Worldwide Golf November 2015

Worldwide Golf November 2015, issue 175

The Middle East’s No.1 Golf Magazine

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Rory McIlroy

EUROPEAN TOUR NEWS 7 BEST SPECTOR SPOTS AT THE DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP GARY PLAYER OUR EXECUTIVE EDITOR CELEBRATES HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY STYLE SUPERSTAR DJ MARK RONSON ON COURSE IN ABU DHABI

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Worldwide Golf is the Official Media partner to The European Tour in the Middle East and the official magazine of the Emirates Golf Federation

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Golf is Timeless.

A dialogue between decades.

One generation pursues the achievements of another.

The past is the present is the future.

Populated by legends, near-legends and near misses.

We see them come. And then, invariably, we see them go.

But the game goes on forever.

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Forever Golf.

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WORLDWIDE GOLF EXECUTIVE EDITOR SINCE 1999

GARY PLAYER

HAPPY 80 BIRTHDAY GARY TH

Gary Player – The 9-time Major Champion and 9-time Senior Major Champion who has witnessed and been a part of some of the most historic and memorable golfing occasions, reflects on the game today.

W

HEN we launched Worldwide Golf magazine in Dubai in November 1999 it came as a complete surprise to the golfing world. At that time golf was an elite game for ex-pats, played largely on sand courses.

The Dubai Country Club sand course was the oasis for the small band of golfers who gathered together in a convivial colonial style.

The Emirates Golf Club was the only 18-hole golf course in the region, which had hosted the Dubai Desert Classic since 1989 when Mark James won. There was also the 9-hole grass course at Jebel Ali Resort. The Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club hosted the Dubai Desert Classic ten years later in the same year we launched the magazine, won by Worldwide Golf Columnist David Howell.

We approached Gary Player early in 1999 to ask if he would join us in our journey to provide the Middle East with the region’s first and only golf monthly.

Pioneer of golf Gary was universally renowned as the pioneer of golf. While most golfing notables regarded Alex (who lived in Dubai) and I as delusional dreamers, Gary embraced the idea with his characteristically enthusiastic drive and ambition.

Nobody in golf has made a greater contribution to the game than Gary Player.

Nobody in golf has raised more funds for charitable causes around the globe throughout his remarkable, illustrious career than Gary. I have had the honour of interviewing Gary every month for the past 17 years. In all that time I have found his views and opinions to be inspirational.

Gary is passionate about golf and about life itself. He cares about the consideration of others, treating people with respect and understanding whatever their situation or position happens to be.

He talks total common sense on every subject we have discussed together and I could never disagree with anything he has said. He made his mark on the golf world at an early

Worldwide GOLF 4

age and having celebrated his 80th birthday on November 1st he is still working as hard as ever to make the world a better place.

He took on the roll of Editorial Executive Editor for Worldwide Golf and in his opening Introduction in our first edition in November, 1999, he wrote: “I have been travelling the world meeting people and playing golf for close on 50 years. Having visited almost every golfing country there is, plus a good few where the seeds of the game are just beginning to burst through, I believe that the concept of Worldwide Golf is something I can identify with.

“To bring the game closer to the golfing enthusiast with news, views, reports and results from around the world and from their own specific area will provide a great benefit to golf. I have made my own contribution towards spreading the popularity of this wonderful sport and I am delighted to be involved with a publication that is driven by that intention.

“I have worked with Mike Gallemore and his son Alex in the editing and production of the magazines they publish for the European Senior Tour for a number of years and appreciate their professionalism in producing authentic, quality magazines which have helped, in their own way, progress the European Senior Tour. Mike and Alex and the team at Worldwide Golf have the best interests of the game of golf at heart and I know they will produce a magazine we can all be proud of.” ■

Gary with Mike Gallemore at Saadiyat Beach GC, and with Alex Gallemore at the Gary Player Invitational at Wentworth.

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November 2015

CONTENTS Features

29 34

Rory McIlroy

In an exclusive interview with WWG RORY McILROY looks forward to The European Tour’s Final Series and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, bidding to win The Race to Dubai for the third time.

50

NBO Golf Classic Grand Final

Preview of the European Challenge Tour’s seasonending climax at Almouj Golf, Muscat, on November 4-7, looks at the stars of the future who are bidding to finish in the final top-15 of the Road to Oman to earn their place on the 2015 European Tour. WWG also previews the NBO Amateur Final which takes place on November 4-5 during the Grand Final.

Henrik Stenson

Explains his ‘strange season’ in an exclusive interview with WWG as he goes for the hat-trick of three successive wins in the DP World Tour Championship following his performance in the US PGA FedEx Cup Playoffs, where he finished runner-up in three out of the four tournaments.

128 119

Style

Iconic DJ and record producer Mark Ronson gives us an insight of his life away from the recording studio, new wheels in the form of the Volvo XC 90 and the Porsche 911 Carerra 4 S, Rory’s favourite headphones and the best timepieces on the market.

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Destination: Sydney

On the eve of The Emirates Australian Open on November 26-29 at the Australian Golf Club in Sydney, Australia, WWG takes a look at some of the city’s finest golf courses.

November 2015

CONTENTS Regulars Starter 18 The Snippits of news from here there and everywhere.

83 89

Gear Of Power 71 Tools Jason Ashley and Scott

Sullivan compare three of the best drivers on the market.

Columnists

Gary Player, Greg Norman and David Howell shoot the breeze about the latest goings on in the world game.

Arabian Golf

All the action from the most thrilling Nomura Cup in years, hosted in the UAE for the first time in over half a century. Plus all the latest news from the leading golf clubs in the region.

77

Ping Putters

Sam Taylor from ProSports International talks us through the latest additions to Ping’s Cadence TR putter range.

Tour News 45

The Race Ends Here

59

World Round-Ups

WWG talks exclusively to The European Tour’s Chief Operating Officer Keith Waters; Gorsia wins Luckiest Ball on Earth plus the 7 Best Spectator spots at the DP World Tour Championship.

Reports, quotes and results from the recent events on The European Tour and the US PGA Tour.

INSTRUCTION bunkers 64 Blitzing Ross McArthur, PGA pro at Al Hamra Golf Club, shares his advice on how to play a shot when it’s buried in the sand.

66

Kids Get Headstart With Junior Programme

Jonathan Craddock, PGA pro at the Emirates Academy, talks us through the benefits of getting your children involved in the Dubai Golf Junior Programme.

26 Competition A place in the Emirates Australian Open Pro-Am including flights from Dubai Worldwide GOLF 10

IN STORES NOVEMBER 2015

#p ar tofmywor l d ECCO INTRINSIC

EccoShoes

EccoArabia

November 2015

Editor’s Letter

ISSUE No. 175, NOVEMBER, 2015 Published by: Worldwide Sporting Publications Ltd Published in Dubai by: Prografix, PO Box 24677, Dubai, UAE (Tel) +9714 340 3785

Has a new dawn replaced Tiger fever?

T IGER WOODS has taken the rest of the year off to give his back more time to recover, but has golf now moved on from the era of the Tiger? The dawn of the new big three or four, depending on who you talk to, shows that the sport has moved on.

Okay, Tiger was unique. He carried the hype of golf on his shoulders for more than a decade and dominated the game single-handedly. But prior to the Tiger period the sport was based on rivalry and the foundations were forged by the Big Three (Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus).

It looks like golf has now gone full circle as Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and, hopefully, Rickie Fowler seem set to battle for the number one spot for many years to come.

Ideally Tiger will recover to challenge the younger generation but I can’t see it happening. His body has taken a pounding over the years and he will have to play a limited schedule to keep his sponsors on board.

Hitting it great on the range is one thing, but even Tiger has proved you can’t just rock up after months away and expect to be tournament fit. If he can put a series of events together without breaking down, he stands a chance of winning again.

His best chance of winning another Major will be at the Masters, but to keep up with the likes of McIlroy and Co. he will need to push his body hard – and that’s where the

problem lies. He’ll be facing a new breed of fearless thinkers proving you don’t need to launch the ball miles to win.

Spieth and Zach Johnson won three out of the four Majors this season. Spieth might be 20 to 30 yards shorter off the tee than Day and McIlroy but his mental strength and confidence with the short stick more than makes up for it.

We are also seeing the rise of a similar player on The European Tour in Matthew Fitzpatrick, who last month won his first title at the British Masters presented by Sky SPORTS. What was impressive was the nature in which he achieved the win. An early bogey on the final round saw him fall off the top of the leaderboard but the 21 year old was infazed and he bounced back to close with a 68 to win by two. Like Spieth, he’s not the longest off the tee but this season he’s gained a further 16 yards to average 288, just three yards behind the world No1.

But as he’s got longer, he’s also got more accurate! Now that’s something you rarely find. His driving accuracy is an astonishing 71% and his greens in regulation is even better at 75%. When you consider Spieth hits 63% of fairways and 68% of greens in regulation you can understand why many experts have high hopes for Fitzpatrick.

Alex Gallemore Worldwide GOLF 14

Editor-in-Chief: Mike Gallemore Executive Editor: Gary Player Editor: Alex Gallemore alex@wspglobal.com Publisher: Mike Gallemore mike@wspglobal.com General Manager Dubai: Richard Bevan: rick@wspglobal.com Editors: Todd Staszko, Scott Grayston Production/Design Editor: Thameem Rayyan Editorial Panel: Gary Player, Mike Gallemore, Alex Gallemore, Richard Bevan, Todd Staszko Photography: Getty Images, Joanna Eardley Advertising: advertise@worldwidegolfme.com June 2009 SSN 1- 46805671 Approval UAE National Media Council: Ref.816 30/5/2007 Trade Licence No. 1/104375/15280

Printed by: Raidy, Dubai Worldwide Golf specifies that postpress changes may occur to any information given in this publication and takes no responsibility for goods or services advertised.

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The Course

17th hole at Jumeirah Golf Estates

Earth Course Jumeirah Golf Estates The greatest venue on earth for the ultimate finale

A

final showdown featuring the top 60 players in The Race to Dubai deserves a venue of the highest calibre – the Earth course ticks all the boxes. For the last six years, the prestgious Jumeirah Golf Estates course has played host to the DP World Tour Championship, the final event of The European Tour season, set to take place from November 19-22.

This dazzling Greg-Norman designed par-72 course golf course measures 7,706 yards from the championship tees and is a test of skill and character for the golfers that have earnt their way into this thrilling tournament.

Golfing legend Norman, once quoted that from the 15th tee, the final four holes make up ‘the most challenging mile in golf.’ The 17th hole (right) plays a huge part in that. Although it is the shortest hole on the course, the spectacular par three is by no means the easiest. This hole can make the difference between winning the DP World Tour Championship and not.

With Jumeirah Golf Estates set to remain the scene for the closing leg of The European Tour for many years to come, expect more exhilarating finishes and unforgettable, magical moments at this masterpiece of a golfing venue.

Hole 17 – Par 3, 195 yards

A fantastic, but precise par three, this iconic hole is a true island green. Club selection is crucial for this hole. Wind from any direction will make this very difficult with the tight island green surrounded by a selection of bunkers offering the green the maximum protection. If you’re lucky, a stray shot will only find the bunkers, further misdirection will leave you wet for sure.

FACTS • Earth is one of two Greg Norman designed Championship golf courses at Jumeirah Golf Estates, the other being Fire.

• Earth has 102 bunkers.

• Earth’s water features include 20 lakes and two meandering streams.

• Rough – Ryegrass.

• Greens – Tifeagle Bermuda Grass specially selected for Jumeirah Golf Estates.

• Trees on the course include Conocarpus, Ficus, Prospis, Neem Casurina.

• More than 3,500 mature trees complete the look of the course.

• The last four holes fall just short of a mile and are one of the most challenging and exciting miles in golf.

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STARTER

“It’s in perfect shape, it’s a really good secondshot golf course.”

– Justin Rose.

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STARTER

HOLES IN ONE: Charl Schwartzel Round 1, hole 6, 2010 Ignacio Garrido Round 4, hole 6, 2010 Stephen Gallacher Round 4, hole 4, 2012 Joost Luiten Round 4, hole 6, 2012 Shane Lowry Round 2, hole 14, 2014

THE BEST GOLFING EXPERIENCE Last year the DP World Tour Championship won the category for the ‘Best Professional Golf Event, Fan Experience’ at the Middle East Golf Awards (MEGAs) for the second consecutive year.

Nick Tarratt, Director of The European Tour International – Dubai Office, said: “To win an award which is voted for by the public is an acknowledgement of the importance of the tournament to attract spectators through the Free Ticket initiative, as well as provide entertainment for both the golfing and non-golfing fan.”

Nick Tarratt (right), along with Neal Graham (left, General Manager Jumeirah Golf Estates, Golf Operations) collecting the award from Didier Brun (centre) of Sport360.

- Players on The Race to Dubai rankings after tournament share $5m Bonus Pool.

- Players from European Tour compete for $8 million prize fund

CHAMPIONS: 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Lee Westwood Robert Karlsson Ávaro Quirós Rory McIlroy Henrik Stenson Henrik Stenson

TOP DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP TWEETS 2014

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-23 -14 -19 -23 -25 -14

NBO GOLF CLASSIC GRAND FINAL

The European Challenge Tour features an array of talents that are battling to be golf’s future stars. The players produce their finest golf hoping that it’s enough to finish in the top 45 in the Road to Oman and give them a chance of securing a European Tour card next season. The NBO Golf Classic Grand Final is the final event of the season where all is at stake, which is exciting news for golf fans in the Middle East. Here’s everything you need to know about the prestigious tournament in Muscat, Oman: Where: Almouj Golf, The Wave, Muscat, Oman.

When: November 4 - 7.

How do you qualify? By finishing in the top 45 in The Challenge Tour Rankings.

How much can you win? A share oh €375,000 prize fund on offer.

And most importantly… The top 15 players on the Road to Oman Rankings following the conclusion of the NBO Golf Classic will earn their playing cards to play on next season’s European Tour International Schedule.

Did you know:

In the 2014 Ryder Cup, a 13.5 haul was contributed by former Challenge Tour stalwarts.

The influence of players from Europe’s number one development circuit is clear.

Location: Muscat, Oman Established: 2013 Course: Almouj Golf Par: 72 Length: 7,310 yards

Globetrotters:

25 Tournaments in 19 different countries will culminate in the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final.

Format: Strokeplay

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STARTER European Challenge Tour – where heroes are made Stars who have graduated from the Challenge Tour: Henrik Stenson Graduate in 2000 Justin Rose Graduate in 1999 Martin Kaymer Graduate in 2006 Jamie Donaldson Graduate in 2007 Stephen Gallacher Graduate in 1997 Ian Poulter Graduate in 1999 Bernd Wiesberger Graduate in 2010

Spin Back

November 2002

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POULTER AT THE DOUBLE Ian Poulter’s first European Tour victory was back in 2000 at the Italian Open.

Two years later he lifted the title for a second time ahead of Paul Lawrie.

Jordan Spieth, 2014 Emirates Airline Australian Open champion.

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WIN A place in the 2015 Emirates Airline Australian Open, including ights from Dubai

Venue: The Australian Golf Club, Sydney Pro-Am Date: 25th November

To enter go to: wordwide.golf Entries close: 19th November

For full terms and conditions please email competitions@worldwide.golf

Worldwide GOLF 27

RORY MCILROY IN HIS OWN WORDS

RORY’S RARI N G TO GO FOR A BIG FINISH RORY MCILROY HAS PUT HIS FOOTBALLING INJURY BEHIND HIM AND HE’S AIMING FOR A BIG FINISH TO END HIS SEASON ON A HIGH AND REGAIN HIS POSITION AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD AT HIS ‘HOME FROM HOME’ AS HE GOES FOR THE DUBAI DOUBLE-DOUBLE! Worldwide GOLF 29

D

ubai has played a big part in my career and I’ve always said it was my home from home, ever since I played my first tournament in the emirate more than ten years ago.

I’m probably guilty of being slightly biased but it’s difficult not to enjoy a place where I have enjoyed some really memorable victories. The design of the courses has always suited my style of play and the tournaments themselves are so accessible and seamlessly organised. Importantly, they seem to be a great day out for the spectators.

I have always enjoyed a very warm welcome in Dubai and it’s why, for quite a few years now, I make sure it’s where I begin my preparations for each new golfing season.

The European Tour has gone from strength to strength in Dubai and the UAE in particular and the Middle East in general. The DP World Tour Championship is the perfect finish to The Tour season in November, and the Middle East Swing of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, the Qatar Masters and the Dubai Desert Classic in January and February is the ideal springboard to the new season.

I have enjoyed a great relationship with The European Tour for as long as I can remember.

I was shown tremendous support in the early part of my career and it continues to this day.

Even now, as my Rory Foundation hosts the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open for the next few years, the importance of my relationship with The Tour will continue to grow and evolve.

The Race to Dubai remains an exciting grand finale to the season for me and one I put a lot of energy into trying to win. Given the quality of every field these days, it is becoming an increasingly difficult task to win. But it’s always a rewarding challenge to remain Europe’s leading golfer.

There are so many good youngsters coming through The European Tour with the likes of Matt Fitzpatrick and Danny Willet, who I’ve been friendly with for years. Danny’s recent successes are down to good, old-fashioned hard work and a belief in his game. With Danny, as with any of the other guys on Tour, I’d relish a good final day’s challenge and being neck and neck at the very last hole. Of course, I’m confident that I would come out on top of any tussle but it’s all about bringing your A-game on the day.

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RORY MCILROY IN HIS OWN WORDS

HOW RORY WON THE 2012 DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

It was unfortunate to injure myself in a football kick around and disappointing to miss such an important stretch of the season. But golfing careers are long and the opportunities will come again to seriously challenge for Open Championships. I think a victory towards the end of the season would be great for my confidence and momentum.

However, I don’t really see any late season success as making up for time missed earlier in the year because what’s gone is gone.

As far as kickabouts are concerned right now I’m happy to watch the action from the bench.

As far as my golf goes, I’m striking the ball as well as I ever have and I’m really enjoying competing after my relatively quiet summer. I’m still leaving the occasional shot out there around the greens, so I’m looking forward to a break after the DP World Tour Championship and to some hard work and preparation for the beginning of next season.

Meanwhile, there are still some big events coming up with the Final Series which offers a great opportunity

late in the season to pick up some silverware. It’s an exciting finale, with a World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai in the mix, and so much to play for.

I’m a great supporter of any initiative that provides as many golfers as possible with the opportunity to end the season on a high.

It was recently announced that Dubai Duty Free will be continuing with their title sponsorship of the Irish Open for another three years, which was great news all round.

Working with Colm McLoughlin and his team at last year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open was a great experience.

It was a roaring success and a lot of fun as well. Colm really got behind what I was trying to do with my Rory Foundation as host of the event and I was delighted to be involved with the greatly respected DDF brand. It’s wonderful to be teaming up again for what I hope will be another exciting three years for the Irish Open.

Colm and I also agreed to work together to bring better weather to the K Club next year – although that may be a bit beyond our control.

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“I couldn’t have wished for the season to end any better,” Rory said after winning the 2012 DP World Tour Championship.

The Northern Irishman capped a sensational year by birdieing the last five holes.

Here’s how he did it when he was two behind Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose with five holes to play: Rory chipped close on the long 14th, pitched to three feet at the next, made a 20 footer on the 16th and went one ahead with a six foot putt on the short 17th.

Rose had done miraculously well to two-putt the par five last for birdie from around 100 feet, but McIlroy matched it to win by two; shooting 66 for 23 under.

What a finish!

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RORY MCILROY FACTFILE

The boy loves Nike!

McIlroy’s career triumphs Here are Rory’s career victories on The European Tour. He has won three times in the UAE so that means over 27% of his professional wins have been on UAE soil!

TOURNAMENT WGC – Cadillac Match Play Omega Dubai Desert Classic US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP WGC - Bridgestone Invitational 143rd OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP, DUBAI US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP UBS Hong Kong Open U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP Dubai Desert Classic

• •

When he was 2 years old, he could hit the ball 40 yards off the tee.

When he was 9, he sunk his first hole-in-one.

R1

R2

R3

R4

PAR

66 66 69 66 68 66 67 64 65 64

64 67 64 66 71 67 75 69 66 68

66 67 66 68 69 66 67 70 68 67

70 68 66 71 66 66 66 65 69 70

-22 -16 -15 -17 -14 -23 -13 -12 -16 -19

DP World Tour Championship Where to stay:

Rory almost played college golf in the USA. He was lined up to play for the Buccaneers of East Tennessee State but changed his mind at the last minute after deciding he had no intention of graduating.

Quick out of the blocks

YEAR 2015 2015 2014 2014 2014 2014 2012 2012 2011 2011 2009

FEARLESS DRIVING “How I drive the ball is one of my advantages over my competitors.

I’m not afraid to pull driver out and get it down there and leave myself with a wedge into the green where other guys are hitting 6- or 7-irons. That makes a difference. Also, I’m not one dimensional. I can hit the ball both ways. I can flight it up or down. My start lines are much tighter now too. I feel like I don’t have the ability to produce these big misses anymore, which is very important.”

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The Ghaya Grand is located just a stone’s throw from the action at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Make the most of the comfort of being next to the course and The European’s Tour’s top players.

Address: International Media Production Zone - Dubai Phone: + 971 (0) 4 422 2111

CAN THE ICE MAN KEEP HIS

COOL HENRIK STENSON ABOUT HIS 2015 END THE SEASON VICTORY IN THE

TALKS EXCLUSIVELY WITH WORLDWIDE GOLF SEASON, HIS FUTURE HOPES AND HIS AIM TO WITH A BIG FINISH AND HIS THIRD SUCCESSIVE DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP. Worldwide GOLF 34 Worldwide GOLF 34

HENRIK STENSON

Worldwide GOLF 35 Worldwide GOLF 35

HENRIK STENSON

I

’VE HAD a somewhat strange season this year.

I wasn’t 100 per cent happy with my game during the US PGA Tour’s FedExCup play-offs. I didn’t feel like I played nearly as well as I did in 2013 when I won it.

There was a lot of good stuff in there but there was also the odd occasion when I felt like I wasn’t firing on all cylinders. Yet I did finish second three times out of the four events to take overall runner up which is a huge positive. The good thing is that I feel like there’s more to come in my game before the season is over.

I guess that’s a positive sign but it’s also a tiny bit annoying because I felt like I was close enough to win The Tour Championship and the FedExCup – especially considering that my opening round of 7-under 63 was one of the best days of my year.

But there was a lot of just grinding it out in tough conditions during the third round. In the final round I was good tee to green but I missed a few putts I should have holed – so there was always something that was a little bit off with my game.

As for the game of golf itself, I don’t think it’s ever been in better shape. It’s been a great year for golf.

We’ve now got a new Big Three in the World Ranking with Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy but maybe it should be the Big Five, as it is with the five Big Game safari animals in Africa. If we included Bubba Watson (ranked 4th), Rickie Fowler (ranked 5th), myself (ranked 6th) and Justin Rose (ranked 7th) we could have the Magnificent Seven.

Rory was in a great position until his football injury but both Jason and Jordan have stepped up and made Major breakthroughs so it’s an exciting scenario. These guys are going to be the generation for years to come, battling it out for Majors, World Golf Championships and all the big events. It’s good fun but for me, being older than them, being in the mix and beating the young guys when I get the chance is nice.

It didn’t happen for me in the FedExCup, finishing

second behind Rickie Fowler in the Deutsche Bank and tied second to Jordan Spieth in the Tour Championship but I’m going to have more chances and I know I can finish ahead of one or two of them over the next few years.

Rickie has had a great year and is starting to establish himself as a big-time player. He’s not yet won a Major like Jordan, Jason or Rory but he’s up there with the best. So it’s really cool to see the next generation coming up and playing so well and putting down the challenge for everyone else to try and beat them.

When you’ve been out on Tour a bit longer there’s a lot more going on in your life than just playing golf, whereas the younger guys can spend all their time just focusing on their golf. So while we older guys are trying to fit all the pieces of the puzzle together

you’ve also got to try and keep up with the next generation. It’s a challenge but it’s a fun one.

