Club Life December

Editor: Jacqui Barry barrydxb@eim.ae

DECEMBER

2016

ISSUE 64

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EMIRATES GOLF CLUB SENIOR MANAGEMENT

Editorial

ello again..time seems to be flying by and putting together Club Life magazine seems to be an ongoing process. Each month I write to contributors around the middle of the month to ask them for their material and it seems like they have only just submitted material for the previous month. It’s even worse when I send a ‘gentle reminder’ and then another..and possibly another (not really, as everyone is very good at coming up with the goods!) Today, the last week of November, shotgun start and I was teeing off hole number one. Rhys James told me that he probably would not have come up to the first tee to make his announcements if he had not already got his material ready to send me and actually, he had even sent it before I finished my round. I am beginning to get a complex that key people at the Club start avoiding me towards the end of the month!! All good fun of course but I do appreciate everyone who contributes and it’s not really as bad as I am making it out to be!! So, a big thank you to you all because, without you, there would be no magazine!. Thank you also to Eugene at Dubai Golf Publishing who is a real whiz at doing the lay-outs and he is also extremely creative.

Congratulations to Barney Coleman who was recently appointed as Club Manager at Emirates Golf Club. “Barney joined Emirates Golf Club over ten years ago and has established himself as a competent and professional leader and is equally popular with members and colleagues alike. I know that Barney will be a great success and I am sure you will join me in wishing him good luck in his new role.” (Chris May CEO Dubai Golf) The DP World Championship was staged at the end of last month here in Dubai at Jumeirah Golf Estates and what a fantastic event it was with Emirates Golf Club honorary member and past resident of Dubai, Henrik Stenson winning the Race to Dubai overall and young Matt Fitzpatrick winning the DP World Tour Championship after a very exciting final round. Matt is a ‘golf in DUBAi’ ambassador and GiD have given him every support since he first burst onto the scene as a Professional.

We are approaching a very busy month with Christmas activities as well as the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters. We are looking forward to welcoming back defending champion and Olympic bronze medallist Shanshan Feng from 7th to 10th December as she aims to embellish her own record at Emirates Golf Club! Shanshan Feng created history in 2015, winning the title for a record third time when a final-round six-under par 66 gave her a tournament tally of 21-under par 267, which matched her own record of the lowest 72hole total set in 2012.

Welcome to all players - we love having you here and we really enjoy watching you tackle our championship course, the Majlis. Enjoy your time here and I’m sure you will all be made to feel very welcome by our friendly colleagues and members.

Some important dates in December are the colleague/member golf day on Tuesday 13th December…please make an effort to participate in this event if you can; our wonderful colleagues enjoy this day so much and they love being part of a team with members. The Mixed Christmas Scramble, dinner and raffle will all take place on Saturday 17th December and all proceeds from the raffle go to the Junior Staff Fund. If you are able to donate prizes, please do so through membership services and/or buy raffle tickets leading up to the event.

It’s sure to be a a very enjoyable day of golf followed by a sumptuous dinner on the terrace afterwards.

I will finish off by wishing everyone a wonderful festive season and all the best for the New Year 2017.

Jacqui

Christopher May

Chief Executive Officer cmay@dubaigolf.com

Craig Haldane

Barney Coleman

Club Manager bcoleman@dubaigolf.com

Andy Meech

Director - Golf Course Maintenance chaldane@dubaigolf.com

Head of Sport and Leisure ameech@dubaigolf.com

Rhys James

Chef Nicholas Cuomo

Golf Services Manager rjames@dubaigolf.com

Ganesh Mangathil

Dubai Golf Publishing Manager gmangathil@dubaigolf.com

Steen Simon

Food & Beverage Manager ssimon@dubaigolf.com

Stephen Deane

Head Academy Professional sdeane@dubaigolf.com

Executive Chef ncuomo@dubaigolf.com

Adele Cowgill

Head of Sales and Marketing acowgill@dubaigolf.com

Saeed Ahamed

Financial Controller mahamed@dubaigolf.com

Haridas Palliyalil

Resident Engineer hpalliyalil@dubaigolf.com

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

04 04 04 04 04 04

417 417 417 417 417 417

9999 9800 9801 9850 9875 9820

Follow Emirates Golf Club on Facebook for the latest news, views and special offers. We already have over 32,556 likes.

Follow us on Twitter @emiratesgc and Instagram @emiratesgc

Barney Coleman’s promotion to the position of Club Manager. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Barney on his promotion and wish him all the best in his new position. I look forward to Barney’s tenure in office and I fully endorse his appointment.

More importantly, I would also like to congratulate Barney on the new addition to his family.

Over the last few months a number of initiatives have been taken by the Club to promote pace of play, to adhere to good golf etiquette, to improve service standards and also to make the Club more

MENS COMPETITION RESULTS

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homogenous and I hope you all, as members, have seen the difference.

I would reiterate that if you have any suggestions to improve any aspect of the Club and feel I could help, please do let me know.

In the meantime, looking forward to seeing you all at the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters during the second week of December.

Captain’s Message

Dear Friends,

s November draws to a close and the Majlis course takes shape for the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters this month and the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in February, we will experience much tougher conditions as the days progress. However, you will all agree that playing the Majlis in mint tournament conditions is a unique experience enjoyed by one and all.

In my opinion, November was a very good month at the Club as the Senior Management announced

Vipen Sethi Club Captain 2016-2017

In association with

OMA Emirates Monthly Medal Friday 4th November 2016

Madhu Sharma Wins the OMA Emirates Medal Congratulations to Madhu Sharma, who scored a superb four-under par net 68 on the Faldo course to win the OMA Emirates November Medal at Emirates Golf Club, supported by Porsche Centre Dubai and Ascots and Chapels. Madhu’s excellent score saw him also top B Division ahead of Nitin Kripalani who shot a net 70, and Mike Butler who shot a net 73 on what was a difficult day of scoring on the Faldo course.

Bhipin Bhatia claimed victory in A Division, after scoring a net 72 ahead of Priyam Godiwala and Anil Shivanna who shot a net 73 and net 74 respectively.

