winning team was Europe (again). Well done to all players. Whatever the result, we always enjoy it so much including the 19th hole! Mitsuko Emmerson Lady Captain 2014-2015
LADY CAPTAIN’S DAY Monday 13th April 2015
Special K FINALE Monday 13th April 2015 Overall Winner: Sabine Choudry SILVER DIVISION (HCP. 0 – 23) Winner: Cathrine Clark Runner-up: Thea Hendrickx BRONZE DIVISION (HCP. 24 –42) Winner: Rajni Sud Runner-up: Chris Hutchinson HOLE PRIZES NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 4 (Silver Div): Annette Carstanjen NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 11(Bronze Div): Gillian Black LONGEST DRIVE HOLE # 16 (Silver Div): Rosemary Turlik LONGEST DRIVE HOLE # 10 (Bronze Div): Deepa Uttamchandani
Pts 47 Pts 46 Pts 46 Pts 45 Pts 44
The Special K season finale also brought to a close the Ladies’ Order of Merit for 2015 which consisted of a series of eight events with the top ten players receiving points based on their performance. The most consistent performer and winner of the Ladies’ Order of Merit was Naema Maya who collected 98 points for her efforts this season. In second place with 66 points was Rosemary Turlik followed by Viv Caley in third place with 56 points. Sponsored by
Winners
Rosebowl Winner
WINNERS:
Mego Han Lida Hoekstra Annette Carstanjien Sandra chia
RUNNERS UP
Helen Srivastava Rekha Bandopadhyay Annette Stewart Selma Kehoe 119
THIRD HOLE PRIZES NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 4: NEAREST THE PIN HOLE # 7: Nearest the pin Hole # 9: Nearest the pin Hole # 11: Nearest the pin Hole # 15:
Sulafa Hamdan Mimi Hosking Arathi Appaiah Veronica Elias
LADY CAPTAIN’S DRIVE:
Yana Jamieson
ECLECTIC COMPETITION BEST NET WINNER: BEST GROSS WINNER: ROSEBOWL COMPETITION WINNER:
123
117
Carolyn Thompson Selma Kehoe Lynne Dickinson Kazuko Chiba Liz Maffat 184 Yds.
Sabine Choudry Mimi Hosking Caroline Kehoe
Ladies’ Medal Monday 6th April 2015 Sponsored by SILVER A DIVISION (HCP. 0 – 14) Winner
Naema Maya
NET 63
Runner Up
Rekha Bandopadhyay
NET 71
Mitsuko Emmerson
GROSS 80
Overall Best Gross
SILVER “B” DIVISION (HCP. 15 –23) Winner
Noemy Bertuol
NET 71
Runner Up
Yana Jamieson
NET 74
BRONZE DIVISION (HCP. 24 –42) Winner
Ingrid Sjodoff
NET 72
Members’ trip to Turkey By Andrew Matthews, Membership Service Manager
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recently escorted 14 of our Emirates Golf Club members on a golfing trip to Belek in Turkey.
Staying at the five-star Cornelia Diamond Resort the group made the most of the spa facilities and excellent on-site restaurants, including some lovely local Turkish Antalya cuisine. The weather, which was in the low 20s each day, was perfect for the four rounds of golf that were played. The courses were all very different with each day’s course being better and more popular than the
previous day. The four courses were the Cornelia Golf Club, Faldo course, Sueno Golf Club, Dunes course, TAT International Golf Club & Kaya Eagles Golf Course. After playing the extremely tough Faldo layout in Belek you do start to see our Faldo course in a much more friendly light. The first two days the guys played individual strokeplay but, after some fabulous seafood at the Old Harbor restaurant and much friendly consultation, the format was changed to a Ryder Cup style, betterball format for the third day, which proved very popular especially
over the lovely TAT International course. The final day’s play changed to a Pairs Scramble which suited the lovely Kaya course perfectly. Much fun was had by all, and I can highly recommend both the area of Belek for its golf courses and also the Cornelia Diamond Hotel for its great service and facilities. After the success of this trip, further members’ golfing holidays are in the pipeline; anyone who may be interested please contact me amatthews@dubaigolf.com
The Talker Cup was started in May 1988 by Richard Chiarantona and since, then, it has gone from strength to strength. There were two events in 1988 so next year is the 30th one. It’s time for you to visit Richard to put in a guest appearance for the North American team!! Well done to both teams for what was a closely contested event with Euro pe ultimately winning back the trophy this year. The current score is Europe: 13 Nort h America: 16 1988 North America 2002 North America 1988 Europe 2003 North America 1989 North America 2004 Europe 1990 North America 2005 North America 1991 Europe 2006 North America 1992 Europe 2007 Europe 1993 North America 2008 Europe 1994 Europe 2009 Europe 1995 North America 2010 Europe 1996 North America 2011 Europe 1997 Europe 2012 North America 1998 North America 2013 Europe 1999 North America 2014 North America 2000 North America 2015 Europe 2001 North America
TALKER CUP 2015
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he Talker Cup was played in fine weather on two courses in wonderful condition, courtesy of Craig and his team. It was quite a treat for many of the players to experience the Faldo greens at their finest. The flag bedecked carts were quite a sight as all the pairs started out with high hopes. Team North America, with a host of rookie players, fought valiantly but the Europeans secured the victory. Many thanks to EGC staff for decorating the carts and assisting throughout the long day and special thanks to the F&B team for a superb evening in Le Classique. Bill Ayres (N. American Captain) & Paul Byrne (European Captain)
CURTISY CUP 2015
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he Curtisy Cup is an annual match played over 36 holes between Europe and the Rest of the World, this year captained by Cathrine Clark and Mimi Hosking respectively. It was a keenly contested event and after the morning greensomes, Europe led 6 1/2 to 5 1/2 so it was very close. The afternoon betterball matchplays saw the tables turn in favour of Europe who won 8 1/2–7 1/2 overall. This year was the 24th event so next year sees the quarter of a century celebrations. Eligibility for the teams is through Order of Merit points gained from Medal competitions so if you did not qualify this year, make sure you play the Monthly Medals as this is one of the highlights of the ladies’ calendar
From Team Europe Captain Cathrine Clark
C
urtisy Cup 2015 was yet again a very successful event, an event many of us think is the best golf day in the season!!!