In terms of The Ryder Cup we still have a couple to come where the majority of our teams still qualify – myself, Westwood, Poulter, McDowell, Donald and a few others. We’re pushing 40, and in some cases over 40, and then there’ll be a generation shift in terms of the team make-up going forward.

At the moment I would say that the United States team is going to have a stronger team in five-to-ten years’ time when you take our older guys out of the reckoning. We’ve got to make sure that a few more of the good European youngsters slowly but surely start getting broken in to the bigger events so they can step up and take their place in the team when the time comes.

As far as qualifying for the team as a European

KEEPING UP WITH THE YOUNG GUNS When you’ve been out on Tour a bit longer there’s a lot more going on in your life than just playing golf, whereas the younger guys can spend all their time just focusing on their golf.

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Follow the drama at: Europeantour.com

DUBAI

AN

As the season comes to a fitting finale, golf’s elite hone their game to seal a top 60 spot in this year’s DP World Tour Championship.

Four of the biggest events on the calendar, played back-to-back, to crown this year’s 2015 Race to Dubai Champion.

SH Don’t miss a shot.

AN

SH

IT’S TIME. GH

AI

TURKEY

Oct 29 - Nov 01

Nov 05 - Nov 08

Nov 12 - Nov 15

Nov 19 - Nov 22

HENRIK STENSON

“The opening of a direct flight between Orlando and Dubai by Emirates Airline has been a welcome addition to their timetable. It’s always a bit tiring to be on a 15-hour flight, but when you look back on how it used to be, there’s no comparison: You had to fly to New York, change flights, clear customs and change terminals with ten suitcases and the whole family and then check in again.”

Tour Member it won’t be a problem for me. Up until now everyone’s been able to meet the minimum requirements of playing 13 events. It can be problematic if your form drops and you fall outside the top 50.

I spoke to Paul Casey at the Tour Championship in the US and he said he needed to decide whether to take up European Tour membership or not. Obviously, The Ryder Cup is a big factor in his decision. Playing on two Tours is certainly stressful. Most of us are used to it and have done it for many years but, of course, with the Olympics and The Ryder Cup taking place next year everyone is looking at their schedules to try and make it work. There’s also the clash between the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the French Open, which will be a decision that a lot of players will have to make.

The opening of a direct flight between Orlando and Dubai by Emirates Airline has been a welcome addition to their timetable.

It’s always a bit tiring to be on a 15-hour flight, but when you look back on how it used to be, there’s no comparison: You had to fly to New York, change flights, clear customs and change terminals with ten suitcases and the whole family and then check in again. This flight will be a big help for many of the players who live in Florida. We don’t do that trans-Atlantic flight as much as we did when we were based in Dubai but it’s definitely going to help.

It will be interesting to see how the closer

relationship of The European Tour with the Asian Tour progresses. I know it’s very early days so it will be a while before we know the details going forward. I haven’t met The Tour’s new Chief Executive, Keith Pelley, yet but I haven’t played anywhere in Europe since the Summer so I’m a little on the sidelines, but it looks like it’s come to the stage with The European Tour and the Asian Tour that they’re looking at their relationship and are thinking ‘what’s going to happen next’.

Sometimes you come to a crossroads where you’ve either got to extend the relationship or pull back, depending on what the different parties want to do. So I think it’s looking good for both Tours if they can make it stronger and better. The European Tour has always been very international and there’s been a lot of success over in Asian which is growing stronger, so why not make it even bigger and better going forward. It’s an area of growth for sure and it will be interesting to see how it pans out for the future.

I think it’s a great initiative by The Tour to introduce tournaments hosted by the players, like the Irish Open with Rory McIlroy and the return of the British Masters at Woburn hosted

by Ian Poulter.

We all like to see a lot of strong tournaments in the heart of Europe because that’s the name of the Tour, so we’ve got to keep that as a healthy backbone of the tournament schedule.

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It was good to see the British Masters come back and it was a pity I had to miss out because of my scheduling this year.

It’s good to see the players getting involved in their home tournaments. I’m involved quite a lot in the Swedish event, the Nordea Masters, so we’ve all got our own little projects where we normally play. It’s pretty cool to have a rotation between Ian and Lee Westwood and Luke Donald. It’s got to be a goal for the Tour to have strong tournaments with a solid backbone – a strong Dutch open and big events in Germany and Sweden.

There are a lot of good events everywhere and when you’re playing on two Tours you can’t be everywhere at once, but it would have been a different story if I only played in Europe. Back in the day when I was living in Dubai I would have had two months off between seasons, these days it’s down to 4-5 weeks.

So I feel like I need a few chunks of time off throughout the year. Just a week or two isn’t enough to decompress and spend time with the family and work in the gym and on my game, so I try and work-in three or four onemonth blocks of time to refresh myself.

I can’t wait to tee off in the defence of my DP World Tour Championship and have a tilt at the hat-trick. I’m proud to be a double winner of the season-ending grand final of The European Tour schedule but what an achievement it would be to make it three in a row!

Tour News

European Tour ‘Hopes are High’ THE European Tour’s Chief Operating Officer, KEITH WATERS, talks exclusively to Worldwide Golf about the future of The European Tour and the importance of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates in particular and the Middle East region in general.

Worldwide Golf: With the recent appointment of Keith Pelley to Chief Executive are you pleased with the progress of The Tour and the new relationship with the Asian Tour?

KEITH WATERS: I’m very pleased.

While there are some immediate benefits or improvements to the way The Tour operates Keith is building a new culture and framework for sustained development and success for the future.

WWG: You have said that Dubai and the Middle East has become an important stronghold for The Tour. Do you see more tournaments coming in the area in the future?

KW: Clearly there is a limit to how many tournaments a region or country can host but the existing tournaments are very important to The Tour and have even greater potential. We will work with each tournament promoter to ensure we maximise this potential which, as you say, is growing again.

WWG: With the new JGE clubhouse now established along with the ETPI do you believe it has finally become the sort of facility that The Tour is proud to be associated with?

KW: The excellent Earth course has been maintained to an exceptionally high level for the past eight years and now we have the ETPI and

the clubhouse to complement the Earth course and the Fire course we are delighted to be associated with such a world-class facility which is worthy of hosting our end of season finale, the DP World Tour Championship.

Henrik Stenson will come to Dubai hoping to win his third successive DP World Tour Championship title.

WWG: With Julian Small now installed at JGE as Managing Director, Club Operations, do you envisage even greater growth in certain areas, as he achieved when he was at Wentworth?

KW: Julian is a very capable manager and has a proven track record which can only benefit JGE, our relationship with JGE and the DP World Tour Championship.

Tour News

Success stories: Søren Kjeldsen is pictured with tournament host Rory McIlroy after winning this year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Royal County Down and (above) Kiradech Aphibarnrat is congratulated by tournament host Paul Lawrie after the Thai wins the inaugural Saltire Energy Match Play at Murcar Links, Aberdeen.

WWG: This upcoming DP World Tour Championship has a special significance with Stenson bidding for a hat-trick – do you think this will make it an even bigger event?

KW: Henrik going for an unprecedented hat-trick and Rory aiming to finish the season with a flourish and retain his Race to Dubai crown combines to make the tournament a very exciting prospect.

New European Tour CEO Keith Pelley pictured playing in the Pro-Am for the British Masters at Woburn.

WWG: The revamped British Masters at Woburn supported

by Sky SPORTS and hosted by Ian Poulter was a huge success and with Luke Donald hosting the tournament next year at The Grove it promises to be another big success. Lee Westwood is due to host the event in 2017. Do you think this is the way forward for the future with leading players hosting top tournaments?

KW: I think there is a real chance this concept will develop further.

Rory has committed to hosting the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open again, at the K Club, which promises to be even bigger and better event than this year and there are other illustrious players who could host their national tournament.

WWG: Are there any plans to reduce the minimum number of 13 events that players have to play to



Tour News qualify as a Tour Member and be considered for The Ryder Cup – with the four Majors and the four WGCs they only have to play five more tournaments, do you think it’s a reasonable ask?

KW: We feel that five European Tour tournaments is a realistic number in addition to the eight Majors and World Golf Championships events, as the top 50 world-ranked player has worldwide commitments to fulfil on both Tours and we obviously want the best European Tour players to qualify for the Ryder Cup team, so we think this currently works very well.

WWG: Rickie Fowler and Patrick Reid have intimated that they would like to play more events on The Tour – do you think this is a possibility?

KW: We hope so. It’s up to us at The European Tour to make our tournaments and our Tour itself more attractive for the World`s best players, and that’s what we intend to do.

attractive proposition. After The Open, players focus on the WGC and the US PGA Championship. This is a busy time of the year and there just aren’t enough slots in the calendar to accommodate additional events.

WWG: Is it feasible to group the biggest Tour events around The Open to encourage players to play several events in successive weeks?

KW: The AAM Scottish Open already attracts many of the World`s best players so this definitely works but the scheduling, by its very nature, is complicated. For instance, hosting a tournament in London and competing against Wimbledon tennis fortnight is challenging and players don’t want to travel too extensively just before a Major. So playing outside the UK is not an

WWG: Will the new relationship with the Asian Tour mean that more Asian Tour players are likely to play on The Tour?

KW: Yes, providing they can play well enough to gain a top 110 place in the Race to Dubai rankings. It’s always difficult predicting where the best players will come from.

European players have been consistently strong for many years now but that may change over the next ten years.

Caption: Rickie Fowler tees it up at this year’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship for the first time. The American also played in the DDF Irish Open and was the champion at the AAM Scottish Open in July.

WWG: Is the Final Series attracting the big name players as intended?

KW: The stats show that it has. But, of course, you can always name the two or three players who miss each tournament. The DP World Tour Championship has consistently attracted all the best players. Only injuries have stopped a top-15 Race to Dubai-ranked player from playing in Dubai in eight years. We expect all the top 60 players to compete at JGE this month unless injuries or personal circumstances prevent it.

WWG: What is the schedule for 2016 looking like?

KW: The 2016 Tour Schedule is looking very strong and it will be announced on the final day of the DP World Tour Championship.

Above: Ian Poulter, The Duke of Bedford, winner Matthew Fitzpatrick, Barney Francis, Head of Sky SPORTS and Keith Waters are pictured at the prize presentation ceremony for the British Masters at Woburn golf Club.

Left: The victorious 2014 Ryder Cup Team.

Keith Waters believes the current qualifiying criteria for European Tour membership – and the right to qualify for the European Ryder Cup Team – “currently works very well”.

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WWG: With the clash of the WGCBridgestone Invitational and the French Open what sort of feedback has The Tour had from members?

KW: The Tour members have been, and continue to be, very supportive and many have already stated publicly that they will play in Paris next year.

WWG: Are you pleased with the situation The Tour is in at present and how rosy does the future look?

KW: There is much work to be done but we are very optimistic about the long term future as the co-operation with the other Tours (South Africa, Australia, Korea, Asia and Japan) is at an all-time high. ■

FREE admission and HOSPITALITY packages at DPWTC.COM

Tour News

LUCKIEST BALL ON EARTH WINNER JAIRAJ GORSIA IS PICTURED WITH RAFA CABRERA-BELLO AND JULIAN SMALL, MANAGING DIRECTOR, CLUB OPERATIONS JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES.

JAIRAJ IS PICTURED WITH NICK TARRATT, DIRECTOR, EUROPEAN TOUR INTERNATIONAL – DUBAI OFFICE.

GORSIA WINS LUCKIEST BALL ON EARTH

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airaj Gorsia will be teeing off with Rafa Cabrera-Bello at this year’s DP World Tour Championship Rolex Pro-Am after being crowned the winner of the 2015 Luckiest Ball on Earth Series at the Grand Final held on Fire course at Jumeirah Golf Estates last month.

After 21 events played across 20 Emirates Golf Federation affiliated golf clubs in the UAE with more than 800 players taking part, Gorsia, who represented The Track, Meydan Golf, Dubai put on a stellar performance to beat the 20 other Luckiest Ball on Earth Grand Final competitors with a superb net Stableford score of 44 points.

Visiting the world-renowned European Tour Performance Institute (ETPI) at Jumeirah Golf Estates ahead of the European Tour Final Series, Cabrera-Bello was there in person to award the prizes and announce that Gorsia would be joining his team at this year’s Rolex Pro-Am. The Rolex Pro-Am on Tuesday 17 November is the curtain raiser to the US$8 million DP World Tour Championship to be held on Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates from Thursday 19 November to Sunday 22 November. The eagerly awaited Rolex Pro-Am will be contested by 46 teams captained by European Tour professionals

including the likes of Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy, second placed Danny Willett and double defending champion Henrik Stenson.

“It’s feels incredible to be the winner of the DP World Tour Championship Luckiest Ball on Earth. I didn’t think I could do it and it’s been two months preparing for this so I’m delighted it worked out the way it did,” said Gorsia.

“I didn’t get off to the best of starts – the heat was getting to me a little bit to be honest but I got myself together and managed to play some steady golf to make it through.

“I’m really looking forward to playing with Rafa at the Rolex Pro-Am next month. With the weather getting better I’ll definitely be heading out to the range a bit more at The Track, Meydan Golf before the big day!”

Gorsia is also invited to the Championship Beach Party held at Nasimi Beach, Atlantis, The Palm on 17 November and will also receive two VIP Hospitality passes to the Championship Chalet for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

The Luckiest Ball on Earth Grand Final saw players teeing from the Signature Tees on Fire course and in the end it was Kirsten

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Worldwide GOLF 45

Schwinghammer of Abu Dhabi Golf Club who took the runner-up position with 37 points while Peggy O’Dea of The Address Montgomerie, Dubai secured third place with 36 points.

The annual Luckiest Ball on Earth competition has proved to be a resounding success since it was launched in 2011 when Kevin Barrett of Arabian Ranches Golf Club won his spot in the Rolex Pro-Am. Since then Ornella Parigi (Jumeirah Golf Estates) in 2012, Maureen Platt (Emirates Golf Club) in 2013 and Dipesh Makwana (Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa) last year have enjoyed the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of teeing-off with some of the game’s biggest names.

Nick Tarratt, Director, European Tour International – Dubai Office said: “We enjoyed an extremely successful Grand Final of the fifth edition of the Luckiest Ball on Earth Grand Final at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

“Many congratulations to Jairaj on his wonderful victory. We wish him all the best in the Rolex Pro-Am and we are sure he will enjoy a memorable day with Rafa next month. Our special thanks go to the Emirates Golf Federation for sanctioning this initiative through all the EGF affiliated golf clubs in the UAE and to Jumeirah Golf Estates for hosting the Grand Final on Fire.” ■

TO BUY HOSPITALITY TICKETS CONTACT:

HOSPITALITY@DPWTC.COM or call +971 (0) 567 359 852

THE DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP'S 'MAGNIFICENT SEVEN' SPECTATOR SPOTS Since the inaugural event back in 2009, where the packed galleries watched Lee Westwood become the first DP World Tour Championship, and Race to Dubai winner, The European Tour's season-ending event has grown in popularity year on year and is now known as not only one of the year's hottest sporting spectacles but also one of the most eagerly anticipated social occasions for all the family. There are plentiful spots around Jumeirah Golf Estates where you can enjoy the golfing action and the off-course activities and here's our rundown of the top seven to help you enjoy the 'Greatest Day Out on Earth'.

18th Grandstand Sitting on the 18th Grandstand, you have a bird’s eye view of every magic moment on the final hole of the Earth course.

Watch the European Tour’s top 60 golfers navigate the famous bunkers and water hazards as they approach the 18th green.

With free access, its an ideal spot to soak up the DP World Tour Championship atmosphere and watch in wonder at the incredible talent being showcased.

Left Bank This popular spot is located beside the 17th green with comfortable seating areas and a large bar. It’s a place for the social and thirsty golf spectators, where you can watch the players tee off for a chance to make a Hole-in-One and win a brand new BMWi8!

Picnic area Relax with family and friends and soak up the atmosphere around the course at the picnic areas. Bring your own blanket and buy freshly made coffee and snacks in the COSTA Coffee outlet, beside the sixth and 13th holes.

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Tour News Championship Village The Championship Village is one of the hotspots of the weekend. You’ll find folks either chilling out on the picnic benches and bean bags in front of giant TVs broadcasting live coverage, taking part in the longest drive competition and putting challenge, enjoying the wide range of popular food and beverage outlets and entertaining the children at the Kids Zone which has even has bouncy castles.

Be there from the first tee!

You can be up, close and personal when the tournament’s iconic official starter, Ivor Robson, announces your favourite player’s name at the first tee to the crowd’s delight. Situated next to the Championship Village, there’s often intense pressure on the first tee shot in such a prestigious tournament. With the trophy in view, the last thing a golfer wants to do is miss.

Practice Range Watch, analyse and appreciate the talent these top golfers possess as they do their final preparations on the practice range before their rounds.

Watch the likes of Rory McIlroy hit balls on the driving range or practice his putting to perfection and observe how he warms up.

The practice areas are located beside the Jumeirah Golf Estates clubhouse and the main entrance of the Championship Village.

Ninth Grandstand If you feel like resting your legs after following the players for the first nine holes, or simply want to relax in the sun watching some high class approach shots and putting, the grandstand on the ninth green is a popular viewing point from which to watch the players at the halfway stage.

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Tour News

NBO GOLF CLASSIC GRAND FINAL Nov 04 -Nov 07, 2015

NBO GOLF CLASSIC

GRAND FINAL GOUVEIA TARGETS CHALLENGE TOUR GLORY ON OMAN RETURN

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ust over 12 months ago Ricardo Gouveia (pictured above) bogeyed the last at the NBO Golf Classic to sign for a final round 68 which left him in a share of ninth place. The result saw him finish 47th on the Challenge Tour Rankings, meaning, agonizingly, he missed out on a place in the Grand Final, open only to the top 45 players, by mere pocket change.

But what a difference a year makes. The stunning Almouj Golf in Muscat this year plays host to the European Challenge Tour’s season-ending showcase in the form of the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final, where the tantalising prospect of promotion to next season’s European Tour is up for grabs for the top 15 finishers on the newly branded ‘Road to Oman Rankings’. And it’s not only NBO’s event which has gone up in the world. Gouveia has been in scintillating form this season with a string of brilliant displays and consistent

performances including victory in the AEGEAN Airlines Challenge Tour by Harl Resort.

Having lost his place at the summit of the Road to Oman to Sebastien Gros, after leading for much of the season, the 23-year-old leapfrogged back into top spot with a tied thirdplace finish at the penultimate event on the schedule, The Foshan Open in China, to set up the opportunity to become Challenge Tour Number One on his return to Oman.

“After just missing out on the season-ending event last year and finishing 47th I was disappointed, but that’s golf,” says Gouveia who only turned professional last year and has already done enough this season to ensure that he’ll be playing on The European Tour next season. “You’ve just got to get through it and work a bit harder. This year has been very good for me and I go into Oman leading the Road to Oman Rankings, which is great. I hope I can finish it all off in style.”

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NBO GOLF CLASSIC GRAND FINAL Nov 04 -Nov 07, 2015

RICARDO GOUVEIA SHARES A JOKE WITH FRIEND AND RANKINGS RIVAL SEBASTIEN GROS AT THE FOSHAN OPEN.

Having had his first experience of the NBO tournament, and the Greg Norman-designed Almouj course last year, Gouveia (pictured inset) is relishing his return to Muscat and believes that the event’s elevation to become the season finale is fully deserved.

“The NBO Golf Classic Grand Final is a great event,” says Gouveia. “I really enjoyed the course last year and the set up. I think it’s perfect for the Grand Final of the European Challenge Tour. The weather is nice and the course is unbelievable – one of the best we play on all year – so it’s a perfect weekend to end the Challenge Tour season.”

Things could scarcely be tighter at the top of the rankings with Gouveia having racked up €157,592 in prize money for the season to Gros’s €153,612, the Frenchman also turning in a number of dazzling displays which have yielded victories in his homeland and Kazakhstan. But Gouveia is relishing the healthy competition as he looks to be first- past-the-post in the Oman showdown.

“It’s very competitive but really good and fun pushing each other all the way,” he says. “I know Sebastian well and he’s a great guy. He won in Kazakhstan in September but I finished well in The Foshan Open to overtake him again. We

make each other play better so it’s beneficial competition between us.”

With €64,000 up for grabs for the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final, Borja Virto Astudillo, currently in third place on the Road to Oman with €135,432 following his sensational wireto-wire victory in The Foshan Open, could also leave Almouj Golf as Challenge Tour Number One if the cards fall in his favour.

The Spaniard started the season on The European Tour but made the decision to rejoin the Challenge Tour midway through the year in a bid to find some form and improve results.

“I haven’t thought about winning the Road to Oman Rankings but it’s an option now, obviously,” said the 24 year old, who like Gouveia and Gros has already secured his European Tour card for next season following his win in China.

“I’m just going to take it easy and relax, because it’s been a busy year, starting on The European Tour and then playing Challenge Tour for the second half of the season.

“It was a tough decision for me to choose to play on the Challenge Tour, missing out on big European Tour events, but now it’s completely worth it. Hopefully this win and the experience the Challenge Tour has given me will help me to be more prepared next year.

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“I’m looking forward to a week off in Dubai, relax a little and then just try to enjoy Oman.

If the game feels good I’ll try and win the Rankings.

With Sweden’s Björn Akesson also in the mix, in fourth place on the rankings with €101,101, €56,000 behind Gouveia, following his runner up finish in China, the stage is set for a thrilling climax to the 2015 Challenge Tour season at the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final. ■

Tour News

L-R: HAMAD AL RUMHY, RASHAD AL HARTHY AND AZAAN AL RUMHY ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NBO AMATEUR FINAL.

OMANI AMATEUR NATIONALS JOIN THE GRAND FINAL FUN

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HE cream of Oman’s national amateurs will be battling it out in the NBO Amateur Final at Almouj Golf, Muscat, Oman, during the first two days of the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final, the climax to the 2015 European Challenge Tour season.

Oman’s leading amateur, Azaan Al Rumhy, will be leading the nine-man field over 36-holes of the Almouj course in a stroke play format, teeing off as three groups of three players as the last tee times of the day on Day 1 and Day 2, following the completion of the first and second round of the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final, on Wednesday, November 4 and Thursday, November 5.

The Omani Amateurs will play off the forward Championship tee markers on the Greg Norman-designed layout over the same course set-up for the leading 45 players on the European Challenge Tour, who are bidding to finish in the top 15 of the

Road to Oman Rankings at the conclusion of the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final and earn their playing cards to compete on the 2016 European Tour International Schedule.

The top three players in the NBO Amateur Final will be awarded a prize in the event based on their gross score at the completion of their second 18-hole round played on Thursday, November 5.

Six of the field of nine Omani amateurs have already confirmed to play: Amjad Al Toky, Azaan Al Rumhy, Ali Hameed Al Salah, Hamed Al Rumhy, Fahad Al-Kitani and Rashad Al Harthy. Azaan Al Rumhumhyy, aged 31, and his brother Hamad, aged 29, with Ali Hameed and 15 year old Rashad Al Harthy recently represented Oman in the Nomura Cup at Yas Links, Abu Dhabi where they finished in 23rd place.

It was the first time that an Oman team has entered the Nomura Cup, one of the biggest and most prestigious amateur team

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events in world golf. They competed against 26 countries from across the Asia-Pacific region with teams coming from as far afield as China, Japan, Australia and Mongolia in the 27th Nomura Cup. Azaan Al Rumhy, who has represented Oman on numerous occasions, believes competing in the Nomura Cup was the ideal way to prepare for the NBO Amateur Final at Almouj Golf, Muscat.

He says: “We are all excited and looking forward to taking part in the NBO Amateur Final on the first two days of the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final. It’s a new event and I think it’s the first event ever that’s going to be only for Omanis. It’s great to be playing on the same course as the pros that finished in the top 45 of the Road to Oman Rankings. I’m looking forward to that.

“The Nomura Cup was a great experience competing against teams from so many different countries. It was the first time we’d

▶

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Tour News

NBO GOLF CLASSIC GRAND FINAL Nov 04 -Nov 07, 2015

AZAAN AL RUMHY

competed in the tournament and its one I’ve always wanted to play.