C Division was won by Suresh Shewakramani who shot a net 79. Bradley Mogire produced an excellent round of golf to win the best gross prize, shooting 75 in difficult course conditions.

As a feature of the Monthly Medal events, Porsche Centre Dubai kindly sponsor a nearest-the-pin competition, and Rajinder Razdan claimed victory this month on the 225 yard 17th hole - an excellent effort. He will be one of eight qualifiers and eight other invited golfers forming two teams led by celebrities who will contest the season-ending par-3 style Porsche Centre Dubai shootout on the 18th hole of the Majlis.

Clubhouse TROPHY 25th November 2016 Winner:

Pavan Nihalani 38 points

Runner-up:

Lav Kataria

38 points

Third:

Luiz Bertoul

36 points

A DIVISION (handicaps 0-14) Winner:

Eric Koeman

35 points

Runner-up:

David Waite

35 points

B DIVISION (handicaps 15-24) Winner:

Sachin Mahajan 35 points

Runner-up

Russell Curtis

35 points

Congratulations to Pavan Nihalani who won this year’s Clubhouse Trophy with a score of 38 points, narrowly beating Lav Kataria after a card playoff, Pavan claiming the trophy with a better back-6 holes. Luiz Bertuol secured overall third place, scoring 36 points. Our winner Pavan Nihalani, runner-up Lav Kataria and third placed Luiz Bertuol were the only three players in the field to score 36 points or better on a windy day on the Majlis course.

Division A was strongly contested with Eric Koeman narrowly beating David Waite

after a better back-6 holes after the pair both scored 35 points. Division B was won by Sachin Mahajan who beat new member Russell Curtis after a better back-9, both also scoring 35 points on what was a very tough day for scoring.

Alongside this year’s Clubhouse Trophy, there was a long drive contest sponsored by Dubai Islamic Bank with our PGA Academy Professional Mark Bruce measuring distances through the use of Trackman.

Bradley Mogire was the winner - into a headwind, Bradley carried the ball an impressive 275 yards from the 12th tee.

in’s Lady Capta Message

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ovember in the ladies’ section provides a brief opportunity to recover from the Season Openers, the fund raising activities of Pink October and it allows us to get ready for the many upcoming Christmas events at the Club.

The ladies’ competitions in November were very well subscribed with a full field playing the Medal, Pairs Betterball, and the Heritage Trophy, a two week competition with one round on the Faldo and one on the Majlis.

Congratulations to Marie Petre who followed up her excellent first round score of 41 points with a score of 34 points on the Majlis. Well done to defending champion Lynne Dickinson who was runner-up with an overall total of 73.

COMPETITION RESULTS

Naema Maya Wins November Monthly Medal Monday 7th November 2016 Congratulations to our November Ladies’ Monthly Medal winner Naema Maya. Who would have thought that after a triple bogey start, Naema would fight back to card a superb 68 net with three birdies in a row approaching the turn. Naema has continued her great recent form and is playing some fantastic golf! She collected her Medal prize plus an overnight stay in the luxurious Sofitel, Dubai Jumeirah Beach.

Runner-up in Silver A Division was Tania Sangani who recorded a good score of 73 net winning the Friday brunch prize with a better back nine score. In Silver B Division, Maureen Platt recorded a fantastic net 70 score to also win an overnight stay at the Sofitel. Lynne Dickinson, with a scorecard playoff on the back six holes, won a Friday brunch experience with a great round of 72 net.

Shiba Khan won Bronze Division with a solid score of 72 net, whilst Viv Caley played some great golf to record an 82 gross score, collecting the prize of a seafood buffet dinner.

The event was once again generously sponsored by Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach and thank you to Marketing and PR Executive Mr. Wernez Dalziel for joining us on the day.

There are so many opportunities at the Club during November/ December; Sophie Walker, Ladies European Tour Professional, was back again to host another clinic on 29th November. Chef Nicolas hosted a Christmas cooking class in Le Classique on 30th November and Gargash Enterprises have very generously offered access and lunch to 60 ladies in their hospitality chalet during ODLM. There is also a Colleague/Member Scramble on December 13th, the perfect opportunity to get to know some of our colleagues who take such good care of us.

2016 seems to be racing to an end and I look forward to two of my favourite events on the calendar - the Ladies’ Christmas Scramble with all the festive and fun attire and the following day, the ladies return to Le Classique for a traditional Christmas lunch.

Sponsored By

SILVER A DIVISION (handicaps 0 – 14) Winner: Naema Maya Runner-up: Tania Sangani Best Gross: Viv Caley

SILVER B DIVISION (handicaps 15 –23) Winner: Maureen Platt Runner-up: Lynne Dickinson BRONZE DIVISION (handicpas 24 –42) Winner: Shiba Khan Raffle Winner:

Josephine Docherty

68 Net 73 Net 82 Gross 70 Net 72 Net 72 Net

Also at this time of the year we have a special raffle with all funds raised going to the junior colleagues at the Club. A letter has been sent about this seeking donations to the raffle which will be drawn at the Mixed Christmas Scramble on 17th December. Your generosity will be very much appreciated.

Season’s Greetings to everyone, I hope you get to spend quality time with your family, and friends and that you are able to fit in some golf during this fabulous weather.

Maura Duggan Lady Captain 2016-2017

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’

LADIES Pairs Betterball Competition 14th November 2016 Swati Singh & Mitsuko Emmerson Maureen Platt & Haide Wright Lynne Dickinson & Martha Wong

43 points 43 points 42 points

Competition Results

Winners: Runners-up: Third:

Heritage TROPHY

Maria Petre Wins 36 Hole Heritage Trophy Congratulations to Past Captain Maria Petre on winning the prestigious Heritage Trophy, the two-round tournament which is played over both the Faldo and Majlis courses.

Maria held a commanding lead after a superb score of 41 points in the opening round on the Faldo Course. Her nearest competitors were Maureen Platt, Jane Vail and Yana Jamieson who all scored 37 points. One shot further adrift on 36 points were the trio of Swati Singh, Martha Wong and the defending champion Lynne Dickinson.

Past Captain Maria scored a second round score of 34 points on the Majlis for a total of 75 to secure victory.

