Club Life Summer 2020

Club Life

Summer 2020 | Issue 97

Editor: Jacqui Barry jaxdubai@gmail.com

Welcome back to Club Life after a break of just over four months due to Covid-19. What a few months it has been!

Who would have ever imagined that the world would see a pandemic such as this that has affected all of us in some way or another…and it could be some time yet before we are all back to normal life.

Emirates Golf Club management monitored the situation very carefully and, when government and health restrictions had lifted, the Club began to open up. Everything seems to be more or less back to normal but still with some minor restrictions as well as social distancing.

As most of you know Tom and I left Dubai at the end of February to return to Portugal where we now live. We are Vice-Captains of Quinta do Lago Golf Club this season and will be Captains from the end of March 2021. Of course, we have had all the same restrictions here as you’ve had in Dubai but, thankfully, we are playing golf and we are fortunate in that the Algarve saw very few cases of Covid-19, so we have felt very safe here. Long may it continue.

Over the last two years we have spent very little time in Dubai, just two months in 2020 and three and a half months in 2019. Outside of those few months, I was putting together Club Life magazine remotely, working with Eugene at Dubai Golf Publishing (DGP) and subsequently with Ibrahim (after Eugene had returned to the Philippines last year to be with his family). Ibrahim, who has worked at DGP for almost twenty years has now retired and has returned to India (is it something I said or maybe doing Club Life was just too much!!?). Although this was a big decision for me, I have decided that, after exactly ten years of doing the magazine, the time has come for me to stop and hand it over to the Marketing department to continue. I have thoroughly enjoyed my work on Club Life but, working remotely, as well as having more commitments here with the Vice-Captaincy, it is more difficult to keep it up.

Condolences Over the past few months some members of the Club passed away which was all very sad news to hear and our hearts go out to all family members and friends of the deceased.

David Gibbons After battling cancer for a number of years, and at 90 years of age, our Past Captain and former Executive Director of Dubai Ports Authority, David Gibbons, passed away in England in May 2020. David was a charming and humble man, liked by everyone he met and who was well known for his vitality and humour. Our deepest heartfelt condolences go to his wife Jan and the family, Carole MacPherson Our sincere condolences go to Scott McPherson and his son Ross after wife/mum Carole passed away peacefully at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary on Tuesday July14 2020, aged 51 years. Carole was a very gentle and sincere person who touched many hearts and she will be sadly missed by all who knew her.

Sigmund Larrsen Siggi Larsen, former member of Emirates Golf Club, passed away, suddenly, in Bergen, Norway in April this year. Siggi left Dubai 18 years ago but still visited Dubai from time to time and he also met up with other members last year during the Omega Dubai Desert Classic 2019. Sad and unexpected news. Condolences to the Larsen family.

Rea Tarratt, wife of Nick (former member of Emirates Golf Club management team) and mother to Jason and Adam, sadly passed away on 4th July 2020 Sending our condolences to the whole family and thinking of you all, RIP Rea.

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Thank you to Chris May and Barney for their continued support of the magazine and for allowing me carte blanche to put it together the way I wanted.

Thank you so much to all the contributors to the magazine. Each month I email you with the request for material, more or less as soon as an issue has been completed; that is usually followed by a series of gentle reminders until material comes in. Thank you all for taking time out of your busy working lives to help produce this magazine.

Thanks also to all the members for the compliments, the many emails and messages about the magazine - all very much appreciated throughout the years.

Finally, thank you to my husband Tom for his patience with me when I am sitting at the computer for hours doing the magazine, stressing over getting it out to print on time and starting all over again as soon as the previous one is finished.

I do hope that the magazine continues and hopefully, with fresh eyes on it, it could probably be even better.

I would like to thank Captains’ Ishu and Yana for their dedication and hard work throughout the year, particularly over the past few months. I would certainly like to be in Dubai for Yana’s Lady Captain’s Day in November, but that will depend on travel restrictions at that time of course.

I hope you all continue to enjoy the benefits of our fantastic Club which is undoubtedly the best members’ Club in the region.

Signing off for the very last time…

Jacqui

Editorial

I have to compliment Lady Captain, Yana Jamieson, who has worked really hard to keep our Monday competitions going, albeit, unofficial ones.

She has personally sent out competition formats, results etc and has been very hands-on in helping to keep the ladies’ section going throughout the last few months of this most unusual situation. Normally, the ladies’ competitions stop at the end of May, just before the intense heat of the summer kicks in, but Yana has worked tirelessly to ensure that the ladies made up for lost time during the lockdown period. Well done and thank you Yana, on behalf of all the ladies.

I would like to say a special thank you to the team at Dubai Golf Publishing. I worked with various graphic designers there, including Mohsin, Ibrahim, Eugene and, for this issue, with Roche. I started in April 1988 when I used to write the four page ladies’ section newsletter ‘Chipping In’ which I continued writing for twenty years, gradually phasing it out. What a pleasure it has been to visit DGP office where the atmosphere has always been friendly and fun. Ganesh, Manager of DGP, is the motivator and the innovator who is always full of ideas and encouragement. What a unique, dedicated man whose colleagues are always willing to go the extra mile for him. To the whole team…thank you so much!

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EMIRATES GOLF CLUB SENIOR MANAGEMENT

Matthew Perry

Club Manager Golf Course Superintendent bcoleman@dubaigolf.com mperry@dubaigolf.com

Steen Simon

Food & Beverage Manager ssimon@dubaigolf.com

Haridas Palliyalil

Head of Engineering hpalliyalil@dubaigolf.com

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

04 04 04 04 04 04

Chef Nicholas Cuomo Executive Chef ncuomo@dubaigolf.com

417 417 417 417 417 417

9999 9800 9801 9850 9875 9820

Dear Members, It has been fantastic to see our Club so busy over the past few months with member play on the Faldo and Majlis up by 68% compared with this time last year.

The leisure facilities have also been extensively frequented with more than 4,000 visits during the month of June. Congratulations if you were one of the 1,474 gym users! Squash also surpassed 1,000 participants with almost 900 members visiting the pool.

It is excellent to see such activity during the summer months, despite the circumstances but please still be reminded to follow all Covid-19 precautions that we have in place. Please also note, Sensasia Spa has now opened.

Viya – New Member App Launches

As you will now be aware the new members’ App launched recently. Viya is a loyalty programme developed by Dubai Golf and wasl Hospitality & Leisure.

With Viya, you can book golf or a restaurant table, enjoy leisure offers and earn loyalty points from your very first pro shop, dining and leisure spend which can be redeemed across Dubai Golf. You can also redeem with our on-site partners and, coming soon, the wider wasl portfolio of hotels and leisure facilities. The Viya app has been developed with our members in mind and it is part of Dubai Golf’s investment to improve our services to members and to better leverage our wasl Hospitality & Leisure assets for your benefit.

Viya Member Benefits

• Points are earned with every AED spent with Viya at club pro shop, dining and leisure outlets • Immediate points redemption is possible

• Redemption across Dubai Golf, wasl Hospitality & Leisure restaurants & leisure facilities and selected third parties (e.g. Sensasia Urban Spa, Roseleaf Cafe) • Viya points are valid for 12 months from the date of issue • Exclusive promotions

Stephen Deane

Head Academy Professional sdeane@dubaigolf.com

Cian Hurley

Golf Services Manager churley@dubaigolf.com

Ganesh Mangathil

Publishing Manager gmangathil@dubaigolf.com

Dougie Gair

Head of Recreation dgair@dubaigolf.com

Sandra Tinari

Head of Marketing & Communications stinari@dubaigolf.com

Pansy Gonsalvez

Head of Golf Central pgonsalvez@dubaigolf.com

Follow Emirates Golf Club on Facebook for the latest news, views and special offers. We already have over 44,074 likes.

Follow us on Twitter @emiratesgc and Instagram @emiratesgc

• Points are easy to redeem, no paper reward vouchers have been produced as of 5th July • View past transactions and total spend.

• Cash and credit card purchases are now rewarded when Viya is used.

• Tee time booking view enhanced for off-peak bookings.

• All members will be eligible and participating.15% of our current membership were earning monthly reward vouchers and only 50% collected and redeemed them Members can earn loyalty points based on pro shop, dining and leisure spend at the Club, whereas previously they earned AED 100 on every AED 1,000 spent.

Bonus Voucher: in addition to Viya points, members who spend a net value of AED 3,000 per calendar month on Viya will automatically receive a Viya voucher worth AED 100 to spend across Dubai Golf outlets.

Over time one of the most common areas of feedback and room for improvement has been regarding tee time booking. You will see that booking your golf is simpler than ever with Viya. Many members have asked to see the full tee sheet which is now available during off-peak booking times. During peak booking windows (Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, as this is 10 days prior to weekend) you will follow a similar procedure as before. The reason for this being, that during peak booking times, if we show all tee times, by the time you decide on the time you want, the system can be out of date due to a fellow member booking the time ahead of you. You will also be able to view, manage and cancel all of your upcoming golf bookings through the app. The tee time reservation can be added to your calendar by selecting ‘Add to Calendar’, this may prevent those no-show emails finding their way to you!

Download the app for free from the App Store or Google Play.

Showers

Please can you help me, your fellow members and my Food and Beverage team out by having a shower following your game of golf or leisure activity if you wish to visit our restaurants. The team has been amazed that members and guests alike feel it is appropriate to exercise and sweat in 40 degrees temperatures plus high humidity levels and visit Spike Bar or Jones without showering or changing.

Club Manager’s Report

Barney Coleman

Christopher May

Chief Executive Officer cmay@dubaigolf.com

Golf Operations: 3-ball & 4-ball set-up

From July 30th onwards, both courses have gone back to 4-balls. This is for all tee times, all days.

A number of members have commented that it can be difficult to contact the golf reservations team during peak check-in hours for morning and late afternoon golf.

Please note that tee times can be cancelled through the channels below; weekday times must be cancelled 24 hours out and weekends 48 hours in advance

3-ball positives 3-balls and individual carts have improved pace of play PLUS as we have eased out of the Covid lockdown the safety factor is enhanced due to social distancing

• Download VIYA APP go to the MORE menu My Bookings and Transactions Tab VIYA Golf cancel the booking

Disadvantages of 3-balls Family memberships: often comprises two adults and two children. Obviously a 3-ball set up stops them playing together

• Email the cancelation to ereservations@dubaigolf.com

We appreciate there are positives and negatives for 3-balls and 4-balls.

Supply and demand. 3-ball set up reduces capacity and we often have waiting lists Corporate Plus memberships - They are entitled to 3 x complimentary guests (on weekdays) as long as they play with a member. So 3-balls reduces their benefit by a 3rd.