“I was the first time that we have had Rashad in the Senior Team and Rashad is a good example of how much junior golf has progressed in Oman. His game has improved a great deal recently and for a 15 year old to play in such a high-quality prestigious event as the Nomura Cup is a considerable achievement, although Rashad has had the experience of playing in the winning Oman junior team in the GCC Under-15 event both this year and last year. ” “Having my brother, Hamad, in the side is always good as we support each other and push one another to perform even better.

It will also be good to compete against Hamad in the NBO Amateur Final. I’m sure it will bring out the best in both of us.”

Hamad Al Rumhy said: “It was great competing in the Nomura Cup with top players from Asia, especially from China, Chinese Taipei and Japan, that we see qualifying for quite a lot of major tournaments. There was a player competing from China that has qualified for the Masters and will be playing in the 2016 event. It’s a great honour for us to be

HAMAD AL RUMHY

in the same tournament with players like this and to be competing with them and learning from their game and swing.

“I’m really looking forward to playing in the Omani amateur tournament at the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final and also watching all four days with the top 45 players on the Challenge Tour’s Road to Oman trying to qualify for the European Tour.

“Having the Challenge Tour’s grand final in Oman has been great as a lot of broadcasters now talk about the ‘Road to Oman’ so every time they mention it, that propagates the name of Oman internationally.

“A lot of people in our country never knew about golf until they read about or watched the Challenge Tour so it‘s great for golf in Oman.

“Almouj Golf is a great venue. It’s a Greg Norman design and a very challenging course with spectacular views of the ocean and of Muscat.”

Al Harty added: “I’m really looking forward to the NBO Amateur Final and I think the Nomura Cup taught me how to play with experienced big players because I’m not yet at the level where I’m playing under par so I’m just learning now.”

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Oman National Team Coach, Marcus Casey, believes that the NBO Amateur Final played at his home club at Almou Golf, will be a great boost for amateur golf in the Sultanate, saying: “Junior golf is developing and progressing well in Oman. All of the clubs are offering junior programmes and we expect the school programmes to start in the next few weeks.

“Playing in the Nomura Cup, ahead of the NBO Amateur Final, was a great experience for the Oman Team. It’s a big step up for Rashad. It’s not really about results, it’s all about experience so he can compete at the highest level in the future.

“Azaan, Hamad, Ali and Rashad have all played the Almouj course many times. They just need to stay patient, take one shot at a time and remember that you don’t win a tournament on the first day. Everyone makes mistakes and it’s all about making fewer mistakes than the other teams.”

Everything adds up to an exciting NBO Amateur Final at Almouj Golf, The Wave, Muscat, Oman on November 4 – 5.

Fans can find out everything they need to know about the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final by visiting the newly launched tournament website: www.nbogolf.com

T H E L O N G E S T, M O S T F O R G I V I N G TITLEIST IRON EVER.

N E W TITLE IST Distance comes from speed, launch and high moment of inertia (MOI). New Titleist AP1速 irons help all golfers to play their best thanks to a 360 undercut cavity with a thin, fast face design and industry-leading use of high density tungsten weighting for speed and stability. AP1 irons deliver maximum distance and maximum forgiveness.

www.prosports.ae

O U R B E S T P L AY E R S ’ I R O N MADE EVEN BETTER.

N E W TITLE IST Players know that the only thing more satisfying than hitting a pure iron shot is hitting more of them. New Titleist AP2ÂŽ irons feature an innovative co-forged design with a low CG for increased speed.

And the sophisticated placement of high density tungsten weights low and on the perimeter provides more forgiveness and Tour-proven, consistent distance.

Visit titleist.co.uk/clubfitting to fi nd out where you can get fit for new AP irons and 816 hybrids.

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SPECIAL MIDWEEK GREEN FEES AT ARABIAN RANCHES GOLF CLUB Welcome to Dubai’s premier desert links. The weather is idyllic, the fairways are impeccable and our midweek green fees are simply irresistible.

Complement your Troon golf experience with all-day dining, state-of-the-art Academy and practice facilities ensuring there is no finer golf escape so close to home.

Enjoy our ‘Midweek Green Fees’ starting from AED 295* including golf cart and range balls prior to your game.

Rate is valid Sunday to Thursday until 31st December 2015 *Terms and conditions apply For more information and bookings, please call +971 4 366 4700 or email info@arabianranchesgolf.ae

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Tour News

WORLD ROUNDUPS

Date: Sept 22 - 25 Event: TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola Venue: East Lake GC, Atlanta, GA. Winner’s Cheque: $1,485,000

SPIETH CAPS SENSATIONAL SEASON WITH TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP TRIUMPH

Jordan Spieth capped an unforgettable season in style with victory in the Tour Championship to secure the FedEx Cup title and a massive payday in Atlanta. Spieth scored a closing 69 to finish nine under par, four shots clear of Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose and Danny Lee. Looking for a fitting finish to a sensational season, Spieth poured in putts from all over East Lake and never gave his rivals much of a chance on the last day. His final stroke was an eight-foot par putt that was right in the heart for a 1-under 69, and he leaned back with a smile of pure satisfaction.

The 22-year-old Texan became golf's first $22 million man - a PGA Tour record with just over $12 million in prize money, and the $10 million bonus for the FedEx Cup. Pos. Name 1 2 2 2

Jordan Spieth Danny Lee Justin Rose Henrik Stenson

Country USA AUS ENG SWE

-9 -5 -5 -5

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

68 69 70 63

271 275 275 275

66 72 68 68

68 69 71 72

69 65 66 72

Date: September 24 - 27 Event: Porsche European Open Venue: Golf Resort Bad Griesbach,Bad Griesbach,Germany Winner’s Cheque: € 333,330

"This is incredible. It was an event that we approached like a major championship because we knew this (the FedEx Cup) was possible at the end of it."

Date: October 01 - 04 Event: Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Venue: Old Course St. Andrews, Carnoustie & Kingsbarns,Scotland,United Kingdom - Scotland Winner’s Cheque: € 708,171

OUTSTANDING OLESEN CLAIMS THIRD TITLE IN SCOTLAND SENSATIONAL SEVEN FOR JAIDEE

Thongchai Jaidee sealed his seventh European Tour title with a flawless final round showing at the Porsche European Open in Germany.

The Thai star led by one overnight, and ground down those chasing him with a steady rather than spectacular four under par 67.

Graeme Storm maintained the most substantial challenge, but found water off the 17th tee and, although he managed to save par from ten feet at the last, Jaidee clung on with a neat up-and-down at the 18th.

“It’s been a very special week for me. It is the third time I have won outside of Asia, so I’m very excited about that and I’m happy to win this tournament. " Pos. Name 1 2 3

Thongchai Jaidee Graeme Storm Pelle Edberg

Country THA ENG SWE

-17 -16 -14

Thorbjørn Olesen held his nerve to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and claim his third European Tour title. This is the first tournament he has clinched since last year's ISPS HANDA Perth International.

The Dane came second at this event in 2012 and went one better on Sunday, posting a one under par 71 to finish the week on 18 under par, two shots clear of American duo Brooks Koepka and Chris Stroud.

Englishman Chris Wood closed with a bogey free 65 to finish a shot further back alongside Benjamin Hebert, Bernd Wiesberger, Joakim Lagergren and Kiradech Aphibarnrat.

It was an astounding display from Olesen, who spent three months on the sidelines earlier this year following hand surgery.

“It's been a very tough year so standing here with this trophy is unbelievable.”

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

Pos. Name

68 68 64 67 65 67 69 67 67 71 63 69

267 268 270

1 2 2

Thorbjørn Olesen Brooks Koepka Chris Stroud

Worldwide GOLF 59

Country DEN USA USA

-18 -16 -16

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

68 66 65 71 72 69 64 67 68 66 70 68

270 272 272

Tour News

WORLD ROUNDUPS

Date: October 06 - 11 Event: The Presidents Cup Venue: Jack Nicklaus Golf Club, Songdo IBD, Incheon City, South Korea Winning Team: USA

Date: October 08 - 11 Event: British Masters supported by Sky Sports Venue: Woburn Golf Club,Woburn,United Kingdom - England Winner’s Cheque: € 671,550

HAAS GRABS CRUCIAL POINT AS US WINS PRESIDENTS CUP

MATT’S THE MASTER AT WOBURNT

The United States won the Presidents Cup for the ninth time in 11 editions of the event after beating the International team 15.5 to 14.5 at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea.

Bill Haas, the son of skipper Jay and a captain's pick for the biennial event, scored the winning point by beating South Korean Bae Sangmoon two up in the last of the day's 12 singles matches.

There were plenty of upsets in the tournament. Jordan Spieth was stunned by Australian Marc Leishman while Jason Day lost to American Zach Johnson on a day of unrelenting drama at the Cup, which was played for the first time in Asia.

After 10 years of comfortable U.S. wins, the one-point margin of victory was the narrowest since the Americans won 16.5 to 15.5 in the U.S. state of Virginia in 1996.

Jay Haas said commented about his son’s display: "I told him, 'Come on, win one for your mum, your mum deserves this. We put him out 12th and had no idea this was going to happen. Couldn't even have dreamt this."

Team USA 15.5 - 14.5 International Team

Matthew Fitzpatrick held off the challenge of Søren Kjeldsen, Shane Lowry and Fabrizio Zanotti to claim his first European Tour title at the British Masters supported by Sky Sports.

The 21 year old rookie was the youngest player in the field but showed all the experience gained from his four previous top three finishes this season as he carded a closing 68 to finish two shots clear on 15 under at Woburn.

The Englishman became the fourth wire-to-wire winner this year as the event returned for the first time since 2008 with 57,047 fans turning out to watch the action.

"The fans have just been incredible to me and unbelievably supportive and I can't tell everyone how appreciative I am of that. Walking down every hole it's, 'Come on Matt' and it's amazing to have that support."

Pos. Name 1 2 2 2

Country

Matthew Fitzpatrick ENG Søren Kjeldsen DEN Shane Lowry IRL Fabrizio Zanotti PAR

-15 -13 -13 -13

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

64 65 66 68

269 271 271 271

69 68 69 68

68 69 69 66

68 69 67 69

Date: October 15 - 18 Event: Portugal Masters Venue: Oceånico Victoria GC,Vilamoura,Portugal Winner’s Cheque: : € 333,330

PARADISE IN PORTUGAL FOR HATTRICK HERO SULLIVAN

Andy Sullivan set a record in the Portugal Masters by becoming the first man to win three European Tour events this season, as he claimed a stunning wire-to-wire victory.

The Englishman came into the final round with a five shot lead and a 66 extended that to nine shots as he finished on 23 under and saw off the challenge of playing partner Chris Wood.

Sullivan became the fifth wire-to-wire winner of the season and blew away the record winning margin at the event which had been Alexander Levy's three shot victory last year.

It was a sad day for golf as Anders Hansen brought the curtain down on an impressive professional career with his 419th – and almost certainly final – European Tour appearance Pos. Name 1 2 3 3 3

Andy Sullivan Chris Wood Eduardo De La Riva Trevor Fisher Jr Anthony Wall

Country ENG ENG ESP RSA ENG

-23 -14 -13 -13 -13

R1 R2 R3 R4

Total

64 68 65 66 69

261 270 271 271 271

64 69 67 68 64

67 65 68 70 72

66 68 71 67 66

“Those two wins in South Africa were unbelievable but to show your peers that you can do it in Europe as well is unbelievable and to do it in front of so many people from my home golf club. My mum and dad are here and it's been incredible.”

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#LeaveNoYardBehind

our greatest combination of speed, forgiveness and distance.

One yard is one yard too many. That’s why Great Big Bertha is back and all new – with our fastest face, most efficient head design and most advanced, yet simple, adjustability. All to give you greater forgiveness, speed and distance. Until you’re playing Great Big Bertha, and it’s fit to your swing, there’s no telling how many yards you’re leaving on the tee. Get fit into the new Great Big Bertha today.

©2015 Callaway Golf Company. Callaway, the Chevron Device, Great Big Bertha, R•MOTO, Adjustable Perimeter Weighting and OptiFit are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Callaway Golf Company. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. Henrik Stenson plays an XR driver in competition. **Claim based on player testing of more than 80 golfers and their current gamer driver. For exact test details please visit callawaygolf.com/leavenoyardbehind.

20

NO YARD BEHIND.

Did you know research shows that golfers, on average, are leaving as much as yards on the tee due to imperfect launch conditions because their driver is not fit to their game? Learn how Great Big Bertha can help you Leave No yard Behind at callawaygolf.com/leavenoyardbehind. **

LEAVE

INSTRUCTION

PERFECT YOUR BUNKER PLAY - 64 DUBAI GOLF JUNIOR PROGRAMME - 66 DISTANCE CONTROL WITH WEDGES - 69

BUNKERS ARE THE BANE OF MANY A GOLFER’S LIFE, BUT THEY DON’T NEED TO BE AND AL HAMRA GOLF CLUB’S ROSS MCARTHUR IS GOING TO SHOW US HOW TO MAKE LIGHT WORK OF THEM.

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INSTRUCTION

HOW TO PLAY THE DREADED FRIED-EGG LIE

ROSS MCARTHUR,

PGA Professional, Al Hamra Golf Club

It’s that lie in the bunker that almost all of us dread.

Buried lies in the sand can cause a problem because when we play a regular splash shot out of the bunker, the aim is to let the club head pass through the sand under the ball with an open clubface and use the bounce of the club to propel the ball up into the air.

But when it comes to playing out of a plugged lie, our technique and address position has to be modified slightly.

A majority of the time a plugged lie in the sand forces us to ‘take our medicine’ and just simply get the ball out of the bunker rather than getting the ball close to the hole. However with a good technique and a little experience, we can give ourselves a good chance to card a sandy up-and-down that we can brag about in the clubhouse after our round.

Worldwide GOLF 64

SET-UP

It is a common misconception that a ball plugged in the bunker requires a more open clubface.

This is not the case.

We need to dig the clubhead deeper into the sand to force the ball out. In order for us to execute the shot effectively we need to adapt the ball position, clubface, feet alignment and swing path.

The first element we need to address is the clubface. This needs to be ‘hooded’ or in a closed position before we place our hands on the grip.

The closed clubface will mean the leading edge rather than the sole of the golf club contacts the sand first.

To aid the strike and encourage a steeper angle of attack in to the ball, the ball position must be moved further back in the stance.

Now that the clubface is aiming more to the left, our alignment has to be more ‘square’ to the target if not in a slightly closed position.

WATCH THE VIDEO AT WorldwideGolf WorldwideGolf

MOVEMENT

In order to attack the sand, the club needs to be ‘picked up’ fairly quickly in the backswing. A lot of wrist cock is required with a moderately long backswing to give enough clubhead speed an ad steep angle of approach to get the ball out, on to the green, and close to the pin.

THINK STEEP & AGGRESSIVE

Two key swing thoughts for this should be ‘steep’ and ‘aggressive.’ The ball should pop out of the plugged lie.

The ball will tend to come out of the plugged lie with a low trajectory, and will often have lots of topspin meaning that once the ball hits the green, it will roll a fair distance.

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FOLLOW THROUGH

The severity of the buried ball has a very large influence on whether or not we make a follow through. It is important that from the top of the backswing, you hit down on the ball and wherever possible, try and follow through despite the fact that this will more than likely be curtailed.

INSTRUCTION

REACH NEW HEIGHTS WITH THE DUBAI GOLF JUNIOR PROGRAMME What makes the Dubai Golf Junior Programme the best in the UAE? Our professionals have over 100 years of combined teaching experience and have worked under the mentorship of Peter Cowen for over 10 years. Peter is recognised as one of the world’s top coaches and has helped numerous players reach the top of the World Ranking.

JONATHAN CRADDOCK

D

Emirates Academy, PGA Professional

UBAI Golf encompasses the two most prestigious clubs in the region, Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, providing juniors with two world class venues to experience and develop their golf. The Dubai Golf Junior Programme has been a regional leader in golf development for years. Our main objective is, of course, to have fun whilst delivering the correct information, enabling a pathway for our juniors to develop.

Each junior receives a Dubai Golf Passbook which has specific challenges and tests for each student to overcome in order to proceed to the next level. Our system covers various levels from beginner through to our Dubai Golf Elite Junior Programme.

Improve your game with The Academy Signature Package Worldwide GOLF 66

SPIDERMAN CRAWL The Spiderman Crawl is an advanced exercise testing the strength of an individual, increasing body weight load through varying positions.

It is my belief that too many children focus on sports that involve lots of lower body action, putting a limitation on upper body development.

Gymnastics and yoga are two excellent balanced sports to get your children involved in. Our programme includes many calisthenic exercises you might find in those sports. Calisthenics is a form of exercise that consists of a variety of gross motor movements using only body weight. This can be a great way to develop the fundamental movement skills of juniors while also challenging their varied strength levels.

The ability to coordinate and maintain stability with the upper body is paramount when trying to sequence the golf swing and deliver power.

One of the main issues juniors face is the inability to control the golf club. This can be due to the weight, size of the club or simply the lack of upper body development. Perform a new calisthenic exercise every week with your child to have FUN and improve their motor ability.

BEAR CRAWL The Bear Crawl is a simple cross-body coordination exercise and a typical calisthenic exercise that tests the body as it requires flexibility and strength. A great exercise to begin with for the youngest golfers. .

WATCH THE VIDEO AT WorldwideGolf WorldwideGolf

• The Academy’s exclusive training package, suitable for all level of golfer • Your dedicated Golf Professional will tailor training to suit your individual needs • Inclusive of 10 x one hour lessons, one x Par 3 playing lesson and unlimited use of the Par 3 course and practice facilities • AED 8,800 Please contact +971 4 417 9845, email emiratesacademy@dubaigolf.com or visit www.dubaigolf.com

Worldwide GOLF 67

INSTRUCTION

CONTROL YOUR DISTANCE

SET UP Ball position is central, my weight is on the left side and my hands are level with the ball to slightly ahead.

C

ontrolling distance from 50 yards up to 110 yards is vital for golfers to improve scores. To judge distances on wedge shots, I change the length of the swing according to each shot. Below shows two different shots, the first is 60 yards from the flag and the second is 80. Notice the difference in the backswing and follow through which determines the distance.

60 YARDS

BACKSWING FOR 60 YARDS The length of the back swing is quite short, with not a lot of wrist hinge, my movement is very simple with a turn of the shoulders with very little movement in the lower body.

TIM BACKHOUSE

Teaching Professional, ETPI Jumeirah Golf Estates.

WATCH THE VIDEO AT WorldwideGolf WorldwideGolf

80 YARDS

FOLLOW THROUGH FOR 60 YARDS My body has turned through with an extension of my arms and again a very quiet lower body movement.

BACKSWING FOR 80 YARDS The length of the backswing is up to the shoulder meaning that the speed on the downswing will be slightly higher giving more distance.

Worldwide GOLF 69

FOLLOW THROUGH Here I have turned through to a more ‘complete’ follow through due to the fact that my back swing being longer. With all shots the length of back swing and follow through should be very similar in length.

GEAR

TOOLS OF

POWER

TAYLORMADE M1 | CALLAWAY GREAT BIG BERTHA | CALLAWAY GREAT BIG BERTHA ALPHA 816

‘W

hat other people may find in poetry or art museums, I find in the flight of a good drive.’ Most golfers would agree with Arnold Palmer’s classic quote. However certain clubs that possess the latest technological advancements can improve your drives in terms of distance and accuracy. Scott Sullivan, General Manager of Progolf International, partnered up with Jason Ashley, the Custom-fit Specialist for

Golf House, to test out and compare Callaway’s new Big Bertha drivers and the recently-launched TaylorMade M1 at The Address Montgomerie, Dubai. With the assistance of the TrackMan, it was easy to analyse the three unique drivers and see what difference the new technology has made compared to the older drivers on the market.

Let’s see what Scott and Jason had to say after belting numerous drives off the tee and interpreting the data.

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GEAR

SCOTT SULLIVAN, General Manager ProGolf.

SCOTT SULLIVAN: I think the M1 is probably the best TaylorMade driver that I’ve ever struck. It looks, feels and sounds like the best driver they’ve produced. It felt great off the face and the ball flight was terrific. The only negative aspect about this club is that the mishits were shorter than the Callaway drivers.

The Great Big Bertha sounded differently to the M1 but travelled further. The setup felt great. If anybody is struggling with a draw, this club is ideal because I drew it lots but had it in the fade position on the top.

The Big Bertha Alpha 816 felt solid. The ball flew brilliantly off the face. It sounds a little bit higher pitched than the previous Bertha 815 so that takes a while to get used to.

All three look, sound and feel amazing. These days nobody makes bad clubs and you usually have to look at the statistics provided by TrackMan to identify the real difference.

JASON ASHLEY: If we first look at the M1, what I like about this driver is the adjustability available to the golfer. This is in terms of the launch perspective and potentially the spin perspective. We noticed the M1 was around 200RPM lower in spin compared to the Callaway drivers. Furthermore, the mishits weren’t going anywhere near as far as the centered strikes but it didn’t lose much accuracy. The distance was affected because the ball speed reduced significantly when the ball wasn’t struck in the sweet spot. The shaft was nice and light but a little bit light in the tip on the M1, just like Scott prefers. Overall it was a great driver that performed well because it was consistently straight; even

JASON ASHLEY, Golf House custom fit specialist, The Address Montgomerie, Dubai when Scott hit off-centred, it stayed much straighter than the other drivers. That’s a huge positive for golfers.

With the Great Big Bertha, it was drawing a bit. This was possibly accentuated because the shaft was too light and soft for you. The ball speeds were good and the ball was travelling further with this club than the M1, but not by much.

The Alpha 816 was certainly better in terms of ball speed and overall feel. The difference between the Great Big Bertha and the 816 is that the Great Big Bertha sits a little bit more open and flies differently to the 816. This meant you weren’t

Worldwide GOLF 72

CALLAWAY GREAT BIG BERTHA

CALLAWAY BIG BERTHA ALPHA 816

battling the draw as much with the 816 and you were hitting it much straighter and further. The yardage was 303 total for the 816, 299 for the Big Bertha and 297 for the M1. They were all very close in terms of overall distance.

Out of these three drivers, which club performs the best if you hit it offcentred?

JASON ASHLEY: I would have to say the Callaway drivers because their new R-MOTO technology as well as the speed club face really helps with offcentered hits. It was very noticeable when comparing the Callaway’s to the TaylorMade M1. The ball speed plummeted when you didn’t hit the M1 properly, whereas the technology in the Big Berthas is far more forgiving because the speed club face is designed brilliantly. However the M1 is a excellent club for the consistently accurate drives it produces for lower handicappers.

TAYLORMADE M1

WATCH THE VIDEO AT WorldwideGolf

THESE THREE FANTASTIC DRIVERS CAN BE TESTED OUT AT GOLF HOUSE AT THE ADDRESS MONTGOMERIE WHERE JASON CAN ADJUST THE CLUB TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS AND BOOST YOUR POWER FROM THE TEE. SPIN RATE (rpm)

CARRY (Yards)

TOTAL (Yards)

SMASH FACTOR

CLUB SPEED (mph)

BALL SPEED (mph)

LAUNCH ANGLE (deg)

SPIN RATE (rpm)

CARRY (Yards)

TOTAL (Yards)

SMASH FACTOR

CLUB SPEED (mph)

BALL SPEED (mph)

LAUNCH ANGLE (deg)

SPIN RATE (rpm)

CARRY (Yards)

TOTAL (Yards)

SMASH FACTOR

109.0 109.9 108.4

Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 816

166.0 165.4 164.4

Callaway Great Big Bertha

10.4 10.1

11.0

TaylorMade M1

2264

277.5 302.6

2360

274.1

1998

299.1

271.6 299.8

DISTANCE & TRAJECTORY

Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 816

1.52 1.51

1.52

Callaway Great Big Bertha

TaylorMade M1 40 30

200

150

100

80

60

40

20

200

150

100

80

60

40

20

20 250

TRACKMAN DISPERSION

LAUNCH ANGLE (deg)

250

TAYLORMADE M1

BALL SPEED (mph)

300

CALLAWAY GREAT BIG BERTHA

CLUB SPEED (mph)

300

CALLAWAY BIG BERTHA ALPHA 816

WorldwideGolf

300

280

Worldwide GOLF 73

10

GEAR

INTRODUCING

TITLEIST’S NEW 716 IRON RANGE

The New Titleist irons deliver ‘best in class’ distance, forgiveness and shot-making performance.