Lynne Dickinson, in great defence of her title, finished in second place thanks to a final round score of 37 points for a 73 point total. There was a tie for third place between Fran Cole and Jane Vail, both totalling 71 points for the tournament. It was the better second round score of 38 points by Fran that secured her third place overall.

The best score for round one was won by Maureen Platt with a score of 37 points, following a card count back. The round two best score was won by Veronica Elias with 39 points.

Day 1 - Wednesday 8th February • • • •

Travel to RAK / Al Hamra GC Check in at Hilton Hotel Golf at midday Evening dinner and drinks

Day 2 - Thursday 9th February • Morning to relax • Golf at 1.00pm shotgun • Evening dinner and drinks

Day 3 - Friday 10th February

• Depart Hilton Hotel • Travel back to Dubai

HOTEL: We are currently looking at rooms in the Hilton, more details will be available soon.

***Please help spread the word amongst the ladies so that we can build on the success of last year’s trip to Oman!

MIXED COMPETITION RESULTS

Competition Results

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The Ambassadors Cup, which was won by France, was held at Emirates Golf Club on 9th November which was an excellent day.

MATCH V K Club Ireland A team from the K Club in Ireland was visiting the UAE and, intern Cian Hurley, who had worked at the K Club for six months, kindly organised a friendly match between the vistors and (mostly) Irish members of the Club.

Unfortunately the EGC team did not bring home the winning trophy in the inaugural Emerald Championship but it was an excellent, friendly day. The K Club team are hoping to invite us to the their club in Ireland next summer for a rematch, so better luck next time!

EGC team members: Eric Koeman & Carmel King Ken Newell & Neasa Lawless Tom & Jacqui Barry Paul Byrne & Catherine Convery Tony Breen & Mags Breen Frank & Maura Duggan

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Legacy Prime PRO-AM CUP Friday 18th November 2016 -14 -13 -12

Competition Results

Winning Team: Cian Hurley, Ghaleb Farha

Luiz Bertoul, Noemy Bertoul Runners-up: MG Keyser, Sulafa Hamdan

Najla Bartette, Martha Wong Third: Dong Lee, Kim Wookhwan

Hugo Garcia, Julia Garcia Nearest the Pin (Amateurs only) Hole # 4: Anil Kumar Hole # 7: David Waite Hole # 11: Gurinder Singh Nearest the pin (Professionals only) Hole # 15: William Tickell

8 Junior Link

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2016 TITLEIST

T

Emirates Junior Open

he 2016 Titleist Junior Open welcomed 68 junior golfers to compete for the title on the Faldo course. Yaseen Le Falher from the Royal Golf Club Bahrain won the Boys’ Championship with a fine score of 72, winning after a back-nine playoff. Zubair Firdaus from Jumeirah Golf Estates claimed second place, also with a score of 72 ahead of Emirates Golf Club’s own Arjun Gupta who finished a commendable third, also on 72.

The Girls’ Championship was won by Emirates Golf Club’s Sahana Paravantavida who shot an excellent score of three under par 69 to claim the prize.

Net prizes were awarded to Advav Mohindra from Abu Dhabi City Golf Club who claimed the Boys’ Division A Best Net with a score of 68, and Ronan Smith from the Royal Golf Club Bahrain who claimed the Boys’ Division B Best Net with a superb score of 61. Girls’ net prizes were awarded to Emirates Golf Club’s Tatyana Mogire who won the Girls’ Division with a great score of 65 net narrowly beating Ailsa Brannock from Castle Douglas Golf Club in Scotland who shot a 67 net.

On-course events on the day included nearest the pins on hole 12 which was won by Tatyana Mogire, hole 17 which was won by Ronan Smith, hole 2 which was won by Kevin McCarrick, and hole 8 which was won by Yaseen Le Falher.

Congratulations to all of the prize winners on the day and to all the competitors who competed in this exciting event. Our special thanks go to event sponsors ProSports and Titleist who kindly supported this event and provided some excellent prizes for our champions on the day.

Saturday 12th November 2016 Girls’Champion:

Sahana Paravantavida (EGC) 69 gross

Boys’ Champion: Yaseen Le Falher (RGC)

72 gross

Runner-up:

Zubair Firdaus (JGE)

72 gross

Third:

Arjun Gupta (EGC)

72 gross

Boys’ Division A (handicaps 0-14) Best Net:

Advay Mohindra (ADCGC)

68 net

Boys’ Division B (handicaps 15-28) Best Net:

Ronan Smith (RGC)

61 net

Girls’ Division (handicaps 0-36) Best Net:

Tatyana Mogire (EGC)

65 net

2nd Net:

Ailsa Brannock (CDGC)

67 net

Nearest the Pin Hole No 12 - girls (handicaps 0-36)

Tatyana Mogire

Hole No 17 - boys (handicaps 15-28)

Ronan Smith

Hole No 2 - boys (handicaps 0-14)

Kevin McCarrick

Hole No 8 - all players

Yaseen Le Falher

SPOTLIGHT ON....

We moved to Dubai from Denmark in January 2014 and joined EGC straight away. My father introduced me to golf in the summer of 2013 and learning to play was fun. Soon I moved from Yellow cap to Black cap, where I am now.

The first year I received private lessons with Jonathan Craddock, who was fantastic. I practiced with my brother and

with my Dad. Chipping was fun as I could win an ice cream if I chipped in.

I played in the Junior Par 3 Series and so far I have won 11 tournaments with lots of seconds and thirds too. Last year I was the overall Purple cap series winner with 725 points.

My current handicap is 12.2.

During the group lessons I follow at the moment with Mark and Jonathan, I have made friends and I enjoy learning from different people.

I love playing every weekend with my father

JUNIOR

H

and brother, Finn (12 years old), as besides being a good team, we also enjoy fun competition amongst ourselves.

s

y name is Kalle Williams and I am 10 years old. I attend Dubai International Academy and I am now in Year 6.

Junior Link

M

Kalle Williams

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The most challenging thing about golf is making small changes to your swing to improve your results. I need to practise all the time. I love playing on the Majlis course, but this summer we also played in Denmark where I see my coach there each summer. We also played in Miami this year and I was so proud to par the difficult 18th hole on the infamous Blue Monster course.