As this year’s European Captain I would like to thank my fantastic winning team; they stayed ‘calm and kept golfing’! Winning together and working hard for your teammates and Captain, is a great feeling, something we are not generally used to in golf. The match was a close one and I would like to thank my good friend Mimi and her team for a well fought one. Furthermore I would like to thank the marshals, Sampath and the range boys for decorating the carts. Martin and the F&B team for providing us with a lunch and a super dinner; thanks to Keith and Prosports, Shibin and his embroidery team for providing us with shirts. Thanks also to the girls in the locker room, always smiling and helpful and to EGC for a great Majlis course. I would also like to thank Vice-Captain Lynne Dickinson for helping out and I wish her good luck for next year! Finally I would like to wish the ladies good luck in next season’s medals - play well and you may qualify for this great event.
From Team Rest of the World Captain, Mimi Hosking
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he annual team clash between team Europe and team Rest of the World took place on Wednesday 22nd April... yes it was Curtisy Cup time once again! It is a truly remarkable experience where friends who play together all year become fierce competitors for a day in honour of either Europe or the Rest of the World. Everyone was high-spirited and buzzing leading up to the event and all this energy created a type of Curtisy Cup magic that we could all feel in the air. It was great fun for me and for my Vice-Captain Sulafa to face off with Cathrine and Lynne to choose the pairings for the day and to make all the necessary pre-event arrangements. Both teams were very evenly balanced on paper, based on individual victories and accomplishments throughout the golfing season, making this year’s Curtisy Cup a very exciting prospect. As per usual, on match morning, our golf bags were received by friendly staff wishing us all the best of luck. This year the Captains decided to have team flags in lieu of individual country flags the blue European flag flew proudly on Cathrine’s cart and the new red ROW flag on mine, with every golf buggy bearing stickers containing the flags of all members in each team. All too soon the matches were underway and the battle commenced! The morning greensomes were keenly contested with Europe leading by just one point at lunch. It was all to play for in the afternoon fourball betterballs! The afternoon matches turned into an epic contest and the tension was electric as Team ROW looked to overturn Europe’s slender advantage. The match was finally won for Europe with Jacqui Barry and Maura Duggan clinching the deciding points on the 18th green against Arathi and Amarjeet. The afternoon fourballs had finished four points each and the Curtisy Cup was secured 8.5 to 7.5 in Europe’s favour. Team ROW was bitterly disappointed at coming so close to winning this year, but the disappointment was short-lived as we gathered with Team Europe for a fabulous meal and postmatch celebration. Thanks to Martin and his F&B team for taking such good care of us. On behalf of team ROW I would also like to thank the following people who contributed to making Curtisy Cup 2015 the success that it was: - Nishanti for all the printing and re-printing of team lists and draw sheets. - Keith Wilkes and the ProSport team for sponsoring and embroidering our team shirts. - All the bag handlers and range team for arranging our bags and buggies, and to the course marshals for ensuring things ran as smoothly as they did on the course. I would also like to thank the die-hard ROW supporters and photographers who joined us on the course during the day. In closing I would like to thank the ROW team for such a fantastic effort this year. We came SOOO close to clinching the cup, but despite not actually winning, we achieved our mission which was to play hard, to play fair, to smile and to enjoy our great game. I felt very proud to lead the ROW team! Best of luck to Sulafa and Lynne as they lead the teams in 2016.
CLUB MATCHPLAY CHAMPIONS 2015 Omega Singles Matchplay Champion Rohit Gupta defeated Tony Hutchinson
Omega Ladies Singles Rosemary Turlik defeated Viv Caley on the 20th hole of the Majlis course!
Omega Ladies Pairs Matchplay Champions Fiona Berry & Lynne Dickinson clinched a 3 & 1 victory over Carolyn Thompson & Rekha Bandopadhyay
Omega Mixed Matchplay Champions Maura Duggan & Paul Byrne secured a 1 up victory over Josie Tracey & Johnny Aldridge!
CAPTAIN’S DAY
Omega Men’s Pairs Matchplay Champions Nitin Kripalani & Surjit Namli defeated Tony Azoulay & David Waite
Y A D ’S N I A T P A C Y D A L
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JUNIOR LINKS
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Spotlight on RAyhan Thomas
Junior Link
What a superb season young 15 year-old Rayhan Thomas has had. He won the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club Men’s Club Championship with scores of 74 and 71. After opening with a round of three-over par 74 on the par-71 course, Thomas began the second round four shots behind four-time Club Champion Miki Mirza, yet he managed to win comfortably with his steady golf on day two. Following this, Thomas then went on to win the Emirates Amateur Open with a final round four-under par 68 and turned around a six-shot deficit to a six-shot victory margin. Thomas again produced some outstanding final day golf on the Majlis course to add the 2015 Emirates Men’s Club Championship to his list of honours, securing that win with a final round of 67. Victory in the EGC Junior Club Championship was next with a gross 71 and then, having already secured the Emirates Golf Federation’s Men’s Order of Merit crown this season, the Junior Open at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht club was never going to pose any problem for Rayhan which he won with the only sub par round of the day of 70. What a great run of success! His scoring under pressure has been unbelievable so I decided to ask him a few questions about his future plans which, of course, involve him wanting to turn Pro..and why not? He certainly looks like he has a great future ahead. We wish him all the best and will look out for his name on the European or PGA tour. I am 15 years old and I am in ninth grade at St. Mary’s Catholic High School. I was born and brought up in Dubai and love to be here. I’ve been playing golf since I was nine years old, having started when my dad took me to Golf House on Sheikh Zayed Road. At that time the back of the store had a mini-driving range where people could try out new clubs by hitting off mats and into nets. That was where I hit my first golf shot and just enjoyed the sensation of hitting the ball and that was where my passion and love of the game started. I play a little football once a week, but other than that its mainly golf. I practice four days a week and play two rounds at the weekend. I work out in the gym five days a week also. My long-term goal is to play college golf in the US, to continue to play professionally on either the European or PGA tour. In the short term I would like to do well in the six tournaments I plan to play in Scotland and England this summer and hopefully play in the Desert Classic next year!
