Club Life magazine

Club Life

February 2020 | Issue 95

OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC CHAMPION 2020 LUCAS HERBERT

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Editor: Jacqui Barry jaxdubai@gmail.com

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What a superb Omega Dubai Desert Classic we had this year. The course looked fantastic, the additional social areas around the course were an excellent addition too - the bar and seating area at the driving range, the public bar at the 18th - and as well we had Barasti bar again at the 15th where there was such a great atmosphere.

Much credit should go to Mattew Perry and the team at Golf Course Maintenance (GCM) for their endless hours of preparation before and during the event which resulted in such positive feedback from the players about the fantastic condition of the course. I’m sure it’s still all go at GCM but I hope you all managed a short break of relaxation after the tournament - you deserved it!

Congratulations to Australian Lucas Herbert on his maiden win on the European Tour and for winning the play-off against Bezuidenhout...all on Australia Day too. Congratulations to Falcon Golf for setting up another fantastic event.

Well, no sooner was the Omega Dubai Desert Classic over but we were full on with our own Club competitions, including the Camel Trophy, the Men’s and Ladies’ Club Championships, the Kohlman Nations Cup, as well as the Medals and a few fun competitions.

While we are now allowed carts on the Majlis, it is still wonderful to be able to walk the course and have the use of a caddie. The weather is still fantastic – perfect golfing weather and the course does really does benefit from not having constant cart use. Think about getting a caddie next time you play – the best way to play golf in this superb weather.

The course is still in pristine condition following the Omega Dubai Desert Classic; please do your part in maintaining course conditions by repairing pitch marks, filling in divots and raking bunkers. It does make a big difference if everyone makes the effort.

The Club is really buzzing these days; Chef Nicholas has made a huge difference with the menu in Spike Bar and, of course, Jones the Grocer and Carine are both very popular; there are a number of social events on

Dear Member the calendar; the recreation department has many weekly fitness classes, personal training, tennis, padel tennis and swimming going on; Bespoke Wellness is already recognised as being a top-notch physiotherapy team and Sensasia Spa has received many accolades since its inception at the Club; the Academy is really busy with lessons, the Junior programme, ladies’ mornings etc and both our courses as well as the par 3 are fully booked most days. It’s a fantastic Club and there’s something for everyone somewhere so make the most of this superb place and maybe even explore something different!

We have had a number of weeks of strange weather for this time of the year. Where did the ‘guaranteed’ sunshine go? We have had rain, fog, sandstorms and cold (relatively speaking!), even snow in Ras Al Khamiah!

Whatever the weather anyway, it is still a pleasure to be here, to be able to play our two superb courses in prime condition...and, at the end of the day, it’s a welcome change to have such unpredictable weather in Dubai. Enjoy your golf, as well as all the many social events taking place in the coming weeks.

Jacqui

EMIRATES GOLF CLUB SENIOR MANAGEMENT

Christopher May

Chief Executive Officer cmay@dubaigolf.com

Steen Simon

Food & Beverage Manager ssimon@dubaigolf.com

Barney Coleman

Matthew Perry

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

Club Manager’s Report

Editorial

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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 40,305 likes.

Follow us on Twitter @emiratesgc and Instagram @emiratesgc

Dear Members The dust has settled on another Omega Dubai Desert Classic with an exciting conclusion with Lucas Herbert being victorious on the second hole of a suddendeath play-off. Congratulations to him! It was fantastic to see him dancing in Spike Bar with members and guests shortly after 8pm; at 24 years of age let’s hope the Omega Dubai Desert Classic (ODDC) §§will be the kick-start to a long and successful career, I for one have already started looking out for his results. He backed up the ODDC win with a top 30 finish in the Saudi International and is heading for a top 15 in Australia.

For those of you who joined us for the Championship, I hope you had an enjoyable weekend. The Falcon team (organisers and promoters of the ODDC) did a great job and introduced some new initiatives including the bar on the driving range and the spectator deck to the left of the 18th hole.

For sure our beloved Majlis course bared its teeth and provided a much sterner test for the European Tour’s elite, compared with recent years. During last year’s European Tour Players’ Committee meeting the players stated that the Desert Swing was too easy and that the courses should be set up with more difficulty. In conjunction with the European Tour, Matt and his team provided exactly what had been requested.

Despite the torrential rain on 11th January our Golf Course Maintenance Team provided hard and fast greens, narrower and harder fairways, plus the fact that players who found fairways and greens (with thicker rough than in previous years) were rewarded. The new Rye grass, planted in the first week of December, took very well and provided excellent definition during the Championship. In addition to the above, the wind, as many of you will acknowledge, played a major role on the Thursday and on the Sunday. It was no surprise that, from the players making the cut, the average score on Sunday (74.8) in the 25mph plus winds, was almostfour shots higher than on the Friday and theSaturday.

Congratulations to Matthew Perry, Mario, Donal and the team for presenting the Majlis is terrific condition once more.

Annual Members’ Party

The date for the annual members’ party has been confirmed as Tuesday 14th April. Last year the March rain resulted in postponement by 24 hours so hopefully in April, post-school holidays and US Masters Easter weekend, will be a better fit. The official invitation will be circulated shortly but please pen this into your diaries as the gathering is always the highlight of the year.

February to April is always a hectic period so be sure to follow the golf tournament calendar and ensure that you enter some of the major events coming up including: Friday 21st February Kohlman Cup 23rd -24th February: Ladies Club Championship 28th – 29th February Men’s Club Championship 6th March: Indian Invitational Thank you to all members who have nominated a colleague in the ‘Colleague Appreciation’ tab on the Member Zone.

The December and January winners will be announced on the weekend of 14th & 15th February.

Warm regards,

Barney Coleman Club Manager

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A SLICE OF LIFE Name Mike Tracey Profession Retired from Bel Canada in 2001 Home country Canada, Montreal Number of years a member Joined in 1989 Lowest handicap ever 6 Current handicap 13 Any major wins?

Two Men’s Doubles Matchplay and

played in two Mercedes World Finals, one in Stuttgart and one in Berlin Favourite golfing holiday destination: Phuket, Thailand Top three favourite courses you have ever played: Turnberry The National, Toronto Canada Majlis Most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you, not specifically in golf Whilst playing in a tournament in Ontario 40 years ago, while teeing off, I was about to hit the ball when the Pro came over to me and said, “Son, why don’t you play the whole course?” I was three inches in front of the tee marker and I then promptly put the ball out of bounds. It wasn’t a good start to the day, especially since I had to take a taxi to the course which was about 50 miles away Dream fourball:

Freddie Couples, Ernie Els and my brother Mark Most exciting moment in golf for you whether personally or watching Presidents Cup when Freddie Couples sank a 90 foot putt to win for Team America Other sports you are passionate about as a fan or participant I played high level ice hockey in Canada. I like most sports...except Irish hurling which I have yet to understand

Martha Wong Retired Staff Midwife Singapore Husband Bill, son Samuel, daughter Michelle Since 2001 12 15 2007: Arabian Ranches Singles Matchplay Champion 2008: Arabian Ranches Doubles Matchplay Champion 2017 Emirates Golf Club Double Matchplay Champion with Najla Bartette

Favourite golfing holiday destination: Kapalua Golf Club in Hawaii after celebrating the graduation of Sam and Michelle in Boston.

Sam, Bill and I had a few golf games at the Plantation Course and Michelle took up jetskiing and scuba diving. We had a wonderful family time. The golfing trips to Hua Hin in Thailand and Danang in Vietnam with the ladies from Emirates Golf Club were equally memorable.

Top three favourite courses you have ever played: St Andrews Old Course, Aphrodite Hills in Cyprus and the Majlis Funniest thing that has ever happed to you, not specifically in golf: I remember when I went home to Singapore to my mum’s newly renovated apartment. I thought there was a door leading to the kitchen and I kept pushing but I didn’t manage to move it. My siblings kept laughing and I then realised that I was pushing the wall.

In 1989, when I was pregnant with Sam, I was working as a midwife in Abu Dhabi and I used to walk to the hospital, crossing drains. One day, I was walking home after work with Bill, and as we were crossing, I fell and Bill never realised until I called out. The drain was so deep that he could only see the top of my head. Fortunately I got away with only minor bruises.

Most embarrassing moment : This happened recently just after the Omega Dubai Desert Classic 2020. While casually walking onto the putting green, I tripped over myself and fell flat on my face in front of photographers, media, friends and spectators. What an embarrassment!!