It would be great if I could become a golf professional one day. Even better, would be to tee off and play in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic‌my goal!!

Elites

ead Academy Professional, Stephen Deane has been putting the Junior Elite squad through a rigorous training programme in the last few months. Not only do they work on their games, but they also work on their fitness levels and specific exercises for golf. There are certainly some very talented youngsters coming through the system!

Academy

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Pro’s Tip of the Month

by GOLF Professional MARK BRUCE

SEQUENCE Your Swing

The sequence of your body movements into the ball are critical for maximising power, contact and face control.

Because the club is in our hands during the swing we feel the need to pull the club down towards the ball to make contact, this results in the shaft becoming very steep and narrow with no lower body movement for power.

You can see in this picture below that the legs have not been activated with no transfer of weight onto the front foot or body clearing, resulting in limited room and collapsed arms.

Incorrect impact

What we see in all good players is a fabulous kinematic sequence where we start the downswing from the ground up so the energy transfers from the legs into the club. The club should be swung around the body on an outward force. This is the most effective way to create amazing power, plenty of room to allow the club to square and the weight shift enhances ball first contact.

Correct opening of the body

Next time you play I want you to feel that from the top of your backswing your are starting the movement with the legs, pushing downward pressure into the front leg, this will allow the hips to open (not slide) create power into the arms and out into the clubhead.

This shift in weight will offer ball first connection with extended arms and allow you to finish with all your weight on the lead leg in balance.

By Craig Haldane Director - Golf Course Maintenance

r’s Greenkeepe Cuttings

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GREENKEEPER S CUTTINGS

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The Majlis course is taking shape, 19 days after overseeding in the lead up to the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters!

OMEGA DUBAI LADIES MASTERS Update

ODLM Upd

ate

12

Dear Members,

T

he 2016 Omega Dubai Ladies Masters is fast approaching with another exciting line up of international stars including three time winner and defending champion Shanshan Feng, Dame Laura Davies, Charley Hull, Amy Boulden, Cheyenne Woods, Suzann Pettersen, Aditi Ashok (winner in India recently), Pornanong Phatlum, Muni He and, making her professional debut, Meghan MacLaren from England. Paige Spiranac will be returning from the USA along with fellow Americans Blair O’Neal and Chelsea Pezzola.

The event will once again start on Wednesday 7th December and finish on Saturday 10th December, ensuring a great weekend atmosphere for the final day.

Tournament Village

The team at Golf in DUBAi have worked hard to enhance the Tournament Village experience for this year’s event and there will be lots of activities for you and your family to enjoy, including some of Dubai’s best food trucks, Boomtree adventure playground, a dedicated arts & crafts zone, two large bouncy castles and JA Resorts & Hotels’ ever-popular soft play area for the little ones. There is entertainment and also activities for children of all ages. There is even a giant rock-climbing wall and three large trampolines for those feeling that little bit

more adventurous! Finally to top things off, there will be live entertainment in the village from 4.00pm onwards to help you ease into the weekend vibe!

room facilities. Access to the main ladies’ locker room facilities is strictly restricted to the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters players.

Key Dates

The gent’s locker room will be available for players to use as normal with unrestricted access.

There will be NO Challenge Match Pro-Am, Majlis course - Tuesday 6th December 2016 Omega Dubai Ladies Masters, Majlis course - Wednesday 7th to Saturday 10th December 2016

Access and Tickets

Entrance to the event will be free of charge again this year and there will be no need for members and guests to have tickets to access the Clubhouse. However, members’ car parking passes will be available for collection at Membership Services during the week prior to the tournament. These can be collected between 9.00am and 6.00pm.

Faldo Course

We are delighted to announce that once again, the Faldo course will remain open for the duration of the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters, giving members access to golf during the week of the event. Tee times can be booked online or by phone as usual.

The bag drop and cart staging area will be located at the Faldo driving range close to the members’ parking area and players will have the option to check in either at the Par 3 course starter hut or in the main Clubhouse.

During the tournament, ladies are requested to use the recreation changing

Majlis Caddies - Course is walking only from 4th November to 14th February Please be informed the Majlis course will be WALKING ONLY from 4th November 2016 - 14th February 2017.

The majority of caddies at Emirates Golf Club are members of the operations team (including Golf Operations, Golf Course Maintenance and Food/Beverage). The demands of the operation dictate that their day job comes first therefore it is not possible for us to always organise and guarantee caddies.

The Caddie Master is our golf operations supervisor Ummer. Requests for caddies can be made on the following numbers at the said times, however please note we cannot

Finally, as the Faldo driving range will be used for parking during the event, please be advised that the driving range will not be available to warm up before your round. The Par 3 short game area and putting green will be open as usual.

Course / Range Closures

Majlis Course – closed Saturday 3rd to Sunday 11th December (re-opening from 12.30pm on Sunday 11th December) Majlis Range - closed Saturday 3rd to Saturday 10th December Faldo Range - closed Monday 5th to Saturday 10th December

Recreation

Fit Lab gym will remain open as normal throughout the event; tennis and Padeltennis will also remain open with two tennis courts operating during the daytime and all four operating in the evenings after 5.00pm. The swimming pool area will be closed for the duration of the tournament.

I hope that you enjoy the tournament and I look forward to seeing you at the Club during the event.

Kind Regards, Barney Coleman Club Manager

always guarantee a caddie for your game but will try our best to meet the demand, at least 24 hours notice is also required.

Ummer - 0506768148 (Please call Thursday - Monday, 8am6pm) Jega - 0505786800 - (Please call Tuesday & Wednesday 8am-4pm) Minimum Caddy Fees: Members and Member Guests - AED 120 Visitors - AED 150 (additional gratuity at discretion of player)

Members’ Consultative Committee (MCC)

As such, a cross section of members were invited to take part in a Members’ Consultative Committe, which meets

regularly to discuss the general operation of the Club, to hear feedback from members and to provide a link between members and management.

There is an online forum specifically for the purpose of enabling Club members to: 1. Be able to view the minutes taken from each meeting and comment accordingly through a related message board.