MatchPlay
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s we begin to enter the final stretch of the season, many of you will have enjoyed competing in the Club’s matchplay championships and team matchplay events. This month I will be discussing the options you have if a scenario arises where you are unsure of the ruling and there is doubt on how to proceed. In stroke play, a player who is doubtful of his rights or the correct procedure can play out the hole with two balls. He must state which ball he would like to count in his score and report the facts to the committee before submitting his scorecard. However, in matchplay you cannot play two balls. You MUST continue the match without delay by proceeding in the manner that you believe is in line with the rules. If your opponent disagrees with this, the opponent can make a claim to be considered by the committee later. The opponent MUST make the claim in a ‘timely manner’ and MUST notify you that he wants to seek a ruling. The claim MUST
be made before any player plays from the next teeing ground or, in the case of the last hole of the match, before all players leave the putting green. Once the result of the match has been officially announced, a claim may not be considered by the committee unless: - the claim is based on facts, which were previously unknown to the player making the claim at the time the result was officially announced. - the player making the claim had been given wrong information by an opponent. - the opponent knew he was giving wrong information.
STATUS OF A LATE CLAIM As mentioned claims MUST be made in a ‘timely manner’, otherwise the committee is unable to consider them. For example: a player realises that his opponent should have lost the 4th hole when he grounded his club in a bunker. For a claim to be made in a ‘timely manner’, the player
RULES BY RHYS would need to raise a claim before either player played a stroke from the 5th tee. A similar situation happened at a recent Club event. Not mentioning any names, but during the recent Talker Cup, players had agreed handicaps and confirmed the strokes being received in the match. However, a player forgot to deduct a stroke where he was entitled to one and the hole was agreed as halved. The error was then discovered several holes later. All of the players were aware of the handicap situation as agreed on the first tee. Therefore, once they had all teed off from the next teeing ground there was nothing that could be changed and the result of the hole would stand. You will be pleased to know that this did not affect the outcome of the 2015 Talker Cup! 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.
Check out this great article from the The New York Times on Faldo Night Golf at Emirates Golf Club written by Sam Borden
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he shadows covered my ball like giant trash bags, and the subtle breaks in the green blended together as if coated in paint. I didn’t care — how could I? I was playing golf at night. For many casual golfers, this would qualify as the Holy Grail. After all, one of the most difficult things about being a golfer is the time required to complete 18 holes, and while finishing a round in about four hours generally inspires feelings of sheer giddiness among players, those emotions are not typically shared by the player’s waiting spouse or family members. A “quick round” on a weekend often occupies at least half of that day’s daylight hours — a reality that can be especially infuriating if, say, a family is on vacation at the time. Given that perpetual obstacle, let me offer this suggestion to those golfers who also happen to enjoy spending time with their loved ones: Get yourself to Dubai. This may seem incongruous; certainly no one would argue that Dubai, a city that sometimes feels as if it is being built one (oversized) Lego at a time, has the golf cachet of Pebble Beach, Calif., or Pinehurst, N.C. But then, where else can you go on a winter jaunt that will allow you to spend a day at the beach or in a bustling array of old-town markets or atop the observation deck of the world’s tallest skyscraper before having an early dinner with the family, putting the kids to bed and then, with tourist responsibilities fully completed, grabbing your clubs and playing 18 holes with a sky full of stars along for the ride? I was in Dubai late last year to report a few stories for The New York Times but, as I teed off on the Faldo Course at Emirates Golf Club shortly before 8 one night, it did not escape me that I was beginning my round at roughly the same time as my children would be going to sleep back home. It was a liberating feeling and, also, wholly unfamiliar; after all, so many rounds
played by so many golfers around the world involve a mental countdown clock, a harried feeling of needing to hustle so as to be done in time for a soccer practice/ baseball game/dance recital/trip to Home Depot. This was different. At night, the pace of play is quick but the emotions are gloriously slower and dreamier. Like everything else in Dubai, there is construction all around the course at Emirates, but the whirring of the cranes and the backfiring of the ubiquitous trucks quiet to a hum after dark and the skyline that rises above the course, topped, of course, by the spindly Burj Khalifa, makes golfers feel as if they are tiptoeing (or, really, gliding in electric carts) among a cadre of neon giants. In many ways, a fully floodlit golf course is typical Dubai. There are other places around the world where one can, technically, play golf at night, but these are often tiny tracks, a course of short holes where one might need only a few clubs and an hour’s time to get around. Paying to install bright lights all over a course that can stretch more than 7,000 yards and already requires a pricey maintenance that includes one million gallons of water per day in the heat of the desert summer is both lavish and ostentatious. But then, those are two adjectives that are not used infrequently in these parts. From a design standpoint, the Faldo Course itself is not breathtaking; its sister layout at Emirates, the Majlis, is generally regarded as superior and hosts professional events throughout the year. But while one can certainly choose to play either course during the day, the true allure here is obvious: Why wouldn’t the casual golfer find something else to do in the morning — consider this an enthusiastic plug for visiting the local camel racing track, where the action begins at sunrise — while saving the joy (and pain) of golf for evening?