Dream fourball: Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam Jordan Spieth and myself Most exciting moment in golf for you, whether personally or watching:

Family members:

My wife Josie, daughter Julie-Ann and son Ryan

Watching the Masters (2012) and Ryder Cup (2018) in person. They were electrifying experiences in terms of the golf as well as the overall atmosphere. They are two experiences on my bucket list ticked off.

Funniest thing that has ever happed to you, not specifically in golf:

Other sports you are passionate about as a fan or participant:

Standing on the first tee in Le Touquet in France and someone stepped on my driver and broke the shaft.. none other than Tom Barry!! I had the feeling I was going to play well that day having done much preparation (in the bar the previous evening) and he knew this.

Your most abiding golfing experience or memory Playing golf with Will Smith at Emirates Golf Club and won!!! It was such a memorable game because Will Smith is so funny and a good golfer but a bit wild occasionally.

Another highlight was witnessing my sister Lynn having a Hole-in-One just after her 76th birthday

I love to watch tennis and play table tennis and squash...when I was younger!

Other sports you have been involved in and at what level I represented my school in table tennis when I was in Year 8 in Singapore.

Your most abiding golfing experience or memory My most abiding experience is when I won my Singles Matchplay at Arabian Ranches Golf Club in 2007 because I had a hole-in-One at the 12th hole and I went to be the first lady Singles Champion of the club.

Dear Members, January has been a busy month so far with the Medal, the inaugural Asia v Rest of the World tournament and of course, the Omega Dubai Desert Classic which was our opportunity to watch how it should be done.

Lucas Herbert from Australia won the event in a very dramatic way in a play off from Christiaan Bezuidenhout of South Africa.

I had the pleasure of playing with a young Thai Professional Jazz Janewattananond in the Pro-Am prior to the tournament.

This time the course was much tougher due to deep rough and fast greens.

I would like to personally thank Vice-Captain Boyd Edmonson who has been Chief Marshal for the past few years but he has held various roles during the tournaments over for the last 18 years. Boyd you are truly a rock star!

Unfortunately the Mike Tracey Tournament, which was supposed to have taken place last month, had to be postponed due to heavy rains.

The Club also had to postpone announcing the result of the Colleague Appreciation Rewards for the month of December.

It’s great to know that many members have recommended various colleagues on the Member Zone. Hence, from December onwards we shall be giving awards to five colleagues each month which will be announced by mid-February.

As usual the month of February month looks to be very busy with many tournaments so I ook forward to everyone’s participation.

Ishu Rupani Club Captain: 2019-2020

MEN’S COMPETITION RESULTS

In association with

OMA january Medal On Friday 3rd January the first OMA Medal of 2020 took place on the Majlis course. While the course is in fabulous condition, the rough has grown a lot and it was definitely a challenge for everyone!

A DIVISION (Handicaps 0-10) Winner: Kush Sama Runner-up: Dash Dhawan Third: Bipin Bhatia

72 Net 72 Net 72 Net

In A Division (handicaps 0-10), the top three players all finished with 72 net so it all came down to a better back nine count-back. It was Kush Shama who was victorious; runner up was Dash Dhawan with Bipin Bhatia finishing in third place.

Best Gross: Kooros Daneshvar

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B DIVISION (Handicaps 11-20) Winner: Sekhar Reddy Runner-up: Ishu Rupani Third: Ravi Khanna

69 Net 70 Net 71 Net

C DIVISION (Handicaps 21-28) Winner: Frank Duggan

74 Net

MEN’S STABLEFORD EVENT Winner: Asim Arshad

37 points

Joe Way started the prize giving by saying: “Thank you to our returning sponsors, OMA Emirates, for their continued support of the OMA Medal. This event could not have been possible without them.”

Sekhar Reddy scored the best net of the day with a 69 net. He was also the winner of tB Division (handicaps 11-20). Only one shot behind was our Club Captain Ishu Rupani, who was runner up in this division B Division with a net 70. Ravi Khanna finished in third place with a net 71.

In C division (handicaps 21-28), Frank Duggan was the winner a net 74.

In the Stableford event Asim Arshad won with 37 points.

Congratulations to all players for taking part, to all winners on the day and thank you for everyone who joined us at the prize presentation.!

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Captain’s Message

Name Profession Home Country Family members

Number of years at Emirates Golf Lowest handicap Current handicap Any Major wins

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EMIRATES AMATEUR OPEN

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MEN’S COMPETITION RESULTS

Thursday 9th & Friday 10th January 2020: Emirates Golf Club hosted its prestigious Amateur Open sponsored by Omega with the first round on the Faldo course was host for round one on the Thursday and the Majlis course for the final round on the Friday.

With a field of over 100 golfers competing to be crowned Emirates Amateur Open Champion 2020, an exciting few days golf were in store.

In the net competition, Ahmed Naim (Els) had the best day one score with a solid 71, while Carl Zachau (EGF) prevailed in tough conditions on day two to win best net with a score of 73. The overall net competition over the two days was a tight affair. Emirates Golf Club member Rajinder Razdan came third with scores of 74 & 76 to finish on a total of 150. Just a shot ahead in second place, missing out on victory, was Saad Atiq also of Emirates Golf Club. Saad had scores of 71 on Faldo and 78 on the Majlis to finish with a total of 149. However the winner of the best net across the two days was Dubai Creek member Humayun Shahryar with scores of 71 & 78.

In the gross competition, it was a head to head race for much of the tournament between Ashley Rees (East Sussex National) and Dan Byrne (Els). Both players fired superb scores of 69(-3) on day one and, through 16 holes on day two, Dan led by just a single shot.

However, after Ashley made bogey on 17, Dan played a nerveless final hole hitting his wedge to just a few feet before rolling in the putt for a finishing birdie. It gave Dan a final score of 145 (+1) after rounds of 69 & 76, and he was crowned Omega Emirates Amateur Open Champion 2020. Dan also won hospitality for two at the Dubai Desert Classic for the final two days, Saturday and Sunday, as well as a spot in the Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic Pro-Am.

Ashley Rees won best gross on day one with his excellent score of 69 with UAE National Golfer Ahmad Skaik winning best gross on day two with a 76.

Over the two days, Max Burrow, who had won the Dubai Creek Amateur Championship the previous week, finished in fourth place with back to back scores of 75 for a total of 150 (+6). Max Grieb from Germany came third with scores of 72 & 77. Bayhaan Lakdawala proved his consistency with another runner-up finish courtesy of a 149 total (75 & 74) after having finished in runner-up position at Dubai Creek the previous week.

The competition’s generous sponsors Omega, ensured all winners were left not only happy with their golf, but also with the excitement of enjoying hospitality for two at the upcoming Dubai Desert Classic.

After the prize presentation Cian Hurley, Emirates Golf Club’s Golf Services Manager, commented; “Thank you to everyone who has joined us these past few days, and of course to our sponsor Omega.

Congratulations to Dan for his victory and of prevailing in the tough conditions today on the Majlis – we hope you enjoy the experience of playing in the Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic Pro-Am.” Champion: Runner-up: Third: Fourth:

Dan Byrne (TEC) Bayhaan Lakdawala (DCGYC) Maximilan Grieb (SGCG) Max Burrow (DCGYC)

69+76= 145 75+74= 149 72+77= 149 75+75= 150

NET OVERALL OVER 36 HOLES Winner: Humayun Shahryar (DCGYC) 71+78 = 149 Runner-up: Saad Attiq (EGC) 71+78 = 149 Third: Rajinder Razdan (EGC) 74+76 = 150 DAILY GROSS Best Gross Day 1: Ashley Rees (ESN) Best Gross Day 2: Ahmad Skaik (EGF)

69 76

DAILY NET Best Net Day 1: Best Net Day 2:

71 73

Ahmed Naim (TEC) Carl Zachhau (EGF)

Competition Results

Competition Results

Thursday 9th Friday 10th January 2020

MIDNIGHT MADNESS THURSDAY 30TH JANUARY 2020

As the sun set and the Faldo floodlights lit up, there was a great atmosphere around Emirates Golf Club in anticipation of the annual Midnight Madness event. Teeing off at 11pm, the first leg of the event consisted of each team of four splitting into two pairs, one pair playing the front 9 and the other playing the back 9 in a two-ball scramble.The two scores were then added together to give an 18 hole score. After a short refreshment break and some practice (much needed for some) the teams rejoined for a 2:30am shotgun start for a floodlit 18 hole Texas Scramble through until sunrise.