2. Have the ability to contact any one of the Committee Members directly via email with constructive comments and ideas.

Committe

The Members’ Consultative Committee was formed as a result of Emirates Golf Club becoming a part of Dubai Real Estate Corporation (now known by its brand name ‘wasl’), and the management of both teams recognising the role that the Membership of the Club plays in its success, both financially and in creating a good ‘Club spirit’.

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The Committee will not be involved in the actual administration or finances of the Club, but will concentrate on service and facilities and how management can best serve the membership.

Committee Members for 2016-2017 Season

Vipen Sethi Men’s Captain 2016 - 2017

Vipen came to Dubai in 1996 and he has been a member at Nad Al Sheba, Montgomerie, The Els Club and Emirates Golf Club and has played almost every weekend since. This has helped him maintain a single figure handicap for 40 years. Today Vipen is a member of the Bombay Presidency, Golf Club, Delhi Golf Club, The Els Club and Emirates Golf Club.

Sulafa Hamdan

Sulafa has been a member of Emirates Golf Club since 2011.

She moved to Dubai from Lebanon in 1995 with husband and golf player Adel. Between 2000 and 2004 they relocated to France, US and back to Dubai. Golf started to become a habit only five years ago while her kids were growing up.

Tom Luig

Maura Duggan Lady Captain 2016 - 2017

Maura hails from Ireland and moved to Dubai in 2009, which is her seventh country to live in with her husband and family. She started golfing in Warsaw, Poland but became addicted when they returned to Ireland and joined Old Conna Golf Club of which she is still a member.

Tom has been a member since 2009 but has been actively playing golf at Emirates Golf Club since 2008. He is from Germany and moved to Dubai in 1994. He is the founder and owner of Global Golf Agency (GGA.AE). He is also the promoter of Ras Al Khaimah Golf Challenge, European Challenge Tour and The Senior Amateur Tour.

Andrew Robinson

Andrew is an active user of most sections of the club including golf, par 3, tennis, gym and restaurants..

He has a leadership role with the Saturday morning golf group, he is a member of both KEGS and the Sport to Business golf society.

Ivan Fornazaric Men’s Vice Captain 2016 2017

Ivan has been a member of Emirates Golf Club since 2002.

He hails from Slovenia and moved to Dubai in 1990. He is the founder and managing director of Gorica Group. He is married to Steva who also plays golf at Emirates Golf Club. Ivan learned and started playing golf in Dubai; he is also a member of The Montgomerie Golf Club, and Honorary member of PGA Slovenia. He is still trying to get back his single digit handicap

Vaneet Mohan

An avid squash player, Veneet played first division squash in the various countries in which he lived.

Veneet’s golfing career began in earnest in Abu Dhabi in 1997 at the ripe old age of 36 and that first introduction, just under 20 years ago, has led to a lifelong passion for the sport. Veneet joined Emirates Golf Club in 1993 upon his return from Jeddah and he has been an active member since.

Mike Butler

Najla Bartette Lady Vice Captain 2016 2017

Najla, who is from Lebanon, has been a member of Emirates Golf Club since 2003 when she arrived in Dubai and she is married to Pascal who also plays golf at Emirates Golf Club.

Having played golf at Heswall Golf Club in England as a junior, Mike began playing golf again regularly when he moved to Kuwait five years ago.

He relocated to Dubai in late 2014 and joined Emirates Golf Club shortly after.

Sanjay Dhandsa

Sanjay has represented Club, School and University golf teams and has been a member of Goodwood Golf Club, Worplesdon Golf Club and The Richmond Golf Club.

He joined EGC in November 2014 where he is a member of the Scratch League team and he has played as an amateur on the MENA tour this season.

Club Mana

ger

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BARNEYColeman

B

arney Coleman’s golfing journey has taken him from snacking in the locker room at Sutton Coldfield Golf Club to proudly overseeing the Desert Miracle and Emirates Golf Club!

Dear Members,

I am delighted to say I have experienced two extremely proud moments in the month of November. First and foremost, I became a father for the second time on Tuesday 23rd November following the arrival of Penelope Jayne Coleman.

was the fact we were not allowed in the clubhouse bar. It was tough to play 54 holes in a day without food so my cousin, brother and I had to knock on the back door of the kitchen and order food to be eaten in the locker room, with the sweaty shoes! When I see the facilities the junior golfers in Dubai have at their disposal I occasionally have flash backs to this ‘less encouraging’ environment!

From an early age I was introduced to the importance of etiquette and the rules of the game. I even recall being disqualified for not signing my card.

Maybe this led to my interest in the Rules of Golf later in my career.

As you will be aware the proudest moment of my career occurred two I attained my degree weeks earlier when I was made your Club in Sport Science and Manager and I would like to thank you Management after I for the fantastic support I have received, moved from Bishop having been offered such a prestigious Vesey Grammar position in golf. Over my 10 years at School to Nottingham Emirates Golf Club I have formed some Trent University. excellent relationships with you the members and for those of you I haven’t had the pleasure to become acquainted with I look forward to doing so over the coming months. Since arriving in Dubai in July 2006 I have been fortunate to develop within Dubai Golf from Golf Services Executive, to Golf Services Manager to Director Dubai Country Cl ub Corporate of Golf and now Golf Day victory 2006 to Club Manager. I have enjoyed some fabulous experiences along the way including meeting and marrying Philippa in 2010 followed by the birth of Harrison in 2012 and Penelope just this past week.

Emirates Golf Club is a world away from Sutton Coldfield Golf Club, Birmingham, England where I first dipped my toe into the addictive sport of golf. Likewise, my personal circumstances: the shy 13-yearold who became a junior member there in 1992 is now Club Manager at one of the most prestigious venues on the planet.

The junior league matches were great fun and, while never one of the top players (my lowest handicap of 5), I enjoyed the competitive rivalry that the matches offered, especially as I had given up playing football for Stoke City due to suffering from Crohn’s Disease in my early teens.

Unfortunately, one of my most visual memories of being a junior member

My first job after graduating involved working in the Spike Bar at The Belfry and this resulted in me breaking into golf. I met the team who worked in the tournament department at the PGA’s national headquarters during the 2002 Ryder Cup and was offered a job as tournament administrator two months later. Three years working with fantastic staff including Steve Cox, Kevin Feeney and Alan May gave me great experience.