A number of members miss playing 4-ball golf due to the social competition it can create and have asked for 4-balls Other factors to consider are wear and tear on carts and the golf courses Other courses in the region have gone back to 4-balls in line with Emirates Golf Federation support.

Greens

We have faced some challenges with the putting surfaces since my last update. The Majlis greens are still recovering from a form of Microscopic insect that attacks the roots of the plant (Nematodes). We are getting there and starting to turf areas that need to be done. Additionally we carried out a needle tine and top dress to help smoothness and recovery.

The high humidity has caused us to have some disease on Faldo greens.

These have come on a lot and are very much close to full recovery. An area on green 8 was re-turfed along with any areas we felt would take longer to recover.

Also from Sunday 26th July we released some early back nine start times (6:10 - 6:40 on the Majlis weekdays) for 9-holes; note the Golf Course Maintenance team have right of way as they try to keep ahead of the pace setters first out!

Golf Rounds

2020

2019

MTD 2020 vs.

2019

Variance %

Members

8,07

3,731

4,347

117%

Local

1,256

1,379

-124

-9%

Overseas Total

63

180

-117

-65%

9,396

5,290

4,106

78%

The Club has been delighted to see an influx in new members so thank you to all of you who have referred friends, colleagues and business associates to join. It has been excellent to see the restaurants full of positive energy during July also. Please don’t forget to utilise your closure credit at the Club, if you haven’t tried carine yet please experience our award winning restaurant for yourself.

Junior Colleague Fund

Many of you over the past season would have contributed to the junior colleague fund in some shape or form. From donating raffle prizes and purchasing tickets to donating a portion of your closure credit to the team. Due to the fabulous support of the membership over the season, we were able to raise the largest fund yet from the following events/donations:

• Log on to the Member Zone website and cancel the tee time under the section, My Reservations The locker room and Spike Bar are always areas of hot debate from pace of play to handicap allowances and many more topics; however, I just wanted to share some feedback on handicap allowances moving forward as we fall under the World Handicapping System implemented in this region by the Emirates Golf Federation.

Despite the change from ¾ allowance to full allowance, of the members reaching the quarterfinal stages, 53% were still single figure handicappers. All handicap allowances for future events will be taken from the EGF approved document Information on next season’s Omega Matchplay Championships can be viewed on Dubai Golf Member Zone with the deadline for entries Saturday 26th September 2020.

EGC Handicap Committee

Please also note the Emirates Golf Club handicap committee can be contacted through the email below. The success of the handicap system synchronises with the values of golf where honesty and integrity are pillars of the game. However, from time-to-time peers and fellow golfers can play an important role by ‘keeping an eye out’ for exceptional scoring etc. The platform for raising these concerns is not in the Spike Bar or locker room, so please be encouraged to notify the handicap committee by email as they have access to a number of tools to look into playing records of Dubai Golf Members or other golfers in the region maybe playing in our open events. The committee is active and helps maintain the integrity of all tournaments. egchcpcommittee@dubaigolf.com

Faldo Course and Hole 7 – Nick Faldo Design Modifications Earlier in the season, Sir Nick visited the Club and we asked for his feedback on holes 7 and 13. The agenda was to make hole 7 more playable for the higher handicapped golfer and to consider options to lengthen hole 13, once more back to a par 5 (with safety from a left tee shot still the key issue).

We have designs from the Faldo design team but unfortunately, due to time and commercial constraints due to recent events, we are only in a position to change hole 7 this summer. The following changes will commence from Sunday 9th August. The initial changes will proceed during play but will have minimal impact to your summer play of hole 7. However, once the beach bunker work commences, for safety reasons, the hole will play as a par 3 for a short period of time from 6am to 1pm on weekdays.

Planned changes to hole 7 are as below and we would like to thank our Captain, Ishu Rupani, for pushing through this request for his fellow members.

New Lake Edge and Beach Bunker

Beach bunker helps visually define hole and provides a safety buffer for tee shots.

Second shot could be from the beach bunker and not a drop from penalty area.

Bunkers by the Green

Removed, filled and reshaped. Fairway will extend to left side of the green to offer a wider and fairer target and bailout area.

• Members’ donation from the Club closure credit

Landing Area Widened Fairway

• Members’ Christmas Scramble and Raffle

Revised Fence Lining

• Falcon Golf Contribution – to thank the team for their tremendous support of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic • Indian Invitational Golf Day

• Ishu Rupani and consortium of golfing friends during Diwali

Emirates Golf Club distributed the funds this past week to our junior colleagues and we are very proud of the long tradition whereby the members of the Club raise money for the colleagues. Thank you for your support it is hugely appreciated and the colleagues were ecstatic to receive just before the Eid holiday.

Reduce the difficulty of the tee shot, improving playability of the hole for shorter hitters.

Boundary fence to move to the left to improve tee shot safety margin, create more space and allow for a wider playing area.

Front Left of Fairway Soften Mounding

Lower existing shoulder for improved visibility of the left fairway from the tee.

Thank you for your continued support Warm regards, Barney Coleman Club Manager

4 Club Manager’s Report

Since 14th June we made some changes on the 3-ball set-up by adopting 4-balls on the Majlis at weekends and on the Faldo after 3pm (Sunday to Thursday).

Tee Time Cancellations

5 Dear Members,

The month of March BC started with great golfing weather and 6th March saw our 28th Indian Invitation Day tournament taking place and, as usual, it was oversubscribed; our members gave generously and the tournament raised AED 28,000 for our Junior Colleague Fund. The committee members, Surendar Kandhari, Vipen Sethi Rekha Bandopadhyay and Jayshree Gupta deserve a special round of applause.

We also announced five recipients of the February Colleague Appreciation Programme and they were:

1. Cherryl at Jones - ever-smiling and ever-efficient 2 Benni at bag drop who received one of the loudest cheers from the members 3. Acel at Spikes who is always attentive 4. Wilma at Fit Lab who is always welcoming 5. Ajantha from Golf Operations who is so efficient and attentive

All of them were acknowledged on the stage with resounding applause from the members. Once again a big thank you to all the anonymous golfing friends of mine for their generosity.

Since then we went into the other extreme of effects of Covid - yes, we are now talking about AC. For the first time in the history of the Club it was closed from March 23rd to April 27th when it started to open gradually At the time of writing this, I am pleased to inform you that all golf and leisure operations are back to normal The golf calendar from mid-March was non-existent, including Lady Captain’s Day and my own Captain’s Day, I am sure that management and members will figure out some solutions to important tournaments to incorporate them into the new golf calendar, effective 1st September 2020.

We shall also figure our new revised dates for the Captains’ Days

I would like to acknowledge Ummer’s almost 30 years of dedication to the Club. He recently retired and went back to his home country.

Ismail our ever-smiling face at hole 5 Majlis hut is also going back home - thank you Ismail.

Dilshani, our lovely receptionist, got married on August 21st. Good luck and all the best Dilshani.

On another happier note, the Colleague Appreciation Programme continues and we have already selected five recipients (including Dilshani!!) for each of the months of March April and May. Lets all hope and pray that this uncertain time ends soon.

In the meantime stay safe, stay calm.

This shall also pass, Ishu Rupani Club Captain: 2019-2020

The following week, one of the Club’s major tournaments, the Chairman’s Cup, was held which was once again oversubscribed and which resulted in some great winning scores.

Congratulations to all winners.

MEN’S COMPETITION RESULTS

Chairman’s Cup FRIDAY 13TH MARCH 2020

The Chairman’s Cup played on 13th March on the Majlis course, has always been a very popular event in the season, which was also the case this year with a field of a 103 players.

Although the greens were quite fast, there were many scores above 36 points which made the the results very exciting. Tae Hyung Kim took home the winning trophy with an impressive score of 44 points!

The runner-up, finished with two points behind, was Micky Chopra (42 points). In overall third place was Jimmy Sanghani with 40 points.

In A Division (handicaps 12 & below) the winner was Sumit Rathor with 38 points, and Sanjay Dhandsa finished in second place with a 71 gross, 37 points.

In B Division (handicaps 13-24) we had a very close battle as Kish Bandopadhyay won with 38 points and a better back nine count-back.

Iqbal Ismail was the runner-up, also with 38 points and a better back six count-back over the third placed player Tauseef Khan.

In the on-course events, Kush Sama won the nearest the pin on hole 7 and Paul Henry Darnault won nearest the pin on hole 15.

OVERALL Winner: Runner-up: Third:

Tae Hyeong Kim Micky Chopra Jignesh Sangani

44 pts 42 pts 40 pts

A DIVISION (Handicaps 12 & below) Winner: Sumit Rathor Runner-up: Sanjay Dhandsa

38 pts 37 pts

A DIVISION (Handicaps 12 & below) Winner: Kish Bandopadhyay Runner-up: Iqbal Ismail

38 pts (BB9) 38 pts (BB6)

NEAREST THE PIN Hole # 7 : Hole # 15 :

Kush Sama Paul Darnault Tae Hyeong Kim (competition winner) and Ishu Rupani (EGC Club Captain)

Captain’s Message

It is now the end of August and I recently received Jacqui’s mail asking for my write-up for Club Life summer edition. Well, I honestly don’t know where to start to cover four and half months since the last issue. Let me divide my comments and information between BC {before Covid} and AC {after Covid}.

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OMA MONTHLY MEDAL On Friday 24th July 2020: Emirates Golf Club hosted the July OMA Emirates Monthly Medalford in surprisingly ‘cool’ summer conditions.

It was Edouard Meyer who claimed the July Medalford title, along with the B Division, with an excellent score of 67 (-5). Scratch team player Sanjay Dhandsa had the best gross with a solid round of 71 (-1). Both Edouard and Sanjay collected maximum points for the Net and Gross Order of Merit (OOM) respectively.

In Division A, Westley Burke won with a net 69, closely followed by Rajinder Razdan (70) in second, and Jay Pangarkar (71) in third place.

In Division B, with Edouard claiming victory, Sekhar Reddy was second with a super score of 68, while Mandeep Vohra came third with a net 70. Finally, in Division C it was Roy Alan who took the win with a score of 71.

In the men’s stableford division, a consistent round from Ihab Toma saw him finish with 37 points and claim the win. This year’s summer pass holders were also invited to play, and it was a tight affair! Tapan Vaidya and Tony Piccolo both tied on 34 points, with Tapan taking the win courtesy of a better back 6 holes.

Hannah Alan rounded up the prizes by winning the Ladies’ stableford with 34 points.