The winning team, finishing on a very impressive 24 under par for their 36 holes was Maximilian Quack, Jude Al Kutoubi, Shelton Sacrafamilia and Priyam Godiwala. Second and third places were decided on an 18 hole countback for the last 18 holes as both teams finished on nett 124 (-20) for the two rounds. The team just clinching second place finish consisted of Leonardo Sismondi, Stuart Wakeman, Fabio Prestijacopo and Magnus Ohlsson, leaving the team of Sanjay Dhandsa, Shane Wilson, Arjun Manghnani and Rohail D’souza in third place.

Nearest the pins were won by Alex Mckay on hole 2 and Genie Owiti on hole 12. A special mention also needs to go to P.J Marriot who managed to get a hole-in-one the hole 2 which was his first one ever, so congratulations to him and thanks from for the drinks.

After the prize presentation Joe Way, Emirates Golf Club’s Assistant Golf Services Manager, commented; “Thank you for such a great turnout of 26 teams for an event played overnight. It is always a fantastic tournament to be a part of and brings something different to the game. Congratulations to the winning teams also and P.J Marriot for his hole-in-one!”

WINNERS:

Maximilian Quack 120 Net Jude Al Kutoubi Shelton Sacrafamilia Priyam Godiwala

RUNNERS UP:

Leonardo Sismondi Stuart Wakeman Fabio Prestijacopo Magnus Ohlsson 124 Net

THIRD:

Sanjay Dhandsa Shane Wilson Arjun Manghnani Rohail D’souza

NEAREST THE PINS Hole # 2 (for all players) : Alex McKay Hole # 12 (for all players) : Genie Owiti Hole-In-One Hole # 2 : PJ Marriott

124 Net

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Competition Results

The course was set up to be challenging and the unusual weather provided fewer birdie opportunities which certainly set the scene for an exciting final day. I was fortunate enough to play in the Pro-Am (a big thank you to Falcon) with Tom Lewis and I was very pleased to see him in with a chance to win the tournament. He is a wonderful young man….and a good dancer! It was lovely to see so many of our members as well as guests enjoying aprés golf parties around the clubhouse. It was great to see so many visiting past members around the Club during the tournament; it’s certainly an ideal time to visit Dubai, catch all the golfing action and meet up with old friends.

Dear All,

What a great start to the new decade 2020 we have had!

Jumeirah Golf Estates hosted the Dubai Golf Clash of the Titans with Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht club on the Earth course.

Jumeirah Golf Estates

Each club had five teams consisting of five professionals and 15 members with the two best stableford scores to count from each team.

Tuesday 14th January 2020

Clash of the Titans

The overall winning team was Emirates Golf Club with a total team score of 371, closely followed by the runners-up Jumeirah Golf Estates on 360 points. Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club finished in third place with 343 points.

Congratulations to our Captain Ishu for organising our first tournament Asia v Rest of the World, which is an excellent addition to our golfing calendar

There was also a prize for the best individual team and their professional which was won by Chris Roberts, Brian Scatterty, Franz Silhanek and Stephen Clarke with a score of 79 points.

Oh, I nearly forgot to mention that I had arranged a ladies’ competition on the Fire course and had a little ‘blonde’ moment. After dropping off the clubs I had to go back to my car to collect a bag but then a minor panic struck as the remote control would not open the car door. I called my husband of course who said he would come and have a look but he was obviously suspicious ... I then saw Darren Cole and Paul Turner in the clubhouse who offered to check it to see what the problem was. Darren very quickly noticed that when he pressed the remote control a very similar white Mercedes, that was parked close by, had its lights flashing, boot opening and closing and lo and behold, I had, of course, been trying to open the wrong car! Panic over! Of course, the story has got exaggerated with every telling of it but let’s face it, anyone could have made the same mistake right?

After a fantastic January I really must restart my New Year’s resolutions in February but then again there is still lots to look forward to…difficult!

Yana Jamieson Lady Captain - 2019-2020

Supported By

LADIES’ COMPETITION RESULTS

Stephen Hubner remarked< “A great day was had by all and we look forward to the next Clash of the Titans at Dubai Creek Golf &this Yacht Club on 27th February.”

Ladies’ January Monthly Medal 2020 Monday 6th January 2020

Topgolf Dubai is progressing nicely

The first Ladies’ Medal of 2020 took place on the tough Majlis course on 6th January. The rough was still very high in preparation for the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, and this was reflected in the morning’s scores.

Glory Xavier won overall best gross of the day with a 7-over-par 79, the only player to have scored under 80 gross.

The winner of Silver A Division (handicaps 0-14), was Mitsuko Emmerson with a great score of 74.

Runner-up was Arathi Appaiah with a net 75.

In Silver B Division (handicaps 15-23), Liz Agha claimed the Medal with a very good net score of 72. The runner-up was Maria Petre, also with net 72, but who lost on the better back nine count-back.

A massive well done to our agronomy team for their hard work in preparing the course in immaculate condition for this week’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic 2020

Well done to all the ladies who played well during January competitions which are highlighted elsewhere in the magazine.

In Bronze Division (handicaps 24-36) Caroline Granger was the winner with a net 75.

Congratulations to all players, and to all winners on this day of tough scoring!

Thank you to everyone who stayed for lunch and for the prize-giving in Spike Bar.

SILVER A DIVISION (Handicaps 0 –14) Winner: Mitsuko Emmerson 74 Net Runner-up: Arathi Appaiah 75 Net Best Gross: Glory Xavier 79 SILVER B DIVISION (Handicaps 15 –23) Winner: Liz Agha 72 Net Runner-up: Maria Petre 72 Net

Lady Captain’s Message

It’s truly a real honour and a fantastic opportunity to be fortunate to be Lady Captain, especially during our Omega Dubai Desert Classic. I was very impressed by the set-up of absolutely beautiful hospitality chalets in Arabic style, the village and bar in front of the driving range (great addition) and the art figures of animals on the course which added great interest and provided many photo opportunities.

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Lady Captain v Lady Vice-Captain Challenge

fire course competition

Monday 13th January 2020

Some excellent scores were produced on a day of good weather conditions and excellent course condition.

The competition was definitely fierce in some of the matches, but the overall winners were the players in the Lady Captain’s team with a total of 11 points. Lady Captain, Yana Jamieson, must have delivered a really good pre-round motivation speech to get the ladies ready for their matches!

There were some on-course prizes, including nearest to the pins, longest drives and a straightest drive. Eunshim Heo won the nearest to the pin on hole 2, Naema Maya on hole 8, Jennie Oh on hole 12, and Arathi Appaiah on hole 17. The longest drives were won by Mihoko Takahashi on hole 5, and Monica Palao on hole 16 while the straightest drive on hole 10 was won by Yana Jamieson.

Yana finished the prize giving by saying: “Thank you ladies for playing today, it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed myself. A big congratulations to my team for playing so well and winning today, but also congratulations to Naema and her team for their performance and their positive attitude.”

Winners:

Lady Captain’s Team

MATCH SCORES Lady Captain’s Team: Lady Vice-Captain’s Team: NEAREST THE PIN Hole No 2: Eunshim Heo (Course Handicaps 19-36)

Hole No 8:

Naema Maya

Hole No 12:

Jenie Oh

Hole No 17:

Arathi Appaiah

(Course Handicaps 0-18)

(Course Handicaps 19-36) (Course Handicaps 0-18)

LONGEST DRIVE Hole No 5: Mihoko Takahashi (Course Handicaps 19-36)

Hole No 16:

Monica Palao

(Course Handicaps 0-18)

STRAIGHTEST DRIVE (FOR ALL PLAYERS) Hole No 10: Yana Jamieson

11 5

Division A (handicaps 0-16) was won by Cathy Lajotte with 37 points; Maria Petre was runner-up with 36 points with Yulya Golubeva in third, also with 36 points.

Division B (handicaps 17-36) was won by Maribel Xammar with a superb score of 40 points, followed by Jane Harding on 39 points and Ninu Smith with 38 points.

Well done to all the winners and many thanks to Yana for organising such a great day.

Division A (handicaps 0-16 Winner: Cathy Lajotte Runner-up: Maria Petre Third: Yulya Golubeva

37 points 36 points 36 points

Division B (handicaps 17-36) Winner: Maribel Xammar Runner-up: Jane Harding Third: Ninu Smith

40 points 39 points 38 points

Super sundays winners

Competition Results

Competition Results

Monday 20th January

On Monday 20th January, Lady Captain Yana made arrangements for the ladies to play the Fire Course as Emirates Golf Club was closed for preparation of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. A total of 44 ladies managed the early 8.00am shotgun start for an individual Stableford competition.