360º CUT

T

he new AP1 irons are designed for golfers seeking maximum distance and forgiveness. New AP1’s 360º undercut cavity design with a large, thin, unsupported face delivers speed and launch for more distance, while the industry-leading use of high-density tungsten weighting provides maximum forgiveness.

MAX DISTANCE - MAX FORGIVENESS • Maximum distance from the 360º undercut design creates a thin, fast face.

• Maximum forgiveness from the use of high density tungsten to drive down the CG to increase launch and MOI

TUNGSTEN WEIGHTS These irons deliver tour-proven distance with forgiveness and solid forged feel. New AP2 irons use extreme high density tungsten weighting to position the centre of gravity low and perfectly aligned at impact for more speed. An innovative co-forged construction places the high density tungsten low and to the perimeter, increasing the moment of inertia for greater forgiveness and consistent distance.

TOUR-PROVEN DISTANCE AND FORGIVENESS. • Distance from the low CG better aligned for impact.

• Forgiveness from the co-forged high density tungsten weights.

The new 716 AP2 is Titleist’s most advanced players’ iron, made even better

Worldwide GOLF 74

The 716 AP1 irons feature two high performance stock shaft options with flighted designs that align with AP1’s high-launch flight goals. The True Temper XP90 provides proven XP technology in a lighter weight design, four grams lighter than the previous generation XP95, with a bend profile to enhance launch. The Mitsubishi Kuro Kage TiNi 65 is a high launch design with titanium nickel wire added for improved response and feel.

Titleist is the exclusive launch partner of the new AP2’s stock shaft, the True Temper Dynamic Gold AMT. Featuring new, tourproven innovative ascending mass technology; this produces lighter long iron shafts for launch and speed and heavier short iron shafts for control.

STEPHEN DEANE

Head Academy Professional, Emirates Golf Club Titleist Ambassador

PRECISE DISTANCE 716 CB irons use extreme high density tungsten weighting to position the centre of gravity low and perfectly aligned at impact for more speed with Tourproven trajectory and control.

PRECISE SHOT CONTROL 716 MB irons feature a precise, high muscle design with a squarer toe, thin topline and pre-worn leading edge for maximum shot control.

REFINED BLADE Designed using a combination of player input and high tech CAD modeling, 716 MB irons deliver a pure, forged, muscle back feel.

“I’ve been very fortunate over the last two seasons to be a Titleist brand ambassador. The product is absolutely superb and it’s nothing short of a pleasure to play with their equipment. I must say I was extremely excited with the 716 range and I’m itching to play with these irons later this season.”

MIKE KINLOCH

Mike Kinloch Head Academy Professional, Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club Titleist Ambassador “The entire range of clubs is all of the best quality so it’s always a great feeling going to the golf course knowing that you’ve got the best equipment in your bag.”

FORGIVING BLADE An innovative co-forged construction puts high density tungsten low and on the perimeter for added forgiveness in a Tour-proven cavity blade profile.

WATCH THE VIDEO AT WorldwideGolf WorldwideGolf

Worldwide GOLF 75

GAINING DISTANCE, CONTROL AND ACCURACY. WITHOUT SACRIFICE. Engineering clubs “Without Sacrifice” requires true innovation from our engineers and researchers.

This philosophy is best represented in the G30, our newest game-changing technology.

G30 HYBRID G30 FAIRWAY G30 IRON

High launching, soft landing.

Faster face, greater distance.

Built for distance and control.

G30

STANDARD Optimised to fit most golfers.

The preferred choice of PING professionals around the world.

SF TEC™

STRAIGHT-FLIGHT TECHNOLOGY Weight closer to the heel and a lighter swingweight produce a right-to-left shot bend.

©2015 PING P.O. BOX 82000 PHOENIX, AZ 85071

LS TEC™

LOW-SPIN TECHNOLOGY Provides low, stable spin and forgiveness for golfers with faster swing speeds.

GEAR

Putting Pioneers

By SAM TAYLOR, ProSports International

P

ING has strengthened its Cadence TR putter range this season with the launch of new Craz-e-r and Ketsch Mid putters.

CRAZ-E-R PING have introduced a variation on the Craz-e, one of the most successful and enduring models in its history. A continuous white sightline extends from the top of the black PVD head to the back for easy alignment and more confidence. The high-MOI Craz-e-r is offered in a traditional-weight (blue) precision-milled aluminum insert, or a heavy (black) stainless steel insert. The traditionalweight head will typically fit golfers with faster tempos and can help with lag putting. The heavy version adds mass to match slower-tempo strokes, and can lead to better results on shorter putts. The putter can be fitted to accommodate straight, slight arc, or strong arc stroke types.

KETSCH MID The Ketsch Mid has a smaller, more compact head than the original Ketsch mallet. It offers a 100% milled, aerospacegrade aluminum body to ensure precision, and also features True-Roll Technology grooves.

TR grooves vary in width and depth from the center of the face, producing consistent ball speeds across the face for unmatched distance control, resulting in more holed putts and fewer three-putts. Contrasting white sightlines on the black anodized head simplify alignment. The centre line extends to the back of the putter for added confidence.

Golfers can choose a traditionalweight model with a stainless steel sole plate or a heavy-weight model with a tungsten nickel sole plate to match their stroke tempo and improve their consistency.

The traditional-weight head will typically fit golfers with faster tempos and can help with lag putting. The heavy version adds mass to match slower-tempo strokes, and can lead to better results on shorter putts. The putter can be fit to accommodate straight, slight arc, or strong arc stroke types.

• • •

Traditional, 350g; Heavy, 375g Straight, Slight Arc and Strong Arc stroke types Adjustable +/- 2º from std. lie angle

WATCH THE VIDEO AT WorldwideGolf WorldwideGolf

Worldwide GOLF 77

• • •

Traditional, 350g; Heavy, 383g Straight, Slight Arc and Strong Arc stroke types Adjustable +/- 2º from std. lie angle

GEAR

eGolf Megastore Tel: +971 4-338-5770 Unit 1, Mansoor Building, Street 26, Al Quoz 4 www.egolfmegastore.ae

EGOLF MEGASTORE PROVES A BIG HIT WITH REGION’S GOLFERS

F

ollowing last month’s ’soft opening’ of eGolf Megastore, the UAE’s newest golf retail facility, WWG caught up with eGolf’s General Manager, Dyootiman Pal, to discuss the first few weeks of trading, and what’s in store for UAE golfers over the coming months.

“The early response to the store opening has been incredibly exciting for the team,” says Pal. “We’ve intentionally kept the store in a pre-opening phase to provide us with an opportunity to fine tune the store layout. In addition, the soft opening has allowed us to narrow our focus on the exact product and brand mix we feel is necessary to present the business as a one-stop shop to golfers in the region.

With more than 35 brands already under a single roof, we feel we’re getting closer each day.”

The eGolf Megastore, which is situated in Al Qouz 4 off Umm Suqiem Road, opened its doors to the UAE public in September this year, following more than three years of retailing exclusively online at eGolfMegastore.ae. The new facility, which spans 6,400 sq ft across two floors, incorporates two custom fit bays equipped with GC2 launch monitors and the latest simulation software, full service repair shop, a 280sq ft putting green, ‘Hardware Heaven’, ‘Bag World’ and dedicated Training Aids & Accessories Wall on the first floor.

“The first floor is certainly what grabs

each customer’s attention when they visit the store,” says Pal. “Whether they’re a Callaway, TaylorMade, Titleist, Ping, Mizuno or Nike player, we’ll get them fitted out with the latest gear from our first floor”.

In a first for the region, the Megastore contains eGolf’s Certified Pre-Owned Equipment section, which provides golfers with the opportunity to purchase pre-owned equipment at vastly reduced prices. Each pre-owned club undergoes a six-point inspection by eGolf’s trained staff and golfers can try before they buy in one of the hitting bays.

“The dedicated Pre-Owned section is my favourite, as it offers something different for the region,” Pal continues.

“Those familiar with the origins of eGolf will know know that we’ve been buying and selling pre-owned equipment online since our CEO founded the business in 2012. However what we have discovered is that pre-owned is proving a greater success in-store, as golfers naturally want to touch, feel and test out the club before purchasing.”

And as for what’s on the horizon for eGolf, Pal remarks: “October saw the opening of our full service repair shop, and in November we will see the introduction of fitting carts from the big brands and a range of custom shafts”.

Exciting times indeed for the newest retailer on the block.

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E V I S U TION F L C EX LLEC EGOL CO LY AT OR E ON GAST ME

5 1 0 2 DRIVE THE GAME.

Worldwide GOLF Columnist

Gary Player

I’ve achieved a lot in my 80 years

I

‘M EXCITED about celebrating my 80th birthday on November 1st. We’ve got my family and friends coming from all over the world and it will be a spectacular occasion. We’ll have around 300 guests at Sun City, which is the perfect setting for what will be a special event.

It’s very gratifying for me to be as fit and well and busy as I am at the age of 80. There have been so many milestones in my life but my greatest achievements are that I have enjoyed 59 years of a happy marriage, our six children and our 22 grandchildren. I’ve had a good faith in life and I can look back on my career with 165 Tour wins and 18 Majors and think ‘how did I do that,’ being only a small person.

But I know it’s all in the mind. I had a very strong confidence in myself and my golf game and I always believed I could succeed.

I was a very fierce competitor. I was always keyed up and determined to win. I’d play a practice round with players and they might beat me but when I played them in the tournament itself I’d suddenly become another person and I’d beat them. My body and my mind seemed to explode with adrenaline and I became totally focused on the job in hand. It’s a special gift and I’ll always be eternally grateful for it.

I was proud of achieving the Grand Slam on the regular Tours but I was more proud of achieving the Grand Slam on the Senior Tours. It was a big thing for me to be the only man ever to complete the Senior Grand Slam.

I guess it was because I was just as fit

Gary Player aged 10

when I was in my Sixties as I was when I was 50. It was gratifying to be rewarded for all the hours I had put in at the gym and keeping fit. I also travelled around the world more than any other golfer. It was a blessing that I was able understand people’s religions, their customs, their food and their political views and opinions. It was a great global education for me.

I’ve always had the interest, enjoyment and ability in talking to people. It’s good to converse with people. It’s an important part of all our lives to to communicate with people. If everyone could only communicate with each other and talk things through there wouldn’t be wars.

Golf may have been my life but the greatest part of it was the education I received from so many people I met around the world. I’ve talked to prime ministers, presidents, royalty and also the people in the villages of Africa and India and elsewhere in the world.

I was fortunate to go to King Edward VII School in Johannesburg, one of the best schools in the world, and one of my abiding memories was winning the trophy in my second year in high school at the age of

In 1957, Player marries Vivienne after earning enough money through tournament wins to pay for the wedding ceremony.

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16 as the best all-round sportsman at the school. I won a cricket bat and I’ve never forgotten that day. I regard that as one of the most significant moments of my life.

It was also reward for the time it used to take me to go to and from school, which was a long distance away from home. With no mother I often came back to a dark, empty house. I realised I couldn’t feel sorry for myself, I just had to get stuck in. I think all that helped me become a stronger character and more able to overcome some of the obstacles in my life.

I came through the apartheid years with a sense of determination not to be beaten. I did all sorts of things to help the cause of people of colour. I played golf wearing trousers with one leg white and the other one black. I sponsored black golfers. I funded them to travel to play golf tournaments. I did all I could to help while at the same time putting up with the abuse from golf spectators at tournaments around the world. It was the right thing to do. I lost the US PGA Championship as a result of the behaviour of the spectators. I guess I’ve had a different life to any other sportsman.

I’ve always had the interest, enjoyment and ability in talking to people. It’s good to converse with people. It’s an important part of all our lives to to communicate with people. If everyone could only communicate with each other and talk things through there wouldn’t be wars.

I’ve learned a lot in my golf career and my lifetime and I’m looking forward to learning even more in the future. ■

Gary Player and Vivienne pictured with their first two children, Jennifer and Marc. They would go on to have four more children.

1960 – in his defence of The Open at St. Andrews, Player wears black and white trousers as part of his own silent protest against apartheid in South Africa. He would later arrange for Lee Elder to play in the South Africa PGA Championship, the first integrated sports event in the country since apartheid became official government policy.

1959 – Gary Player wins his first Open Championship at Carnoustie, four years after sleeping on the beach the night before his first Open appearance.

1961 – Gary Player becomes the first international winner of The Masters Tournament at Augusta, as the 1960 Masters Champion, Arnold Palmer, Gary’s great friend and foe, follows the tradition of helping the new champion on with the Green Jacket.

1965 – Gary Player holds the trophy after completing the career Grand Slam with victory at the US Open at Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis. Player became only the third man to achieve the feat and to this day remains the only non-American Grand Slam winner.

1974 – Gary Player becomes the first professional to shoot 59 en route to winning the Brazilian Open.

1997 – Gary Player completes golf’s Senior Grand Slam, at Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland, with his third victory in the European Senior Open, following his two wins at Turnberry (1988, 1990).

1968 – Player wins The Open for the second time, again at Carnoustie, with a two-stroke win over Bob Charles and Jack Nicklaus.

2003 – Gary Player Captains the International Team at The Presidents Cup for the first time at Fancourt. The matches were tied for the first time at 17-17 as Gary and the United States Captain Jack Nicklaus agree the outcome could not be settled before the sun finally sets.

2012 – Gary Player joins Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer – The Big Three – as the honorary starters for The Masters. Between them they won 13 Green Jackets, with Gay winning three times in 1961, 1974 and 1978.

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Worldwide GOLF Columnist

Greg Norman

Celebrating my 100th course

Last month Greg Norman Golf Course Design reached a true landmark with the opening of our 100th golf course design.

L

AST month, Greg Norman Golf Course Design celebrated a landmark occasion with the opening of our 100th golf course at Eastern Golf Club in Australia. I hosted the official grand opening in Yering, located within Melbourne’s famous Yarra Valley.

Celebrating this milestone in Australia gave me particular satisfaction. My responsibility when designing a golf course is to ensure it complements the stunning natural surrounds, and at Eastern, to showcase the native flora and fauna that Australia is renowned for.

Eastern is a truly special place where members can enjoy teeing off in the company of kangaroos while taking in the spectacular views of the surrounding Christmas Hills and Dividing Ranges. This course delivers a natural golf experience and I am so proud to be a part of it.

As part of the Official Opening I conducted a coaching clinic for returned Aussie servicemen and women from the Greg Norman Foundation’s charity partner, Soldier On. I am such a proud Aussie and I love giving back to the country that gave so much to me.

I never envisaged being in this position when I started out in the business nearly three decades ago. This is the second chapter of my life, and although it has all been rewarding, when I was inside the ropes it was all about me and my golf.

Golf course design has so many different touch points.

It’s a unique experience. I take seriously the legacy we create in designing and developing each course.

I value the gravity in knowing we have made a global impact in creating courses that withstand the test of time.

Today, GNGCD courses span the globe,

covering six continents and 34 countries.

In addition to GNGCD’s 100 opened courses, we currently have 42 more under contract and another 22 actively under development. This century milestone is just the beginning.

I never envisaged being in this position when I started out in the business nearly three decades ago. This is the second chapter of my life, and although it has all been rewarding, when I was inside the ropes it was all about me and my golf. Golf course design has so many different touch points.

AYLA UPDATE Our design at Aqaba, Jordan, the first 18-hole course constructed in the country, is doing remarkably well. It is such a monumental project not only for Jordan, but for the region. I love making in-roads in non-traditional golf areas to grow the game, and this is a shining example of what can be done.

You will be pleased to know that we are in the last stages of grassing the final holes. The course is really coming together as we are focusing on landscaping and framing the outer areas.

As the tees, fairways and greens mature, we will be working on set-up and overall playability. Everyone who has

Worldwide GOLF 83

worked so hard on making this course come to life is excited about the course making its big debut.

Honored in Australia I have been fortunate enough to carry the Aussie flag on my back throughout my career and represent my country with the utmost pride. This has come fullcircle for me, as I was recently honoured with two major awards by the country I love so much.

I received one of the greatest tributes of my life by the PGA of Australia with the launch of a new award, the Greg Norman Medal. This will be presented annually to the best male or female Australian professional golfer on the world stage.

I am deeply grateful and honoured to have this prestigious award named after me, which will hold a place of prominence in my heart.

Australian golf is in a great place right now, and I hope the young players out there representing our country are inspired that hard work and perseverance can lead you to great things. My dream is to see others go on and achieve even more than I did.

I was also fortunate enough to have been honoured on September 14 at the iconic Sydney Opera House by The Advance Global Australian Summit. This year, I received the highest honour of the evening as the 2015 Advance Global Australian Icon Award recipient.

This accolade is bestowed on an Australian with a significant body of work in their field of expertise, who plays on the world stage, and who is willing to give back and share their skills with Australia.

I have always said that giving back is the way forward and there is no greater feeling than to be recognised for it. ■

Worldwide GOLF Columnist

David Howell

Treading a fine line

There is a fine yet lonely line between success and failure for the professional golfer on any tour around the world.

O

CTOBER witnessed the return of one of The European Tour’s more illustrious events, the British Masters, this year presented

by Sky Sports at one of England’s finest venues, Woburn Golf Club. I could sum it up in just three words: A HUGE SUCCESS. Why? Well, free tickets for spectators on Day One on Thursday got the week off to a great start, setting up the atmosphere for the week. The crowds flocked in throughout the fourdays in similar numbers. Around 15,000 a day came through the gate, not bad at all for an October date.

The quality of the field was decent, not our strongest but with Ian Poulter hosting the event, and Donald, Westwood, Harrington and McDowell, along with Danny Willett competing, it was certainly a stellar British field. With a big purse on a good course it was exactly the kind of new, or should I say renewed event that the new CEO of The European Tour, Keith Pelley, will have had in mind.

The event had an exciting champion, too, in Mathew Fitzpatrick, a 21 year old Englishman. You are sure to hear much more of Matt over the years to come. This was a big tournament to win as your first on The Tour and it has set up an exciting end to the year for the man from Sheffield. With the Final Series taking in Turkey and China before arriving at the Earth course for the grand finale in Dubai there is so much to play for.

Another rising star, Danny Willett, is having a great battle with Rory McIlroy to end the year top dog on The Race to Dubai.

Who knows how Rory would have fared in the second half of the season if he hadn’t had that kickabout with the lads, but it has led to a close race for the RTD Title, which is a great thing. With 8 million points per week to play for over the final four events, much

movement can be made in the rankings with just one big finish.

Let’s hope it comes right down to the wire on Sunday at JGE with two guys playing the tricky par five 18th with a chance to take all the spoils. McIlroy is still in pole position but with him playing in only three of the last four events the door is ajar for someone from the chasing pack to put severe

Everything is ramped up for these last four events so the opportunity is there to reverse the tide and jump into that top 20 position. If I can find a way to do that then it will have been my best season for 10 years, and a season I can be proud of. pressure on him.

It’s great news that Rory will be playing at Jumeirah Golf Estates at the end of the month. No tournament is complete without the world’s best players and when it became apparent that Rory would not be able to play the stipulated minimum number of 13 events, The European Tour faced a tricky problem. It’s to Keith Pelley’s credit that he used his executive power to exempt Rory from the regulation that is in place to make sure our top players support The European Tour.

Rory has so far shown great support for The Tour that gave him his first chance and I feel it was right to show him our support in making sure his return from injury is made with a schedule that suits his body and not just a regulation. A Race to Dubai

Worldwide GOLF 85

without its leader would be no race at all. The decision may have ruffled a few feathers among some of the players but all-in-all the players as a whole recognised the importance of putting both Rory himself and the sponsors of the tournaments, before a point of principal.

I’m looking forward to a big finish to what has been a pretty consistent year for me, albeit one that so far has brought no silverware my way. If I could find some over these final four events then I’ll have had a stellar year. I will enter the Final Series in around 25th spot. Two years ago I came into it lying 12th, but injured. That year, annoyingly, I finished 21st, literally limping across the finish line I would have to say in all honesty.

This year my back flared up on the 1st tee of the third round of the British Masters, which was terrible timing for that event but maybe it gave me just enough time to recover for the final month of the season.

Everything is ramped up for these last four events so the opportunity is there to reverse the tide and jump into that top 20 position. If I can find a way to do that then it will have been my best season for 10 years, and a season I can be proud of.

One final thought: By now the top 110 in The Race to Dubai will have been finalised.

Those beyond that cut-off number have the harshest of realities to face. Do they go to Tour School and take on the tough task of playing six pressure rounds to try to rescue some status for next year, to cling onto your job? Professional golf can be a privileged existence but it can also be the hardest job in the world, with weekly pressure and huge financial swings. It’s the most honest of all sports, and the most lonely. To all those players who lost their way this season, I wish them the best of luck in their battle to return to The Tour next year and have a better time of things. ■

40,000 Visage GPSi systems at Another winning product from Colin Baxter, MD, Hydroturf “VISAGE is now the global market leader with such prestigious golf course customers as Gleneagles, The Grove, The Belfry and Troon North in the USA. In over 40 countries, Visage is providing golf managers with a superb fleet-monitoring tool while also providing the ideal customer experience for the golfer.�

over 600 golf courses Worldwide Club Car and HYDROTURF Anna Darnell, Director of Golf at The Grove

VISAGE –

CHANGING THE FACE OF THE INDUSTRY Phil Lewin, Director, GPSi Europe

“The Visage system continues to go from strength to strength and is the chosen supplier to some of the world’s leading golf courses. Club Car’s interactive touch screen system now accounts for over 80% of the market. Visage is much more than a simple GPS tracking system, it is a full-featured mobile golf information system. It can control the motor of the car, it can slow it right down, stop it altogether and send messages to the golfer explaining why this is being done. The system continues to change the face of the industry and is why Visage is the number one product for golf courses serious about the safety and enjoyment of the customer.”

UAE golf courses using Visage: l l l l l l l l l

Abu Dhabi Golf Club Al Ain Golf & Shooting Club Al Badia Golf Club Al Hamra Golf Club Arabian Ranches Golf Club Saadiyat Beach Golf Club Abu Dhabi The Address Montgomerie Dubai The Els Club Dubai Yas Links Golf Club Abu Dhabi

“ The Visage system has numerous advantages and fortunately here at The Grove we get to use every aspect of the software. One of the key reasons we went for this system above others was the security management of the fleet and maintaining areas of the golf course. You can see all cart history, battery charge and where they are currently situated on the course, enabling management of pace of play, providing protection to areas of the course and helping establish a better understanding of the car’s usage. It’s very easy to communicate to all guests on carts and the tournament software system is used to its full potential to save money on external e-scoring companies, scorecards and cart signs.”

Simon Mees, GM, Al Hamra Golf Club

“IN 2013 we purchased the Visage system, as we were experiencing problems with another make.

We are absolutely delighted with the Visage system from both a guest experience and our own back of house operations with the system providing us with a quality that is second to none.

Everything that was promised to us by Visage and Hydroturf at their presentation was delivered in full. Our golfers tell us that the screens are easy to operate. From an operations point of view it is essential that the GPS system is fully functional at all times as this improves the speed of play and our golfers’ experience. The Visage system can do all the usual distance readings with flyovers for the guest, plus providing us with an abundance of useful data and controls from an operations standpoint. It is truly a Great Product, the best on the market and I would recommend to any club.

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ArabianGOLF NEWS FROM THE LEADING CLUBS IN THE REGION

JAPAN TAKE THE SPOILS AFTER A THRILLING 27TH NOMURA CUP A

fter a thrilling week of golf at the 27th Nomura Cup it was Japan who emerged victorious, ending a 26 year wait for glory after a nail-biting ‘fourth man countback’ against the talented team from Chinese Taipai at Yas Links.