Another lesson came when checking in for my first work flight to Faro. I was told a passport that had been in a washing machine was not acceptable, so I was turned away at the gate and had to dash to Peterborough for a replacement. The PGA was enjoyable but hard work and involved long hours.

While there I passed the exam at the R&A Rules of Golf School, which opened up new opportunities.

I recall refereeing in the rain and cold in June 2006 when I received a call from Kevin

15 ger

Early memories of working here include the 2007 Dubai Desert Classic. My first words from Tiger Woods were “Forward would be good”. I had to reverse into an area of the driving range and, as he sat down on the buggy with Steve Williams, I had forgotten to put the gear back into forward before moving off!

Club Mana

Feeney (now referee on the European Tour) regarding a job in Dubai at Emirates Golf Club. My first thought was “Where on earth is Dubai?” and, truth be told, I still wasn’t sure when I boarded the plane. I would like to thank Andrew Whitelaw for giving me the chance along with Chris May and wasl management for the fantastic opportunities I have been given. I’m sure Andrew had his doubts when I missed my first two days of work due to food poisoning!

in 2007. bai Desert Classic ntroller, My first Omega Du , our Financial Co ht) rig m fro th (5 ed am Ah d b ee Sa Clu lf ngratulate ce at Emirates Go I would like to co ving 25 years servi for recently achie

Working in Dubai was a challenge at first and my Brummie accent did not help when trying to communicate with a multinational workforce. Prior to my promotion it was 89-strong, and I would like to thank each of them for Omega Dubai De their unyielding loyalty, sert Classic with Sergio Garcia hard-work ethic and enthusiasm. I couldn’t have wished for a better team and I now relish the opportunity to work across all departments for the benefit of our great My rules qualifications have resulted Club. Some people ask me what my best in me acting as a guest referee for memories are of working at Emirates the Dubai Ladies Masters, Dubai Golf Club and I could say sharing a pizza Desert Classic and DP World Tour with Robbie Fowler and talking to John Championship. Refereeing a Tour event Aldridge about the mighty Liverpool has been described as hours of boredom side (my team) from the late 80s but and moments of terror. I relate to this when colleagues come and thank me but do enjoy officiating at these events. for a promotion or an opportunity I have I’ve given rulings to all the top pros now, extended to them resulting in them which does make the Ladies Monthly building a house for their family that they Medal rulings a little less daunting! see once a year, that is cool!

Refereeee!!

Emirates Golf Club is a great Club and I care for its success and development greatly. We have areas for improvement and with your support and feedback I am excited about the challenge ahead.

I would like to thank our outgoing Captains Walid and Helen for their stewardship last season and the incoming MCC headed by Vipen and Maura are a pleasure to work with. The enthusiasm during the meetings so far has been great to see and over the coming months we will share a number of initiatives introduced by the committee for the benefit of you the members. Please keep the feedback coming and if it is not on the course or in the Spike Bar I have an open door policy so I look forward to hearing your feedback. In next month’s edition I will look to provide some feedback from the members’ questionnaire and communicate some key areas I intend to focus on.

Shut that door I was asked to help referee the 2010 Omega Dubai Desert Classic in which Rory McIlroy was the defending champion. I was stationed on holes 1, 8 and 2 where Rory tried to drive the green but pulled it left onto the 17th hole of our other course – the Faldo.

opean ith the Eur

My debut w

I was called to the ruling and found Rory’s ball was on a concrete path. To my relief, a straightforward drop followed.

He then realised a wooden tower used to house a water igloo was in his way so he proceeded to close the open door – an action that sparked one of those moments of terror as I wondered if he had improved his line of play and incurred a two-stroke penalty. Fortunately, the water tower was moveable so closing the door was not an issue.

Panic over!

A few groups later another player, who will remain unidentified, hit his tee shot onto a natural path, claimed it was an artificial one and that he was entitled to a free drop.

I said, “No” but he argued the point so I called for a second opinion. The European Tour referee agreed with me and the player thinned his shot over the back of the green and, furious, snapped his club over his knee and dropped it in a bin! I was in shock but I learned the importance of giving your subjective opinion and to stand up to the Pros despite a little hostility.

Rabbit droppings

On another occasion I was called to a ruling involving Lee Westwood. His ball was in a bush on the right of the 8th and lying poorly. So he asked me if a hole in the sand was that of a burrowing animal?

I said there was no such evidence, for example, of rabbit droppings or a fox hole nearby. He accepted the decision and on my way back to the buggy his caddy mentioned he had some raisins in his bag if that was any good? I was reassured that I had made the correct decision, which is always a boost for the confidence!

9 0 20 ee er Tour as Ref

Club News

16

Cooking and Cocktail Class with Chefs Nicholas & Remi Wednesday 30th November 2016

Junior Academy Open Day Saturday 3rd December 2016

17 Where Are They Now

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Past Lady Captain,

Doris Moore

I work at Universal Orlando helping people have a wonderful vacation at our fantastic theme park. Since Orlando is a central and well known location, lots of friends from Dubai pass through and I love seeing them! My pride and joy is my 16 year old son Daniel, who works hard with his academics, cross country, track and field and Police Explorers, so I am quite busy with him and work. I have not had a chance to play much golf, but plan to one of these days. I really miss EGC, such wonderful memories.

Best wishes to all my good friends over there.

Doris and Danie

l

#teamdubaigolf #meettheteam Meet Gopu, from our amazing Driving Range team! Originally from India, he has been with us for two years and when he is not at work he enjoys watching cricket - his favourite cricketer is Sachin Tendulkar!

Gopu also enjoys playing Kabbadi!

Meet Ray, from the Golf Course Maintenance team. Ray joined Dubai Golf in 1993 and is now the Faldo course foreman.

He enjoys playing golf and has a handicap of 18 at the moment - he tries to play with his colleagues as much as he can! When he is not at work, he spends time with his family who also live in Dubai; they have family bonding days when they go to a park or to the bowling centre! Ray also enjoys music and is currently trying to learn to play the guitar. His favourite bands are Boyzone and Westlife.