Each player contributed AED 20 towards the prizes for the top three scores in each division. Many thanks to Martha Wong and Najla Bartette for donating the nearest the pin prizes.

On Monday 13th January 2020, Emirates Golf Club hosted the match between the Lady Captain’s Team and the Lady Vice-Captain’s team on the Faldo course. The fourball betterball format is always a challenging but a fun format and the ladies were primed for an exciting morning on the course.

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OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC CHAMPION

Congratulations to Australian Lucas Herbert who won an exciting play-off against Christiaan Bezuidenhout to become the 2020 Omega Dubai Desert Classic Champion.

On the final day both players were six shots behind the leader Ashun Wu but with the difficult very windy conditions, scoring was tough and, while the leaders at the start of the day dropping shots, Herbert and Bezuidenhout each shot scores of 68 to tie for the lead at nine under par, resulting in a play-off

Herbert’s victory came after playing the 18th hole twice in the play-off; the first time Herbert’s second shot found the water but he hit an amazing fourth shot close to the pin for a tap-in par putt to match Beduinhout’s par there. However, the 24-year-old sealed his victory on the second extra hole with a birdie while Bezuidenhout could only make par.

This was Lucas Herbert’s first win which propelled him from 119th to second in the Race to Dubai rankings.

Congratulations Lucas Herbert on your first win (which was on Australia Day) and on becoming an honorary member of Emirates Golf Club.

The top 50 players in the Race to Dubai Rankings will contest the season-ending US$8 million DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai from November 19-22, 2020 where US$3 million will be up for grabs for the winner, making it the richest first prize in world tournament golf

SEBASTIAN HEISELE

Sebastian Heisele, former junior and Club Champion of Emirates Golf Club had always dreamt of playing the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, having also caddied at the event when he was younger and, this year, his dream came true when he received a sponsor’s invitation to participate.

He had played the Abu Dhabi Championship the previous weekend where he finished tied 21st. His good form seemed to carry over to the Dubai weekend where he started really well and was making a steady move up the leaderboard sitting nicely in the top 10 after two days of play.

However, the wheels fell off on Sunday and the dream finish did not materialise.

It was wonderful to see Sebastian play the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on his former home course; he very proudly wore Emirates Golf Club’s logo on his shirts for all four days and had a good number of supporters willing him on.

FASTEST ROUND IN EUROPEAN TOUR HISTORY Swede Sebastian Soderberg made history on the final day of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic by completing his final round in a European Tour record time of one hour and 36 minutes beating the previous fastest round by Belgian Thomas Pieters (one hour and 59 minutes) Soderberg was the first player to tee off on the final day (with a marker) and he and his brother Jesper, who was caddying for him, planned to play the round as quickly as possible by sprinting after playing each shot Soderberg hit his first tee shot at 7.10am and sank his last putt for par on the 18th at 8.46am. He made a birdie on the fifth hole and four bogeys in a round of threeover par 75.

PRIZE PRESENTATION

OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

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The Omega Dubai Desert Classic 2020.....

By Chief Marshal, Boyd Edmondson The Omega Dubai Desert Classic 2020, was an extraordinary special event for me this year, in that after 18 years of having been involved in several roles, it would be my last as Chief Marshal.

Without a doubt, I have thoroughly enjoyed every year, for many reasons, but unequivocally the main one being the friendships and fellowship shared with every one of our yearly 300 marshals, marshal management team members Geoff Spear, Ahmed Al-Hayderi, Yunus Selant, Kiran Sajwani, John Smith Alistair Brown and more recently, Joe Way and also the incredible support given to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in the form of Mike Worth and the students from Greenfield International School.

I am delighted to announce that the Omega Dubai Desert Classic (ODDC) 2021, will be safely placed in the hands of Yunus Selant who will take over as Chief Marshal.

I would also like to thank all the team of InItLive, under the guidance of Ahmed Al-Hayderi, for the support and development of the InItLive Volunteer Management Platform.

From its initial “tour debut” four years ago at the ODDC, when I thought we would give it a try, the platform has developed and grown and will now, going forward, be used by The European Tour in several events including the upcoming Ryder Cup. Superb work by all at InItLive for the hours of listening and then developing the platform to what it is today. I cannot wait to see how it develops further.

The ODDC is always richly blessed with committed and everreturning volunteers. We also always have in the region of 65 volunteers who fly in from all over the world to support the event. It does not, nor should not go without saying that if it were not for the volunteers, the ODDC would not be what it is each year. Thank you for all your support.

On reflection of the ODDC each year, the key, I believe, to assessing whether we have had another successful year, is the number of calls we receive during the week. Now while the team and I are all incredibly fond of Mike Stewart and his fellow European Tour Management Team, along with Simon Corkill, Neil MacLaren and the team from Falcon Golf, we do not want to hear from them during the week. This truly is a case of “no news is good news” Thankfully, true to form, from the efforts of all the outstanding volunteers, those calls never came.

There is always something unique that stands out for us as volunteers each year. This year it has to have been the Sebastian Soderberg, fourth round of 96 minutes. This smashed the previous record held on the European Tour for the fastest round. For us as volunteers, it brought about much amusement in watching a very special European Tour Referee, trying to keep ahead of Soderberg whilst finalising the morning course set-up, along with keeping an eye on the caddie, marshal and our marker for the day, Alan Davidson who were all trying to keep up with their player. Well done to them all. The round finished with European Tour Officials quickly clearing the green, the caddie lying flat on his face at the rear of the green, Alan having had an excellent workout and a whole bunch of officials, ground staff and volunteers applauding a superb effort by Soderberg. It was not quite the best example of speeding up play, but a good reminder of what can be done, with Soderberg shooting three over for the round.

Over the years many individuals have made the ODDC special for me, outside of the current Marshal Management Team.

Special thanks to Rhys James, Cian Hurley, Lynn Dickinson, Susan Baron and Jenni Hoskins, who first got me involved in Volunteer Management, and the one and only Mr Andrew Matthews and I can comfortably say there was never a dull moment we had when he was on the team.

Thanks for the memories. A season has come to an end, and a new one begins.

ASSIC CL T ER ES D I BA U D A EG M O E TH OUT & ABOUT AT

16

17

Greenkeeperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cuttings

Spotlight on...

Zach Gould My name is Zach Gould and I am 12 years old. My current handicap is 5.5, projected 4.4.

JUNIOR LINKS

I am a student at Gems World Academy (GWA) and I am a member of the school golf team.

I have been playing golf since I was three years old. My parents gave me a set of plastic clubs when I was three, then my dad gave me a set of US Kids Clubs a year later.

For my tenth birthday I was given a set of TaylorMade M2â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and I have progressed now to TaylorMade P790.

Well what a month January was: we had it all weather-wise and this certainly affected the course in many ways.

The rain we got at the start of the month was some of the worst I have ever seen in my 10 years in Dubai. The course was flooded and with the amount coming down in a short space of time, we did lose some grass into bunkers. The sand in the bunkers were completely washed out, after we had already started to get them ready for the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. This meant a huge clean-up operation was needed during a week when we tend to tighten things up for the tournament. I am so proud of the team and what they achieved; they worked tirelessly from dawn until dusk to get the course to a standard we could be proud of.

The Omega Dubai Desert Classic this year certainly threw up some surprises for the players. Not only was the rough as thick and as long as they have ever seen it but the amount of wind we got certainly did not suit their games. The decision was taken with the European Tour to make the course harder for them and this came about from feedback from the Tournament Committee at the end of last year, that being that the Majlis course was too easy and it was always a low number winning score with a low cut line. They asked for a tougher test and said that about most of the other courses in the Middle East. Well, that is what

they got with the rough being long and thick and the fairways and greens being firm.

The weather we cannot control and with the wind blowing both on the first and on the last day, it meant for interesting watching. We saw on Saturday what scores could be made on the course when there is no wind so I feel the course was set up how we wanted, but the elements just made it that little more difficult.

The winning score of -9 shows that the course can be made into a tougher test, which the players did request, but maybe they might be coming back now saying they want it easy again. It was great to show that the Majlis has teeth and that it can test the best players in the world and I am so very proud of the team with the effort they put in to get it to that standard.

Thanks to all members for your support and praise during the tournament and I hope that you are enjoying the now cut rough, as it was very long.