Mike Kaye leads the gross OOM on 223 points, just nine points ahead of Christiane Klynge. It is a role reversal at the top of the net OOM, with Christiane leading Mike by 15 points at the top!

Thank you to our sponsor OMA Emirates for their continue support of the event. It is great to see such a strong field turn out to compete for valuable OOM points and some superb prizes!

A DIVISION (Handicaps 0-10) Winner: Westley Burke Runner-up: Rajinder Razdan Third: Jay Pangarkar Best Gross: Sanjay Dhandsa

69 Net 70 Net 71 Net 71 Net

B DIVISION (Handicaps 11-20) Division Winner & Overall Net Winner: Edouard Meyer Runner-up: Sekhar Reddy Third: Mandeep Vohra

67 Net 68 Net 70 Net

C DIVISION (Handicaps 21-28) Winner: Roy Alan

71 Net

MEN’S STABLEFORD EVENT Winner: Ihab Toma

37 Points

SUMMER PASS HOLDER STABLEFORD Winner: Tapan Vaidya Runner-up: Tony Piccolo

34 Points 34 Points

LADIES STABLEFORD EVENT Winner: Hannah Alan

34 Points

A DIVISION (Handicaps 0-10) Winner: Scott Campbell Runner-up: Ian Scott Third: Anil Shivanna Best Gross: Sanjay Dhandsa

72 Net 72 Net 73 Net 70 Net

B DIVISION (Handicaps 11-20) Division Winner & Overall Net Winner: Mustafa Khan Runner-up: Nik Joharris Third: Rajinder Razdan

68 Net 71 Net 71 Net

C DIVISION (Handicaps 21-28) Winner: Edgar Dalusong

72 Net

MEN’S STABLEFORD EVENT Winner: Douglas Yono

38 Points

LADIES STABLEFORD EVENT Winner: Roma Khanna

36 Points

OMA MONTHLY MEDAL SATURDAY 15TH AUGUST 2020

On Saturday 15th August: Emirates Golf Club hosted the August OMA Emirates Monthly Medalford with over 70 golfers competing.

Mustafa Khan took the victory with an excellent score of net 68.

Congratulations to Mustafa!

In Division A, it was close at the top with Scott Campbell winning with a score of 72. His superior count-back just beat Ian Scott who took second place also with a 72. Just a shot back in third place was Anil Shivanna with a 73.

Making it two wins from two was Sanjay Dhandsa, who won best gross with a 70 (-2).

In Division B, with Mustafa claiming victory, Nik Joharris came second with a sold net 71, just beating Rajinder Razdan on count-back who also had a 71. The Divisional prizes were completed with Edgar Dalusong winning Division C with a score of net 72.

In the men’s stableford, Douglas Yono was victorious with a score of 38 points. Proving that one bad hole doesn’t need to ruin a great round of golf! Roma Khanna won the ladies stableford with a score of 36 points.

In the Hyundai nearest the pin competitions, Anil Kumar hit it closest on the 7th, while Nik Joharris backed up his solid round by hitting it close on the 15th to complete the days prizes.

Christiane Klynge now leads the Gross Order of Merit (OOM) on 260 points after playing all five events and putting together some consistent scores. Ravi Khanna is leading the Net OOM on 249 points. The best five scores throughout the year will count towards the OOM, so with five events completed, it is all to play for between now and the final event in December.

Thank you to our sponsor OMA Emirates for their continued support of the event. It is great to see such a strong field turn out to compete for valuable OOM points and some superb prizes!

HYUNDAI NEAREST THE PIN 7TH Anil Kumar 15TH Nik Joharris

Competition Results

FRIDAY 24TH JULY 2020

7 Competition Results

28TH INDIAN INVITATIONAL GOLF TOURNAMENT supported by INDIAN MEMBERS OF EMIRATES GOLF CLUB FRIDAY 6TH MARCH 2020 On Friday 6th March 2020: Emirates Golf Club hosted the 28th Indian Invitational Golf Tournament; as usual in this event, the unique format saw teams of four players compete on both the Majlis and Faldo courses, with each team playing nine holes on the Majlis and nine holes on the Faldo. With a variety of team prizes, on course events, on course F&B stations and raffle prizes available, a large field of 173 avid golfers gathered ready to compete.

The team of Achal Ghai, Gurjit Grewal, Rohit Gupta and Kenny Babcock were crowned Indian Invitational Champions 2020 after a superb score of 89 points on the Faldo front nine and Majlis back nine. Their superb round included birdie twos for all players on the Faldo Par 3 8th.

In runners-up spot was the team of Rajinder Razdan, Anish Bhatia, Mags and Tony Breen with a score of 89 also, just missing out on victory with fewer points on the back nine. In third place with a score of 88 was Arjun Manghnani, Jon Phillips, Shane Wilson and Micky Chopra.

The rest of the prizes were broken down into Group A (Majlis front nine, Faldo back nine) and Group B (Faldo front nine, Majlis back nine).

In Group A, Peter Jamieson, Gary Black, Gurbax Singh and Satnam Kaur won with a score of 88 points. They were in fact unlucky to miss out in the main categories due to their back nine. Runners-up in Group A was Rekha Bandopadhyay, Vipen Sethi, Barney Coleman and Rhys James with a score of 82 points.

The winners of the on-course events in Group A were as follows; Nearest the Pins Hole #4 – Anil Parimoo; Hole #7 – Nonita Chand; Hole #12 – Christiane Sprunck; Hole #17 – Jon Phillips, Longest Drive Hole #8 – Monica Palao; Nearest the Pin in 3 Hole #10 – Yana Jamieson; Hole #16 – Nikhil Nanda; Hole #3 – Shane Wilson.

In Group B, the team of Suresh Shewakramani, Ashok Sindhu, Chandru Manghnani and Anthony Louis claimed victory with a score of 87 points.

Just a shot back in runners-up spot were Vikas Sachar, Anil Ahluwalia, Anne Bouigue and Alex Bouigue with a score of 86 points.

The winners of the on course events in Group B were as follows; Nearest the Pins Hole #2 – Naima Maya; Hole #8 – Ken Babcock; Hole #15 – Rajinder Razdan; Hole #11 – Mags Breen; Longest Drive Hole #10 – Ashok Sindhu, Nearest the Pin in 3 Hole #13 – Anne Bouigie, Hole #18 – Michael Nielsen Hole #5 – Rohit Gupta.

During the prize giving, General JJ Singh, Retired Chief of the Indian Army, spoke to the crowd and thanked them for their participation.

A wonderful afternoon of golf was concluded with a raffle prize draw containing over 60 prizes, ranging from golf lessons to desert safari tours!

OVERALL Winner:

Achal Ghai, Gurjit Grewal, Rohit Gupta, Kenny Babcock

89 Points

Runners-up:

Rajinder Razdan, Anish Bhatia, Margaret Breen, Tony Breen

89 Points

Third:

Arjun Manghnani, Jon Phillips, Shane Wilson, Jatinder Chopra

88 Points

GROUP (A) Winner:

Peter Jamieson, Gary Black, Gurbax Singh, Satnam Kaur

88 pts

Runners-up:

Rekha Bandopadhyay, Vipen Sethi, Barney Coleman, Rhys James

82 pts

GROUP (B) Winner:

Suresh Shewakramani, Anthony Avinash Louis, Chandru Manghnani, Ashok Sindhu 87 Points

Runners-up:

Vikas Sachar, Anil Ahluwalia, Anne Bouigue, Alex Bouigue

86 Points

8 Dear All,

However, during the difficult months of Covid-19 being at its peak, there were no Monday tournaments, no Inter-Club matches (however we did manage to win the Inter-Club Challenge League and we now hope to play the final in November), no Club Matchplays, no Members’ Anniversary Party, and last but not least no Lady Captain’s Day. However, it has all changed and we have all had our challenges with Covid-19. Most importantly, we are healthy and have learned to live with the necessary restrictions.

Of course, it was great news in late April that we were again able to enjoy our time at the Club and play with ‘restrictions’ in place, which was fine.... some members may even like the non-raking rules in the bunkers!!!

With the travel restrictions and uncertainty, it looks like many of us will be here to ‘enjoy’ the Dubai summer. I never thought I could enjoy a round of golf in 44 degrees!

I would like to thank my friend, Jacqui Barry, who was very patient and understanding. Enjoy Portugal and your upcoming Captaincy of Quinta do Lago Golf Club in 2021.

Our ladies’ tournaments started again in April ,as soon as our courses were open for play and we had a good turnout with some excellent results, considering the temperature and humidity.

I would like to thank our Club Captain Ishu who was always around to offer his support and encouragement.

It was lovely to meet the new members of our Club at the golf day in July, hosted by Barney. I hope they will enjoy our fantastic courses and great facilities.

As my Captaincy comes to an end, this will be my last article so I have many people to thank for making this, albeit unusual season so memorable.

I would like to thank Chris May and Barney Coleman who trusted me to be a Lady Captain of the biggest by far ladies’ section in the Middle East.

I would like to thank all our colleagues at Emirates Golf Club who helped me during the year, but a special thank you goes to Nishanthi who was simply amazing in organising our tournaments and always being willing and ready to help out.

I would like to thank our F&B team who prepared our 5* Monday lunches.

Ladies Saint Patrick’s Day Competition MONDAY 9TH MARCH 2020

On 9th March 2020, Emirates Golf Club celebrated an early Saint Patrick’s Day with a ladies’ competition on the Majlis course. The format was a full course handicap Stableford; however, there was a little twist to it; if a player recorded a net double-bogey (no points on a hole), she had to remove the longest club in her bag (no longer allowed to use driver, then 3-wood and so on). It was only after scoring a net par that she would be allowed to put the last lost club back in the bag.

Despite this particular rule, there were still some great results for the competition.

The overall winner was Glory Xavier with an impressive score of 38 points. The runner-up with 37 points and a better back nine on countback was Naema Maya.

Silver Division (handicaps 0-18) was won by Rekha Bandopadhyay with a great score of 37 points, and Avani Shah won the Bronze Division (handicaps 19-36) with 36 points and a better back nine on count-back.

OVERALL Winner: Runner-up:

Glory Xavier Naema Maya

38 points 37 points

SILVER DIVISION (Handicaps 0 – 18) Winner: Rekha Bandopadhyay

37 points

BRONZE DIVISION (Handicaps 19 – 36) Winner: Avani Shah

36 points

I would like to thank all our ladies and all members of Emirates Golf Club for the tremendous support extended to me during my captaincy.

During my year of Captaincy I had much support form my husband Peter and from my family. Thank you Peter for your patience and encouragement.