The 72-hole stroke play event in Abu Dhabi was organised by the Emirates Golf Federation and Yas Links Abu Dhabi on behalf of the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation. It was the first time the prestigious team event had been held in the Middle East in its 52-year history and there was some breathtaking golf on display as a record 27 nations turned out to compete.

P90 ARABIANGOLF

“We started a new elite programme just three weeks ago so this is a great and unimaginable start.”

TEAM JAPAN AWAIT THE OUTCOME OF THE COUNTBACK AT YAS LINKS

With both Japan and Chinese Taipei finishing the week with scores of 22-under-par 842, taken from the best three rounds of the four man team each day, it was the fourth man from each team’s scorecard which proved decisive with Toshiki Ishitoku’s closing round of 75 sealing the win for his team. The Japanese Team of Daisuke Matsubara, Naoyuki Kataoka, Takumi Kanaya and Ishitoku received the trophy from His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al Nahyan, the UAE’s Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development during the Nomura Cup prize giving ceremony.

Helped by an opening round 10-under par, 62 by Daisuke Matsubara, Team Japan have been on a sharp learning curve since welcoming their new coach, Gareth Jones in September. The team’s Captain, Katsuii Hotta was clearly buoyed by the victory and was quick to praise Japan’s new coach.

“It has been a long 26 years for Japan, this means a lot to us, this is huge,” said Hotta. “We started a new elite programme just three weeks ago so this is a great and unimaginable start. This is all about Gareth Jones, ‘The Gareth Jones effect!’ He really has led us to victory this week, as his preparation with technique and tactics have been fantastic. I let him control the team and I cannot thank him enough for what he has done.”

After a dominant recent spell from Australia who have won a record 10 Nomura Cups, the victory by Japan demonstrates their commitment to amateur golf.

“With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in mind, we are aiming

Katsuii Hotta, Japan Team Captain

THERE WAS LITTLE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE TALENTED TEAMS FROM CHINESE TAPEI AND JAPAN IN THE END

CHENG JIN RECEIVES THE INDIVIDUAL PRIZE

for a gold medal,” continued Hotta. “Last year, we hosted the World Amateur Championships and we didn’t do very well.

But this is an important step for Japan. We are trying to build a better program for our best amateurs golfers. This new programme is designed to produce more successful golfers for our future.”

The team from Chinese Taipei consisting of Han-Ting Chiu, Chun-An Yu, Yung-Hua Liu and Sun-Yi Lu had led from Day One but faltered over the final few holes of the award winning Kyle Phillips designed course. Korea finished third on 16-under beating who finished on 15-under and New Zealand on 13-under.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old Chinese superstar Cheng Jin won the individual event with a dominant 13-under par total.

He will play in the 2016 Masters Tournament following his victory earlier this month at the 2015 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.

“This is my second time playing in the Nomura Cup – I also played Thailand two years ago – and it’s a great tournament that I’m delighted to win,” said Jin who fired impressive rounds of 67, 69, 70 and 69 on the Kyle Phillips-designed course. “It’s been an amazing week – this is my first visit to the Middle East and I really enjoyed everything about it. The field was really strong with a lot of good players so it’s great to come out on top. It’s been a great month. It’s the dream of every golfer to play in the Masters and now I’m going be there next year – I’m so excited and really looking forward to it.”

“The Nomura Cup is a great tournament that I’m delighted to win. This is my first visit to the Middle East and I enjoyed everything about it.”

CHENG JIN

P93 ARABIANGOLF

UAE TEAM

SKAIK PROVIDES CAUSE OF OPTIMISM FOR UAE COACH

T

he UAE Team may have left Yas Links feeling that they could have improved upon their 20th place finish on home soil but the youngest member of the team, 18 year-old Ahmed Skaik, who only recently made the step up to senior level having won back-to-back GGC Championships with the junior team, gave coach Greg Holmes reason for optimism.

The youngster more than held his own with some terrific golf on the Kyle-Phillips designed layout to finish as the highest placed UAE Team member in 66th place out of the 108-man field.

“It was a very good individual performance from Ahmed,” said Holmes. “He opened with a 75 on a very tough course and then held it together in the second round when it wasn’t going too well for him and managed to shoot 79. Then he managed another 79 on day three and came in with a 77 in the final round where he was three under par after seven, which is wonderful play for an 18 year old in such a big tournament. So in terms of a new young player coming to the forefront, that was a really

positive result. Four rounds in 70s for him – he came through the challenge fantastically.

“I’m really proud of the work he put in. He did everything we could ask of him whether it be pre-tournament or during the event. He said he was nervous in the final round but really it wasn’t his ball striking (that affected his scoring) it was just a few schoolboy errors, maybe hitting into a few bunkers when he should’ve played it with a three wood so he probably just got the wrong club here and there.

Despite the result, Holmes believes that the experience of competing against some of the best amateur players in the world marks another vital step in the development of the National Team.

“If you take results out of the equation altogether, it’s another step in the development,” he said. “Putting the team against a guy who’s going to be playing in the Masters next year (Cheng Jin), you’ve got some absolute top drawer players here and the more they’re exposed to that, ultimately, the better they’re going to become.

Khalid Yousuf

UAE National Team

“It was nice playing on home turf because we usually have to travel to other countries for the tournament; therefore it wasn’t as manic. It was a benefit hosting the event here in the UAE so it’s a shame we didn’t perform as well as we would have liked. Having players like Cheng Jin featuring in the tournament is a testament to the quality of competition in the field. Yas Links did a great job of hosting the tournament.”

Adel Zarouni,

Vice Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation, was proud of the efforts of all involved in hosting the Nomura Cup in the Middle East for the first time in the event’s 52-year history.

WWG: We spoke before the tournament about how keen you were to showcase what the Middle East can do in terms of hosting a big international amateur event like this, how do you think the week went and have you achieved the goals that you set out to?

ADEL ZAROUNI: First of all, it’s an honour for the UAE, and especially Abu Dhabi, to host this tournament.

It’s an honour for the Emirates Golf Federation which has put in a lot of effort to make sure this tournament is one of the largest and the best Nomura Cups ever. There has been a lot of hard work put in to facilitate the tournament, but most importantly we wanted to reflect to the world that we have excellent facilities for golf here in the UAE and we have a team at the EGF that can organise large tournaments like this one at the highest level. We thank God that we have been very successful in doing this.

WWG: You must be very proud to have got a record number teams (27) entering the event?

AZ: We have received support from throughout Asia. We assisted a lot of countries to enable them to participate in the tournament and we worked with the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, not only to have a record number of countries participating, but also a record number of players (108). We’re very proud to have hosted what we believe to be the best Nomura Cup in the history of the tournament.

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TROON CHIEF RELISHING AL ZORAH OPENING W

hen Al Zorah Golf Club in Ajman opens for play next month it is set to take the UAE golfing scene by storm.

In a region blessed with an abundance of world-class courses, there is nothing quite like this windswept, beautifully manicured coastal oasis. The Nicklaus Design, managed

by Troon Golf, will offer something for everyone – from the weekend warrior to the touring professional, the variety of challenges available on this cleverly designed track is remarkable. But it’s the opportunity of an ‘escape to nature’ which will prove truly tantalising to both the region’s golfers and the significant tourist trade; the chance to escape the metropolis of Dubai to play golf among the mangroves and the flamingos with the wind in your face and the smell of the sea in your nostrils. Mark Chapleski, Area Managing Director, Senior Vice President, Troon Golf Middle East, has overseen the development of some the area’s finest course but, as he tells Worldwide Golf, he’s licking his lips in anticipation at the unveiling of the UAE’s latest golfing gem.

to build the course around 1million square metres of natural mangroves that make life at Al Zorah truly natural and unique. Al Zorah is a joint partnership between the Government of Ajman and Solidere International, who visualised the project, along with the golf course. The Nicklaus Design team, headed

by Dirk Bouts, has done an amazing job of tying the golf holes into the mangrove system which has become one of the key features of Al Zorah. There are also subtle elevation changes around the course that have been created. All credit to the Nicklaus team and to Proscape, the contractor for the construction and Mike Knudsen, the Project Manager, all whom were involved from the very early stages. Finally, our Superintendent, Terrance Mohamed, and his team have done a magnificent job in growing the grass in, and getting it to the finely manicured state that golfers expect from a Troon property. Those living in the golf villas around the golf course will certainly have spectacular views! We are not far away from this level now, and will start doing VIP preview play in late November.

WORLDWIDE GOLF: What was it about the Al Zorah project that attracted you to a relatively unattractive piece of land that had few redeeming features?

MARK CHAPLESKI: The land site for the golf course at Al Zorah was never unattractive but it certainly presented an exciting challenge

WWG: Using the incoming and outgoing tide in the recess areas of the mangroves to change the perspective of the golf course and the mangrove swamp, has become a unique characteristic of the layout – how was it conceived.

MC: That was something that the team

became aware of during the initial phases of construction. It’s hard to imagine the magnitude of the tidal change that takes place over a one-hour period in the mangroves. The golfers who frequent Al Zorah Golf Club will learn when the best times are for being able to play out of the lateral hazards, and when your errant shots might go swimming. This will likely be the first golf course in this region where golfers will check the daily tidal charts before deciding on their tee time, like surfers do! This challenging golf course is just one of the many reasons to visit Al Zorah, which is also special for its natural landscape, diverse bird species and walkable environments.

WWG: You’ve been in the Middle East for quite some time now, so how does Al Zorah Golf Club rate among the rest?

MC: Golf courses are subjective, depending on the individual golfer. Some courses are enjoyed by almost everybody, like the Abu Dhabi Golf Club. You rarely hear anyone say they didn’t like it. Other courses, even Tour Championship venues are often a case of love it or leave it. I believe that Al Zorah Golf Club is going to be one that almost everyone who plays it will enjoy the experience. On the whole, the UAE has many very good golf courses, with amazing service standards and amenities, compared to most places in the world.

IN FOCUS: AL ZORAH GOLF CLUB

MARK CHAPLESKI (RIGHT) INSPECTS THE COURSE WITH AL ZORAH GOLF CLUB GENERAL MANAGER PHILIP HENDERSON

WWG: One of the abiding problems with the region is that there are too few golfers to fill too many golf rounds. Is Al Zorah Golf Club going to target the tourist to drive the business as well as creating a core membership – and how will you achieve these dual goals?

MC: The challenge in this region is filling in the weekday golf slots. The weekends are fully booked at almost all golf courses in the UAE during the October –May peak season. Al Zorah Golf Club has the unique opportunity to attract tourist golfers from both Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and further afield. Not just because it’s a wonderful, intriguing place but also because Al Zorah offers a variety of options to make the most of ‘natural living,’ including marinas for those with a penchant for sailing.

Troon Golf has a large international database and relationships with key Tour Operators in every country that delivers golfers to the UAE, so we are working those areas very hard. There was certainly a lot of excitement surrounding the opening of Al Zorah Golf Club at the recent IGTM (International Golf Travel Market) show in Tenerife, which was fantastic for us. Al Zorah GC will be our seventh facility in the UAE so golfers have a vast selection when coming to the region and wanting to experience Troon courses. At the same time, Tour Operators can easily package multiple rounds of golf and stay within the Troon brand.

WWG: How does it rate as a challenge for the low handicapper while still managing to appeal to the occasional tourist golfer or weekend warrior?

MC: This is always the goal of a resort course designer, and Nicklaus Design has accomplished this with Al Zorah Golf Club.

The distance from the front tees to the back tees vary greatly, and the landing areas are generous on most holes.

WWG: If it is to become a genuine popular resort course it needs to provide all the amenities that go with it – spa, swimming pools, restaurants, expansive clubhouse, and excellent hotels. Is this the objective?

MC: The permanent clubhouse that will be complete by 2017 will have a swimming pool and fitness centre, and the Resort currently has two hotels being built, The Oberoi Hotel and the Lux Hotel. The Oberoi (113 keys) is

scheduled to open in 2016 while the Lux (193 keys) will open in 2017. To add to this there will be marinas, restaurants, and a wellness centre that visitors will be able to make the most of. Al Zorah is a holistic development with a huge focus on contemporary and natural living. With properties situated around the golf course and along the beach, both residents and visitors will be able to make the most of Ajman’s most unique locale.

Golf courses are subjective, depending on the individual golfer. Some courses are enjoyed by almost everybody, like the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

You rarely hear anyone say they didn’t like it.

MARK CHAPLESKI WWG: To attract local members, is Al Zorah prepared to cut its green fees and memberships to entice golfers from Dubai and further afield to come and play?

MC: The published Green Fees will be higher than those available in Ras al Khaimah, but lower than the Dubai market. However, Troon uses a dynamic pricing model with our online tee time system, similar to those that hotels and airlines use, so the price that a golfer may pay will vary greatly, depending upon the day, time and demand levels.

WWG: Does Al Zorah Golf Club have its sights set on hosting a Tour Championship event in the

future to help put the course and Ajman on the international golf map?

MC: This is certainly within the realms of possibility. With the Oberoi and Lux hotels being a part of the Resort (opening in 20162017), considering the quality of the golf course and the permanent clubhouse, Al Zorah would be an absolutely perfect venue for one of the major golf tours to consider.

WWG: Would one of Al Zorah Golf Club’s goals be to specialise in providing weekend golf breaks for local golfers?

MC: Absolutely. This will be a major attraction for the UAE market. With two 5-star hotels on site, and a further four 5-star hotels located on Ajman’s Corniche, the overall pricing for a stay-and-play package will be very competitive within the UAE market. I imagine the weekends will be very busy with local golfers, many of whom will stay in the Resort hotels.

WWG: With Troon Golf managing the majority of courses in the UAE does it make it easier to organise, the more golf courses you manage?

MC: It certainly makes our loyalty programmes more valuable for the local market as well as being beneficial for our members to use the Troon Advantage programme in their own backyard. It also makes it very convenient for our associates who are interested in taking on a new challenge at another Troon property, but don’t really want to leave the UAE. We have moved at least 50 associates over the past eight years to other properties within the region, with the majority of these moves being promotions.

WWG: What are the plans for the clubhouse and when is it expected to open?

MC: It is anticipated to open in 2017. Expect to see a very modern design, of modest size, but one that has all the necessary elements that golfers have come to enjoy here in the region.

It will overlook the 9th and 18th greens and have a majestic view of the mangroves, similar to what the Pavilion has now. The Pavilion is a beautiful ultra-modern, mostly glass structure with four levels, and restaurants that have majestic views over the golf course and mangroves. First time golfers are going to be pleasantly surprised by the quality of this unique facility.

SAADIYAT BEACH GOLF CLUB

FUTURE FALCONS PROGRAMME UPS THE FUN FACTOR Saadiyat Beach Golf Club’s junior development programme proving popular

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he celebrated English author and 20th century humourist Sir Pelham Grenville (P.G.) Wodehouse once famously said this of the Royal and Ancient game: “Golf, like measles, should be caught young.”

Fortunately, the march of time and advances in modern medicine means that the measles virus is under control.

What has proven thoroughly contagious, though, is a golfing bug sweeping across a new generation of golfers at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club.

MARK YOUR DIARY

NOV 2

Saadiyat Beach Golf Club’s excellent Future Falcons program has now been delivered to more than 130 players aged between 5-15 years. A close relationship with Cranleigh School Abu Dhabi, which provides golf as part of its extracurricular options, has only enhanced the programme.

South African PGA Professional PJ Van Merch has played a chief role in the Future Falcons programme which is delivered on a weekly basis by the Saadiyat Beach Golf Academy team.

Matteo Manassero Golf in Abu Dhabi tournament, 12.30 shotgun

Research shows having fun is paramount for children in the learning process so all Future Falcon sessions, which cover varied aspects of the game, are designed with this in mind.

“We have a few levels in our programme comprising two introductory courses with age groups of 5-8 years and 9-14 years as well as an advanced group,” explains Van Merch.

“We aim to develop well rounded athletes and therefore we focus on developing functional movement skills,

NOV 13

Members ‘Monthly Medal, tee times available

SaadiyatBeachGolfClub

SaadiyatBeach

SaadiyatBeachGolfClub

www.sbgolfclub.ae

and when these movements are mastered, more specific fundamental golf skills.”

The programme is proving so popular, the Saadiyat Beach Golf Academy has recently opened a time slot for budding Lydia Ko’s and Rory McIlroy’s as young as three years old.

“This comes with obvious challenges but we’ve found the trick with coaching such youngsters is to continuously change the activities and environment,” Van Merch said.

The Future Falcon sessions are held on Saadiyat Beach Golf Club’s s range and superb short game practice area under the watchful eye of the Academy’s fully qualified PGA Professionals – Van Merch, Director of Instruction Martin Robinson, Paul Hubner and Jaco Standaer, who recently joined the team as full time teaching professional.

The youngsters are then allowed to sample the club’s famed Gary Player designed beach front championship course reflective of their ability.

Under the nurturing umbrella of Troon

: +971 (0) 2 557 8000

info@sbgolfclub.ae

Golf, growing the game is part of Saadiyat Beach Golf Club’smission and has led the club to introduce initiatives such as the Abu Dhabi Schools and Club League. The league is a series of six events that circuit the six courses promoted by the ‘Golf in Abu Dhabi’ collective. The Troon Cup is another initiative in which all of the Troon Golfmanaged properties in the UAE enter junior teams to compete against each other. There is no shortage of playing opportunities for Abu Dhabi’s young golfers.

The leagues sees 40 children tee it up for 9 holes of golf and some post round food and beverage for just AED 50.

Saadiyat Beach Golf Club are rightly proud of Van Merch’s dedication to the emirate’s juniors as it ensures P.G. Wodehouse’s sage advice all those years ago is being heeded today.

To register interest in the Future Falcons program, please call +971 02 557 8000 or email pvanmerch@sbgolfclub.ae.

Pro You Didn’t Know ?

PJ VAN MERCH

PJ Van Merch is a dynamic golfer with an approachable personality. Shortly after taking up golf, PJ joined the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation which provided him with professional coaching throughout his schooling years. PJ started his PGA training in Cape Town, South Africa, where sports psychology stimulated his interest in the socio-psychological aspects of the game.

PJ boasts a well-rounded golfing education having completed his PGA training at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club.

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Members’ Monthly Stableford, tee times available

DEC 4

Members ‘Monthly Medal, tee times available

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Members’ Monthly Stableford, tee times available

ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB

NICOLL WARMLY WELCOMED

Abu Dhabi Golf Club is thrilled to call Callum Nicoll their new Director of Golf and the feeling is most definitely mutual.

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hen a golf club commences the search for an important new staff member, they undoubtedly do so hoping to receive a résumé as impressive as Callum Nicolls’.

After six years as Operations Manager at The Els Club, Dubai, Nicoll’s stock in the talent nurturing Troon Golf system is northward bound after he agreed to pick up his sticks and head south to become Director of Golf at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

The Els Club’s loss is Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s considerable gain with the affable Scotsman bringing a wealth of experience to the European Tour venue, not to mention a golf game good enough to win five successive UAE PGA order of merit titles.

Now 33, Nicoll began his PGA training as an 18-year-old at Turnberry, the most picturesque of all the venues on the Open Championship rota. He then returned “home” for a stint at historic Prestwick, the very first Open Championship venue, before landing at the Els Club in 2009, a glitzy world away from

MARK YOUR DIARY

NOV 6

Lockheed Martin Monthly Medal, Tee Times

the century old traditions of the Scottish game he left behind.

“I hope to bring a bit of experience from all the places I’ve worked…they’ve all been very different which is great,” Nicoll told Worldwide Golf.

“Turnberry was my first job for almost 5½ years. I was not there during any of the Open Championships, but the hotel, the golf course, the lighthouse... it really is a magical place.

“Prestwick is more of a members club, a very traditional Scottish club which I really enjoyed. My six years at The Els Club, with Ernie’s name and Troon’s backing, was also a fantastic place to work and now Abu Dhabi Golf Club, with the larger membership and the European Tour event coming up in January, I’m really looking forward to getting involved.”

Nicoll will oversee all golf operations, from the causal week day roll-up to retail and everything in between.

“I’m looking forward to working with guys

NOV 26

The Etihad Airways Night Flight, 6.30pm shotgun

like Andrew Whittaker on the agronomy side to Danny Jakubowski, the Director of Instruction. Guys like that have been in play, and successful, for a long time. I’m glad to be involved and hope I can add something to the team.”

Nicoll is no stranger to Peter Harradine’s famed National layout having qualified for the 2013 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship (he savoured a practice round with Ernie Els), two years after contesting the Dubai Desert Classic.

He’ll be busy outside the ropes this January when Abu Dhabi Golf Club hosts the 11th edition of the annual Desert Swing opener. But that doesn’t mean Nicoll has any plans to let his own golf game go to pasture.

“I just love to play golf and be involved in golf, so I’ll continue trying to keep my game in good shape. I like playing with the members and keeping involved.”

The members at Abu Dhabi Golf Club will no doubt be lining up to be part of any such tee time.

NOV 28

Members’ Monthly Medal

AbuDhabiGolfClub

ADGolfClub

AbuDhabiGolfClub

www.adgolfclub.com

+971 (0)2 558 8990

golfreservation@adgolfclub.com

RONSON AND LABRINTH WOW HUGE GREEN GROOVES CROWD Abu Dhabi Golf Club grooved to a different beat last month as Sony Music stars put the renowned European Tour venue on the music map.

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rammy award-winning DJ and record producer Mark Ronson and the Englishman’s chart-topping compatriot Labrinth have wowed a very different kind of gallery at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in an impressive debut for the club’s innovative new Green Grooves Abu Dhabi concert series.

Normally the scene of polite applause in appreciation of the world’s best golfers during the European Tour’s annual Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in January, Abu Dhabi Golf Club cranked up the volume with the Sony Music stars animating the crowd of local and international party-goers.

After popular mood-setting sets by local acts DJ Melohman, DJ Koast and Saif & Sound under the shadow of Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s famed Falcon clubhouse, the crowd embraced Labrinth, one of the UK’s brightest, multifaceted talents whose first No.1 single came in November 2012 with “Beneath your Beautiful” featuring Emeli Sandé.

It was then the turn of Ronson who last

DEC 12

Lockheed Martin Monthly Medal, Tee Times

year won a Brit Award for his first UK and U.S. chart-topping single “Uptown Funk” (featuring vocals from Bruno Mars) and has produced on multi-platform, Grammy Awardwinning albums for artists such as Amy Winehouse and Adele.

Abu Dhabi Golf Club General Manager Paul Booth, leader of the team that created the Green Grooves Abu Dhabi concept, paid tribute to all five acts who ensured a blockbusting start to the all-new concert series.

“It was a fantastic evening and you could see by the reaction of the crowd that all five artists hit the spot…we’re thrilled everyone had such a memorable time,” Booth said.

“Abu Dhabi Golf Club welcomes the world’s best golfers each January and now, thanks to Mark Ronson, Labrinth, Saif & Sound, DJ Melohman and DJ Koast, our iconic golf venue is on the map as the UAE’s best new outdoor concert venue. I’d like to thank them all for helping us achieve that.

DEC 17

The Etihad Airways Night Flight, 6.30pm shotgun

“Golf clubs are traditionally very conservative institutions but the performance by Mark Ronson and Labrinth shows that we, as a Troon Golf-managed club and as a sport, are determined to showcase all that our family-friendly club has to offer and embrace concepts not readily associated with the Royal and Ancient game.”

Ronson and Labrinth headlined what Abu Dhabi Golf Club intends becoming an ongoing roll-call of top international acts at the club with further Green Grooves Abu Dhabi concerts earmarked for 2016.

“I think this has proven the Green Grooves Abu Dhabi concept is a winner. We’re working hard behind the scenes to bring more world renowned artists to Abu Dhabi Golf Club covering a wide genre and look forward to unveiling our next stars soon,” Booth said.

Visit www.adgolfclub.com for more information on Green Grooves Abu Dhabi.

DEC 19

Members’ Monthly Medal

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D U BAI CREEK G O LF CL UB

ASHOK SINDHU AND SURESH SHEWAKRAMANI SUPER SHOW The pairing of Ashok Sindhu and Suresh

DCGYC Shewakramani got back to winning ways with a superb betterball Stableford score of 45 points in October’s OMA Emirates Creek Pairs.