Happy Golfing

Matthew Perry

Director of Agronomy

My first official handicap was 18 when I was eight years old. When I was ten I was informed by Stephen Deane that if I managed to get my handicap below 13 then I could join the Emirates Golf Club Elite programme. This I managed to do over that summer in Greece, at Costa Navarino Golf Club which brought my handicap down to 9.3.

I first represented Emirates Golf Club when I was nine years old, playing with the Club junior team against Dollar Academy from Scotland. I won my match 5 & 4 which helped us to win the tournament.

Last summer I was part of the Elite Team which travelled to Los Angeles where we played in three California Junior PGA events. I played in two categories above my age level. Whilst my scoring only got me midfield placing, this was a great learning experience and I will be going back in 2020 with higher expectations.

Since I was eight years of age, I have won a number of junior competitions in Dubai. However, in each of the these competitions I have learned something so I am constantly working on my swing and performance state. I still have a long way to go to control my performance state and just thinking about each shot as it comes.

One of my most memorable wins was in the Moles Society Cup (oldest golf society in Dubai) I won the junior league,and came second overall in a count-back against the adults. I was awarded one of my favourite trophies to date - a Baby Mole.

Recently I came second in the Peter Cowen Junior League held on the Faldo course with my gross score being 37, one over par.

My future goals include trying to gain a golf scholarship to USC in Los

Angeles and to play in the first team. Overall, I would like to become a Tour Professional although I know that this will take a lot of hard work.

My swing coach is James Williams who works me hard every Friday afternoon. However, as a member of the Elite programme I have three other coaches who help me with biomechanics, short game and fitness. Stephen Deane oversees my total development.

My other interested include scuba diving, (I have just gained my PADI open water certificate), fishing and also boxing.

Every Saturday morning I train with Michael Ellery at the gym. I have found that this training has given me more balance and power overall to my golf swing.

RECIPROCAL CLUBS -

SCHOOL OF RULES

18 Hole Championship Course Al Mouj Golf: Inspired by Oman.

Designed by Greg Norman.

by Cian Hurley

Dear Members,

I hope you enjoyed the Omega Dubai Desert Classic last month, and that you were as pleased as I was to see the Professionals struggling on the track that we often find oh so difficult! Congratulations to our Aussie Champion, on Australia Day, Lucas Herbert.

Flanked by the Indian Ocean Pristine coastline Hajjar mountain range backdrop

Allow me to draw your attention to the Champion, specifically to his fortune and penalty drop he availed of on the first play-off hole.

AL MOUJ GOLF

RULE 17 - PENALTY AREAS:

Along a two-kilometre stretch of pristine coastline , flanking the Indian Ocean and with the stunning Hajjar mountain range in the background, lies a striking oasis of lush green grass, accented with bunkers, water hazards and natural dunes. At 7,342 yards long, the 18 hole Championship Course at Al Mouj Golf is Oman’s first links style course offering amateurs and professionals a challenging, yet rewarding, game of golf. Complementing the Championship Course are world-class facilities including a teaching academy, a floodlit par-3 ninehole course, Academy retail shop, floodlit driving range and restaurant.

Rule 17 is a specific rule for penalty areas, which are bodies of water or other areas defined by the Committee where a ball is often lost or unable to be played. For one penalty stroke, players may use specific relief options to play a ball from outside the penalty area.

We must first consider the rule, in order to understand it.

Remember, water hazards are now called Penalty Areas, and we may have a Red Penalty Area or a Yellow Penalty Area.

DIAGRAM #2 RELIEF FOR BALL IN RED PENALTY AREA

Penalty areas are defined as either red or yellow. This affects the player’s relief options (see Rule 17.1d).

17.2 Options After Playing Ball from Penalty Area This part of the rule does not concern us as such, as it deals with the aftermath of playing from a penalty area.

17.1 Options for Ball in Penalty Area

A player may stand in a penalty area to play a ball outside the penalty area, including after taking relief from the penalty area.

Designed by Greg Norman

When Ball Is in Penalty Area

A ball is in a penalty area when any part of the ball •

International golfing legend Greg Norman is responsible for the magnificent design of the Championship golf course at Al Mouj Golf.

The Shark, as he is affectionately known, visited the site back in 2006 and could instantly see in his mind’s eye the course that he wanted to create.

After carefully studying the topography and weather conditions of the site, and using his years of experience playing top golf courses around the globe, Greg and his associates from Greg Norman Design produced an inspiring plan. The Greg Norman course offers truly unique characters with each hole offering something different from the last. He and his design team were mindful of maintaining the panorama of the ocean and the spectacular vista of the Hajjar Mountains. On a clear day you almost feel as if you can touch the mountains.

When becoming a member of Dubai Golf, your experience doesn’t end in the club. Enjoy reciprocal rates at courses all around the world.

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

19

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

Rules of Golf

RECIPROCAL CLUBS

18

•

lies on or touches the ground or anything else (such as any natural or artificial object) inside the edge of the penalty area, o it is above the edge or any other part of the penalty area. If part of the ball is both in a penalty area and in another area of the course, see Rule 2.2c.

Relief for Ball Not Found but in Penalty Area

If a player’s ball has not been found and it is known or it is virtually certain that the ball came to rest in a penalty area: •

the player may take penalty relief under Rule 17.1d or 17.2.

•

the original ball is no longer in play and must not be played.

• •

once the player puts another ball in play to take relief in this way: this is true even if it is then found on the course before the end of the three-minute search time (see Rule 6.3b).

But if it is not known or virtually certain that the ball came to rest in a penalty area and the ball is lost, the player must take stroke-anddistance relief under Rule 18.2.

Emirates Golf Club is proudly part of European Tour Destinations, a Network of World Class Golf Venues that all have close association with The European Tour, one of golf’s foremost organisations.

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

17.3 No Relief under Other Rules for Ball in Penalty Area When a player’s ball is in a penalty area, there is no relief for: •

interference by an abnormal course condition (Rule 16.1),

•

an unplayable ball (Rule 19).

•

an embedded ball (Rule 16.3), or

The player’s only relief option is to take penalty relief under Rule 17.

But when a dangerous animal condition interferes with the play of a ball in a penalty area, the player may take either free relief in the penalty area or penalty relief outside the penalty area (see Rule 16.2b(2)).

What is very interesting is that down the right-hand-side of the 18th hole on the Majlis, there is a combination of both penalty areas outlined here – RED & YELLOW. The red area runs pretty much up to being level with the Omega Dubai Desert Classic LED screen scoreboard and then the yellow area begins at this point, running all the way up to the green.

When Lucas Herbert’s ball last crossed the hazard line, on the first playoff hole, it was deemed to be just past the red area, and just inside the yellow area. This was a bone of contention but it was confirmed by the European Tour referees’ team – by a matter of inches! Believe me, there was a lot of discussion back and forth on the radio at the time.

With this in mind, Herbert was able to proceed under a yellow penalty area drop. Ironically, in order to help with pace of play and due to the tricky and unusual shape of both the 18th and 9th holes on the Majlis course, the European Tour designated a special DROP ZONE, (as a yellow penalty area), and this was located on the fairway approximately 75 yards short of the 18th green.

Since Herbert had confirmation he could avail of the yellow penalty area; he did so accordingly and within the rules, setting up his exquisite up-and-down par save, and his eventual success in the tournament!

Hopefully you will have such fortune the next time you play the 18th under such pressure in the Monthly Medal, or perhaps in the Club Matchplay Championship.

If you want my advice – just steer clear of the water!

Should you have any questions or wish to discuss any of the above points further, please be sure to catch me around the Club on your next visit!

DIAGRAM #1 RELIEF FOR BALL IN YELLOW PENALTY AREA

20

PRO’S TIP OF THE MONTH Improve your Golf Swing with

Swing by the FitLab with TPI Qualified Academy Professional Jonathan Craddock to tune your body and your game

Below are a few stretching exercises to do before teeing off. Get into the habit of doing these to avoid injury.

Warm-up and stretch with our FitLab dynamic stretches

by Pro, Jonathan Craddock

Nutrition. Fuel the body and maintain hydration. Snacks or fruit replenish potassium and salted nuts replace sodium, maintaining your electrolyte balance.

Lunge and Rotate (Transverse plane) Lunge forward to a comfortable range (initial or mid) as your foot hits the ground drive your arms over the lead leg. Keep looking forward to improve flexibility in your spine and to help stabilize you in the movement. Repeat the exercise on the other side

Varied practice. Golf has many facets.

People tend to spend too much time practicing with the driver.

Practice should be divided 20% long game, 40% short game and 40% putting. Keep a log of shots you hit on the golf course to tailor your practice accordingly.