Last, but by no means least, my year would not have been as enjoyable without the support of many of the Past Lady Captains and, of course, my Vice-Captain, Naema who, I’m sure, will be a great Captain. I wish Naema and Boyd every success, Barney hopes that I can have my Captain’s Day in November so I will have time to practise my drive and final speech!

So to all the ladies and members of this fantastic Club, enjoy your summer and stay safe Yana Jamieson Lady Captain - 2019-2020

Lady Captain’s Message

It seems like such a long time ago now but it was only in March that I had so much to look forward to with our ladies.

BACK TO GOLF AFTER LOCKDOWN SOCIAL DISTANCING AND FACE MASKS

11 Competition Results

PING EMIRATES LADIES AMATEUR OPEN 2020 SATURDAY 14TH MARCH 2020

The 2020 Ping Emirates Ladies Amateur Open was played on Saturday 14th March on the Majlis course.

After the conclusion of regular play, Naema Maya and Aliya Al Qubaisi were tied after both finishing with rounds of 79 (+7). This meant that the ladies would compete in a sudden death play-off on holes 17 & 18 repeatedly until there was a winner. A routine par 4 on the first play-off hole was enough for Naema Maya to be crowned the 2020 Ping Emirates Ladies Amateur Open Champion! Aliya settled for the runner-up spot, with Marivi Arias third with a score of 80.

In the net competition, it was a clean sweep for Emirates Golf Club members who used their home advantage. Josie Tracey won best net with a superb score of 68 (-4), just beating Avani Shah (68) courtesy of a better back nine. Completing the morning prizes was Yulia Golubeva who came third with a score of 69.

After being awarded the perpetual trophy, Naema Maya, Emirates Golf Club Lady Vice-Captain, said a few words, “I am delighted to have won the Ladies Amateur Open for the first time! Congratulations also to Aliya for her great score and to all the winners today.

GROSS Champion: Runner-up: Third:

Naema Maya (EGC) Aliya Al Qubaisi (EGF) Marivi Arias (EGC)

79 (playoffs) 79 80

NET Best Net: Second Net: Third Net:

Josie Tracey (EGC) Avani Shah (EGC) Yulia Golubeva (EGC)

68 68 69

EMIRATES MATCHPLAY CHAMPIONSHIP 2019-2020

LADIES DOUBLES Champions: Runners-Up:

Roma Khanna & Shiba Khan Wahid Fiona Berry & Margaret Breen

MEN’S DOUBLES Champions: Runners-Up:

Achal Ghai & Rakesh Shah Ravi Khanna & Tim Berry

MIXED FOURSOMES Champions: Runners-Up:

Roma & Ravi Khanna David & Amber Waite

LADIES SINGLES Champion: Runner-Up:

Liang Wei Liu Roma Khanna

MEN’S SINGLES Champion: Runner-Up:

Achal Ghai Anil Shivanna

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LADIES’ AFTERNOON: MONDAY 1ST JUNE 2020 : MAJLIS

36 points 20 points 20 points

DIVISION B Winner: Anita Jopp Best Front 9: Sue Hopwood Best Back 9: Maureen Platt

40 points 20 points 20 points

Competition Results

DIVISION A Winner: Genie Owiti Best Front 9: Haide Wright Best Back 9: Ingrid Lind

LADIES’ AFTERNOON: MONDAY 8TH JUNE 2020 : MAJLIS DIVISION A (handicaps 0-18) Winner: Cathy Lajotte Runner-up: Shiba Khan Third: Jayshree Gupta

40 points 38 points 38 points

DIVISION B (handicaps 19-36) Winner: Sue Hopwood Runner-up: Martha Wong Third: Ninu Smith

39 points 39 points 38 points

LADIES’ AFTERNOON: GOLF ZOO

WEDNESDAY 15TH JUNE 2020 : MAJLIS DIVISION A (handicaps 0-18) Winner: Haide Wright Runner-up: Shiba Khan Third: Amarjeet Radia

39 points 38 points 36 points

DIVISION B (handicaps 19-36) Winner: Valerie Darnault Runner-up: Maureen Platt Third: Carolyn Smylie

40 points 39 points 37 points

LADIES’ AFTERNOON:

INDIVIDUAL STABLEFORD MONDAY 22ND JUNE 2020 : MAJLIS DIVISION A (handicaps 0-14) Winner: Glory Xavier Runner-up: Hannah Alan

40 points 37 points

DIVISION B (handicaps 15-19) Winner: Mags Breen Runner-up: Sulafa Hamdan

38 points 35 points

DIVISION C (handicaps 20-37) Winner: Josie Tracey Runner-up: Nicsha Russouw

37 points 38 points

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LADIES’ AFTERNOON: DIVISION A (handicaps 0-14) Winner: Jayshree Gupta Runner-up: Connie Sayal

37 points 33 points

DIVISION B (handicaps 15-19) Winner: Nicsha Russouw Runner-up: Maureen Platt

36 points 34 points

DIVISION C (handicaps 20-37) Winner: Susan Dibden Runner-up: Marie Benson

32 points 31 points

Competition Results

INDIVIDUAL STABLEFORD WITH SAFARI TWIST MONDAY 29TH JUNE 2020 : MAJLIS

LADIES’ AFTERNOON:

INDIVIDUAL STABLEFORD MONDAY 6TH JULY 2020 : MAJLIS DIVISION A (handicaps 0-14) Winner: Jayshree Gupta

39 points

DIVISION B (handicaps 15-19) Winner: Nicsha Russouw

40 points

DIVISION C (handicaps 20-37) Winner: Marie Benson

37 points

LADIES’ AFTERNOON:

INDIVIDUAL STABLEFORD MONDAY 13TH JULY 2020 : MAJLIS DIVISION A (handicaps 0-14) Winner: Shiba Khan Runner-up: Jayshree Gupta

34 points 34 points

DIVISION B (handicaps 15-19) Winner: Carolyn Smylie Runner-up: Genie Owiti

30 points 30 points

DIVISION C (handicaps 20-37) Winner: Kiyono Taniuchi Runner-up: Ninu Smith

37 points 37 points

LADIES’ AFTERNOON

MONDAY 20TH JULY 2020 : MAJLIS DIVISION A (handicaps 0-14) Winner: Naema Maya Runner-up: Yana Jamieson

35 points 34 points

DIVISION B (handicaps 15-19) Winner: Shiba Khan Runner-up: Genie Owiti

38 points 33 points

DIVISION C (handicaps 20-37) Winner: Roma Khanna Runner-up: Kiyono Taniuchi

37 points 37 points

LADIES’ AFTERNOON: DIVISION A (handicaps 0-18) Winner: Nonita Chand

37 points

DIVISION B (handicaps 19-36) Winner: Sue Hopwood

33 points

Peter Cowen Junior Tour by OMA Emirates WEDNESDAY 4TH MARCH 2020

The 11th Peter Cowen Junior Tour by OMA Emirates event of the season was on the Faldo course at the end of February. A field of 30 juniors gathered to see who would come out on top.

It was Sandro Wulff who claimed victory with an excellent score of 32 (-4). His round included gross birdies on the tricky Par 4 6th, as well as the Par 3 8th. Sandro also collected maximum order of merit points for his win moving him up to 5th in the Nett OOM from 14th.

Winning the best gross was Vedant Pal with a score of 36, this included a gross birdie on the Par 5 third hole. Vedant claimed maximum order of merit points and moved up to 2nd in the gross OOM. In the boys category Jay Chinchankar won with a super score of 32, in face he only missed out on the overall victory due to Sandro’s excellent final few holes. In runner up sport was Lorenzo Lironi with a score of 34. Carlotta Scialanga claimed victory in the girls division with a score of 37, while Hannah Alan came second with a score of 37.

Completing the winners on the day was Mirwais Arghandiwal who hit it closest on the Par 3 8th.

Through 11 events of the season, Viggo Sorensen leads the gross OOM with 662.5 points. Vedant Pal is second on 507.5 points. In the net OOM, despite being yet to taste victory, the consistent Daksh Jain sits a top of the leaderboard on 405 points. Closely followed by Raghav Gulati on 365 points.

After the prize presentation Joe Way, Emirates Golf Clubs Assistant Golf Services Manager, commented; “Well done to Sandro on his win today and collecting the maximum OOM points

Competition Results

INDIVIDUAL STABLEFORD MONDAY 3RD AUGUST 2020

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15 Emirates Golf Club’s season commences in September and culminates in August therefore the Club Captains’ term in office will conclude at the end of this month.Thank you, on behalf of management, colleaugues and members to Ishu Rupani and Yana Jamieson for their dedication and support of the Club for the past year. Unfortunately, with the 35-day closure from 23rd March, it was a disrupted season and the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in their Captains’ Days being postponed, as well as the annual Members’ Party which had been scheduled for April.

The incoming Vice Captains for the 2020-2021 are:

However, Yana will celebrate her Captain’s Day in November 2020 and Ishu Rupani in January 2021, resulting in an exciting and busy tournament calendar next season.

Congratulations and welcome to Abdulfattah and Amarjeet in their Vice-Captain roles from 1st September.

Abdulfattah Sharaf and Amarjeet Radia Abdulfattah has been an integral part of the Abu Dhabi HBSC Championship for many years and we are delighted that he and Amarjeet will be Captains during a year that will include two major events for the region. Firstly, in December 2021, the UAE will celebrate its Golden Jubilee and EXPO will commence in October 2021.

Our current Vice-Captains, Boyd Edmondson and Naema Maya take over as Captains from 1st September 2020 and we wish them all the best for the year ahead.

Traditionally, we announce the incoming Vice-Captains at the members’ party but, due to the current circumstances, this has had to be done by email.

Meet the incoming captains & vice captains 1st September 2020 – 31st August 2021 Boyd Edmondson Men’s Captain

My family and I have been members of Emirates Golf Club (EGC) since 2007. What an honour it has been! Personally, while my ability, and rather long backswing do not match my aspiration of walking the fairways in majors, my passion for sport and in particular golf has always been very much a part of my life.

I am richly blessed to be married to Althea, who I can assure you, is the longest-serving lady member who has never set foot on a golf course, something which will have to change. My two daughters Hannah and Kirsten have always been such a part of our lives at the Club. Hannah has just recently graduated from University, and Kirsty is off to Holland to start her University career.

While golf in itself has given me hours and hours of pleasure, the ability it offers us as a family to support charities has always been a focal part of our involvement. This will undoubtedly be an aspect of my participation in golf, which I will carry through into my year of Captaincy.

I have actively been aligned to European Tour events held within the region and in particular our very own Omega Dubai Desert Classic in which I was involved, in several capacities, for 15 years.