There were plenty of good performances throughout the field and the scoring was very tight.

So tight, in fact, that the team of Anish Bhatia and Swati Singh, who finished runners-up on the day, did so only by way of a countback over the third placed team, David Gowans and Joy Lirio. Both pairs managed a very respectable score of 42 points, a fantastic total for Gowans and Lirio who were playing in their first-ever competition together.

The Nearest the Pin prize on the eighth hole was won by Dubai Creek’s previous Lady Captain, Paula Savage. Fellow Dubai Creek member Sami Eldin also did the same on the par 3, 16th.

BIGGER HOLES EQUAL BIGGER LAUGHS AT THE DUBAI CREEK’S PAR 3 COURSE DCGYC Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club have now

made playing the game of golf even more fun with the introduction of gigantic golf holes on the Palm Par 3 course.

The Par 3 course at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club is already renowned as one of the best introductory courses in the region and the addition of the new 15-inch holes, that are over three times bigger than a standard golf hole, mean that the course is now even more accessible to beginners and younger players learning the game.

The standard 4¼ inch holes are still available, ensuring a great course for more experienced golfers to practice their short game. These holes will be indicated by a white and black flag with the new larger holes clearly indicated by a yellow flag.

Golfers can also enjoy a risk and reward style game by playing with both flags deducting half a point off the score when making a shot in the standard hole.

Price: AED 45 per person inclusive of club hire.

When: Open seven days a week from 7am to 10pm.

Contact: For more information and bookings, please call + 971 4 205 4666, email – reservations@ dubaigolf.com or visit www.dubaigolf.com

MASHREQ MEDAL CHAMPIONSHIP DELIVERS YET AGAIN The October edition of the 2015 Mashreq

DCGYC Medal Championship took place on

Saturday, October 3 at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. The series has proved to be a great success since its introduction and the 2015 October edition was no exception, boasting another field full of competitors bidding for glory and, of course, all-important Order of Merit points.

Mark Bishop was back on form and claimed top honours in this month’s event after a solid round of 4-under par net 67. Mark not only claimed the trophy but also valuable Order of Merit points. After being presented with his prize Mark commented: “Despite the humid conditions, I was really pleased with my performance. I hit most of the greens in regulation and putting was made easier as the greens were in such great condition.

The monthly medal is a great event which is always well supported and one I look forward to playing again.”

In the Men’s A Division Adhip Shankar and Patrick Morrow also produced great performances. However it was Shankar who prevailed by three shots with a fantastic oneunder par 70. The same three-stroke winning

margin was also seen in the Men’s B Division with Ashok Kumar, who narrowly missed out on the overall prize by just one shot, carding a superb, 3-under par 68 to take the winning prize. Jamal Bin Marghoob claimed the division’s runner-up prize with a solid level par 71.

Michael McGinley was almost flawless as he carded a two-over par round of 73 to pick up the Best Gross prize.

George Varghese finished with a one-over par 72 to claim the Senior Division, whilst Glory Xavier produced a level par 71 to clinch the Ladies Division. Bilel Belaid, Adhip Shankar, Mark Jolliffe and Imran Qayyum all made birdies and were the 2’s Club winners on the day.

After conducting the prize presentation, Dubai Creek’s Director of Golf, Stephen Hubner, said; “Thank you all for your support and participation again this month. I hope you all enjoyed your games today.

“I must say congratulations to all of today’s worthy winners and a huge thank you, as always, to our sponsors, Mashreq, BMW and Ruth’s Chris Dubai without whom this event wouldn’t be possible”.

BIG BRANDS LADIES OPENER GETS OFF TO A FLYING START The Ladies Monthly Medal series at

DCGYC Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club got

underway again after a summer break. The ladies always look forward to getting out there and competing in this event and had all the more reason to thank to the new event partners, Big Brands & Time Machine Group.

The summer break wasn’t an issue for Vijaya Brahmachary who performed spectacularly in claiming top spot in this inaugural event with a 2-under par 69. Glory Xavier was on form again with an eagle to her name in finishing with a score of 71 to claim second place. Daniella Sacchini picked up exactly where she left of before the summer break, continuing a fine run of form in the series and coming in third with a round of 71. Naema Maya produced arguably the

Linda Beainy (Senior Manager, Time Machine Group), Vijaya Brahmachary (Winner), Harini White (Lady Captain, Dubai Creek).

finest performance of the day, adding an eagle to her scorecard on her way to making a 78 to claim the Best Gross prize. Glory and Naema were double winners on the day as they claimed both the Nearest the Pin and Longest Drive prizes as well.

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DUBAI CREEK GOLF & YACHT CLUB HOST FUN MARRIOTT REWARDS MASTERS GOLF TOURNAMENT FOR SECOND SUCCESSFUL YEAR DCGYC A record number of 83 Marriott

Rewards members, senior executives and business leaders were greeted by Marriott’s management team at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club for a day of fun, networking and, of course, golf challenges in the second annual Marriott Rewards Masters Golf tournament.

Throughout the day, players were treated to culinary and beverage highlights from a wide range of Marriott Hotels in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, while tackling the challenging Dubai Creek course.

The day concluded with an exciting prize-

giving ceremony with the first prize, for each player on the winning team, receiving a two night stay at the Jordan Valley Marriott Resort and Spa and 25,000 Qantas points, courtesy of Qantas’s sponsorship.

Other prizes included stays at the Sharm El Sheikh Marriott Resort and the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai as well as restaurant vouchers for Darren Velvick’s newly launched ‘The Croft’ at the Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel and Suites. Guests were invited to continue networking at The Croft’s afterparty on their newly launched Juniper Terrace.

WARREN PANTING AND VANESSA NORTH TOO HOT TO HANDLE IN TAKING THEIR FOURTH TITLE AT OMA EMIRATES CREEK PAIRS Producing another fine performance

DCGYC in September’s OMA Emirates Creek Pairs and continuing their dominance in this event was the duo of Warren Panting and Vanessa North. They produced another winning performance and finished with a total of 42 points to take their fourth title in the event There were plenty of good performances throughout the field and the scoring was so tight that the team of Jamal Saab and Bilal Belaid, who finished runners-up on the day, did so only by way of countback after they finished with a total of 42 points as well.

Dubai Creek Lady Captain Harini White and

her son Asanka also showed great teamwork and put in a great performance to finish third with a team score of 40 points. Michael McGinley claimed the Nearest the Pin prize on the par 3, 8th hole, and fellow Dubai Creek member Stephen Barker did the same on the par 3, 16th.

After the prize presentation, Dubai Creek’s Golf Experience Manager, Rashid Hamood said: “A very warm welcome back to you all.

We hope you had a nice summer and are ready for the season ahead. Thank you all for your support today and thanks also to OMA Emirates, Ascots & Chapels and Jaermann & Stubi for their continued support”.

Dubai Duty Free President, George Horan along with Sinead El Sibai, Vice President, DDF Marketing, presents the trophy to David Gowans, overall champion of the Dubai Duty Free Seniors Cup.

DAVID GOWANS’ BIRDIE BLITZ WINS HIM THE DUBAI DUTY FREE SENIORS CUP David Gowans’ fantastic score of 40 points won him the 18th edition of the Dubai Duty Free Seniors Cup played over the Faldo Course at Emirates Golf Club. David, currently a five handicapper enjoyed a mixed round of golf. He may have thought his chances were over after a treble bogey on the tricky dog-leg 7th but birdies at the 4th, 10th, 12th, 13th and 18th was enough to secure victory.

In the Men’s division, with Gowans unable to collect another trophy, the winner with another fine score of 39 points was Kishalay Bandopadhyay. One point behind was Achal Gai. The Ladies division was closely contested with Viv Caley securing victory by a one-stroke margin, scoring 33 points with runner-up Charmaine Bruwer narrowly missing out on 32 points.

Commenting on the turnout

EGC

Overall Winner Best Gross Winner Runner-Up Michael Major (golf Operations Intern, Dubai Creek), Rashid Hamood (Golf Experience Manager, Dubai Creek), Warren Panting (Winner), Harini White (Ladies Captain, Dubai Creek), Vanessa North (Winner, Ladies Vice Captain, Dubai Creek)

Winner Runner-Up

and standard of play, Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of Dubai Duty Free said: “This is the 18th running of the DDF Seniors Cup and we had some incredible scoring today. Our thanks to all our participants and to the Emirates Golf Club for their efforts in ensuring a great day was had by all.”

Besides the Stableford format, there was a prize for the best gross score of the day which was won by Ken Newell for a four-over par 76 around the tricky Faldo course.

There were on course prizes for all competitors with the Nearest the Pins being won by Charmaine Bruwer on hole 12 for the ladies and by Kishalay Bandopadhyay on hole 2 for the men. The Longest Drive challenges were won by Viv Caley on Hole 16 for the ladies and by Craig Dunn on hole 3 for the men.

RESULTS David Gowans Ken Newell MEN’S: Kishalay Bandopadhyay Achal Gai LADIES: Viv Caley Charmaine Bruwer

40pts 76 gross 39pts 38pts 33pts 32pts

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JOHN McGUINESS CLAIMS ARABIAN RANCHES MEN’S SUMMER OPEN TITLE John McGuiness returned a gross 1-under

ARGC par 71 to win the Arabian Ranches Men’s

BIG BRANDS AT HAND FOR INAUGURAL EGC LADIES EVENT Players were rewarded with Big Brands vouchers worth up to AED 500 in the ladies first medal of the season on the Majlis course.

Emirates Golf Club are pleased to welcome their new sponsors who are part of the Time Machine Group.

In the silver ‘A’ division (Hcp 0-14) it was Viv Caley who came out on top with a two-under par net score of 70. In second place with a one-over par net score of 73 was Naema Maya. The best gross was won by Mimi Hosking with a score of 75, which was also a net 70 but missed out on the net prize on a back-nine countback.

Jenny Isles was the winner of the silver ‘B’ division (Hcp 15-23) with 2-under par net 70. The runnerup with a net score of 2-over par 74 was Lynne Dickinson.

Josie Tracey was triumphant in The Bronze Division (Hcp 24-42) with a great score of 2-under par 70.

In each monthly medal the ladies enter into a raffle, courtesy of new sponsors Big Brands and this month’s lucky winner was Yana Jamieson.

In addition to the Monthly Medal, all competitors were competing in the ‘Luckiest Ball on Earth’ qualifier for the chance to play in the DP World Tour Championship Pro-Am. Our winner was Viv Caley who will now progress to the final stage.

EGC

LADIES’ EXCITING ‘BLIND 9 HOLES’ COMP KEEPS GOLFERS ON THEIR TOES The modified Stableford format continued at Emirates Golf Club with the ladies competing in an 18-hole Stableford event on the Majlis course. However, it was only 9 holes that would winner (Ingrid Sjodoff) and lady vice captain Maura Duggan. count towards their final score. The 9 holes discreetly chosen by the golf office were the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 11th, 13th, 16th and the wonderful par 5, 18th. The overall winner was Ingrid Sjodoff who scored 20 points over the selected 9 holes. Also on 20 points was Veronica Elias who won the Silver division (Hcps 0-23) and Rajni Sud in first place in the Bronze division (Hcps 24-42) with a 9-hole score of 19 points.

EGC

Summer Open. The tournament attracted a strong field from all over the Emirates including 8 golf professionals representing the UAE PGA. The format was an 18-hole strokeplay event on the 6,831 yards par 72 course with players using their handicap index as the Tournament allowance. On a tough day with the humidity up and the greens fast, McGuiness made light work of the course to add another title to his name with a 1-shot victory over Callum Nicoll.

McGuiness scored consistent nines of 35 and 36 with seven gross birdies. Having started on the 12th in the shotgun he got off to a shaky start with two bogeys on his first two holes but steadied the ship with several birdies to close out his round.

In the Net Division, prizes were awarded in Division A (hcp 0 – 10) and Division B (hcp 11 – 28): In Division A to Peter Boland with a net 71, winning on a countback over Mark Tupling; in Division B Ken Flynn posted the round of the day with a net 69 which was enough to win the division by two shots with Mike Henderon in second place.

The tournament organisers said after the tournament: “We appreciate the support we receive from the players and sponsors, BMW, Sport360, Mediclinic and Falcon Golf Arabia especially in the height of summer in testing conditions. We are very proud of this event being one of the Club’s Majors and it has produced great Champions.”

For Tournament details and results visit www.arabianranchesgolfdubai.com

OVERALL 71 72 NET DIVISION A Peter Bolan 71 Mark Tupling 71 Ron Murphy 71 NET DIVISION B Ken Flynn 69 Mike Henderson 71

1st John McGuiness 2nd Callum Nicoll 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd

SCOTT SULLIVAN SEALS CALLAWAY BLACK TEE CHALLENGE IN STYLE Scott Sullivan returned a 4-over par gross

ARGC 76 at Arabian Ranches Golf Club on 17th

October in the Callaway Black Tee Challenge to take the title by four strokes from his nearest competitor Aaron Birch.

The card of Sullivan had 9s of 35 and 41 which proved to be more than enough to finish at the summit of the championship.

Having started on hole 10 in the 1.00 pm shotgun Sullivan played some impressive golf and reached the back nine on 1-under par. Scott stumbled a little on the par-5 third hole with a double bogey followed by a bogey on the tough 4th playing 467 yards on the day.

Sullivan closed out his back nine with 41 and a total of 76. The net round of the day belonged to Patrick Hogland who posted the only sub-par round with a net 71 to win the net title by four strokes from Andy GROSS DIVISION Perkins. Hogland, 1st Scott Sullivan 76 playing off a seven 80 handicap, performed 2nd Aaron Birch 81 brilliantly in the tough 3rd Jim Prescott NET DIVISION conditions.

1st Patrick Hogland 71

P105 ARABIANGOLF ▶

JU M EIRAH GOLF ESTATES

GILLINGS, RAHM, WYLIE MAKE UP THE JGE TEAM FOR THE DPWTC PRO-AM JGE A field of 90 players took on the Earth

scoring with as many as five players within one shot of the lead. Coming out on top of this tough division was Richard Billington who posted a 69, made up of 42 on the front 9 and 45 on the back 9 with his 18 handicap giving him a 69 net.

Richard was closely followed by numerous players on net 70 and the countback went down to the final 6 holes. Winning on that countback was Murray Irvine with his lowest-ever round of 98 and net 70 to take the second spot. Close behind was Giorgio Parigi who matched the scores of 70, with a front 9 of 42 and back nine 44 to post 86 and a net 70.

In the Ladies Division, Lynne Wylie returned to form at the perfect time posting 67 net, the lowest score of the day – 42 on the front and 41 on the back was more than good enough to walk away with the title. Ornella Parigi was runner up in the ladies division with her fine score of net 70.

SPECIAL EVENTS Nearest the Pin - Division A (0- 12.4 Index) - Hole 6 - Paul Pitman Nearest the Pin – Division B (12.5 – 28 Index) – Hole 17 Richard Billington Nearest the Pin – Ladies Division (All Indexes) – Hole 13 No Winner

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HOSTING THE MENA TOUR’S GOLF CITIZEN CLASSIC Clarke Lutton was triumphant

TEC in this tournament at The

Els Club winning by one shot on13-under. Coached by our Butch Harmon School of Golf’s Director of Instruction Justin Parsons. Clarke closed with a two-under 70 to reach 13-under for the tournament, seeing off a strong challenge from Trevor Marshall of New Zealand on the home stretch.

PLAYING PINK PART IN BREAST CANCER AWARENESS During the

TEC entire month

It was amazing to have such a legend of the

TEC game Gary Player hosting small golf clinics at the SAP Golf Day.

CROMBIE TAKES AUDI MEDAL AS YAS LINKS MAKES WINTER RETURN Yas Links

YLGC welcomed

T HE ELS CLUB

SAP GOLF DAY FEATURES GOLF LEGEND GARY PLAYER

YA S LI N K S G O LF C LU B

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course to book their spot in the prestigious DP World Tour Championship Pro-Am and many posted some excellent scores.

Division A was won by the ever consistent Mark Gillings who has had a strong summer of golf. The Division A players found the conditions tough with Mark posting one of the few under par scores. His 70 Net earned him first place and his lipped out putt on the last didn’t stop him taking the top prize. Mark had a stuttering front 9 of 42 but rallied on the back nine to post a fine 39 with a flurry of pars to post 81 and net 70.

Second in division A, with an equally good 70 was Alexander Muirhead who unfortunately missed out on the back nine. Alexander had a great front 9 of 39 but after a back nine of 43 he was just pipped at the post.

In the Gross division, the talented 17 year old Chris Rahm posted a 75 to take the spoils in a closely contested category with numerous players leading throughout but Chris managed to hang on for the win. Division B offered some fine

of October, which is officially The Breast Cancer Awareness Month, The Els Club had been flying Troon Golf’s pink pin checkered flag on the 18th green and wearing pink to remind golfers about the importance of early detection of breast cancer.

members for the first month of the winter season all refreshed and ready to compete again at the Members Only Audi Medal.

No stranger to the winner’s spot was the Gross Winner Alastair Crombie, putting in an excellent finish with an impressive Gross 74. Category A (Handicap 0-12) was tight with both 1st and 2nd place winners securing their spot with a better back 9.

Randy Bradley had better last 9 than Grace Groves, both finishing with an impressive net 75. A new name to the leaderboard, Charles Katsuyoshi, was awarded his second-place standing with a notable net 72 putting Teresa Sheepwash in first place in Category B (Handicap 13-28) finishing with a fine net 71.

HAWCZAK AND BREBNER SEAL TENSE ECCO CHALLENGE First place in

YLGC the Members ECCO Challenge Pairs Betterball was not sealed until Roman Hawczak and Simon Brebner had a better last 9 holes than second-placed team Alyx Bihuniak and Ryan Hunter – both finishing with a fine 42 points. Third place was awarded to dynamic duo Stuart Nimmo and Dale Matthews who finished with a notable 41 points.

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A L GHAZAL GOL F C LUB

NET 69 FIRES LEE TO VICTORY

FUTURE’S BRIGHT WITH FAST RENT A CAR – JUNIOR LEAGUE

The Gun Trophy is

In the second Fast Rent a Car Junior

AGGC one of the most

ADCGC League of the season, more than 70 juniors

prestigious trophies in the calendar and this year’s event was as tense as ever with five players shooting below handicap. However, on top of the pile following up his good form from September was 21handicapper, Nick Lee, whose net 69 was the best of the day. Anina Bester claimed the ladies division for a second year in a row.

HOLLOWAY CLINCHES THE MEDAL James Holloway shot AGGC a best-of-the-day net 68 to win Division C in last month’s Medal.

Division 1 saw Bernie Blanchard defeat Phil Wilkes on a countback while in Division 2 Rob Brown sealed a three-shot victory over Richard Whiteside.

Kate Davies claimed the Ladies honours.

aged between 6 and 18 participated in a two-day competition that varied from 2 Holes, 3 Holes, 10 Holes and 18 Holes .

Abu Dhabi City Golf Club in Partnership with Fast Rent a Car are proud to support such a great initiative of Growing the Game of golf in region.

FAST RENT A CAR MONTHLY MEDAL AND LUCKIEST BALL BRING GREAT SUCCESS

ADCGC Abu Dhabi City Golf Club were fortunate

enough to host both the The Fast Rent a Car Monthly Medal and the Luckiest Ball on Earth in September. Both events were a great way to start the season. Congratulations to all the winners below:

RESULTS Most improved Boy: Aaron Douns; Most Improved Girl Gimena 2 Hole Boys and Girls Champions: Majd Charar and Kin So Yeon.

3 Hole Runner up: Aby Khan 3 Hole Boys and Girls Champions: Mita Ahsan and Husaam Riaz 10 Hole Runner up: Gabriel Meguck 10 Hole Girls and Boys Champions: Zainab Ahsan and David Rezko.

18 Hole Handicap Champion: Fangi Kong 18 Hole Champion: Luval Sreedharran

Div A Winner – Sami Ghandour 86/72 Div B Winner – Advay Mohindra 79/63 Div C Winner – Vipin Sher – 94/71 Ladies Winner – Daeun Jung – 79/67 Gross Winner – Graham Hurdon – 77 Luckiest Ball on Earth Winner – Nigel Gales 82/66.

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AL AIN EQUESTRIAN SHOOTING & GOLF CLUB

MIDDLE EAST FLEDGLINGS PUT TO THE TEST IN FALDO GRAND FINAL Five qualifiers from the AESGC Middle East tournament held at AESGC, made the trip to Berlin Faldo Course at A-ROSA resort, one hour from Berlin in Germany. The course has submitted a bid to host the 2022 Ryder Cup, which meant that the qualifiers were going to have their golfing abilities tested.

Eoin Cunniffe (Ireland), Jai Bhalla (India), Stan Kraai (Holland), Kim Chiang (Malaysia) and Laila Hrindova (Slovakia) represented the Middle East in what turned out to be a difficult week for all players.

Tuesday saw the 63 players arrive to start round 1 of the 3 day tournament, a strengthen wind, was going to cause many problems during the days play. Kraai coped best with the conditions from the Middle East qualifiers posting a 78, to finish the day eight off the pace.

Wednesday saw the wind remain strong, Kraai having now started to know the golf course carded a much better 73, to push himself up the leaderboard and mount a challenge in the Under 18 section of the tournament. Cunniffe 8180, Hrindova 82-76, Bhalla 89-88 and Chiang 84-81 completed the

DAVID MILES RETURNS TO SUMMIT OF DIVISION B A field of 39 players competed

AESGC in October’s monthly medal

as new member Robert Horridge led Division A with a steady 76-6=70, with Tommy Cotgrave and Dan Hockingsa pont behind on 71 net.

Stuart Kent again picked up the best Scratch voucher. David Miles returned to top spot in Division B with an excellent 69, good enough to finish first.

Runner-up Dan Whittaker returned to form after last week’s disappointment.

David Purcell squeezed into third place.

Mohammed Shariff’s best of the year round of 65 blew Division C apart with tournament scores going into the final round. Thankfully the wind eased for the final round of the tournament, allowing a slight respite for the players although, anyone finding the large deep bunkers on this course struggled to keep their scores down. Kraai again produced the lowest round of the Middle East qualifiers closing with a 71 to finish 11th overall, a fantastic performance from a very talented Dutchman. The other four sadly finished down the field - Cunniffe tied 54th, Bhalla 63rd, Hrindova 52nd and Chiang 59th.

Bob Mingo burning out in the last few holes, although his creditable 69 was good enough for second place. Sharon Elizabeth Cotgrave took third place to conclude the prizes.

HERTZ BEGINNERS ENCOURAGES TALENTED YOUNGSTERS Hertz Beginners Tournament

AESGC was played on the Academy

Course with 15 players going to post.

Laura Armitage and Katrina Merrette, playing in their first-ever tournament, both recorded scores of net 27, with Katrina’s last 6 holes just pipping Laura for fifth place.

Bader Hamed continued his fine run of form scoring 26 net to secure fourth place. Ladies from Head Teaching Professional Fraser McLaughlan’s stable claimed two of the top 3 prizes.

Johanna Carlton scored a net 26 to

claim third place, losing out on second place on a countback of the last six holes to up-and-coming junior, Devlin Kidd. Lily Salazar, put her lessons to good use by scoring a wonderful net 24 to win Top Spot in the competition.

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S HARJ AH GOLF & S HOOTING CL UB HAPPY HALIM AND STEADY PURMA SUCCEED IN BMW The BMW Member and Guest

SGSC Social at Sharjah Golf &

Shooting Club showcased another prolific performance from the partnership of professional Purna Sharma and Halim Husin.

The duo stormed to an excellent front nine with six birdies in the Shambles Format and a steady oneunder in the Betterball Format, gave

CHRIS VERMA CLAIMS SECOND TITLE

DONALDSON DUO CLAIM 7TH GOLF SOCIETY CUP

Chris Verma sealed his

SGSC second title at Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club by shooting an impressive 9-hole score of 30 net at the Centro Sharjah by Rotana Midweek Medal.