Faldo
In Dubai, Swinging Clubs Under the Stars
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All the perks of playing a luxury club remain the same. On my visit, I enjoyed a tasty dinner in the clubhouse restaurant after arriving at the course and changed my shoes in the plush locker room (complete with sauna and steam room) before warming up at the capacious driving range with a set of rental clubs that were top-of-the-line. There were even birds chirping and flying about, their internal body clocks apparently so altered by the bright lights that dusk and dawn have become malleable concepts. Yes, there is some acclimatizing required for night golf: Constantly hitting out of my own (long) shadow took some getting used to, and budding Rory McIlroys who like to analyze every nook and cranny of a green’s tilt will suffer eye strain if they try to identify whether a putt has precisely two inches of break. Tracking the ball’s flight, too, can be a challenge, particularly for shots that fly far from the target line (though that is a problem that is not, shall we say, exclusive to the nighttime). One gentleman I came across recommended switching to a pink ball for greater visibility. Golf, like many sports in the United Arab Emirates, is not a particularly big draw for locals, so the majority of players at Emirates are visitors or expatriates. I played with a Welshman during my visit and as we made our way down the 14th hole sometime after 10 o’clock, we couldn’t help but pause for a moment. It was the quietest part of the course, tucked away from the croaks and moans of the construction. There were no other golfers around. No cars alongside. No cellphone buzzing in the cart with a text message asking how much longer we would be. There was only a willowy tree canopy looming behind the green and us, two golfers playing a daytime sport, chasing our shots toward a flagstick lit up beneath the moon.
Fit Lab
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Dear Members,
A
s you have seen over the past two months Fit Lab is going from strength to strength in terms of what is on offer within the department at the present time. Michael Lancaster has proven that he is a top Personal Trainer and has excelled and taken Fit Lab to another level.
Nutrition with Victoria Roper – Sports Physical Therapist at Bespoke Wellness Recently I had the pleasure of speaking at the EGC ladies’ golf day lunch. The talk was about nutrition, making the right choices and stabilizing blood sugar levels in order for the body to function at its optimum level.
Michael does a circuit class three times per week outside the gym and this is very popular; he has had some amazing results with his clients and I would strongly recommend you try this class if you are looking to get results quickly. Another area Fit Lab is working very hard to improve is its customer service and we are hoping that you have seen a big improvement since the turn of the year. Fit Lab continues to strive to offer the seven star service you as a member should be experiencing. If you have any queries or issues here please do not hesitate to contact me any time. The tennis has been fantastic this season with many present and new ladies participating. The demand for courts in the evening is growing and I advise you to book early to avoid disappointment. We are looking to add a social evening so if you are interested please let my reception team know as we are trying to build up the numbers. Toni Salord has recently relocated from London to Dubai to manage the Real Racquet Academy, the first and only Padeltennis club of its kind in the area, where members and guests can come and enjoy playing this addictive sport. Padeltennis, is played in doubles and combines two different racquet sports, tennis and squash. Padel is a simple sport to get into so coming from previous racquets sports or not, everyone has enormous fun and I can guarantee that you will return. All you need to do is register with us and you will be given an online account, then all you need to do is start playing! As a Club we organise all sorts of sessions for our players. From ladies’ morning socials, monthly events and competitions to the popular I’m In matches, arranged matches by RRA where you as an individual, can join in a match and meet other players. The entire team looks forward to seeing you at Fit Lab and if you have any issues please feel free to contact me any time. Healthy Regards Andy Meech Head of Sport & Leisure
Exercise of the Month
The Squat 1. Start by standing upright, with feet placed hip width apart. Ensure pressure is placed in the heels. Toes may be pointed slightly outwards. 2. Place the hands out in front for balance, and ensure the back is kept straight and the head is looking forward. Bend at the hips and knees, keeping the knees behind the toes. Knees should stay in line with the toes. 3. Attempt to lower the hips, making 90 degrees at the knee joint, and even lower if good form is kept. Key points are keeping the knees behind the toes and pressure through the heels, whilst keeping a nice straight back. If form is compromised before hitting 90 degrees, do not go lower. 4. Return to the starting position in a controlled motion to complete the repetition.
I had already snuck into the kitchen and commandeered the menu, made a few changes, substitutions and included some of my own recipes!! On the day, the ladies enjoyed a delicious, yet light, Tom Yam soup, a selection of salads and an array of main courses which included poached salmon in coconut broth, Thai marinated chicken and Mediterranean roasted vegetables. Desserts were also a hit with date and almond truffles, dark chocolate cottage cheesecake and yogurt panna cotta. Protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates were the focus of the menu to promote energy and nutritional balance. This is also where the focus should lie at breakfast and dinner and when working snacks into your diet mid morning and afternoon. For example, if you reach for a piece of fruit mid-morning, try to include a handful of almonds or other unsalted and unroasted nuts with it. The healthy fats and protein of the nuts will help to elevate the blood sugar levels slowly and keep them stable for longer. The fruit alone will be seen as sugar (carbohydrate only) by the body and blood sugars will shoot up and then fall too rapidly, leaving you feeling tired, hungry, craving sugar and potentially making poor choices at lunch time. Once blood sugar levels are stabilised throughout the day, energy will be high, you won’t feel like you need to nap at 3.00pm and the body can function at its optimum level. For bookings at Bespoke Wellness, please call +971 55 372 4670
Bliss balls Makes 24 truffles. 1/3 cup instant coffee 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 cup almonds or cashews 1/2 cup ground flaxseed 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup pitted dates (soaked in warm water then drained) Blend together in a food processor until smooth. You may need to add a dash of milk or more nuts if the mixture is too stiff or too runny to form truffles. Place the mixture in a bowl and leave to chill and firm up for twenty minutes. Remove from the fridge and with wet hands, roll into truffles and then roll in cocoa powder, place each truffle on a lined baking sheet and chill again. You can then keep these in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer and take them out (and devour) as needed.