It is sometimes believed that I have retired with the time I spend at the Club, but I can assure you all, that I do most certainly have ‘that’ day job, and have loved being involved within the Corporate Insurance Market for the last 20 years within this region.

What an incredible privilege to be invited to be Club Captain of the EGC. I look forward to serving all my fellow members and all our wonderful colleagues.

Outgoing & Incoming Captains

Outgoing & Incoming Captains

Lady Captain

Ever since arriving in Abu Dhabi over 35 years ago, I have always called the UAE home.

I found my love for sport at a very young age and decided to pursue it early on.

Growing up, I represented the Arab world in many international track events, the highlight having been representing my country in track events at the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics.

I started golf in the late 90s when I joined my children (Nasser and Hamdan) for their lessons and I have been hooked since. I am blessed that both my sons live here in Dubai so I can spend time with them and my grandsons (and play a few rounds with them too!). Continuing to mix family and golf, it was actually during a golf competition in 2000 that I met Adel and later moved to Dubai (my new home).

I started out at the Creek Golf Club and, in 2012, I joined Emirates Golf Club where I also met some of the most wonderful people who I am proud to call my best friends! As I became more involved in the ladies’ golf activities, I was amazed by how welcomed I was by our members, management and previous Captains. When I was asked to become Lady Captain, it was a huge honour and one that I will indeed treat with the respect it deserves.

Thanks to Yana’s remarkable guidance, I am ready for this opportunity to give my contribution back to the Club and to continue the efforts our previous Lady Captains have magnificently put in. There is a fantastic year ahead of us and I hope that I can make a difference during my Captaincy.

Abdulfattah Sharaf Men’s Vice Captain

Abdulfattah is the CEO of HSBC in the UAE and Head of International which covers Bahrain, Kuwait and Algeria. He is an Emirati and has been an avid golf player for the last 20 years. Abdulfattah is married and has three children, Meera, Mohammed and Haya.

Prior to his role with HSBC, Abdulfattah was the CEO of NBD Securities, a subsidiary of Emirates NBD. Abdulfattah is a graduate of the University of Denver, USA and he serves on various Boards including the Higher Board of the DIFC, Noor Dubai Foundation and the Emirates Golf Federation. is a graduate of the University of Denver, USA.

Amarjeet Radia Lady Vice Captain

Amarjeet was born in Kenya and is a Business and Finance graduate. She moved to Dubai in 1992 from the UK and joined Emirates Golf Club in 1997.

In Kenya, she worked in a Medical Distribution company and she also worked as a pilot for a private charter company and laid claim to being the youngest woman to have gained a Private Pilot’s Licence at the tender age of 18.

Married to Amit Radia with a daughter, Shreya Radia, she is the Director of Atlas Group in the UAE, a diversified print and media organisation based in Dubai for the last 25 years. As a keen fitness enthusiast, Amarjeet also enjoys yoga and fitness, apart from her love for golf.

“Yoga has helped me tremendously in improving my flexibility and mindset on the golf course and dealing with the good and bad days”.

Her passion for cooking and entertaining is also a virtue that has made her popular amongst her peers. Playing off a handicap of 11, Amarjeet has represented the Club in various tournaments over the last few years and looks forward to developing the ladies’ participation in more events across the coming year.

Another driving force in her life is a family run charity trust, “Amar Forever” which is involved in raising funds and helping underprivileged children in Kenya with projects such as supporting an orphanage in Kenya and printing books for schools that lack funding.

Outgoing & Incoming Captains

Naema Maya

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JUNIOR LINKS

Spotlight on... Sandro Wulff Although not a member of Emirates Golf Club, Sandro is a a very promising and talented golfer within Dubai Golf, mostly basing himself at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club and he regularly participates in junior events at Emirates Golf Club.

My name is Sandro Wulff and I have lived in Dubai for the last ten years. I was originally born in England and I would say I am one third English, one third Bulgarian and one third German. I started playing at around the age of four but when I finally moved to the Creek, I began playing intensively about three years ago. I started playing two to three times a week and that continued until I began playing five times a week. At first I focused on playing the par 3 series and then after that, the Dubai golf junior events. I always set myself the goal to catch the better kids and this worked out very well on the par 3 but I am still working on the Junior Series. Next year I will be allowed to play the EGF tournaments.

Something big happened to me last year. My father introduced me to Mr. Becker, the head coach of the famous Hubbelrath Golf Club in Germany. He saw me play and I was given free membership until my 18th birthday and I was also asked to join the U14 team to play in the finals of the German Championship. We came fifth and I was the youngest player at 11 years old.

Once, when I thought I had golf figured out, I went skiing in Switzerland. By the time I got back my golf had taken a wrong turn, but I soon got it under control again with the help of my coach.

I was so lucky to learn from Jon, Cen, Mike, Luke, Cyril, Craig and Tom. I was also very proud the first time I beat my grandfather on the par 3 when I was nine and then I beat my father as well.

I am now spending most of my time on the main course. I started from the red tees until I got a handicap of 9 and I then moved to the whites and I am now sometimes playing rounds below 80.

My two greatest moments were winning the Junior tournament on the Earth course, one over par with a sandy par on the last and winning a par three tournament at the Creek, one stroke over the course record at four under.

I can now reach all the greens in regulation but unfortunately, my father holds me back from playing the blue tees because he says I am not long enough. I am working on that on our new driving range with the installed trackman. I also go to the gym now and then.

My big goal is to play with my favourite players Tommy Fleetwood, Ian Poulter and Rory McIlroy at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. I would like to thank my parents for supporting me andI would also like to thank all my coaches and the Dubai Creek.

SCHOOL OF RULES

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by Cian Hurley

Most golf clubs will have Permanent Local Rules in place on their course(s). Many golfers will be familiar with these, however it is always worth checking these out when playing at other courses, as they will not always be standardised across all clubs.

Examples of these might be: • Specific course boundaries or Out of Bounds markers.

• Penalty Areas as marked out on that course.

• Staked Trees.

• Artificial roads and pathways.

As mentioned above, there are sometimes Temporary Local Rules that a Committee feel they must introduce for a certain period of time. These should be notified to golfers by way of signage/notices or through communication with each group.

Examples of these might be: • Temporary G.U.R. (Ground Under Repair) • Preferred Lies, perhaps after poor weather conditions or recent maintenance to the golf course.

• Safety measures.

*Note that the Majlis Course currently has preferred lies in operation due to the recent course maintenance programme and also the summer grass transition in rough areas.

At this current time, having re-opened golf courses since the recent lockdown closures in Dubai, the EGF (Emirates Golf Federation) have stipulated certain Temporary Local Rules that must be in place at all golf clubs across the UAE, which are special Covid-19 practices.

This of course is a highly unusual situation, perhaps the first similar scenario since wartime WWII measures were needed, many decades ago ….

The current Covid-19 measures in place are that golfers: • Must wear masks.

• Must wear gloves where possible. Golf gloves suffice.

• Must maintain social distancing of two metres minimum.

• Can only share a cart if both are from the same family/household.

• Cannot touch the flagsticks.

• Cannot use bunker rakes.

• Must adjust to modified hole inserts on each green.

*Interesting Fact: • A golf club Committee is never authorised to write Local Rules, whether permanent or temporary, which go against the principles in the Rules of Golf.

• In order to ensure that play is conducted in accordance with the Rules of Golf, a Committee must not use a Local Rule to waive or modify the Rules of Golf simply because it might prefer a Rule to be different. This means that we may never introduce a local rule simply because we would like to, and so local rules will only be adopted when and where absolutely necessary.

• As a general principle, when a player is playing a round that is to be posted for handicapping purposes, he or she is required to play it under the Rules of Golf. It is important to note that the current Temporary Local Rules introduced as Covid-19 measures have been approved by the EGF and are being adopted currently at all clubs throughout the UAE. As such, the EGF have also confirmed that scores may still be entered for handicap purposes, under these current measures.

SCHOOL OF RULES

Dear Members, We are delighted to be open again and back in action on the golf courses at Emirates Golf Club. We hope you have thoroughly enjoyed getting back out there!

In this month’s article, I would like to provide you with an overview and an update on some (temporary) Local Rules that are in place at this time.

Firstly, a Local Rule is a modification of a Rule of Golf or an additional Rule that the Committee of a Golf Club adopts for general play or for a particular competition. The Committee of any golf club is responsible for deciding whether to adopt any Local Rules.

Here at Emirates Golf Club, there are Local Rules on both the Majlis and Faldo Courses and these can be found on each respective scorecard and in the Club Locker Rooms. Further to this, there are often occasions where Temporary Local Rules are required, for a certain period of time.

Well, what a summer we have been having!

It’s been great to see the courses so busy but to be honest, we are not used to it during this time. Summer is a time when we would normally do our projects and have all our closures to get the courses ready for the winter months.

This year, with Covid-19 and the increased amount of play, we have had to tweak that quite a bit. The closures have been shortened and planned projects have been put back as we want to keep the course in the best condition it can be for you all to play.

There are always challenges during the summer which a lot of players do not see. The weather is the major one with increased temperatures and with us being limited on the amount of water we get from Dubai Municipality. This will result in some dry areas around the course and the lakes being quite low at certain points.

We do a lot of extra watering during the day which can affect bunkers and sandy areas around the courses.

We did have some problems on the Majlis and Faldo greens for some time. These were both separate issues with the Majlis having some microscopic insects called Nematodes and the Faldo greens having a fungal disease. These were treated at the time but we unfortunately lost some parts of some greens. We have turfed a lot of areas and they have started to slowly improve over the last few months. This will continue and we hope to have full coverage by end of the summer.

Apart from the greens, the courses have been great with some excellent looking fairways and with the rough transitioning faster than I have ever seen.

We are planning to do some work on hole 7 of the Faldo now which will enhance the look and play of this hole.

The Golf Course Maintenance team would also like to thank all the members and contributors for the money they received from the Colleague Fund; this has gone a long way to help during a tough time and we appreciate the generosity from all members for the donations to this fund.

Happy Golfing

Matthew Perry

Director of Agronomy

Greenkeeper’s cuttings

GREENKEEPER’S CUTTINGS

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RECIPROCAL CLUBS

RECIPROCAL CLUBS

Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club Pure Excellence —No Compromise

Located in Melbourne’s famous Sandbelt golf region, Peninsula Kingswood is home to two championship golf courses. Additional facilities include luxury accommodation, state of the art practice facilities, 25-metre indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, tennis court, bowling green and games room.

The North Course

Playing over sandy and undulating ground, The North Course is a pure Sandbelt experience.