The nine holes included some good golf from Chris, who plays off 24, as he carded six net birdies and three net pars.

The Division winners on the day were Yangho Kim with 32 net and Sultan Al Ali with 33 net. The runners up were Yousef Al Ali with 33 net and Tong Bang with 36 net.

The Dubai Exputts team of

SGSC Max and Richard Donaldson

DAVID MURPHY LANDS MAIDEN WINTER WIN Club member David Murphy

IMRAN LOOKING SHARP Imran Akhtar (pictured below)

SGSC shot an impressive 9-hole

score of 31 net to claim his first victory of the summer in the Centro Sharjah by Rotana Midweek Medal supported by Mekar.

It was nine holes of solid golf from the single-figure handicapper with a total gross 2-under par, with three birdies in the last five holes.

The Division winners on the day were Faizeen Bhyat in Division 2 with 36 net and Sanjoy Das in Division 1 with 37 net.

them a grand total of 65 net to take the win by one. The Welsh father and son duo of Gary and Max Hibbert, who had a superb round of 66 net fell just short by one shot.

Other prizewinners were Roy Holmes and Mukti Rai, Namir Al Naimi and Roger Ledeboer, Vivian Verma and Sanjoy Das and Marco Mantero and Ennore Paoli.

SGSC claimed his first winter victory in the Coral Beach Resort Midweek Stableford with a superb 9-holes of 23 points. Murphy had an excellent start with 10 points in the first third with three gross pars. The 23 handicapperinished strongly with eight points in the last three holes to win overall and win Division Two by two points.

Runner-up was Chandra Shekaran with a solid score of 21 points.

Chandra started his round with a no score on the first hole but bounced back with three net birdies on 3,6,9 and one net eagle on the 5th.

Division One spoils went to the man in form and our Summer Net Champion Namir Al Naimi with 19 points and runner-up on the day was SGSC Director of Golf Martin Duff with 16 points.

proved they were not just there to make up the numbers in the 7th edition of the SGSC Golf Society Cup. In a nearly full field which included over 20 pairings made up of 16 different societies, the Donaldsons returned nines of 33 and 30 (net 63) to walk away with the title on a scorecard countback from the Albatross Golf Society.

The duo had carded net birdies and only a single bogey to cap off a superb round.

Albatross’s new partnership of Namir Al Naimi and K.J. Lee, who narrowly missed out on top spot, gelled magnificently for their first

game together which included eight net birdies and one net eagle.

The last prize on the day went to the Sports 2Business pair, Pedro Kafie and Richard Aybar, who didn’t realisethey were in with a chance until they counted up their score of a total of 65 net. The total was carded with five net birdies and two net eagles.

DOUBLE DELIGHT IN OVERTIME FOR DIGS IN SECOND SUMMER GOLF SOCIETY LEAGUE The second Summer Golf

SGSC Society League was a huge success with 10 teams taking part.

The teams that reached the grand final were the Dubai Irish (DIGS) and Sports2Business Golf Societies.

Although both sides played some excellent golf, DIGS captured the victory after the match went to an extra six holes.

This means they completed the double after also winning the Winter

League. Congratulation to Paul Murnaghan and Wesley Burke but hard luck to Randall Mohammed and Derek Daly who halved ten holes in a row before the Irish holed out for par on the par-5sixth hole.

Both teams will be strong contenders for the upcoming winter golf society league.

Third place went to the Indian Expats with a three and one victory versus Sport 360.

RORY AND ADAM FORM NEW DYNAMIC DUO SGSC The BMW Member and Guest

Social at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club showcased another inspirational performance from the new partnership of Rory Thomson and new member Adam Smith who were triumphant with a 65 net in the Greensomes and Betterball format.

The two dovetailed well on the front 9 with five birdies and three

more on the back with just one bogey. Other prizewinners were: Hanief Sallie and Gillian Sallie; Allan Graham and Roger Ledeboer; Praveen Sharma and Umair Javed; Johannes Tesfa and Soo Man and Ramli Sulaiman and Oliver Chen.

Novelty prizes were also collected

by Adam Smith, Hanief Sallie andRamli Sulaiman.

P111 ARABIANGOLF CONARES GOLF SOCIETY LEAGUE THE CONARES GOLF SOCIETY LEAGUE IS BACK WITH A BANG Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club welcomed back 20 golf societies who are all vying to become the 2015-2016 Conares Golf Society League Champions. The opening fixtures on Saturday 10th October saw the societies within both the Conares and BMW leagues begin their challenge to become the top society. In the Conares league the Dubai

Conares League Dubai Exputts 1 D.I.G.S Happy Hookers South African Golf Society G.O.D.S Golf Society

Exputts started brightly with two wins out of two against the G.O.D.S while there was one win each for the Happy Hookers and the D.I.G.S in their match up. As a result the Dubai Exputts take an early lead with the South African Golf Society yet to play their opening matches.

The BMW league saw some much tighter

Played

Won

Lost

Tied

Points

2 2 2 0 2

2 1 1 0 0

0 1 1 0 2

0 0 0 0 0

6 3 3 0 0

BMW League GOATS Golf Society G.T.I Golf Society Vikings Golf Society Lamprell The Kegs Dubai

matches with three golf societies claiming one win each in their fixtures. The GOATS, GTI and Vikings all sit in a share of first place with three points each. However, the day was not without drama as both the GOATS and the KEGS societies were both awarded 0 points for not submitting a team to play one of their two fixtures while Lamprell are yet to play.

Played

Won

Lost

Tied

Points

2 2 2 0 2

1 1 1 0 0

1 1 1 0 2

0 0 0 0 0

3 3 3 0 0

ASEAN AND SPORT2BUSINESS CLAIM AN EARLY LEAD The ASEAN and Sport2Business teams stormed to the top of the their respective groups after the first round in the Conares Golf Society League, with two victories for each team.

The ASEAN team took a firm grip of the top spot of the SNTTA Travel league with two victories against the Dubai ExPutts2 while in SNTTA Travel League Asean Kingspan Gulf Rock Dubai ExPutts 2 Mustdashdubai

the Worldwide Golf league Sport2Business won both their fixtures with the Woestyn Boere Hackers to take an early lead in the league.

In the SNTTA Travel league the spoils were shared in the fixtures between Kingspan and Gulf Rock to give each team three points

Played

Won

Lost

Tied

Points

2 2 2 2 0

2 1 1 0 0

0 1 1 2 0

0 0 0 0 0

6 3 3 0 0

Worldwide Golf League Sports2Business Sharjah Golf Members Naboodah SGB Woestyn Boere Hackers Indian Expats

going into round two with MustdashDubai yet to play.

Over in the Worldwide Golf League the SGSC member’s team and Naboodah SGB battled out two close matches and ended up with three points apiece while the Indian Expats are yet to play.

Played

Won

Lost

Tied

Points

2 2 2 2 0

2 1 1 0 0

0 1 1 2 0

0 0 0 0 0

6 3 3 0 0

Far left: Neville Wehold and Mark Franklin (Woestyn Boere Hackers) get ready to take on Dave Minchin and Randall Mohammed (Sport 2 Business).

Left: Jumadi Husani and Ramli Sulaiman (ASEAN GS) flank the Dubai Exputts 2 duo Simon Elliott and Liam Bailey.

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A L H A M R A G O LF C LU B

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T OW ER LINKS GOL F C LUB

MANILYN AND WILMA WIN MONTHLY MEDAL

ANDY AND ROBBIE SCRAMBLE HOME TLGC Andy Cormack

Manilyn Buxman

TLGC was victorious in the September Medal with an excellent 85 gross in the sultry conditions.

Manilyn also claimed the title for Luckiest Ball on Earth by virtue of her 70 net, which now sees her head to Jumeirah Golf Estates where she will bid to qualify for the Dubai World Tour Championship Pro-Am. In the Net Division it was Wilma Fernandes who took the spoils with a magnificent score of 71 net, which is just reward for all the hard work she has put in over the summer months.

Wilma was pushed

hard for the victory by Ashutosh Shukla who will look back at hole 14 as his undoing but a low round looks like it is not far away for him.

1 2 3 1 2 3 8 16

GROSS DIVISION Manilyn Buxmann Gerry Gibson Cavan Bickell NET DIVISION Wilma Fernandes Ashutosh Shukla Kiji Tenaka PIN WINNERS Ian Craig Johan Buxmann

and Robbie Cunningham topped the field in the weekly 2- player social scramble with a score of 30.9 net.

In second place on a score of 31.4 net was Fady Azzam and Ahmad Mustapha who dovetailed well. In third place came J.I. and Jiho Park on 33.1 Nearest the Pin winners on the evening were Miller Green and J.I. Park.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Table of Results Andy C. & Robbie C. Fady A. & Ahmad M. JI Park & Jiho Park Gerry G. & Young N. Johan & Manilyn B. Simon P. & Dave B. Ashutosh S. & Mark Mizu A. & Jihad A. Miller G. & Fiyaz A. Cavan B. & Wilma F. Andy L. & Wes H. Phil M. & Patt M. John M. & Oliver B. Ian M. & Mark A. Connel & Guest George L. & Sam Les F. & Willem

30.9 31.4 33.1 33.7 35.1 35.7 35.92 36 38 38 38.8 39.3 39.8 40 42.4 42.5 44

85 87 88

ARKESH BHATIA CROWNED RAK JUNIOR OPEN CHAMPION

71 74 79

Arkesh Bhatia produced a sensational

AHGC 67 to be crowned the 8th RAK Junior

SHUKLA SHINES IN SOCIAL MEDAL Ashutosh Shukla scored an impressive five-

TLGC under net 31 to romp to victory in the weekly

KINSEY KING OF THE LINKS Martin Kinsey

TLGC survived a

three way countback on 21 points in the weekly Stableford competition to record his first ever victory at the club. Kinsey has been putting in some practice before work over the summer months and it finally seems to be paying off.

Ahmed Mustapha annd Robbie Cunningham seem to be regulars on the podium and at

this event it was no different as both chaps just fell shy in the countback. For Ahmad, he placed second with his final three-hole tally being one point ahead of Robbie who placed third on the back of his win the previous week.

Claiming the pin prizes on the evening were Ashutosh Shukla following on from claiming the pin the week before, with Sam Dawson taking the spoils on the 16th.

Social Medal. Shukla was a model of consistency throughout his round and strode to victory by three strokes. Ahmad Mustapha and Alistair Barker tied on a net of 34, with Ahmad just getting the upper hand over Alistair in the countback.

Pin winners on the evening were Les Frost on the 12th, with Ashutosh Shukla continuing the good form by claiming the pin on the 16th. Unfortunately for Peter Wortley the same could not be said, but he did walk away with the culinary implement called “The Spoon” awarded to those that are challenged by the game.

Open Champion. The eighth instalment of the event saw over 50 of the region’s blossoming young talents take to the fairways in a quest for glory. Arkesh produced quality nines of 33 and 34 – including five birdies and an eagle – for a slim one-shot winning margin from Griffin Joseph. After an up-and-down front nine of 36, Griffin then produced the best back nine of the tournament, firing home six birdies on his way to a back nine of 32. Taking the third and final place on the podium in the Boy’s Gross Division was Kabir Nanda on a two-under score of 70.

However, it wasn’t quite plain sailing for Kabir as he had to beat fellow competitors Aryan Chordia and Sasha Sparacino in a card playoff after they too both scored 70.

The Boy’s Net Division saw some fantastic scoring from the duo of Kevin McCarrick and Vijayesh Harridas. Kevin claimed top honours after an astonishing 61 following nines of 32 and 29, miraculously just one shot better than Vijayesh’s 62. Vijayesh produced a homeward nine of eight-under 26 after four net birdies, a net eagle and a net albatross. Ahmed Ashfaq took the third and final Boy’s Net prize with a 67 after beating Rishi Nair in a card play-off.

The Girl’s Championship saw Da Eun Jung take top honours after shooting a 76 to finish one clear of Julia Al Hemoud. After a solid start Da sealed her fate with four solid closing pars, whereas Al Hamra regular Julia, started solidly but her chances faded after three late bogeys.

The Girl’s Net division saw Kate Bibby win by a whopping 10 shots after her brilliant 66 saw her finish well clear of Eshna Bhargava on 76.

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A L HAMRA GOLF C LUB HOSSAM IBRAHIM TAKES THE CRANS SUR SIERRE TITLE AND DENIES TWO-TIME RUNNER-UP ANDY SPAVIN BY A SINGLE POINT Hossam Ibrahim retained his Crans Sur

AHGC Sierre title scoring 40 points, finishing

just one point clear of his nearest competitor.

The popular Al Hamra fixture which started back in 2008 has each winner’s name on the swiss music box kindly donated by the President of Crans Sur Sierre Golf Club in Crans Montana Switzerland.

After opening with a solid 17 points on the front nine, Hossam scored three net birdies and two net eagles on the back nine to score 23 extra points. His total was enough to finish one point

KIDDIE & NEWELL KICK OFF THEIR MEDAL CAMPAIGNS WITH A WIN John Kiddie and AHGC Gary Newell got their winter campaigns off to the perfect start by topping their respective categories in the first Monthly Medal of the season. Kiddle claimed the gross division with an 81 after a much-improved back nine of 38 followed a slightly rocky opening nine of 43. Taking second place, six shots adrift, was Niilo Maki-Petaja with a score of 87.

Newell claimed top spot in the net division after a solid level par round of 72 following similar nines of 37 and 34. This included an impressive net 1 on the par 3 15th hole to finish one clear of runner-up Anette Lagerberg and her round of 73.

There were 2 two’s recorded resulting in a split pot between John Kiddie and Jos Pike.

ahead of the two-time runner-up Andy Spavin who replicated his performance from last year with 39 points. A double bogey on the last cost him his chance of winning.

Finishing third was John Kiddie, who finished with two net birdies for a well deserved 38 points.

The three special events on the day went to Tim Bird and Niilo Maki-Petaja for their Nearest the Pin efforts on Holes 4 and 7 respectively while Terri Stewart won the Straightest Drive on Hole 17. Callum Brown carded the only two on the day scooping the pot.

AL HAMRA DOMINATE THE BACK TO RAK The pre-winter season

AHGC opener returned in

the form of the Back To RAK event. The popular two-day, 36 hole, four-person scramble event saw an excited field ready to take on the different challenges that both the northern emirates courses present.

Day one took place at the mangrove-surrounded Tower Links course in which the eventual overall winners bolted out the traps with a blistering 55.4.

Annie Robin, Gregg Harris, Andy Prescott and Matt Fountain tore the back nine apart carding seven straight birdies on their way to an opening day, three-shot lead.

Day two saw the Al Hamra members take home

advantage which proved to be productive as 11 out of the eventual 12 winners were Al Hamra members. The first day leaders produced the second best day two score of 58.4 for an overall winning total of 113.8.

Jake and Niilo Maki-Petaja (two of last year’s winners) along with Callum Bird and Christo Pretorius produced the round of the day carding a gross 58 after hitting identical nines of 29. Their net score total of 116 would be enough to see them finish second, less than three shots adrift.

The last of the podium places went to the foursome of Mike Dunn, Tony Cox, John Kiddie and Ian Midgley, who carded similar rounds of 58.8 and 61.7 for a 120.5 total.

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UAE PGA MARVELOUS MARSHALL RUTHLESSLY GOOD IN RAK PGA OPEN Joe Marshall (pictured

UAEPGA with Tournament Director

NICE AND NEAT FOR NICOLL AT MONTGOMERIE PGA MEDAL

UAEPGA Defending Order of Merit Champion Callum Nicoll of Abu Dhabi Golf

Club won the latest UAEPGA Event at the Address Montgomerie Dubai with a blistering eight-under par round of 64, which included nine birdies and a solitary bogey in equally sweltering heat. Second place was a distant nine shots adrift as Gavin Sunderland (Al Badia), David Grey (DG Golf) and Cennydd Mills (DCGYC) all posted solid rounds of 73.

Mark Ruddy) from Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club claimed the RAK PGA Open and an early lead in the OOM with an excellent 67 at Tower Links Golf Club. Marshall won by two shots after carding six birdies and just one bogey for his first win in a UAEPGA event.

In second place was the 2013/14 Matchplay Champion from JGE, Luke Plumb, with a superb round of three-under par 69. Third place went to the ever-steady Tom Buchanan from Al Ain after a 70. A field of 26 UAE Professionals battled it out

over the Tower Links layout and a delighted Marshall said: “We always enjoy visiting Tower Links Golf Club each year, the course is superb and the hospitality on offer really makes everyone feel welcome.I would like to thank Simon Payne and the team for all their support in hosting the event.”

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D O HA GOLF CLUB LADIES’ PINK DAY SUCCESS CONTINUES

The 2015 edition of the Ladies’ Pink Day increased

DGC breast cancer awareness in a fun way at the golf club.

DUFFY BIRDIES HIS WAY TO MONTHLY MUG TRIUMPH

The event was very well received and there was no shortage of competitors. The team Texas Scramble format was won by the team of Joong Suk Kim, Hun Ju Kim, Yun Hee Lee and Young Mee Park with a score of 60.7.

In second place with 64.8 was the team of Dorina Borracchini, Rosaleen Garvey, Anne Fraser and Jaqueline Mitro.

GREAT SCORES IN FRONT, MIDDLE, BACK TOURNAMENT

October’s Pretect

DGC Monthly Mug was played in hot and windy conditions and coming out on top in Flight A was Chris Duffy with a total of 41 points.

A true round of two halves, Duffy struggled to the turn with only 17 points before firing four birdies in his back nine of 24 points - 32 gross.

Ali Mohammed won Flight B with a score of 42 points, two points clear of Sami Qush while Flight C saw Toshiaaki Nakajima take the spoils with 37 points.

The Ladies winner was rising star Laila Hrindova with 40 points.

The annual Front,

DGC Middle, Back

MEGARME SUMMER LEAGUE 2015 SERIES COMES TO A CLOSE DGC The summer league

series was very well received last year and thanks to the continued support of Megarme, participation in the summer league grew throughout the 2015 series.

This year’s Megarme Summer League Order of Merit was won by Dong

Yoon Kim with a total of 162 points thanks to a victory early in the series. With all players’ scores added up, Kim finished 18 points clear of Alan Bassnet The ladies’ Order of Merit title went to Dong Hyang Lee with Teresa Gow finishing second.

Tournament was yet another success. The format is unique in that it uses three different sets of tees (which one you use is determined by your score on the previous hole) so it provides some much needed variety that was enjoyed by all those who took part.

Taking the spoils in Flight A with a net 69 was David Moore as he finished one clear of rising star Mikkel Mathiesen.

Flight B was hotly contested with two players finishing tied at the top with net scores of 58. After a tense card countback Hoi Deok Ho was crowned the winner ahead of Arbi Hussain thanks to his stronger finish.

The ladies’ flight was won

by Yu Kyeong Kim with a magnificent 11 shot victory over the field thanks to her net 67. Nada Mir took second place outright after a countback win over Lesley Looker.

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D I RAB GOLF CLUB

BECKNER AND MYRES WIN 85TH SAUDI NATIONAL DAY OPEN GOLF TOURNAMENT DGC Steve Beckner and Nile Myres

emerged as champions in the 85th Saudi National Day Open Golf Tournament 2015 sponsored by Almarai Company at Dirab Golf & Country Club recently.

Beckner and Myres put together a superb round, winning the two-ball better-ball Texas Scramble format with a net score of 61 from a gross 73. The winning duo shot nines of 38-35. After hitting the turn, Beckner and Myres had their third bogey of the day on 10 but parred the next two holes before picking up shots with three consecutive birdies from the par-5 13th. Pars sandwiched a bogey on 17th as they sealed the title Two strokes back in second place was the pair of Einar Thorharllson and Sigrid Steinarsdottir, who signed for a net 63 (70). Their 35-35 round contained five birdies, three bogeys and 10 pars.

Resty Sibug and Flore Bouzanne

Winners in the 85th Saudi National Day Open Golf Tournament 2015 pose for a group picture.

were among the three teams to shoot gross 70 and their combined handicap of six gave them a third place finish on 64 thanks to six birdies against four bogeys.

Bob Bruford and Richard Dunn claimed fourth place on 65 (71) with

Samir Fostock and Mattias Ardfelt rounding out the first five winners on 65 (70).

The men’s and ladies longest drive awards went to David Lloyd Bantug and Stenardsdottir and the closest to the pin to Joe Vallado.

IND-PAK COMBO PREVAILS The Indian-Pakistani golf

DGC alliance of Rohit Jamwal and Tariq Saeed Khan clicked – despite never having played together as a team before – to seal the Xerox Corporate Golf Challenge 10th qualifying round at Dirab G & CC.

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH Don’t miss a shot as 60 of the world’s greatest golfers take to the Earth course for the final tournament of the 2015 Race to Dubai. Catch the action on-course and off, with family entertainment, live music and great food in the Championship Village.

For FREE admission and the chance to WIN HOSPITALITY packages visit www.DPWorldTourChampionship.com

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A L MOUJ GOLF – OMA N

TAM BURNS ON FIRE AS HE WINS ALMOUJ GOLF’S THIRD ANIIVERSARY TOURNAMENT BY SEVEN

ROGER BEAUMOUNT BETTERS GREG ANDREASEN TO CLAIM CHEDI SEPTEMBER MONTHLY MEDAL

AMG Despite being Eid weekend

AMG Best Gross title in the August

with many members away from Muscat there was a good turn out to celebrate Almouj Golf’s third Anniversary tournament.

To encourage as many golfers as possible to play, the chosen scoring format was a Stableford, whereby if a player had a bad hole it wouldn’t ruin their chances of winning.

As it turned out the majority of the field did not need to take advantage of this benefit with many players producing strong, consistent rounds on a course that is getting increasingly challenging as we approach this month’s NBO Golf Classic Grand Final.

In fourth place, with a score of 39 points, was Yvonne Welling, and tied for second were David Henderson and Kevin D’Amours both scoring 41 points. David took the runner-up spot on a countback with a better back 9 score of 22 points pushing Kevin into third place.

However, the winner of the event and recipient of the Anniversary Trophy with an outstanding score of 48 points and a winning margin of 7 was Tam Burns. Tam has struggled a little with his form of late, but a

Coming off the back of the

concerted effort on his part and plenty of time on the range has obviously paid dividends as he coasted around the Championship Course with a gross score of 80.

Congratulations to all who participated and Happy third Birthday Almouj Golf!

The top scores were as follows;

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Tam Burns David Henderson Kevin D’Amours Yvonne Welling Berty Archer Greg Andreasen Mike Reed Tim Maddern

POINGS 48 41 41 39 38 37 34 34

9 10

Shirley Prescott Lee O’Donoghue

33 32

Medal Almouj Golf, Captain Greg Andreasen, was once again in the reckoning but this time for the Best Net prize. Greg’s round began isteadily with an outward nine of 44 before he found his form on the back nine to return in 40 for an 84, net 69.

In previous medals this would have been enough to win but Greg’s score once again took the top spot with a was bettered by a single stroke by gross 100, net 76.

Roger Beaumont, who went up a Despite the challenging scoring gear with halves of 46 and 42 for a conditions there were four twos gross 88, net 68 to win the Best Net recorded on the day by Greg for the ChediMonthly Medal.

Andreasen, Harry Brooke, Karen The Best Gross score for the D’Amours and Rahira Ellison.

September Monthly Medal was more The top scores were as follows: clear cut. Following on from GROSS COURSE NET a recent string of strong HANDICAP scores, +1 handicapper Lynn Casey once again produced 1 Roger Beaumont 88 20 68 the goods with a gross score 2 Greg Andreasen 84 15 69 of level par 72.

3 Mohammed Fauzi Adnan 88 15 73 Lynn’s round was the 4 David Henderson 99 26 73 model of consistency and 5 Lynn Casey 72 -1 73 included only two dropped 6 Harry Brooke 86 10 76 shots which were offset 7 Tam Burns 96 20 76 comfortably with two 8 Yvonne Welling 100 24 76 birdies.