Fitness Activity Schedule May 2015
To book a treatment, please contact SensAsia Urban Spa on +971 4 417 9820 or visit www.sensasiaspas.com
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
STUDIO
STUDIO
STUDIO
STUDIO
STUDIO
STUDIO
SATURDAY
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)
09.45 - 10.45 Zumba Toning (Tracy)
STUDIO
09.30 - 10.30 Primary Ballet 08.45 - 09.45 Zumba (Tracy)
10.30 - 11.30 Grade 2 Ballet 11.30 - 12.15 PBB
10.00 - 10.30 Insanity (Tracy)
12.15 - 13.15 Grade 1 13.15 - 14.15 Grade 3 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
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
19.00 - 20.00 Circuit Training Outdoor
19.00 - 20.00 Circuit Training Outdoor
18.00 - 19.00 Artistic Yoga 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
For reservations, please call +971 4 417 9850 or email egcfitlab@dubaigolf.com www.dubaigolf.com
Chairman of the temple, past captain, surender singh Kandhari
19.00 - 20.00 Artistic Yoga 20.00 - 21.00 Weightloss Yoga
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BIRDS OF THE EMIRATES By Akhil Menon IT Manager, Golf Citizen
Club News
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Scientific Name: Phalacrocorax carbo Shot: Dubai Emirates Golf Club (Faldo Course) Date shot: February 2015 Wiki link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_cormorant
Greenkeeper’s Cuttings Transitioning from Rye grass to Bermuda grass Tips from our EGC maintenance team to help the avid homeowner and your lawn! Transitioning from Rye grass back to Bermuda grass in the summer can be an unsightly time period for the lawn, especially in areas that get less sunlight! Most of us have large trees in our back garden right? However, there are a few specific things you can do to aid the transition and get green Bermuda grass back sooner. MOWING HEIGHT Actively growing Rye grass shades the dormant Bermuda, causing it to stay dormant longer while it struggles to get enough sunlight to begin growing again. Lower your mow height to 1-1.5inches. This allows more sunlight to contact the Bermuda so it will come out of dormancy faster. AERATION Aeration opens the soil, helps reduce compaction, improves water infiltration, improves rooting, reduces thatch and acts in many other ways to improve your lawn and reduce stress. Hard, compacted soils impede root growth, which prevents the grass from developing the deep root system that is essential to survive in hot, dry periods. Removing plugs of thatch and soil from your lawn through aeration allows adequate air, water and nutrients to penetrate the soil and gives the Bermuda roots strength to compete with the ryegrass.
Description: Also known as the Great Black Cormorant, the Great Cormorant are seabirds with numerous sub-species distributed around the globe. They also vary in size among its sub-species and they are found to breed mainly on coasts, nesting on cliffs and trees nearing the shorelines. The nests, commonly with three to four eggs, are usually made of seaweeds and twigs. These birds are more agile in water than on land and can dive to considerable depths. They are commonly seen catching large fish bringing their prey to the surface before eating. They were once almost hunted to extinction as they were considered a competitor for fish by fishermen. In Norway, cormorants are game birds and are shot to be eaten. They are also considered to be good luck to be seen near fishing villages as they arrive with the fish In parts of China, Cormorant fishing is common where a string is wound around their necks to prevent the birds from feeding and they are used to catch fish.
Photo Courtesy:
Akhil Menon, golf in Dubai At Emirates Golf Club, over the winter months, flocks of these birds are seen along the water bodies, on trees and on lamp posts on the Faldo Course. So the next time you see them don’t mistake them for crows.
WATERING Water every one to three days based on the needs of the Bermuda grass. To know how much water to apply, you need to access what the daily Evapotranspiration is for your area. Unless you have an onsite weather station in your back garden, this isn’t possible! So, you can simply Google the ET for the day in Dubai and there are many sites that will give you this information. However, you need to find out how many litres per minute your sprinklers are putting out on the ground (simply test in a bucket and measure). Then you can know exactly how much you should put out in terms of ‘minutes’ every day, depending on what the ET is for that day! Failing that, at check in you will see a daily update! FERTILISATION Apply a 1/2 lb. of a high nitrogen fertilizer such as 21-0-0 every two weeks until the lawn is 90% Bermuda grass. Managing Bermuda grass If you didn’t overseed with Rye grass last fall, your Bermuda grass should be looking great right now if you’ve cared for it properly. The air temperatures, overnight lows and humidity have been high and the Bermuda grass thrives in these conditions. Craig Haldane Director - Golf Course Maintenance
Show your support for Emirates Golf Club and vote for the Majlis course in the Asian Golf Awards 2015, the premier poll of golfing facilities across the Asia-Pacific region. Simply click on http://agmawards.asiapacificgolfgroup.com to enter your details and scroll down to the Country-by-Country section and enter ‘The Majlis course - Emirates Golf Club’ as the ‘Best Course in Middle East’. Closing date for entries is Tuesday 30th June 2015. Thank you for your continued support. www.dubaigolf.com
UPDATE FROM THE GOLF OFFICE by Barney Coleman, Director of Golf
Care of Your Course
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ver the past month there has been an increase in the number of members reporting poor etiquette on our courses from both members and guests alike. There has also been an increase in the number of accidents and damage to golf carts. Below is a hypothetical round of golf incorporating poor etiquette, many of the examples below are brought to my attention on a daily basis: Mr Don T Care and Nathan O Etiquette arrived at Emirates Golf Club for a round on the Majlis course. Don booked the tee time but forgot to mention to the reservations team who his playing partner was so when Nathan arrived the Golf Operations team didn’t know who he was playing with. Don stepped onto the first tee of the famous Majlis course with his shirt hanging out and took a practice swing on the tee top removing a divot in the process. Later, on that hole he missed the green short and to the right, he ignored the white and green stakes 40 yards short of the green and drove up to his ball. On the second hole Nathan pulled his tee shot to the left and in anger slammed his club into the turf. He proceeded to drive all over the desert area to the left of the fairway in search of the ball. This can result in disturbance to the natural habitat, damage to the cart and subsequent tyre tracks can disrupt the game of fellow members playing behind. A marshal spotted this behaviour and reminded Nathan of the signage on the golf cart clearly stating ‘keep carts off the sand’. Meanwhile Don had a birdie putt on the short par 4 and just lipped out. During the excitement of a near birdie Don had damaged the green by twisting his soft spikes into the turf; in frustration he didn’t repair the damage and headed off to the third tee.