Hello Jerome, Landscape Foreman in Golf Course Maintenance! Originally from the Philippines, he has worked at Emirates Golf Club for 23 years! When he is not working, Jerome enjoys seeing his brother and watching action movies, preferably with Matt Damon. If his life were a movie, it would be named ‘The Desert Storm’! Favourite band?

Queen!

Hello Wahid, from the Golf Course Maintenance Irrigation team! Originally from Pakistan, he has been working at Emirates Golf Club for over 22 years and has seen all the changes in Dubai and around the Club.

When he is not at work, he spends time with his colleagues and friends who are like a family to him!

Fit Lab

18

Dear Members,

W

e have plenty to update you on this month with lots going on at Fit Lab. Firstly I would like to congratulate MJ, our top receptionist, on the birth of her baby boy Ibrahim.

Secondly, big congratulations to our Member of the Month for November, Ian Browning.

Ian is the perfect example of what happens when you are consistent and have a goal in mind. Over the past few months Ian has lost 17kg, an outstanding achievement. He loves the Wattbike and the workouts he goes through are impressive.

He’s always up for a challenge and loves to push his limits. In his own time he enjoys running in a social running club and biking. As part of his personal training sessions he has developed a very good fitness level and flexibility. What is good with the way Ian approaches his goals is that he is realistic and keeps a great balance between keeping fit and enjoying himself.

An awesome achievement. Well done Ian.

Fitness Manager of the Year We are very proud to announce that our very own Andy Meech won Fitness Manager of the Year for the second time at the Sport 360 Fit Awards. In what was a very strong group of contenders Andy came out on top of the votes. With the likes of Fitness First, Gold Gym and many of the big fitness chains it just shows how fantastic Fit Lab is at Emirates Golf Club and it’s great to see our gym being recognised for its excellent facilities. Congratulations Andy - well deserved too!

Andy Meech Head of Sport & Leisure

Exercise Tip of The Month

by Michael Lancaster

DEADLIFT

A movement often neglected due to the thought of it being bad for the back, the deadlift is actually one of the most beneficial weight training exercises for the whole body. The ability to pick something up from the floor and return it with proper technique may sound simple, but many people get it wrong. A strong deadlift transfers into many areas of movement in everyday life.

Here are a few points to help you out.

1. Your feet should be at a hip width stance, just inside the shoulders.

2. Before lifting, the bar should be right over the top of your feet, about an inch from your shins.

3. Your grip on the bar should be just outside hip width, and once you have your grip, your shoulders should be right over the top of the bar, slightly in front.

4. Your back should be nice and straight, with your hips and shoulders rising together maintained by keeping a tight core.

5. The bar should move in a direct vertical line over the centre of the foot, keeping pressure through the heels.

6. Stand up straight, and return the bar to the floor with the same technique.

Sample workout for strength: Deadlift 5x5, 2minutes rest between sets (Start light keeping the same weight in all the sets, and gradually increase as your workouts progress)

Fit Lab offers an extensive state-of-the-art range of equipment and weights. Our resident Fitness Professionals offer personal training and nutritional advice to cover all fitness goals and ambitions!

For more information visit +971 4 417 9850.

Don’t miss the great PiYo classes with Tracy Marks on Sundays at 8.45 or Tuesdays at 10.00am!

Fit Lab

piYo class

19

Call +971 4 417 9850 to book your space now!

Zumba Toning Don’t miss Zumba Toning every Sunday and Tuesday morning with Tracy or Zumba on Thursdays.

For more information or to sign up please call 04 417 9850

Turkey Takeaway at Emirates Golf Club If you don’t fancy doing the cooking over the festive season, we would be delighted to assist you with your Christmas lunch or dinner at home.

Contact our food and beverage team to place your order and we will do all the hard work for you!

• Turkeys from AED 250 for four people and Christmas trimmings from AED 80 for four • Honey glazed ham from AED 250 for four people sharing • Roast sirloin of beef from AED 500 for six people sharing Orders should be placed a minimum of two days in advance of required collection To place your order, please email emiratesdining@dubaigolf.com

Fit Lab

20

SENSASIA URBAN SPA’S FESTIVE TREATMENTS ARE GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT!

I

t’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas at SensAsia Urban Spa, Emirates Golf Club! The UAE’s largest spa chain has created an encapsulating menu of its most tantalising treatments to date, designed especially for the festive season and incorporating warm, traditional scents such as cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and sweet orange.

Let’s Get Nostalgic (full price AED 699) is 120 minutes of tasty top-to-toe indulgence.

The treatment begins with a Maple, Cinnamon and Sugar Body Buff before the skin drinks in a heavenly mix of warm syrup, spiced milk and essential oils cocooned within a body wrap, topped off with an invigorating massage.

Silent Night (full price from AED 430) combines the deeply relaxing properties of Chinese pressure point massage with a sprinkling of festive magic. Cinnamon, vanilla and sweet orange oils are used

tailored to stimulate the senses and relieve tired muscles. The Holly Jolly Cocoa Butter Hot Stone Massage (full price AED 520) is the ultimate upgrade using hot stone therapy to really hone in on holiday season tension.

These gift-perfect treatments and packages would not be complete without SensAsia’s much-loved festive gift vouchers. The beautifully-crafted keepsakes and bespoke gift tags have become an annual tradition for the 12-year-old homegrown UAE brand.

to work on weary muscles and lull the body into a state of dreamy slumber.

SensAsia massage junkies will be delighted to receive Santa’s Knotty Little Helpers in their stocking (full price AED 945). A four-hand massage is delivered by two expert therapists in tandem who will each focus on either the top or bottom half of the body to reach brand new levels of escapism.

The Holly Jolly Cocoa Butter Massage (full price AED 420) is 60 minutes of decadence – a vanilla and sweet orange-scented cocoa butter massage,

Bearing a portfolio of fun messages such as ‘Meet Me Under The Mistletoe’; ‘You Totally Made Santa’s Nice List’; ‘Thank You, You’re Spa-tacular’ and ‘Bubba On The Way’ – there’s nobody left off SensAsia Urban Spa’s festive gift list and, to make shopping even simpler, vouchers can be delivered direct to the door.