Firm and fast with tilted greens, expansive bunkers, wide fairways and roughs that combine sand, native grasses and heathland vegetation that the Sandbelt region is known for.

The South Course

Longer, flatter and more open than The North, with stunning views across its fairways, the South Course is characterised by the its creek lines and dry stone walls. Bunkering and green design put a premium on positioning from the tee. A true test of strategic golf.

Dubai Golf Reciprocal Clubs Albatross Golf Resort, Czech Republic Al Mouj Golf, Oman Arabella Golf Club, South Africa Archerfield Links, Scotland Banyan Golf Club, Thailand Celtic Manor, Wales Centurion Club, England Clearwater Bay Golf Club, Hong Kong Close House Hotel & Golf Club, England DLF Golf & Country Club, India Elea Golf Club, Cyprus Evian Resort Golf Club, France Foxhills Club & Resort, England Heritage Golf Club, Mauritius

The Hong Kong Golf Club, Hong Kong Hubbelrath Golf Club, Germany Huntingdale Golf Club, Australia K Club, Ireland Karnataka Golf Association, India Laguna National Golf & Country Club, Singapore La Manga Club, Spain London Golf Club, England Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club, Australia Real Club de Golf el Pratroyal Golf Club, Spain Saujana Golf & Country Club, Malaysia Taiheiyo Club, Japan Yas Links, Abu Dhabi

European Tour Destinations:

Rossington Hall, England Finca Cortesin Hotel, Golf & Spa, Spain Villaverde Hotel & Resort, Italy Black Mountain Golf Club & Resort, Thailand Pirin Golf and Country Club, Bulgaria Tbilisi Hills Golf Resort, Georgia London Golf Club, England Diamond Country Club, Austria Jumeirah Golf Estates, UAE Emirates Golf Club, UAE Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, UAE Golf Club St. Leon-Rot, Germany Constance Lemuria, Seychelles Le Golf National, France Quinta do Lago, Portugal

Saujana Golf & Country Club, Malaysia Estonian Golf & Country Club, Estonia Constance Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius Albatross Golf Resort, Czech Republic Linna Golf, Finland PGA Catalunya Resort, Spain Verdura Resort, Italy Lighthouse Golf & Spa Resort, Bulgaria The Dutch, Netherlands Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort, France Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, Italy Troia Resort, Portugal Genzon Golf Club, China Moscow Country Club, Russia Guardian Bom Sucesso Golf, Portugal

Tee time reservations need to be made in advance through Membership Services.

The current membership card must be produced at the reciprocal club when playing golf upon check in.

For further information on the reciprocal clubs please contact our Membership Services team or email egc@dubaigolf.com

PRO’S TIP OF THE MONTH by Pro, Dong Lee

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How to sink more putts?

When I putt, my main priority is reading the green to make sure I know what the grains and slopes are going to do once the ball rolls towards the hole.

I do look from side on and the back of the hole with a final check behind the hole.

I sense the speed - how soft or hard I will make a putt, then I stand over the ball and visualise the ‘start line’ This is crucial for me because If I don’t start the ball from my intended line what are the chances it will go as I planned.

Here is a drill which I use when I practise I call it the Gate Drill…

You only need two tees to create a ‘gate’ (as pictured on the right), 4~5 inches ahead of the ball Make sure it is wide enough for a ball to pass through…. but not too wide.

Now make sure you putt and start the ball on your intended start line every time.

I know if I don’t start the ball on line the gate will reject my ball Good luck and I hope that this drill will help you to sink more putts.

Pro’s Tip

I then pick a spot and, from time to time, I use a line on the ball to align it, just like many Tour players are doing too…

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How Does it Work?

Simply download the app from the Apple Store or Google Play, sign up using your mobile number and you’re ready to start booking golf and earning Viya points across special promotions, plus dining, leisure and Pro Shop transactions.

Viya will recognise your Dubai Golf membership through the mobile number that you submit, so make sure it is up to date with Membership Services so you can enjoy the full Viya experience.

Viya Points Earn 5% in loyalty points when you avail your 25% member discount across Dubai Golf dining and leisure outlets. In addition, Viya points can be earned at Pro Shops and on special promotions and offers found under the Dine, Relax and Experience categories on the app.

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Format of Play

Type of Round

Number of Holes

Organized Competition

THE EMIRATES GOLF FEDERATION has converted to the WORLD HANDICAP SYSTEM with

General Play Individual Stroke Play

Phase 1 from 1 March 2020 and Phase 2 from 15 JULY 2020 The World Handicap System includes the Rules of Handicapping and the Course Rating System.

PLEASE REMEMBER Its purpose is to enable as many golfers as possible the opportunity to: • Obtain and maintain a Handicap Index.

• Use their Handicap Index on any golf course around the world.

• Compete, or play recreationally, with anyone else on a fair and equal basis.

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18

Stableford — Organized Competition

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Stableford — General Play

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Organized Competition

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General Play Four-Ball Stroke Play

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Stableford — Organized Competition

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Stableford — General Play

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Organized Competition

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General Play

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Organized Competition

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General Play

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Individual Match Play

THE COURSE RATING SYSTEM – the EGF has already been applying this for the last 10 years.

RULES OF HANDICAPPING – which covers all the new calculations and rules to Handicapping management controls and Adjustments.

THE RULES OF HANDICAPPING ARE : RULE 1: PURPOSE AND AUTHORIZATION; OBTAINING A HANDICAP INDEX RULE 2: SCORES ACCEPTABLE FOR HANDICAP PURPOSES The scores a player submits for handicap purposes are at the core of the calculation of their Handicap Index.

Rule 2 covers the conditions a score must satisfy for it to be acceptable for handicap purposes, providing confidence that it will produce reasonable evidence of the player’s ability and, ultimately, a Handicap Index that is reflective of demonstrated ability.

RULE 2.1: ACCEPTABILITY OF SCORES • Rounds played: • In an authorised format of play.

• Over a minimum number of holes.

• By the Rules of Golf.

• With at least one other person.

• On a course with a current Course Rating and Slope Rating.

• During an active season.

• Certified in accordance with Rules of Handicapping

Scores in both Match play and Stroke play must be posted for handicap purposes. This includes scores made in match play, in Stableford or in team competitions or in which players are requested to pick up when out of contention on a hole.

Four-Ball Match Play

RULE 2.1B: PLAYING BY THE RULES OF GOLF A round must be played by the Rules of Golf to be acceptable for handicap purposes.

EXCEPTION: When a player is disqualified from a competition, but no significant advantage has been gained, the score should remain acceptable for handicap purposes.

For example, failure to sign a scorecard in stroke play.

The final determination is at the discretion of the Committee.

•

In General Play – a score is NOT acceptable for handicap purposes if the player is known to have:

• Breached the Rules of Golf and the correct penalty has not been applied as prescribed by the Rules of Golf, or • Deliberately ignored the Rules of Golf.

• Other Examples of Unacceptable Scores:

• Foursomes (also known as Alternate Shot) • Scrambles

• When practicing or being coached • When playing alone

• When the score cannot be verified by another player • When using non-conforming equipment

• When the minimum number of holes have not been played

WORLD HANDICAPPING SYSTEM

RULE 2.1A: PLAYED IN AN AUTHORISED FORMAT OF PLAY

When the Rules of Handicapping include the following guidelines for determining what score to record on a hole:

Net double bogey = Par + 2 +/- +/- Handicap strokes received or given on a hole This is the downward adjustment of individual hole scores for HANDICAP purposes to make handicaps more representative of a player’s potential ability.

This is A MAXIMUM SCORE that a player can post on a hole depending on the players Course handicap.

The net double bogey adjustment sets a maximum score on any hole for handicap purposes, ensuring bad holes do not impact a player’s handicap too severely. At the end of the round your score must be adjusted to the ADJUSTED GROSS SCORE which will be entered into the handicap system. You make these adjustments as needed when you play the hole.

No strokes received on a hole

Maximum Score

Par Three

Par Four

Par Five

5

6

7

On the putting green within 5 feet of the hole

Add one additional stroke

Between 5 feet and 20 yards from the hole

Add 2 or 3 additional strokes, depending on the position of the ball, the difficulty of the green and the ability of the player.

Beyond 20 yards from the hole

Add 3 or 4 additional strokes, depending on the position of the ball, the difficulty of the green and the ability of the player.

RULE 4: SUBMITTING A SCORE Rule 4 covers the process for the submission of acceptable scores for handicap purposes, both to obtain an initial Handicap Index and to maintain an established Handicap Index.

HOW TO : REGISTRATION Preferably this should be done at the club before each round that the golfer plays.

Registration is not just swiping your card. You must enter which Course is to be played and which game type is to be played.

One stroke received on a hole Par Three

Position of the ball

Par Four

Par Five

For example:

Courses: 18 Holes 1 to 18, 9 Holes 1 to 9 or 10 to 18.

Category: G for General or T for Tournament game.

Maximum Score

6

7

8

Two strokes received on a hole

HOW TO : COMPLETE /RECORDING YOUR SCORE Please note that only games ALREADY registered /opened at the club will be able to be closed via the website or EGF APP. Your options to close the game are: Option 1: At the Club terminal you played at

Maximum Score

Par Three

Par Four

Par Five

7

8

9

Option 2: Using the EGF App – Click here to find out more.

Option 3: At any other Club Terminal in UAE – within 72 hours of round registered

Option 1: At the Club terminal you played at / OR Option 3: At any other Club Terminal in UAE – within 72 hours of round registered

You must always enter the score you were most likely to have scored before applying MAXIMUM SCORE PER HOLE.

1. Swipe your card/ enter your card number or search surname at the public terminal.

RULE 3.2: WHEN A HOLE IS NOT PLAYED When a player has completed the minimum number of holes, but not the full 9 or 18 holes,

2. Click on ‘View O/S Games’ 3. Click on the game

MINIMUM NUMBER OF HOLES FOR AN 18-HOLE SCORE (RULE 2.2A) If 14 or more holes are played, the player must post an 18-hole score.

5. Enter your Adjusted Gross Score. Click ‘Complete’

MINIMUM NUMBER OF HOLES FOR AN 9-HOLE SCORE (RULE 2.2B) If 7 to 13 holes are played, the player must post a 9-hole score In either case, scores for the HOLES NOT PLAYED must be recorded as PAR PLUS any handicap strokes that the player is entitled to receive on the holes not played.

RULE 3.2: WHEN A HOLE IS STARTED BUT PLAYER DOES NOT HOLE OUT A most likely score is the score a player must post for handicap purposes if a hole is started but not completed or if the player is conceded a stroke.