Nathan’s tee shot on the 3rd was again pulled, this time into the fairway bunker. He tried to be too greedy with the second and failed to extricate the bunker. His third shot found the fairway and he headed off after it failing to rake the bunker. Nathan and Don proceeded to the 4th tee noticing they had a 3-ball close behind. Don had the honour on the 4th tee but decided to take a phone call instead of teeing up. Two minutes later he teed off with a six iron
but hit it very heavy and short of the green. Annoyed with his game he forgot to fill the divot hole with the sand provided on the tee box. The tricky fifth hole followed and it was noticeable that the three-ball ahead of them was on the 6th fairway; this was politely pointed out to them by the marshal requesting them to close the gap. Struggles continued on the 5th and Nathan hit a heavy third shot into the lake but failed to fill his divot with the sand provided. Prior to the 6th both players headed to the beverage hut despite holding up the group behind and the increasing the gap ahead of them. Don then proceeded to mark his scorecard instead of teeing off when it was his turn to play. His tee shot was sliced onto the 5th fairway. With no courtesy to other golfers on the course he charged down the 5th fairway and played his shot holding up the group on the tee box! Don’s approach shot finished in the right hand bunker. Instead of entering the bunker at the back or via the steps provided, he entered down the face of the bunker causing damage. Following a good bunker shot he failed to rake his footprints and parked the cart at the back of the green instead of using the path provided to the left of the hole. Hole 7 was playing short from a forward tee and both players played excellent nine irons to the green. The surfaces were receptive but neither Don nor Nathan repaired their pitch marks and, in fact, they also ignored pitch marks close to their line of putt left by fellow golfers. Nathan holed a birdie putt but decided to remove the ball from the hole with his putter which damaged the hole slightly. Also when Don put the flag back into the cup he hit the lip of the hole resulting in further damage. The tough 8th hole saw Don find the left of the fairway and Nathan in the right hand rough equidistant from the hole. Both were 200 yards from the pin. Nathan played first and Don watched his shot before both driving to the left of the fairway and to Don’s tee shot. Despite the group behind on the tee waiting, it hadn’t occurred to Don to walk to his ball with a couple of clubs and save time whilst Nathan played. Both players struggled on the 9th but completed nine holes in two hours. Although an acceptable time to complete nine holes, the group behind had waited on the last three holes and the group ahead of Don/ Nathan were on the 12th tee box. The marshal requested them to close the gap OR let the group behind play through, potentially on hole 11 as a par 3 is a good opportunity to do so. Don refused stating, “We are on time and I don’t want to see your face again”. Hole 10 saw both players flirt with the out of bounds on the right and, searching for their ball, drove in the sand area. Having seen the ‘repair pitch marks’ sign on the tee both
players did so on the 10th green but failed to do so properly. Instead of bringing the earth together they lifted the centre of the mark exposing the roots and caused further damage. Don was also upset with his game and threw the flag onto the green instead of placing it. Meanwhile Nathan was feeling tired and caused more damage to the green by leaning on his putter.
Further time was lost on the 11th as Nathan forgot to read the line of his putt whilst Don played. The marshal forced a play through on the 12th tee, much to the dislike of Nathan and Don; despite a quiet course behind they would have preferred to rush their game and be pressurised by the group behind, as opposed to letting a faster group pass. The 3-ball that played through showed excellent etiquette by efficiently playing the 12th hole including the play of a provisional ball for a stray tee shot. Another hooked tee shot on the 13th witnessed Don drive the cart in the sand area and due to the thickness of the sand it got stuck! Helped by the marshals the cart was pushed to safety and a further warning was issued for driving in the sand. On hole 14 Nathan hit a great drive but played too soon and almost hit a fellow member. Instead of apologising and diffusing the issue he chose to say nothing as he was still annoyed that he had to let the group through. On holes 16 and 17 more driving in the sand followed. To top off an eventful round, on the final hole, Don was driving the cart sitting in the passenger seat whilst talking on his mobile and, as a result, the cart ended up in the lake to the right of the hole - fortunately Don jumped out in time! Don received an invoice for the repair of the cart. He was annoyed because the previous month he also received a bill for damage to the suspension and steering column of another vehicle in addition to a dent on the side. This damage was caused by driving up and down the high curbs on the Faldo course as well as a collision when he ignored signs and drove the cart in the car park. I’m confident the majority of members don’t fall foul of the examples above but if you do see a playing partner or another golfer in breach then a polite word/reminder may go a long way in maintaining the condition of our courses. We will be proactively monitoring behaviour going forwards with stricter action taken when necessary. Please also be kindly informed that the marshals are empowered to manage the courses and your cooperation and respect towards them is greatly appreciated.
Tour Caddy Consultancy Last month we had veteran Tour Caddy Dominic Bott at the Club to do a seminar about
KAYMER, DONALD AND REED TO CONTEST €2.5 MILLION DUBAI DUTY FREE IRISH OPEN
R
eigning US Open Champion and Ryder Cup hero Martin Kaymer, fellow former World Number One Luke Donald and American Ryder Cup star Patrick Reed have all added their names to a truly international field for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation. Following the addition of Dubai Duty Free as title sponsor, the prize fund will increase by 25% to €2.5 million with the 2015 champion taking home €416,660 compared with the €333,330 which Mikko Ilonen received last year. The addition of two ex-World Number Ones in Kaymer and Donald, along with former WGC-Cadillac Championship winner Reed, will further enhance the strongest field assembled for the event from May 28th-31st, when at least five of the top 20 players in the world will battle it out over one of golf’s most famous links courses, Royal County Down. The field now includes five current or former players who have reached the pinnacle of the World Ranking – current World Number One Rory McIlroy, Donald, Ernie Els, Kaymer and Lee Westwood – and eight Major Champions in McIlroy, Els, Kaymer, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Paul Lawrie and José Maria Olazábal. Between them, those eight players have shared no fewer than 16 Major titles. The event now carries the most Official World Golf Ranking points since its inception while the holders of three of the four Grand Slam tournaments will be in the field – Kaymer (US Open) and McIlroy (The Open and US PGA). The importance of the event on the Race to Dubai schedule is further signified by the presence of seven current or former
European Number Ones – Donald, Els, Harrington, Kaymer, McIlroy, Westwood and Robert Karlsson. McIlroy was quick to express his delight at another three global stars signing up for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation. “It’s great to see Martin, Luke and Patrick adding their names to the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open – to have another three truly world class players at the tournament can only give the Irish Open fans a better experience at Royal County Down so I’d really like to thank the guys for supporting the event.” The news of three world class additions to the field was welcomed by Dubai Duty Free’s Colm McLoughlin, who said: “We are delighted to be the title sponsor of this prestigious tournament. The calibre of world-class players is fantastic and we are really looking forward to watching competitors like Martin Kaymer, Luke Donald and Patrick Reed perform for the crowds at Royal County Down in May. They are all tremendous additions to the field and will bring some extra excitement to the competition.” Advance tickets to the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation are currently available at £30 per day with season tickets available for £75. Families will be delighted to hear that under-16s will be admitted FREE as long as they are accompanied by an adult (up to four children are allowed with one paying adult). For more information on the 2015 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation or to purchase tickets, visit www.irishopen.ie. For information on accommodation offers and golf in Northern Ireland. Visit www.discovernorthernireland.com/ irish-open-2015.