9 Danny Renihan 94 17 77 In the Ladies Division it was Yvonne Welling who 10 Glenn Canterford 93 16 77

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A L LEGRIA GOLF CL UB – EGYPT IT’S OVER-SEEDING SEASON AT THE ALLEGRIA! It is once more that time of year,

AGC and yet again we begin over-

seeding greens at The Allegria Golf Course. Our Greg Norman Signature Golf Course sets a particularly high benchmark for world-class golf in Egypt and across the region.

The course undergoes this yearly process to ensure that members and guests are offered superior playing surfaces throughout the upcoming winter months. Over-seeding with a “cool season grass” type allows The Allegria to offer golfers green and lush surfaces when “warm season grasses” enter dormancy.

In order to improve the conditions of play and start the overseeding at The Allegria, the golf course was closed down for a period of five days in order to allow initial germination of the grass seed to begin.

Once germination begins, full density of the new seed is achieved in

a 5-6 week period allowing a smooth transition to the cool season grass during the warm season grass’s (Paspalum) winter dormancy.

“We fully understand the inconvenience caused by closing the course for five days.

“However, over the past two years of carrying out this process, we have come to discover that the benefits of having good playing conditions on greens all year round far outweighs the 5-day closure,” exclaimed Josh North, Director of Club Operations at the Allegria.

The Allegria golf course is the first layout in Egypt to be managed by Troon Golf, the world’s leading luxury brand golf management, marketing and development company.

It is also the first 18-hole course in Egypt to be designed by Greg Norman, offering the ultimate experience for golf enthusiasts.

STYLE&TRAVEL

STAR SPOTTING, MARK RONSON DRIVING RANGE: VOLVO XC 90 AND PORSCHE 911 BOSE SOUND EMIRATES TRAVEL SYDNEY VISIT LONDON TEE TIMES

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SUPERSTAR PRODUCER

MARK RONSON PLAYS ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB ABU Dhabi Golf Club has hosted a galaxy of big names over the years – Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson to name but a few.

However last month the club welcomed a star of a different kind in the form of superstar producer and DJ Mark Ronson who was joined by fellow chart topper Labrinth for the barn storming Green Grooves concert.

Richard Bevan talked exclusively to Ronson prior to Green Grooves about his life in music and the reason he’s yet to try his hand as a golfer.

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Mark Ronson may not have played golf before, but he certainly knows how to play a crowd. His No.1 single Uptown Funk, featuring Bruno Mars, is the smash hit of the year and the album from which it is taken, Uptown Special, is regarded as Ronson’s finest work to date. The crowds at Abu Dhabi GC may be more used to cheering a well struck drive or a silky putt but they were not shy in showing their appreciation for a well timed bass drop or two from the Englishman!

Worldwide Golf: You’ve played concerts all over the world but what do you make of Abu Dhabi Golf Club as a setting for a gig?

MARK RONSON: I haven’t had much of a chance to check it out but it looks pretty great. That’s the thing with festivals, especially in the summer, you could end up on a stage that’s set up in a temporary amphitheatre or an island in Croatia or you can end up on a golf course or at Glastonbury where you’re just really on somebody’s farm. So there’s been some pretty scenic environments I’ve been able to play in over the years.

Do you play golf yourself?

Mark Ronson: I’m actually not very good and I haven’t played seriously. But Jeff Bhasker who produced the album with me, he’s a massive golfer. You know how it is when people start playing, they just get instantly obsessed. While we were making the album in Los Angeles he’d be playing hooky a couple of days a week to go and play on a Beverley Hills golf course.

WWG: Were you tempted to join him? It’s something a lot of stars of the music industry have got into recently – it’s certainly become cooler than it used to be.

MARK RONSON: Yeah but the thing is that with my ego I would have to get good by myself first before I would go and play in front of people. I wouldn’t want somebody to watch me screw up.

WWG: I think that’s the fear all of us have got when we come to play golf, there’s always somebody better than you watching! Are you tempted to have a go on this course or the driving range while you’re here at one of the most famous courses in the region?

MARK RONSON: Unfortunately I’m not here long enough, but I’d definitely do it if I got to come back.

WWG: You’ve spent a lot of your life in New York, one of the most vibrant, cosmopolitan cities in the world; what do you make of the UAE as a destination?

MARK RONSON: The UAE is great. I’ve come here several times over the years and spent time here. I’ve DJ-ed in Dubai a lot which usually means you’re in and out in one night, but last time I was there I spent a few days with my wife and it’s a pretty amazing holiday destination because you just have everything. There’s amazing food and culture and you have these incredible hotels and stuff - it’s great. Abu Dhabi, I don’t really know as much about thoug, but I’d like to explore if I had more time.

WWG: Going back to your childhood, what took you to New York and how did you become involved in the music scene over there?

MARK RONSON: My mother moved us to New York when I was eight years old because she got remarried (to Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones), so I went there with my sisters who were two years younger than me. I got into music and probably would have in whatever city I was living in. The cities that you live have a big influence on you and they shape you and so it ended up being that New York had a big influence on me. This was the late 80s in New York and hip hop was the dominant sound of that city, so I’m sure I got more into that music that I would have if I was growing up somewhere else.

WWG: Your parents were involved in the music scene so you got exposed to celebrity parties from quite an early age - did that have an impact on a young guy who had aspirations to make it in music?

MARK RONSON: I guess the strange thing is that I probably thought that that was normal waking up in the middle of the night, 1am on a school night, and there’s 150 people hanging out in my parents’ apartment having a party. It’s hard to say if that influenced me or shaped me. My stepdad was a rock n roll musician and the kind of music I was into was hip hop, which is such a different scene. I don’t know if I would’ve been into it regardless or what I learnt from being around him but it was great to be around someone who was such a great musician, and had a little home recording studio where I could work on my demos with my friends from school.

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S TA R S POT T I N G

WWG: You’re the producer that all the singers want to work with and have worked with the likes of the late Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, and Robbie Williams. Clearly singers get a thrill from working with you but does it work both ways, do you still get a kick out of getting the chance to work with such an eclectic mix of great artists?

MARK RONSON: Yeah that’s the thing that makes me the most excited and makes me want to make music. And it can be somebody who’s already a super star or someone who’s making their first record. Just someone who’s incredibly talented who’s doing something that nobody else is doing – that inspires me to try and come up with great stuff as well. That’s the dream situation.

WWG: When was the last time you played in the UAE? MARK RONSON: I played a festival called RedFest back in April here and it was great, the crowds are awesome.

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D R I V I N G RA N G E

VOLVO BREAKS NEW GROUND WITH SEVEN-SEATER XC90 2016 VOLVO XC90 T6 AWD VOLVO’S new XC90 T6 creates a bold impression at first glance. The new design is significant not only in reviving a once popular SUV, but in heralding a brand renewal.

Volvo have evolved their ‘family cars’ into curvy, powerful machines that are still safe. The upright grill, narrow-cut headlights and signature diagonal slash make the car look sleek and masculine from the front.

POWER The XC90 is not a turbocharged inline six as you might expect from Volvo’s history, but a 2.0-litre four cylinder with both supercharger and turbo. This Drive-E powertrain delivers an impressive 320 hp and 295 lb/ft of torque.

The T6 is an incredible improvement from its 3.2 litre sixcyclinder predecessor. It outmuscles the old version by 80 hp and 59 lb/ft.

The XC90 bolts off the line from zero to 100 km/h in a still snappy 6.5 seconds. This is when it’s in Dynamic mode, one of five drive options selected by clicking and rolling a uniquely-styled chrome cylinder that toggles between Eco, Comfort, Off Road, Dynamic and Individual.

TECHNOLOGY The XC90 has a 9.3-inch touch screen that works like your tablet to control your vehicle’s functions. Just swipe to find most vehicle functions like safety aids, headlights and wipers. The centre console has a clean, minimalist look with its large tablet also taking care of navigation, audio, phone and climate – leaving only a thin strip of buttons and single knob below.

The car also assists your driving and safety with an abundance of driver aids like pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane departure warning, speed limit information, road edge barrier detection with auto steer, and a park assist camera.

All in all, the XC90 can challenge the best in its class – not just in terms of Volvo’s customary safety, but in any area that truly matters to the luxury buyer PRICE The starting price for XC90 is AED249,900 for the mid spec XC90 Momentum.

FUEL CONSUMPTION

TRANMISSION

7.7L / 100km mixed

Where to buy: There are two main showrooms in the United Arab Emirates - one located in Dubai Festival City and the other in Abu Dhabi.) | Toll Free Number: 800-8823 | www.volvocars.com/ae

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8

SPEED AUTOMATIC

POWER

320 bhp

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D R I V I N G RA N G E

POWER, ELEGANCE AND LUXURY PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 4S THE new Porsche 911 Carrera 4S is fit for the racetrack with its explosive power and driving dynamics that improve driving stability and agility. The lane change assist system even heightens your driving pleasure as well as safety. Porsche don’t only incorporate the epitome of performance with this vehicle, they also take fuel consumption and overheating into consideration. The active air intake flaps act to reduce fuel consumption during conventional trips and achieve superlative performance on sporty drives, as well as helping to provide optimum engine cooling.

INNOVATIVE INTELLIGENCE The 911 Carrera 4S has set the benchmark with a sports exhaust system that satisfies the consumer with two catalytic converters and a rear silencer. This supplies the car with impressive resonance and an intense sports car sound – typical of the 911. Once you hear the car, you’ll get the goose bumps Porsche take pride in producing.

CLASSIC FEEL The interior of a Porsche is infused with over 60 years of experience in sports car construction. You can feel it in the materials, which are easy to grip and are exquisitely made.

It’s clear the moment you get in the 911 and find an astonishing amount of leg and head room, that the 911 Carrera is not just your stereotypical sports car.

MAX SPEED

22/41 mpg

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ACCELERATION

3.6s

0-60

POWER

420 bhp

GADGETS

RORY ON SONG WITH BOSE NEW BOSE SOUNDLINK™ AROUND-EAR WIRELESS HEAD

B

Pricing and Availability The new Bose SoundLink around-ear wireless headphones II come in two colors: Black and White. They’re available for AED1199. Bose SoundLink on-ear wireless headphones will remain available for AED1099. Both headphones are available at select authorised Bose dealers and Bose retail stores. www.bose.ae

OSE have developed a whole new kind of wireless experience with the unveiling of the SoundLink headphones that more than satisfies sports stars like four-time Major champion Rory McIlroy.

The Race to Dubai leader is a huge fan of music and BOSE is his preferred brand of headphones, helping to relax and motivate the golfer before he unleashes his talent on the course.

“There are so many different ways you can use music. Before I’m about to play a round of golf you want something that’s going to lift your spirits a little bit and get you going,” said McIlroy.

“When I put on my BOSE headphones, I know I’m wearing something of guaranteed quality, innovative design and that are versatile enough to suit my active lifestyle.”

The BOSE Soundlink headphones feature an amazing 15 hours of battery life and are ideal for mobile phone users because it is easy to switch between music and calls. There are smart, intuitive controls on the headphone’s earcup that are fool-proof and one touch away. The SoundLink headphones II also feature voice prompts (available in 11 different languages) to tell you who’s calling, what device you’re connected to, and how much battery life you have left.

As well as being stylish and high-quality in performance, BOSE’s latest headphones are designed to survive drops, bumps and grabs. For a product that weighs a mere seven ounces and is foldable for storage, this is impressive.

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My

Golf

Sydney

By Ben Cramer Despite its geographic isolation, Australia has spent decades as a centre of the golfing world. With legends of the game Greg Norman, Adam Scott, and Jason Day hailing from the land down under, it is no doubt that Australia’s reputation as a breeding ground for some of the best golfers in the world is well deserved. One key to these great successes may be that the Aussies are able to hone their skills on some of the finest courses in the world. The country’s unique and widely diverse topography allows for courses whose physical beauty and challenging layouts are rarely challenged elsewhere on the globe, and there is no better place to experience the best golf courses Australia has to offer than the nations largest city; Sydney. With a variety of courses to fit all budgets and skill levels, all located within minutes of the airport, Sydney is the traveling golfer’s paradise.

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Later this month Jordan Spieth is set to defend his title at the Emirates Airline Australian Open at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney. One lucky Emirates Skywards member will have the chance to win a place in the tournament pro-am.

To enter go to: www.worldwide.golf

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/SOHOBARANDGRILL /SOHOGRILL /SOHOGRILL WWW.SOHOGRILL.AE *T&C Apply. Advanced booking required.

SOHO BAR & GRILL CENTURY VILLAGE, NEAR IRISH VILLAGE, GARHOUD

04 286 8520

Syndney, Australia

No course better exemplifies the best the area has to offer than the Royal Sydney Golf Club. Founded in 1893, RSGC is one of the oldest and most prestigious golf clubs in Australia and to date has hosted 14 Australian Opens and one Women’s Open. In 2013 it was Rory Mcllroy who hoisted the Emirates Australian Open trophy after carding a birdie on the final hole of the tournament to edge out Aussie Adam Scott, who earlier in the week fired a course record 62 during the tournaments first round. While this record is more than likely out of reach for us mere mortals, the opportunity to have a go at a course that has hosted the likes of Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, and Greg Norman have competed on should not be missed.

Royal Sydney Golf Club At first glance, the old-fashioned nature of this golf course may lull players into a false sense of confidence. RSGC does not make use of tricks or gimmicks to provide golfers a challenge. Instead the traditional course relies on the undulating fairways and it’s treacherous bunkers to help keep the low scores at bay. It is crucial that tee shots find the fairway to set up a manageable approach, for if the approach does not find the green it will almost certainly find the sand, as is the case with the par four 8th hole. At only 275 meters from the furthest tees, this short par four is certainly drivable for many players. However with bunkers lining the right side of the fairway and guarding the front of the green, the risk may not be worth the reward. A pitch from the center of the fairway will certainly be easier than bunker shot or short chip into the elevated green. This Par 72 course plays 6054 meter from the men’s tees and located just 13 kilometers from the airport makes the Royal Sydney Golf Club a wonderful option for visitors to the Harbor City.

Moore Park Founded in 1913 as Sydney’s first public golf course, Moore Park is unlike any other course in the area. With its fig tree lined fairways giving way to large undulating greens, this championship course offers plenty of challenge for golfers of all skill levels. The courses signature is the 5th hole, a short 150-meter par three. However, this devilishly clever hole makes up for what it lacks in distance with a 30-meter drop from tee to green that when the wind is up, creates a deceptively tricky shot. As home to the Sydney Golf Academy, Moore Park boasts some of the most impressive practice facilities in the city. The three story fully automated hitting bay is the perfect place to warm up before your round and with a 22 square meter big screen on the driving range it’s easy to keep up with all of the happenings elsewhere in the golf world. With the driving range remaining open until midnight on some evenings, and located only 5 kilometers from the airport, Moore Park is a terrific option for traveling golfers; regardless of what time their flight arrives.

New South Wales Golf Club

Eastlake Golf Club

New South Wales may very well be better described as a piece of art than as a golf course. The rolling landscape and ocean vistas make this course one of the most beautiful in the world. However, this is not to say that the course does not provide a thrilling and challenging test of golf. Ranked number nine on Golf Digest’s list of the 100 best courses outside of the United States, this links style construction was designed by Dr. Alister MacKenzie in 1928. The course features dramatic rolling fairways that are lined with sandy wasteland, and greens protected by sinister pot bunkers. The 468-meter par five 5th is the club’s most breathtaking offering. After a blind tee shot over a ridge, golfers are greeted by a downhill second shot overlooking the sea.

With bunkers guarding a backward sloping green to both the left and right, accuracy is crucial in setting up a manageable approach. Although NSW Golf Club is private, limited weekday tee times are available to the public when booked in advance.

Eastlake’s status as a public course may lead some to believe that it cannot compete with many of its more vaunted neighbors but don’t be fooled. In terms of quality for cost, Eastlake is one of the best values in the city. Throughout the years the par 72, 5873-meter course has played host to qualifying events for both the Australian Open and the New South Wales Open Championship. This links style course is constructed on two thin strips of land surrounded by native wetland, bringing water into play on 11 holes. Despite it moderate yardage, much of the courses length is hidden in elevation changes, which means that driver is still in order on a number of holes. Located on 4 kilometers from the airport, golfers are treated to views of the downtown skyline as they meander their way through one of Australia’s finest public courses.

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St Tropez celebrates its

Anniversary White & Gold Dress Code

St Tropez Mall of the Emirates is celebrating its second anniversary.

Unlimited Premium Beverages and CanapĂŠs from 7-10 pm, the evening of 11th Dec 2015.

By advanced booking only.

With live jazz sessions, goodie bag giveaways, raffle draws, entertainment stations and free valet parking.

This is one evening not to be missed.

All inclusive for Dhs 450.

CafĂŠ - Lounge - Bistro Licensed Restaurant

St Tropez Bistro, Mall of the Emirates (West End) Al Barsha phone: 04 341 3415, email: reservations@sttropez.ae www.sttropez.ae /sttropezdubai

/StTropezMOE

/sttropezdubai

Division of CHI Hospitality L.L.C. Terms & Conditions Apply.

Syndney, Australia

The Lakes Golf Club Any course that has seen its fairways prowled by both a Golden Bear and a Great White is surely one of the finest in the world and this holds true with The Lakes Golf Club.

Having hosted six Australian Opens, including three of the last five, this Michael Clayton design is a masterpiece.

There are few courses in the area that make better use of natural water hazards than The Lakes, including all three of the back nine par fives. One of the toughest challenges the course offers comes at the par five 14th. At 502 meters, players must take driver off the tee to set up a reasonable second shot. The more sensible golfer will send his second shot further along the fairway for an easier approach. The more ambitious and foolhardy will attempt to carry the massive lake guarding the green. However, reaching the green in two is no guarantee of birdie as it is one of the largest putting surfaces on the course. Located only three kilometers from the airport, The Lakes Golf Club is a must play for the avid golfer.

Bonnie Doon Golf Club

Kogarah Golf Club Even if your trip to Sydney consists only of a layover at the airport, it is still possible to squeeze in a round of golf while on Australia’s east coast. Located only 500 meters (that is not a misprint; only half a kilometer) from the airport, Kogarah Golf Club is the perfect option for a golfer on a time crunch. This 5903-meter par 72 features a flatter topography and straightforward course design that is suitable for even the most novice golfers.

However, with trees lining most of the fairways and a fair amount of water and terrific sand features coming into play, Kogarah offers plenty of challenges for the more seasoned player.

With rates as low as $40, Kogarah Golf Club is the perfect option if you are looking for a quick, casual round in Sydney.

St. Michael’s Golf Club Located within the Botany Bay National Parkland, St. Michael’s Golf Club was designed to offer a tough test of golf, without disturbing the Little Bay Peninsula’s natural beauty and topography. This 6345-meter links style course is not particularly long by modern standards and places a premium on accuracy over power. Small greens leave little room for error while the native shrubs hugging many of the fairways means an errant ball may be lost forever. The coastal location means that wind provides a natural defense on nearly every hole including the courses signature par three 5th. With a back to right sloping green shots left below the hole will rarely result in a par on the scorecard.

Even football giants Manchester United have taken on St. Michael’s when they spent a day on the course during their 2013 Australian tour. Only 11 kilometers from the airport, tee times are available seven days a week.

Worldwide GOLF 133

Located on rolling sand dunes, Bonnie Doon Golf Club is a course that would look more at home in Melbourne’s sand belt than in Sydney. Its rolling fairways that are bespeckled with sandy waste areas and bunkers that provide a tough, but thoroughly enjoyable, test of golf. The par three 15th very well may be one of the most entertaining holes on the course. From the tee, players face an uphill shot into a green featuring extreme rolls and swales, which is guarded on both sides by large bunker complexes. The multi tiered nature of the putting surface means tee shots must land hole-high or else a putting disaster awaits.

Originally founded in 1897, the course has recently undergone two stages of redevelopment by Ogilvy Clayon, which has improved upon an already tremendous layout. Located just 13 kilometers from the airport, Bonnie Doon can hold its own with the best courses in Sydney.

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VISIT LONDON

Corus Hotel Hyde Park – Practical luxury in a Prime Position and Real Value-for-Money W

HEN you walk through the door of an hotel you have never been to before your first impressions are paramount. The welcome we received at the reception of the Corus Hotel Hyde Park made us feel instantly at home. In fact, the staff throughout the hotel were among the most friendly and efficient I’ve ever encountered at a leading London hotel.

The Corus Hotel ideally combines the practical facilities and luxurious comfort you need, whether you are staying for just one night or for a week or even longer. Everything you may need is immediately at hand.

For instance, close to the reception in the spacious marble-floored lobby are free cash-point and phone-charging facilities, plus an array of items often misplaced when travelling, such as plug adaptors, toiletries, medicines and batteries.

The other great advantage of the Corus is its position opposite Hyde Park at the epicentre of so many London attractions. Within a few minutes’ walk we were on Oxford Street and Bond Street, close to the museums and art galleries of South Kensington. Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace are also within easy walking distance.

Lancaster Gate tube station on the Central Line is less than five minutes’ walk away and Paddinton Station iwith its direct link to Heathrow Airport is close by. Taxis are easily available at the hotel and around the Lancaster Gate vicinity.

The grand, imposing 200 year old Listed Building has 389 bedrooms, many of which have been recently refurbished. The suite we had was excellent. It had every conceivable amenity with flatscreen LG TV, Wifi, tea and coffee-making facilities and many more. There was an air of practical, elegant luxury throughout the suite.

The Corus Bar was buzzing when we went in for an early evening drink and again the friendly atmosphere that permeates the entire hotel made it an even more enjoyable experience. The Roman-style pillars, the circular bar and the comfortable armchairs seemed to fit perfectly and the drinks and wine were excellent. The addition of the pianist also added to the atmosphere. Looking out of the window to Hyde Park you could sit and watch London life passing through.

Overall, the Corus Hotel Hyde Park, situated at No.1 Lancaster Gate, offers excellent quality service through its friendly and efficient staff and real value-for-money for a leading, practical and traditional hotel in a prime central London location. I would highly recommend the Corus Hotel Hyde Park to anyone visiting London for business or pleasure.

Corus Hotel Hyde Park, 1 Lancaster Gate, London, W2 3LG UK For reservations please call: +44 (0)20 7262 5022 or visit: www.corushotels.com/london/

Worldwide GOLF 135

ROWLAND SEEDS

TEE TIMES

Jaermann & Stübi Eagle Heart EH1 The Eagle Heart created by Jaermann & Stübi – The Timepiece of Golf – comes in an extra light titanium case with a mechanical movement and complication that counts the strokes during your round of golf and com.

Find out more on www.jaermann-stuebi.com or call +971 50 640 2007 Watch out: New Concept Store at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club is opening soon!

Carl F. Bucherer Manero ChronoPerpetual OnlyWatch Carl F. Bucherer has created a unique timepiece just for this special occasion ‘Only Watch 2015’: the Manero ChronoPerpetual in white gold. Limited to a single model, this watch is to be auctioned off as the culmination of a global roadshow at an auction for the benefit of the Monaco Association Against Muscular Dystrophy (AMM).

Featuring a grand complication perpetual calendar, the Manero ChronoPerpetual is able to show the date, day, month, year and moon phase without requiring correction.

The mechanism accommodates the differing month lengths so it will only require manual adjustment in the year 2100. The complexity of such a timekeeping mechanism makes this

watch a masterpiece.

www.carl-f-bucherer.com

Omega speedmaster MOONWATCH NUMBERED EDITIOr The OMEGA Speedmaster is one of OMEGA’s most iconic timepieces. The Moonwatch “First Omega in Space” was inspired by the watch worn by astronaut Wally Shirra in 1962 as he orbited the earth during the “Sigma 7” mission.

This numbered edition model features a bold varnished black dial with a small seconds dial, a 30-minute recorder and 12-hour recorder, along with a central chronograph hand and a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. The black bezel, with its tachymetric scale, is mounted on a 39.7 mm stainless steel case with symmetric lugs, and the watch is presented on a brown leather strap.

At the heart of this chronograph is OMEGA’s calibre 1861, the famous manualwinding movement that was worn on the moon, which is covered by a caseback embossed with the original 1962 Seahorse.

www.omegawatches.com

Worldwide GOLF 136

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