Lunge and overhead reach (Sagittal plane)

Efficient practice. The average swing takes only a couple of seconds, yet many golfers hit balls for hours with no clear intention. A practice session of 50 balls might take 30 minutes. This results in only 1 minute spent swinging the club. We have to establish how many swings are developing technique and how many swings are hindering technique. I suggest better results would be achieved by spending just 10 minutes daily, working better technique with golf specific drills that embed new feelings.

Lock your fingers together to make a gun shape. Lunge forward to a comfortable range (initial or mid), as you start to move forward drive your arms up and over your head, reaching behind you. Ensure that you keep your arms straight to help open the chest, abdominals, and hips. Repeat the exercise on the other side.

Lunge and side reach (Frontal Plane) Lunge forward with to a comfortable range (initial or mid) as you move forward drive your left hand up and over to your right side. Feel a stretch along the left side of your abdominals and left hip. Repeat the exercise on the other side.

Enjoy your golfing!

FEBRUARY 2020 Friday 14h

OMA Emirates Medalford Championship

08.00 & 13.00

Majlis

Monday 17th

Camel Trophy

08.30

Majlis

Club Championship: Round 1 06.35-12.05 For help to improve yourSunday game23rd contactLadies’ the Academy at emiratesacademy@dubaigolf.com Monday 24th Ladies’ Club Championship: Round 2 06.30-12.00 www.dubaigolf.com

When you have worked on all three planes of motion separately, the next step is to put them together into one three dimensional movement. Start with an initial/mid range reach and increase the range to maximum. This is to improve your three dimensional flexibility.

WHAT’S ON IN

7

Faldo Majlis

Friday 28th

Men’s Club Championship:Round 1

06.35-13.35

Faldo

Saturday 29th

Men’s Club Championship:Round 2

13.00

Majlis

MARCH 2020

Once you have mastered the movements and increased your range of motion you can start to perform these exercises with added weight.

For more information, please contact +971 4 417 9850 or email egcfitlab@dubaigolf.com

Pro’s Tip

Pro’s Tip

motion stability and flexibility

21

Monday 2nd

Ladies’ Competition

08.30

Friday 6th

Indian Invitational

13.00 Faldo & Majlis

Majlis

Monday 9th

Ladies’ Competition

08.30

Majlis

Friday 13th

Chairman’s Cup

13.00

Majlis

Saturday 14th

Ladies’ Amateur Open

07.30-11.00

Majlis

Monday 16th

Ladies’ Medal

08.30

Majlis

Wednesday 18th IADC - Majlis closed all day, Faldo closed till 6pm Thursday 19th

IADC - Both courses closed all day

Friday 20th

Junior Club Championship

09.00-10.00 Majlis

Monday 23rd

Lady Captain’s Day

08.30

Saturday 28th

OMA Emirates Medalford Championship

08.00 & 13.00 Majlis

Monday 30th

Ladies’ Nations Cup

08.30

Majlis Majlis

22

Unwind and Dine this Valentine’s Day at Jones the Grocer

A New Year

At Jones, we will ensure we will melt down each of your hearts every day from 8th to 17th February with simplicity, elegance, and memorable experiences!

Steen Simon

Food & Beverage Manager

Carine:

With the season well underway and the Omega Dubai Desert Classic done and dusted with some hard playing conditions and challenging weather, the course is still in very challenging yet fantastic condition for our members.

Carine continues to ‘wow’ our customers with their true 5 star service and food alike.

Champions League:

The Champions League is now in the final phase with the knock-out games to see who will be playing to be the champions of European clubs.

Will Liverpool be able to defend their title, starting with a tough draw against Atletico Madrid and will Manchester City be able to continue by defeating the mighty Real Madrid.

Get ready to be smitten with Jones the Grocer’s Valentine’s Day offers for a romantic treat this year – from sharing a set menu with two options

Spike Bar:

At Spike Bar we are keeping the beer cold to refresh you before or after your game and our delicious food menu still hits the spot to ensure you have enough energy to take on the courses. Be sure to check out the Wine Club selection at Spike with some great wines on display to help you choose your vino to pair with your meal on the day.

Sports at Spike Six Nations Rugby

With the Six Nations starting up and the teams going at it to be the kings of Europe, be sure not to miss all the live action on our screens and this great promotion giving you the choice of a Six Nations burger with a pint of Heineken for only AED 89

Watch out for these Promotions:

Six Nations Burger & Pint from 1st February to 14th March. Choose one of the Six Nations Burgers with a pint of Heineken for AED 89.

Monday Chef’s Roast with two house beverages for only AED 120 from 7:30pm till 11pm while joining us for the Quiz Night with legendary Quiz Master, Phil Richardson. All members also stand a chance to win the Club Night Accumulator as a bonus while attending the quiz.

Pizza and Spritz continues every day.

Two Apperol Spritz and your choice of Spike pizza for only AED 99

The splendid view over the course and the romantic vibes on their terrace makes a perfect venue for a romantic night out or just for a good night out with friends.

How to make Carine’s Perfect G&T!

English Premier League:

Liverpool seems to be unstoppable and we cannot see any team catching up with them at all. So now who will complete the top four teams to qualify for next years Champions League? Don’t guess, watch all the action live on our screens to find out!

for AED 199 without alcoholic drinks, or AED 249 with selected beverages. In addition, we will be offering a warm triple chocolate brownie, and a special edition of our

Their wine and cocktail options will leave you pondering which to try or even try more than you expected as they all offer such an exciting variety.

We start with a classic Burgundy glass.

Jones the Grocer:

The team at Jones still continues to offer great service and the best breakfast and coffee to start off your day. Be sure to try all their cheese and cold meat varieties and even order a platter or two for private events.

Cheese & Wine:

Everyone’s favourite Cheese and Wine night continues every Thursday to start the weekend with some lively Jazz music, a variety of cheese & wine and good vibes. Jones will also be hosting a special cheese and wine night for charity to send some much needed support for the bush fires down under. Please look out for the dates .Be a part of it, not only to have a good night with family or friends, but to do your part in helping the recovery process in Australia.

The base of the drink is 40ml Monkey 47 gin and we splash 3 drops of homemade lemon bitter in it.Add 2 large cubes of ice and of course we use only Fever Tree Premium Tonic as a mixer.

The drink is garnished with fresh raspberries.

throughout the day.

Carine is proudly nominated for the Time Out Restaurant Awards 2020 in the categories ‘Most Romantic’ and ‘Best European’.

On the evening of Friday 14th February, Carine will be serving its à la carte menu and guests will be entertained by our beautiful singer Gosia and a DJ.

What better place to spend Valentine’s Day and enjoy His & Hers cocktails

Chef is also preparing ‘Desserts Romantique’, perfect for sharing.

23

F&B Update

F&B Update

and a lot of new things to look forward to

raspberry and watermelon smoothie, finished with a romantic Mr and Mrs Jones Valentine’s hamper with heart- shaped cheeses.

24 Ingredients

WHAT’S COOKING?

1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce 2 tsp. rice vinegar 2 tsp. sesame oil 1 tsp. freshly grated ginger Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes 2 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds, plus more for garnish 1 lb. sushi-grade ahi tuna, cut into bite-size pieces

Ahi Poke Bowls

F&B Update

FROM THE KITCHEN OF CHEF NICHOLAS CUOMO Since tuna is really the star of the show in these bowls, you’re gonna want to shell out a little extra for the good stuff. Here are a few tips to ensure that your poke is as delicious as possible.

For Serving

Talk to your fishmonger.

No matter where you’re buying your fish from, there should be someone in the store that knows a thing or two about seafood. The #1 best way to find the best tuna for your bowls is to talk to that someone. Explain that you will be eating this tuna raw, and they should have a good idea which fish is best for you.

Go fresh, not frozen.

In most other cases, buying frozen fish is totally cool. In this case though, freezing can compromise the texture and appearance of the tuna, so better to go fresh if possible.

Go for sushi grade.* *That is, if it’s available! Not all grocery stores carry sushi-grade (also called sashimi-grade) seafood, but if they do, go for it! This means it’s meant to be eaten raw, so you know the quality is good.

Look for pieces without white streaks.