1. Course Management/Strategy 2. Club Selection Factors 3. Rules negotiations 4. Practice Round Planning 5. Travel Preparation/Organisation 6. Constructive Practice 7. Fitness/Nutrition 8. Life on Tour – Great subject for a Q & A Dominic has been caddying on the European Tour since 1993, which makes him one of the tour’s longest serving caddies. It was in 1994 that he caddied for his first victory in Spain, with Paul Eales, and his most recent being in 2014 with Paul Casey at the Irish Open. He has gained a huge amount of experience during his time on tour, working for illustrious players such as Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, Thomas Bjorn, Colin Montgomerie, and Paul Casey. A keen golfer himself, his enthusiasm for caddying and the game itself is second to none. His knowledge and passion is of huge benefit to golfers of all levels who wish to improve their performance on the golf course. Dominic was also busy during the week helping players who needed his on course services for nine or eighteen holes which offered invaluable enhancement for their game strategy. Everyone who spent time with him got a great insight into how the tour players would play the course and the difference in how they should approach their game to match their ability. I even did nine holes myself with Dominic and found it was very insightful as to how to visualise the shots based on flag position and my natural ball-flight. It was nice to realise I had a smart approach to my golf game!
US MASTERS 2015 Report from the European Tour
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ordan Spieth matched the lowest 72-hole score in Masters Tournament history as he became the second youngest winner of the event in spectacular wire-to-wire fashion at Augusta National. Having already set new 36- and 54-hole scoring records, Spieth also equalled the 72-hole record of 18 under set by Tiger Woods in 1997 after a bogey on the 18th, finishing four shots clear of Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson. Spieth’s total of 28 birdies beat the previous best of 25 set by Mickelson in 2001, his last of the week on the 15th also making him the first player ever to reach 19 under par in the Masters. The 21-year old American is the first player since Ray Floyd in 1976 to lead outright from start to finish, as well as becoming the second youngest champion behind Woods. Now second in the Official World Golf Ranking, Spieth is just five months older than Woods was in 1997, having almost become the youngest ever champion when he led by two shots after seven holes of the final round on his debut last year.
jacket by 2014 winner Bubba Watson. “I thought it might be easier today than yesterday but it wasn’t. I did not sleep well last night. With two Major Champions right behind me I could not let up. “It’s the most incredible week of my life. This is as great as it gets in our sport. It’s a dream come true for me. I did not break 70 last year even having a chance to win so to shoot some low scores and hear those roars is very special. World Number One Rory McIlroy, needing to win to complete the career Grand Slam, had to settle for fourth place on 12 under par after a flawless closing 66, with Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama fifth and Paul Casey, Ian Poulter and Dustin Johnson sharing sixth. Rose twice got within three shots of Spieth on the front nine thanks to birdies on the first and second and bogeys from Spieth on the fifth and seventh, the latter coming after Rose conjured up a remarkable par after twice tangling with the trees.
After his win Spieth hailed a dream come true.
Spieth had said after his third round he could not rely on his short game to secure a first green jacket, but an excellent pitch from just short of the eighth green set up a birdie that Rose could not match.
“It was very nerve-wracking,” Spieth said before being presented with the green
And when Rose three-putted the ninth Spieth had the comfort of a five shot lead
with nine holes to play, with Mickelson another shot back having also bogeyed the ninth. Spieth took another massive step towards the title with a birdie from 20 feet on the tenth and saved par after a wild tee shot on the 11th to maintain a six shot lead over Rose and Mickelson - who had also birdied the tenth - with seven holes to play. A lapse in concentration saw Spieth threeputt the 12th as Mickelson birdied the 13th and the six-shot lead was suddenly down to four. But Spieth responded with a superb longiron approach on the 13th and although he missed from 14 feet for eagle, the resulting birdie took him five clear with five holes to play. Rose closed the gap once more with a birdie on the 14th seconds before Mickelson joined him on 14 under by holing out from a bunker on the 15th for an eagle, the roar causing Spieth to back off his par putt on 14. However, Spieth responded once more with a birdie on the 15th to become the first player ever to reach 19 under par in the Masters and that effectively made certain of the win.
Reciprocal Clubs
Spotlight on … The Munich Golf Club
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unich’s finest golf club established itself over the past 115 years to become one of the most prestigious and professional athletic golf clubs in Germany.
Since its foundation in 1910, The Munich Golf Club values tradition, achievement and commitment to this wonderful sport and to its members. Furthermore the Munich Golf Club offers its members an exclusive golf facility. With its 27-hole Straßlach golf facility near Grünwald and its nine-hole golf course close to the centre of downtown Munich, both golf courses provide an extraordinary golfing experience. Throughout the year a variety of golf tournaments,
events and cultural proposals take place at both golf courses. Furthermore, both golf courses are playable in the winter time (if there is no snowfall) and, in addition, it is possible to arrange training lessons based on individual agreement with our golf professionals . We are looking forward to welcoming you here in Munich soon! For further information please visit www.mgc-golf.de. Tee time reservations need to be made in advance through Membership Services. Your valid 2015 membership card must be produced at the reciprocal club when playing golf
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY GOLF May 2015 Friday 8th Saturday 9th Monday 11th Friday 15th Monday 18th Monday 25th Friday 29th
Meet THE CENTRAL RESERVATIONS TEAM Top L-R: Elena, Pansy Gonsalvez (Senior Manager CRS & Sales), Gerlie Bottom L-R: Ralph, Abegail, Dexter
Black Tee Challenge Round 1 Black Tee Challenge Round 2 Ladies Monthly Medal Mashreq Monthly Medal in Association with BMW & Ruth’s Chris Steak House Ladies Tournament of Champions Ladies Competition Men’s Tournament of Champions
13.00 08.30 08.30 13.00
Majlis Majlis Majlis Majlis
‘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 golfing ability from tour professional to beginner has 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 their livelihood needs to be corrected in their equipment certainly the club golfer should too…. so book your fitting today! I am very confident I can help you get more out of your game.’