A most likely score consists of the number of strokes already taken plus, in the players Best Judgment, the number of strokes the player would take to complete the hole from that position/what the player can reasonably expect to score – more than half the time.

4. Enter which tee you played off.

Option 4: – via the Internet website www.golferscard.ae 1. Click on ‘Members’

2. Log in using your Golfers Card 5 digit number

3. Your default password is 12345 – or enter your EGF number to request a reset link which will be sent to your email on record.

5. Click on ‘Update Profile’ and change your password immediately. Only once you have changed your password will you be able to view any outstanding games.

7. You will see any outstanding games in “Red” click and proceed to complete the games.

8. Please note that ONLY GAMES REGISTERED /OPENED at the Club will be able to be closed via the website. **Important – As per EGF Guidelines, any member that fails to record a round of golf in 6 months, their handicap will be made inactive until 3 new 18-hole scores have been recorded.**

24 WORLD HANDICAPPING SYSTEM

RULE 3.1: MAXIMUM SCORE FOR HANDICAP PURPOSES MAXIMUM SCORE PER HOLE = NET DOUBLE BOGEY

Do not worry if scores have been entered incorrectly or a game has not been registered, these can be added and or adjusted by your club Handicap Administrator on request via email.

OVERSEAS ROUNDS – REGISTRATION/SCORES Players can register acceptable overseas rounds/scores, here’s how.

Send completed scorecard to the handicap administrator of his/her home club, provided the course played has a valid Course and Slope rating displayed on the overseas scorecard being presented.

RULE 4.3 TIMEFRAME FOR SUBMITTING A SCORE A player should submit their score as soon as possible PREFERABLY on the day of play, after completion of their round and before 8PM (local time).

A player has a maximum of 72 hours to close/enter their score for their round after it has been registered / opened.

If the player fails to enter a score for their round after 48 hours , the player will receive a notification via E mail reminding them to enter a score or they will receive a PENALTY SCORE equal to their lowest differential in their last 20 games and an immediate handicap adjustment after 24 hours of the notification (i.e. total of 72 hours after game was registered) If the player later sends their card for this round to their home club, their score may be adjusted at club’s discretion.

RULE 4.4: CERTIFICATION OF A SCORE Score must be signed by a marker prior to submission.

Score must be available for peer review as soon as possible after being posted to the scoring record RULE 4.5: MINIMUM NUMBER OF SCORES TO GET A HANDICAP To obtain a Handicap Index, a player must post at least 3x 18-hole scores. (54 holes made up of any combination of 9- or 18-hole rounds) The club can review & issue a Handicap Index to the player at their own discretion.

RULE 5: HANDICAP INDEX CALCULATION

Rule 5 covers the process of calculating a Handicap Index and incorporates the safeguards needed to help ensure that a player’s Handicap Index remains reflective of their ability and that equity is retained for all golfers. It includes mechanisms which:

• Remembers previously demonstrated ability within a defined period of time.

• Caps the upward movement of a player’s Handicap Index within a defined period of time.

• Applies additional adjustments to a player’s Handicap Index when an exceptional score is submitted.

RULE 5.1: BASIC CALCULATION OF A SCORE DIFFERENTIAL Score Differential

The difference between a player’s adjusted gross score and the Course Rating, taking account of Slope Rating. It is the value ‘played to’ on a specific course on a specific day.

Adjusted Gross Score

A player’s gross score, including any penalty strokes, adjusted for when: • The player exceeds their maximum hole score • A hole is not played, or • A hole is started but the player does not hole out

Score Differential = (113 ÷ slope rating) x (Adjusted gross score – Course Rating)

25

RULE 5.2: CALCULATION OF A HANDICAP INDEX A history of a player’s last 20 acceptable scores – including: Scoring Records

• • • •

The player’s score The score Differential The date the round was played, and The Course Rating and the Slope Rating of the Tees played

This is your live calculated handicap index after 3 x 18-hole scores that have been entered on the system AND that are less than 6 months old.

Average the lowest 8 of the most recent 20 score differentials, rounded to the nearest tenth.

If you have less than 20 games in your game record a sliding scale calculation as per below is applied.

Number of score differentials in scoring records

Score differential(s) to be used in calculation of Handicap Index

Adjustment

3

Lowest 1

-2.0

4

Lowest 1

-1.0

5

Lowest 1

0

6

Average of lowest 2

-1.0

7 or 8

Average of lowest 2

0

9 to 11

Average of lowest 3

0

12 to 14

Average of lowest 4

0

15 or 16

Average of lowest 5

0

17 or 18

Average of lowest 6

0

19

Average of lowest 7

0

20

Average of lowest 8

0

RULE 5.3: MAXIMUM HANDICAP INDEX The maximum Handicap Index is 54 for All players: Regardless of age or gender Note: A maximum Handicap Index will convert to a Course Handicap that exceeds these numbers on golf courses with a slope rating greater than 113.

RULE 5.4: FREQUENCY OF REVISION OF A HANDICAP INDEX A player’s Handicap Index should be updated no later than the day after a score was submitted, or as soon as possible thereafter.

In a situation when a new round is played before the player’s Handicap Index has been updated, including when multiple rounds are played on the same day, it is recommended that the player uses their existing Handicap Index. However, in certain circumstances, the Committee in charge of the competition (or the Handicap Committee) has the discretion to decide what Playing Handicap the player should use (see Rule 7.2).

The handicap calculation is done based on the data on the Golferscard system at the time of revision.

RULE 5.5: AGEING OF SCORES AND LAPSING OF A HANDICAP INDEX A score continues to be part of the Handicap Index calculation as long as it remains within the player’s most recent 20 scores recorded, regardless of the age of the score.

A Handicap Index only lapses if a player is no longer a member of at least one golf club.

Note: A player’s scoring record should be retained wherever possible. (maximum 4 years) This will assist a Handicap Committee if the player obtains a Handicap Index again in the future.

WORLD HANDICAPPING SYSTEM

RULE 5.5 :AGEING OF SCORES AND LAPSING OF A HANDICAP INDEX IF REGISTRATION NOT POSSIBLE If for some reason you are unable to register your game, you may, after completion of your game, send your card to your home club who will register the game and enter a score for you.

RULE 7: COMMITTEE ACTIONS PRINCIPLE OF THE RULE:

Low Handicap Index

The lowest Handicap Index achieved by a player during the 12-month period preceding the most recent score on their scoring record

The Clubs Handicap Committee plays a vital role in the successful administration of a player’s Handicap Index and is equipped with tools to intervene when the calculated Handicap Index is no longer reflective of the player’s golfing ability.

Cap

The Procedure that reduces or limits the amount by which a player’s Handicap Index can increase – when measured against the player’s Low Handicap Index.

Used appropriately, these tools are designed to ensure that players are treated fairly and consistently from golf club to golf club.

There are two trigger points within the cap procedure:

Soft cap – the point after which there is a reduction in the rate of upward movement of a Handicap Index.

Hard cap – the point which sets the maximum limit for the upward movement of a Handicap Index.

RULE 5.8: LIMIT ON UPWARD MOVEMENT OF HANDICAP INDEX The soft cap suppresses upward movement when the difference between the new calculated Index and the Low Index is greater than 3.

The increase is suppressed by 50% of any value over 3.

The hard cap prevents further upward movement by placing a hard ceiling at 5 above the Low Index.

The soft cap and hard cap procedures only start to take effect once a player has at least 20 acceptable scores in their scoring record.

RULE 5.9: SUBMISSION OF AN EXCEPTIONAL SCORE A Score Differential which is 7.0 strokes or more BETTER (LOWER) than the player’s Handicap Index at the time the round was played.

Score can be from ANY format of play, competitive or general play. (C9 and Penalty games also included) When a player submits an exceptional score, the handicap formula applies an additional adjustment to the player’s updated Handicap Index – according to the table.

Score Differential Relative to Index

-7.0 to -9.9

-10.0 or more

The Committee in charge of the competition also plays an important role in setting appropriate Terms of the Competition for all participating players.

PLAYER RESPONSIBILITIES To comply with the requirements of the Rules of Handicapping, a player is expected to: • Act with integrity by following the Rules of Handicapping and to refrain from using, or circumventing, the Rules of Handicapping for the purpose of gaining an unfair advantage.

• Have only one Handicap Index from a single scoring record, which is managed by the player’s home club in accordance with the Rules of Handicapping.

Note: This Handicap Index will apply elsewhere, including at all other golf clubs of which the player is a member.

Ensure each golf club of which they are a member knows the details of: • All other golf clubs that they are a member of, and which golf club that they have designated to be their home club.

Ensure that, prior to playing a round in an authorized format of play, they: ° Know their current Handicap Index, ° Inform the Handicap Committee or the Committee in charge of the competition of any discrepancies with their Handicap Index and provide details of any outstanding scores yet to be submitted or posted to their scoring record, ° Know the holes where handicap strokes are to be given or received, and ° Record their correct handicap on the scorecard in a stroke-play competition.

Extra adjustment to HI

1.0

-2.0

This adjustment is in addition to any reduction caused within the 8/20 calculation.

• If an additional Exceptional Score Differential is submitted after this, which is 7 or less than Handicap index • This leads to a further -1 adjustment to all 20 previous score differentials, which can overlap with previous adjustments • So, the effect of multiple exceptional scores is cumulative

• Attempt to make the best score possible at each hole.

• Where applicable, ensure all acceptable scores are submitted for handicap purposes, including scores from outside the player’s home jurisdiction. Acceptable scores should be submitted: ° Before 8pm on the day of play, and ° In the correct chronological order.

• Submit acceptable scores to provide reasonable evidence of their demonstrated ability.

The NEW COURSE HANDICAP FORMULA IS :

• Provide any new golf club with the full details of their previous playing history, Handicap Index held, memberships and any other information relevant to their golfing ability.

(HANDICAP INDEX x SLOPE / 113) + (COURSE RATING – PAR) = COURSE HANDICAP

• Certify the scores of fellow players

RULE 6: COURSE HANDICAP

This your course handicap that you play off for a round at a specific golf course off a specific TEE according to the Slope rating, Course Rating and PAR of that TEE at that golf course.

A course handicap calculator can be found on either the GolfersCard website https://www.golferscard.ae/course_handicap.asp or on EGF APP A list of all the UAE COURSE RATINGS can also be found on the Golferscard website here: https://www.golferscard.ae/admin/course_ ratings.asp

• Play by the Rules of Golf.