When choosing your tuna, you might notice that some pieces have long white streaks running through the steaks. Those white streaks are connective tissue, and they’re VERY CHEWY. Choose tuna steaks

2 + 2 = 2

= 2 2 + 2

LS

CA E RAS

QUIZE

WINNERS QUIZ NIGHT

CHEAP DATES QUIZEE RASCALS

QUIZEE RASCALS

PARTY FEARS

LNG

CONQUIZTADOR

S

EN ROSE GARD

UNITED

DONE A TRUMP

quiz nights

BOUNS ROUND CALS QUIZEE RAS PARTY FEARS

PARTY FEARS

PARTY FEARS

ES

MORI LOST ME

ARS PARTY FE

PARTY FEARS QUIZEE RASCALS

LNG

L LET'S GET FISCA

BERNARDS ANGELS

MURPHYS LAW

TRIVIA NEWT ON-JOHN

PARTY FEARS

MISFITS

HAPPY HOOKERS GHETTO BOYZ

PARTY

FEARS

QUIZEE RASCALS PARTY FEARS

S STEVIE WONDER' DRIVING SCHOOL

CALS QUIZEE RAS

Gather your team of eggheads together for the ‘longest running pub quiz in Dubai’, hosted by quizmaster DJ Phil Richardson, every Monday from 8pm. Enjoy the Chef’s special Roast of the Day for AED 80 per person, and add two house beverages for additional AED 40.

No further discounts apply.

MONDAYS | 8PM-11PM | AED 80 SPIKE SPORTS BAR & TERRACE | EMIRATES HILLS 04 417 9999 | SPIKE@DUBAIGOLF.COM | @SPIKEBARDUBAI

Cooked white or brown rice Sliced avocado Sliced cucumber Edamame Shredded carrots Sliced radish with as little connective tissue as possible, and use a paring knife to remove as much of it as you can before chopping your tuna into bitesize pieces.

SIX NATIONS

Craving tuna but looking for something on the cheap side? Go the comfort food route and make these delicious and easy tuna melts!

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper flakes, green onions, and sesame seeds. Add tuna and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.

2. To serve, add rice to the bottom of four bowls. Top with tuna and toppings of your choice. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds before serving.

YIELDS: 4 SERVINGS PREP TIME: 20 MINS TOTAL TIME: 45 MINS

Here are a few questions from quizmaster Phil Richardson that featured in last month’s quizzes so go ahead and test yourself.

Answers are below.

1. In which English county is the TV drama series Doc Martin set?

2. What is made by a cartographer?

3. A T-bone steak has bone running along the top and the middle, with steaks either side of the bone. Which two cuts of steak would they be if served individually?

4. Which wine growing region of France shares its name with a TV detective?

5. What number lies between 5 and 9 on a dart board?

6. Who beat Ivan Lendl in a French Open final using underhand serves?

7. Name the 1988 film starring John Cleese from the following line. “To call you stupid would be an insult to stupid people!”

8. Blue Moon, Hopelessly Devoted to You and Summer Nights are songs from which film musical?

9. The last words of which rock and roll star were said to be ‘I’m going to the bathroom to read?”

10. The Hoover Dam is built on the border of which two States in America?

Answers: 1. Cornwall 2. Maps 3. A sirloin and a fillet 4. Bergerac 5. 12

6. Michael Chang

7. A Fish Called Wanda 8. Grease

9. Elvis Presley

10. Nevada and Arizona

SIX NATIONS BURGER & HEINEKEN AED 89 STAND A CHANCE TO WIN A AED 200 BAR TAB WHEN YOU BUY A HEINEKEN

1ST F E B RUARY – 14TH MARC H

L I V E R U G BY AC T I O N

26

Exercise Tip Of The Month

Dougie Gair Head of Recreation

Fit Lab

Firstly, I hope that everyone thoroughly enjoyed what was a wonderful Desert Classic as always. Although this was my third time attending the tournament, it was my first one being in the thick of it all, from the planning stages through to the Sunday evening, and it was a great experience. A huge thanks to everyone involved from sponsors to spectators - It really was a wonderful event.

It was also good to be able to open some aspects of the recreation area for the first time and I hope this can be repeated next year as I am sure those of you who managed to squeeze in a game of squash or tennis would agree!

Looking ahead to the rest of the year, there are lots of improvements and enhancements planned for the department and I am looking forward to pressing ahead with these as soon as possible. Please also keep an eye out for our Leisure Open Weekend which is penciled in for 29th February when we will show off all of the great activities and services we have on offer!

As always, please contact me for all recreation queries you may have my door is always open.

‘Get fit today, be happy tomorrow…’

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Ar@s@c Yoga 0630-0730

Ar@s@c Yoga 0630-0730

Ar@s@c Yoga 0630-0730

Ar@s@c Yoga 0630-0730

Ar@s@c Yoga 0630-0730

Ar@s@c Yoga 0730-0830

Pilates Mat 0700-0800

Ar@s@c Yoga 0730-0830

Pilates Reformer 0700-0800

Pilates Rota@on/Chair 0700-0800

Ar@s@c Yoga 0730-0830

Ar@s@c Yoga 0900-1000

Ar@s@c Yoga 0730-0830

Ar@s@c Yoga 0900-1000

Ar@s@c Yoga 0730-0830

Ar@s@c Yoga 0730-0830

Ar@s@c Yoga 0900-1000

Pilates Rota@on/Mat 0900-1000

Ar@s@c Yoga 0900-1000

Zumba Dance 0900-1000

Ar@s@c Yoga 0900-1000

Ar@s@c Yoga 0900-1000

Gymnas@cs (4-6 yrs) 0900-1000

Zumba Dance 0900-1000

Bollywood Fitness 1000-1100

Pilates Chair 1000-1100

Pilates Chair 0900-1000

Pilates Reformer 0900-1000

Gymnas@cs (7-12 yrs) 1000-1100

Pilates Intro 1100-1200

Bollywood Fitness 1000-1100

Zumba Dance 0900-1000

Ballet & Tap (7 years) 1100-1200

Pilates Reformer 1000-1100 Pilates Chair 1100-1200

Pilates Rota@on/Chair 1000-1100

Pilates Intro 1100-1200

While crunches are arguably the most common abdominal exercise, they may not be the most effective way to build muscle and strengthen your core.

Plus, core training is about more than having a beachready body. Effectively working out your core can improve stability, reduce injury, and maintain mobility. But if you’re continuously doing crunches and situps at the gym with the hopes of achieving a six-pack, you may be in vain.

So, what should you do instead? Try planks. A great alternative to crunches, planks can help improve core strength and stability.

The simple act of planking isn’t very hard to pull off, but holding the position is a completely different story.

High plank. Get into the top or start of a pushup position. Keep your palms and toes firmly planted on the ground, your back straight, and your core tight. A saggy back or bottom during a plank can result in lower back pain later on, so be sure not to compromise your form. Do not let your head sag.

Low plank. Lower down to your forearms, maintaining the same positioning and form as the high plank.

Planks activate more muscles than people realise . If you’re doing them correctly, you should be squeezing your abs, quads, glutes hamstrings, tibialis, shoulders and chest whilst holding the position.

Junior Fitness & Squash 1300-1400

Planks also help you develop isometric strength in your core muscles, which gives you the power to keep from hunching while standing or sitting for long periods of time.

Ar@s@c Yoga 1800-1900

Ar@s@c Yoga 1800-1900

Ar@s@c Yoga 1800-1900

Karate (Teens & up) 1815-1900

Zumba Dance 1830-1930

∙ Mitt work and Combinations (Beginner to Advanced levels) ∙ Punching Technique, Speed & Power

Ar@s@c Yoga 1800-1900

Planks can help increase your flexibility

Bollywood Fitness 1900-2000

Pilates Reformer 1900-2000

Bollywood Fitness 1900-2000

Pilates Tower/Mat 1900-2000

Bollywood Fitness 1900-2000

Ar@s@c Yoga 1915-2015

Ar@s@c Yoga 1915-2015

Ar@s@c Yoga 1915-2015

Ar@s@c Yoga 1915-2015

Ar@s@c Yoga 1915-2015

Ar@s@c Yoga 1915-2015

Weight Loss Yoga 2015-2115

Weight Loss Yoga 2015-2115

Weight Loss Yoga 2015-2115

Weight Loss Yoga 2015-2115

Weight Loss Yoga 2015-2115

Weight Loss Yoga 2015-2115

While it may not feel like it, planks are a great way to stretch out the lower half of your body.

Getting into the hold position lengthens your hamstrings as well as the arches of your feet, making the plank pose a dual strength and stretch exercise.

Make sure planks are in your list of exercises to do. And as always feel free to ask me at the Fit Lab for any guidance.

PADEL

with

Toni

∙ Footwork ∙ Head Movement ∙ Reactions and Mind

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!