Emirates Golf Club have now made learning the game of golf even more fun with the introduction of extra large 15 inch golf holes on the Par 3 course, ensuring that the game is easier and quicker for the whole family to enjoy! For more information and bookings, please call + 971 4 380 1386 or email ereservations@dubaigolf.com
For reservations, please call +971 4 417 9999 or email emiratesdining@dubaigolf.com
Faldo Majlis Faldo
Introducing Brendan O’Leary, new Custom Fitting specialist at Emirates Golf Club! Brendan is from Youghal in Ireland and has been fitting for the last two years for Titleist and Ping in the MENA region. We caught up with Brendan this week:
To book a custom fitting and for more information please contact Brendan on brendan@prosports.ae or call 055 324 5318
Join us in Le Classique on Wednesday 13th May at 7.30pm to witness a very unique cooking event, ‘The Battle of the Chefs’. Le Classique’s own Chef de Cuisine Remi Verrier will be battling against Head Chef Luis Figueroa of Casa de Tapas at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, using traditional recipes from their native France and Spain.
06.35-13.35 06.30-13.30 08.30
1SN9IPtPhETS Hole Mr Christoph Kempf, Vice-President of the Munich Club, our reciprocal club in Germany, and his son Corbinian who played with Moshe Kohli and his son Baraj on the Majlis recently.
Mustafa Al Hashimi CEO wasl Hopitality and leisure, Andrew Whitelaw and Chris May present Clubhouse replicas to wasl CEO HE Hesham Al Qassim and wasl COO Abdulla Obaidulla in recognition of wasl/Dubai Golf being awarded the Dubai Quality Award.
Micky Brigg met up with past EGC members Paul and Lynn Turner in Australia last week and they sent their regards to everyone here.
Congratulations to Spike Bar Quiz Night champions, Kernow two weeks ago. Well done to teams Chesterfield and Trouble who placed second and third! Congratulations to Mike Tracey and his family who were Bingo winners!
Congratulations to last week’s Spike Bar Quiz Night winners Party Fears. Team Claret & Blue were runners-up, followed by Kernow. The Spike Bar Quiz Night takes place on Mondays from 8pm and is one of the longest running in Dubai. Come along and test your knowledge with an array of categories, hosted by our regular quiz master Phil Richardson.
A fun match was held recently between Lady Captain’s Team and Vice-Lady Captain’s team (teams were chosen at random) which resulted in a draw. Mitsuko Emmerson and Helen Srivastava with the trophy
A beautiful morning on the Faldo I was sent this photo recently by Ian Walton which is a group photo of the first ever golf society at EGC. All members at the time, they formed a group of sixteen called The Desert Rats, headed by a King Rat who would organise monthly events. Fines would be imposed during the post-golf dinner, the proceeds of which were used to buy electric wheelchairs for a charity in UK supported by the Professional Snooker Association there. Sadly the ‘Rats Society’ no longer exists! Front row l-r: Jim Mullins, Ed Bain, David Nesbitt, Ian Walton, Jo Campbell Back row l-r : Tom Barry, Jose Maher, Keith Fernandez, Richard Blair, Frank Johnstone, Bill McBride, Paul Thornberry, Colm McLoughlin, Mike Sullivan.
Many congratulations to Mrs Jenny Waite on winning the latest EGC Members’ equipment draw which took place at the 27th Members’ Annual party. The winning prize included a fantastic set of Titleist clubs and a Titleist Tour Bag with EGC logo. Many thanks to all members who supported the draw and better luck next time!! Congratulations Jenny.....no excuses now!
Unusual sightings on golf courses
Monstrous alligator invades golf course in Florida Myakka Pines Golf Club Golfers trying to approach the green recently at the 7th hole at Myakka Pines Golf Club were delayed by a massive alligator that wandered out of the water and relaxed just a few feet from the flagpole.
Meanwhile, at Jebel Ali Golf Course...
Dubai Golf CEO Chris May with Pavel Nedved in Spike Bar
Mr Friedel from Cologne was visiting Dubai for his nephew’s wedding and, being a talented pianist, he could not resist the urge to play the piano in the lobby of EGC. What beautiful music!
I am not so sure our newly born little gazelle found on the 1st hole at Jebel Ali last week would last too long in Florida with alligators like that one roaming the course! He or she was wobbling along behind its mother one hour later! I asked her if she wanted to play golf but she replied, “No, it’s much too deer/dear!” James Williams Director of Golf
Chris May with former Czech international footballers Pavel Nedved and Ivan Hesek
Have you seen that Le Classique Jazzy Saturday Gourmet Brunch was chosen as one of What’s On best jazz venues in Dubai! Join us from 12 noon to 3pm every Saturday and embark on an exquisite culinary adventure!
Welcome back to past member Danny Kilgallon who played the Majlis with old friends Ian Walton and Tom Barry. Danny is currently Club Captain at Edgbaston Golf Club.
Cart-astropha at EGC!
Dubai Sandstorm
Introducing the New Dubai Golf Mobile App Download the new Dubai Golf mobile app for free! The official Dubai Golf app provides golfers and members with comprehensive course information, GPS positioning, digital scorecard and many more useful features for both Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club that are both easy to use and interactive. Members can use the Dubai Golf Mobile App to: • Book member tee times • Manage your tee time bookings • Manage your member profile • Reserve a table at selected Dubai Golf restaurants Now available for download at:
www.dubaigolf.com