26 WORLD HANDICAPPING SYSTEM

RULE 5.7: LOW HANDICAP INDEX MEMORY OF THE LOW HANDICAP INDEX

27

WHAT’S COOKING? Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups An easy to make, light supper dish

FROM THE KITCHEN OF CHEF NICHOLAS CUOMO

Ingredients

3 tablespoons oil 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons light brown sugar 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 500g minced chicken 12 butter lettuce leaves 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots 1/4 cup chopped roasted unsalted peanuts 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 2 tablespoons chopped green parts of spring onions

Method

• Combine 2 tablespoons oil, soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar in a bowl, stirring with a whisk.

• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in pan over medium heat.

• Add chicken

• Cook 7 minutes or until lightly browned • Add 1/4 cup soy sauce mixture

• Cook 4 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Place about 3 tablespoons chicken mixture in each lettuce leaf; top evenly with spring onions carrots, and peanuts. Drizzle evenly with remaining soy sauce mixture. Sprinkle with mint.

Healthy options at Spike View the full menu at www.dubaigolf.com/spike

F&B Update

• • • • • • • • • • •

Jones the Grocer:

Jones the grocer is fully open again and as busy as ever. We welcome all our members and guests, during these hot summer months, to come and enjoy all that Jones has to offer, from the amazing aromatic coffees to our delicious food menu. Be sure not to miss out on any of the promotions that we have on offer and also, be reminded to use Viya on for dine-in menu your purchase to accumulate your points and to make use of your points with the great offers in the outlets.

scan me

toastie! ask your server for toasties of the week

Spike Bar is still entertaining our members and guests with all the live sport on our screens with some great offers and some extra cold beers to keep you cool in the hot summer weather. There is a fantastic new food menu on the way which should be launched around September offering some amazing new items on the menu as well as new wines.

Sport:

With the new season of football upon us, there is loads of sport to look forward to for the coming months. English football is kicking off again on 12 September and the Champions League group stages on 20 October.

We will be showing all the live action from the Golf Majors we have missed during the summer, starting with the US Open 17-20 September at Winged Foot Golf Club, New York, followed by the Masters 12-15 November at Augusta National Golf Club.

Promotions: Chicken Wings and a Pint

Every day you can enjoy a starter portion of chicken wings and an ice cold pint of Heineken for only AED 69! Perfect for after a great day of golf.

Sunday Roast and Quiz

The oldest quiz in Dubai continues every Sunday from 7:30pm to 10pm with DJ Phil Richardson making you use your brain power to try reach the top of the table to win some fantastic prizes. During the Quiz, we have the Chef’s mouthwatering Sunday Roast for only AED 79! It will remind you of home for sure.

Do not forget about the Club Accumulator! Any member who joins the Quiz on the night, stands a chance to win up to AED 10 000 credit to their account with the lucky draw! Who would not want to win this amazing prize!

Happy Hour continues daily from 6-8pm with some great prices on selected beverages to enjoy as a sundowner or just with a group of friends while catching up of all your favourite sports.

jonesthegrocer.com

Carine:

Carine is still going strong and is bringing you the best service and food in town. With the terrace covered to increase the summer seating capacity for your comfort, it is simply a must to come and enjoy the exquisite cuisine and beverages they are providing this summer.

Toastie:

Jones is making two delicious new cheesy toasties every week for our guests to enjoy including delicious truffle mac & cheese toasties and Bolognese toasties; this is an offer not to be missed and it really hits the spots when going out to play a round or even after playing.

Sundowners: 6-10pm

Reduced prices every day on selected beverages, from 6-10pm.

Cocktail of the day:

Every day Jones is bringing you a fantastic new cocktail to try for only AED 35! This is an offer not to be missed out on. Ask your friendly Jones staff about the cocktail of the day.

Wine & Cheese:

Jones is continuing with their famous Cheese and Wine nights every Thursday. Enjoy unlimited selected wine from all regions and selected cheeses for only AED199 per person from 19:30 – 22:00 with some relaxing live Jazz music to entertain you.

Try their summer selection of cocktails and selected wines for the season as well as Chef’s choice of mouthwatering dishes. Be sure to reserve your table @ 04 417 9885 or reservations@carine.ae

F&B Update

raise a

Spike Bar:

28

Dear Members, It is great to be back writing for Club Life as this means yet another step towards normality as we now know it! The last few months have been tough for everyone, so it is wonderful to see the Club now nearing full operation, and the buzz around the place is certainly back.

Due to these restrictions, some of our classes are running at different times and schedules, therefore I have not included our timetable this month. Please check with your class instructor or with my reception team for the latest information, and hopefully the timetable will return to normal by the next edition.

As always, please contact me for all recreation matters you may have to share. The door is always open.

Dougie

Head of Recreation

“Stay safe, stay healthy, fitness is the answer”

Exercise Tip Of The Month

by Christopher Mallet

Side Plank Dip

Few moves are as good for your midsection as the side plank, yet despite this, it’s often overlooked in favour of the standard facedown, forearm supported variety of plank. There’s nothing wrong with that, but by ignoring the side plank you are ignoring the often weak muscle called the quadratus lumborum, part of the posterior abdominal wall that plays a prominent role in averting back pain.

Researchers in Finland found that people who had poor muscle endurance in their lower backs are three to four times more likely to develop on-going lower back problems than those who have fair or good endurance. What constitutes good endurance?

Being able to hold a flawless side plank on either side for a minute. But not just once. For a minimum of three sets.

There are several other benefits for going unilateral with your core drills. Working either side of your body separately will help identify any weaknesses in your joints and muscle, helping you address them before they become chronic issues. If you find you can hold a side plank easy on one side and barely at all on the other then there’s an imbalance you need to work on. It’s the same with shoulder presses, lunges and any move you can do unilaterally.

Side Plank Form Guide: 1. Start on your side with your feet together and one forearm directly below your shoulder.

2. Contract your core and raise your hips until your body is in a straight line from head to feet.

3. Hold the position at the top of the movement, abdominal muscles contracted and then release hips back down to the floor. Repeat for the allotted reps for each set, then repeat on the other side.

Things to keep in mind: 1. Ensure you are balancing on the side of your foot and not the sole as this is key to prolonging stability.

2. Engage your abdominals at all times to keep the body rigid.

Forget to do this and your body will likely sway and lose strength.

3. Try to keep your head and neck straight. Ideally find a spot on the wall and keep your eyes locked on it.

4. The longer you hold the side plank, the better. Anything in excess of a minute is good, two minutes plus is excellent. To make the exercise harder, straighten your supporting arm with the palm flat on the mat. You can also elevate your feet on an unstable surface such as a Bosu ball for added difficulty.

RECREATION

With the swimming pool having reopened on the 15th June, the recreation facilities are effectively now back in full flow, including SensAsia Spa. I, along with many of my colleagues, were worried about how the usage would be affected following closure; however, we needn’t have been concerned, as you have all returned in your droves which is fantastic to see. The gym alone saw over 800 visits in its first 12 days back in operation.

Obviously everyone still needs to be cautious, and there are still

many restrictions in place throughout the department, so please keep abiding by these as you have been so far, and they will hopefully relax more and more as we move on. Your understanding and cooperation is hugely appreciated by all of my team here.

29

LEARN PADEL

with

Toni

Get involved in the fastest growing racquet sport in the world. Learn and improve every aspect of the game in a friendly and social environment while burning some calories!

Schedule Sunday/Tuesday 8.30 - 10am Monday/Wednesday 5 – 6pm For more information ​or to register email: infodubai@rrapadel.ae or call: +971 54 791 1377

Get fit today, be happy tomorrow... Visit Fit Lab at the Club

31

19th Hole Snippets HOLE-IN-ONE CLUB

in

Fari who had her first hole-inone recently in Spain

Shiba Khan, hole-in-one on Faldo 8th on 15th June

19th Hole Snippets

HOLE

NE

Thomas Viallaneix, hole-in-one Naema Maya hole-in-one on Faldo 2nd 10th August on Majlis 15th on 19th July

FAREWELLS

It was a real pleasure to have had a small gathering before leaving Dubai and it was wonderful to have the opportunity to thank you all for the fantastic years with this special ladies’ group at Emirates Golf Club.

Through good and bad times, we always stuck together as a big family, which was very important for me personally.

The photos of my farewell gathering will always be memorable ones especially the one with the masks, which will, no doubt, become a ‘historical’ ones, as I really hope that this will never be necessary any more and that you all stay healthy and well!

As this is not a final farewell, and I promise to be back in November, I want to end with the words from the famous Vera Lynn song: “We’ll meet again some sunny day”!

Thea Hendrickx

Ismail

We also said goodbye to Ismail who worked in the refreshment hut at hole 5 on the Majlis. It was always ‘service with a smile’ and, of course, many of us have had regular updates about his family when we’ve seen photos of his beautiful daughter’s wedding and of the new grandchild. Ismail, enjoy your time with your family; we will miss you here at the Club

Ummer Ep

Sadly we said goodbye to our long serving golf superintendent, Ummer Ep, known and loved by everyone at the Club. There was never a day when he did not have a smile on his face, despite the stress sometimes on manic shotgun start days Pro-Ams etc. Ummer retired after thirty years at Emirates Golf Club and he will be missed for sure. He is now back home in India with his wife and family.

Ummer, we wish you a very happy retirement and thank you for everything.

Vinod Om & Ibrahim Mohamed

Vinod, who worked as office manager at Dubai Golf Publishing from 2006, recently resigned to return home to spend more time with his wife and extended family. Our talented Graphic Designer Ibrahim has also retired after 19 years at the Club.

It was always a pleasure working with both of them as they are such kind, considerate and amicable colleagues . Enjoy your time at home. Wishing you both all the best.

32

19th Hole Snippets

The new way of socialising‌Neasa Lawless, Margaret Bain, Catherine Lady Captain Yana, sending out a virtual hug to all the ladies during lockdown Convery, Afifa Clark

We recently visited the Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club in Melbourne, Victoria where our friend Marilyn Takle is the Lady Captain. Emirates Golf Club members have reciprocal rights with the Club and we highly recommend members to play here when in Australia as it is an excellent 36-hole course.

Cees & Maria Dooren

Sandy MacPherson recently had a major heart operation in Dubai and is home and progressing well. Wishing you a speedy recovery Sandy

Congratulations to Josie Tracey on her recent 55th Birthday which she celebrated with friends by organising a golf tournament and a post-golf get-together at the Club

Pictured above,Margaret Bain and her sister-in-law Anne who were featured on UK TV in a programme about the QE2

Congratulations to Sandra Chia and David Formas, who left the Club earlier this year to return to USA and who got married in April. best wishes to you both.

Jacqui Barry pictured with the Dubai Golf Publishing team with whom she has worked closely for many years. What a great team!