OFFER INCLUDES:

∙ Developing Pad work for Muay Thai ∙ Specialised Fitness Workouts for Boxing

Single Session Ten Sessions

AED 368 AED 3,150

To purchase please contact the Emirates Golf Club FitLab erecreation@dubaigolf.com | 04 417 9850 | dubaigolf.com/egc/leisure terms and conditions apply

Schedule

Sunday/Tuesday 8.30 - 10am Monday/Wednesday 5 – 6pm

VALID UNTIL: 29.02.2020

SELF-LOVE FEBRUARY For more information ​or to register email: infodubai@rrapadel.ae or call: +971 54 791 1377

Planks are an all-encompassing workout and a more efficient way to exercise.

If you’re experiencing back pain from sitting at an office desk all day, here’s some good news: Planks can help improve that!

LEARN

DEVELOP YOU SKILLS WITH INTRODUCTIONS TO:

Planks can help improve your posture

Teenage Fitness & Squash 1400-1500

Karate (5-12 yrs) 1730-1815 Ar@s@c Yoga 1800-1900

SATURDAY

BOXING.

The Plank

By strengthening your back, chest, shoulders, neck, and abs, this exercise makes it easier to keep your shoulders back and your lower back in a neutral position while sitting or standing — two vital components of good posture.

Ballet & Tap (7 years) 1615-1715

Ar@s@c Yoga 1800-1900

FRIDAY

Learn to box with our certified Boxing trainer at FitLab during specially designed individual sessions to enhance your skills.

1-ON-1

How to do them

FITNESS ACTIVITY SCHEDULE 2020

27

MONTHLY PACKAGE! CARE.PACKAGE Gel or Supreme Manicure Classic Pedicure Quench and Glow Facial

AED. 490

AED. 365 WHY OUR SKIN NEEDS PEPTIDES Peptides in skincare are progressively effective in promoting the skin's elasticity and firmness, increasing microcirculation, strengthening capillaries and boosting collagen production.

The efficacy of peptides in diminishing fine lines and wrinkles is comparable to retinol but faster and with fewer side effects!

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at Spike Bar for only AED 150 per player

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Book by phone +971 4 417 98 33 / +971 56 179 8324 Email: info.dubai@rrapadel.ae

28

29

January Monday Night Winners

High Power Posture and Performance UPANDRUNNING

Dave Minchin & Andrew Robinson Mansour Khodjasteh Suresh Shewakramani James Yeomans & Pierre Vassuex

17 points 20 points 20 points 20 points

SPORT2BUSINESS

January 6th: January 13th January 20th January 27th

Eclectic 27 Champion

We are up to eclectic 27 which covered a 14 week period – another first time winner, Jimmy Norfolk 27 with a net score of 58.80. John Berry and Lloyd Bowles came close, also shooting in the 60’s.

Jimmy Norfolk

When we think about posture, often we build a picture of a person sitting bolt upright at a desk, and we probably consider this to be a way to avoid things like back and neck pain.

This of course is important day to day and is something that Physiotherapy can help with, but at any point do we consider how posture affects performance? When thinking about a golfing posture you may think about foot position, head position, what your arms and

hands are doing, but do you ever think about your posture before you get to the tee?

Next time you find yourself a spectator at a golfing tournament or competition, take a look around at the men and women waiting to tee off. Are they standing or sitting? Are they slumped or upright? Are they checking their social media? Watching the play in front of them? Are they focused on seemingly the thin air ahead of them?

The chances are that any high calibre professional in front of you is not sitting slumped over, checking his/her phone or twiddling his/her thumbs. There is a much higher possibility that he/she is standing up straight, feet apart, head high, chest open and looking confident. But why?

A look at the animal kingdom shows that when exerting power and dominance, various species tend to stand with their chests out, feet spread and head high. Think Mufasa on Pride Rock and you’ll get the idea.

Non-verbal cues such as posture, provide a message to others about our confidence,

or lack of it. A study looking at humans and posture found that when spending two minutes in what is known as ‘the superhero posture’, then not only did testosterone levels increase by up to 20%, but cortisol (the stress hormone) decreased by 10% and confidence in making a gamble was 86%.

It is generally accepted that an increase in testosterone can contribute to an increase in power and strength; when we think about this in terms of sport and specifically golf and the golf swing, where at least in the initial drive, greater power generated through thoracic rotation can add significant yardage to a shot. At the other end of the game where a more dexterous and gentle movement may be required, then a drop in cortisol (stress hormone) can influence performance when putting. High stress, and therefore cortisol, can result in muscle spasms, jerks or tremors, otherwise known as the ‘yips’. This has been shown to add up to 4.9 strokes per 18 holes.

So, why not take two minutes and give it a try, embrace your inner superhero, stand like a champ and see whether there is an effect on performance, what have you got to lose?

Jimmy currently works for a company called Elsevier, which is part of the RELX group. Elsevier’s R&D Solutions are a portfolio of tools that bring together incomparable data assets, powerful analytics and technologies to help R&D professionals, engineers and researchers invent and commercialize ideas, products and processes. Jimmy manages all the major corporate accounts in the Middle East. Great to see him win his first ‘major’ with S2B, a regular and popular member of our group.

John Berry and Lloyd Bowles were 2nd and 3rd in Eclectic 27 – well played those men!!

Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn www.upandrunningdubai.com

(POTM IS CALCULATED BY ADDING UP A PLAYER’S BEST THREE STABLEFORD SCORES OF THE MONTH)

CALL TO ACTION FOR EMIRATES GOLF CLUB MEMBERS With James and Russel Yeomans becoming full Emirates members again in 2020 we expect to attract a few more Emirates members to join us on Mondays. As we say, it’s the most fun you can have on a Monday, always something to play for, a chance to meet other members and a truly inclusive atmosphere created for all.

Please contact James for more information!

Email: jyeomans@yeomansexecutive.com Phone No.: 0504816277 We look forward to welcoming more Emirates Golf Club members to Sport2Business!

S2B Facebook and Instagram Check out our social media pages:

by Jennifer

AOP JANUARY PLAYER OF THE MONTH

Sport2Business Events sport2business

The January Champion Suresh Shewakramani with our sponsor Andrew Blatherwick from AOP. Suresh won back-to-back Player of the Month awards after coming tied first with Jerome in December. Suresh just pipped Russell and Alex by one point to take the victory!

1st:

Suresh Shewakramani 2nd:

Russell Yeomans & Alex O’Brien

31

s t e p ip n S e l o H h t 19

Tom, Dick & Harry (iington)!! Tom Barry, Dick Fear and Padraig Harrington

Past Captain Colm Mcloughlin with his wife Breeda and Padraig Harrington at the Dubai Duty Free chalet

The old and the new - some traditions live on.. Miguel Angel Jimenez with Gary Black and Paul Byrne 2020 enjoying their cigars

Thank you to our colleagues for helping the agronomy department fill in the divots around the Majlis Course as we prepare for the 2020 Omega Dubai Desert Classic

Welcome back to Micky Brigg Congratulations to Fran Cole on her hole-in-one on the Faldo course, hole 12 on Christmas Day 2019

Welcome back to life member Danny Kilgallon, pictured with his friend Micky from UK and Ian & Pat Walton

….and 20 years ago, a cigar moment Jimenez, Butch Kamps. and Mike Gerbich

Welcome back to Johnny Aldridge…or Johnny English as he is known to some!

HOLE in

NE Welcome back to past member Peter Dedk A ladies’ dinner was organised by Martha Wong last month to say farewell to Catherine Convery who is returning to her native Northern Ireland with husband Pete. Wishing you both all the best

Former Vice-Captain, Johnny Aldridge, making the most of his flying visit to Dubai

Welcome back to Paul & Lyn Turner who were in Dubai prefer, during and after the Omega Dubai Desert Classic

Head Pro Stephen Deane with his dad Alan, who was visiting for the Desert Classic

Sebastian Heisele with his dad Otto and Cees Van Dooren at the Abu Dhabi Championships

Congratulations to Shane Smith on winning one if the Junior Series events last month

Cian with his Dad Tim who was visiting for the Desert Classic

Ian, Danny and Cees

19th Hole Snippets

Welcome back to former colleague of the Club, Kathy, pictured with Marha Wong

Past member Nick Tucker, who was a member of the Club 1992-1999, paid a visit last month. Pictured on the 18th of the Majlis at Emirates Golf Club with Neil McLean. He commented, “The golf course was just as good as I remember but the backdrop has changed...a lot”.