Emirates Golf Club members benefit from a 20% discount on SensAsia signature treatments.

Call SensAsia Urban Spa, Emirates Golf Club on 04 417 9820 or visit www.sensasiaspas.com for bookings and online purchases.

SENSASIA WELCOMES AYURVEDA EXPERT TO ITS EGC TEAM

S

ensAsia Urban Spa is excited to welcome new yogi and Ayurvedic therapist Shyam Bahadur to its Emirates Golf Club team. Club Life caught up with him to find out what members can expect from a session with Shyam.

Shyam, what are your specific areas of expertise and where are you bringing them from?

As a spa therapist and yoga instructor, I am here to ensure I make all of my guests feel better. I have extensive experience in Ayurveda, massage, beauty therapy, naturopathy, yoga, meditation, advance pranayama, Ayurvedic panchakarma, tai chi and qigong, and

have practiced this mainly throughout Asia, most recently at Osho Tapoban Forest Retreat Centre in Nagarjuna Hills, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Why did SensAsia stand out for you as a company you’d like to work within?

SensAsia stood out as a company that is committed to ensuring exceptional standards. I also love the fact that I will see the same clients again and again at Emirates Golf Club. Hotels do not always have this luxury.

How will your services complement the existing SensAsia treatment menu?

Well it’s an amazing menu to complement! So many different massages, body treatments and facials… it will be exciting.

I guess I will add a taste of the holistic, allowing guests to really ‘zone out’ before we go into their main treatment.

Why do clients come to you?

Some need to relax, some want to destress, some are in emotional need of re- balancing and some just want to try a new experience.

What effect does a busy Dubai life tend to have on the body, and how can you help to counteract that?

Living in Dubai, most people are time deprived, especially when it comes to personal time. People eat on the run, mainly the wrong foods, don’t drink enough water, consume too much caffeine and processed foods and sleep less. The body reacts with skincare complaints, weight issues, various aches and pains, a general feeling of lethargy and emotional burnout. I can help to counteract this by providing some much-needed escapism – even if it’s only for 90 minutes! – and provide a treatment to reduce the various concerns.

Book Launch Gala Dinner Winged Foot Golf Club, New York November 10th 2016

I

t all started in February this year with an email from Diana DeLucia, which was a proposal for Emirates Golf Club to be part of a fabulous project, a book that features the world’s most illustrious golf clubs, mainly highlighting their culinary team’s high-level cuisine. We wasted no time in replying and before we knew it, Diana flew over and was snapping away at my culinary creations and jotting down notes about my culinary life. We spent one week on the Emirates Golf Club chapter and off she went to the next club on the list.

Four months later, Diana sent out an invitation letter to all the clubs featured in Golf Kitchen inviting us all to the official book launch at a gala evening hosted by one of the world’s most exclusive private clubs known to the golfing world, Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York.

The date was set for 10th November 2016.

Emirates Golf Club was going to participate at the book launch for Golf Kitchen which involved a gala evening for the Winged Foot members together with Sebonack Golf Club, Southampton, New York and Cassique Kiawah Island, South Carolina. We stayed at the Westchester Country Club which was fantastic as was the whole week.

It was a huge honour working alongside some of the best chefs representing the best clubs - Chef Rhy Waddington and his team from Winged Foot, Chef Doug Blair and his team from Cassique at Kiawah Island and Chef Anthony Giacoponello and his team from Sebonack.

I would like to thank Diana De Lucia, the main architect of such a great and fantastic project, for giving Emirates Golf Club a chance to showcase its culinary abilities

alongside such great clubs. I would also like to thank Mr. Burns, General Manager of Winged Foot for the immense kindness and hospitality during our stay there.

Thanks also to Chef Rhy for his time, his wonderful welcome and friendship. A big thank you to Executive Chef Francois Roldan from Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club who accompanied me on the trip. Last but not least, Chef Max Grenard and Mr. Chris May for endorsing and supporting this project.

I also would like to send a big thank you to all members who constantly support and appreciate the whole culinary team at our Club, because without you, we would not be where we are today.

Culinary Regards Chef Nicholas Cuomo.

24 hys

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS AT EMIRATES GOLF CLUB

Rules By R

Dear Members, Please be advised that the following events are open for registration online on the Dubai Golf Members’ Zone.

• Monday 12th December, Sofitel Ladies Monthly Medal (Strokeplay) • Tuesday 13th December, Colleague/Member Scramble (Scramble) • Friday 16th November, OMA Emirates Men’s Medal (Men’s Strokeplay) Full golf members only.

• Saturday 17th December, Mixed Christmas Scramble (Scramble) - Full golf members only.

• Monday 19th December, Ladies’ Modified Stableford (Ladies’ Stableford) • Friday 23rd December, Legacy Prime Pro-Am (Fourman team strokeplay medal) - Full golf members only

RULES

To register for an event, please visit the Members’ Zone Should you want to modify or cancel a booking, please contact Golf Reservations.

BY RHYS

MatchPlay As many of you will now be playing the opening rounds of the Club Matchplay Championships, this month I will be discussing the options you have if a scenario arises where you are unsure of the ruling and there is doubt on how to proceed.

In stroke play, a player who is doubtful of his rights or the correct procedure can play out the hole with two balls. He must state which ball he would like to count in his score and report the facts to the committee before submitting his scorecard.

However, in matchplay you cannot play two balls. You MUST continue the match without delay by proceeding in the manner that you believe is in line with the rules. If your opponent disagrees with this, the opponent can make a claim to be considered by the committee later. The opponent MUST make the claim in a ‘timely manner’ and MUST notify you that he wants to seek a ruling. The claim MUST be made before any player plays from the next teeing ground or, in the case of the last hole of the match, before all players leave the putting green.

Once the result of the match has been officially announced, a claim may not be considered by the committee unless: • The claim is based on facts, which were previously unknown to the player making the claim at the time the result was officially announced.

• The player making the claim had been given wrong information by an opponent.

• The opponent knew he was giving wrong information.

STATUS OF A LATE CLAIM As mentioned claims MUST be made in a ‘timely manner’, otherwise the committee is unable to consider them. For Example: a player realises that his opponent should have lost the 4th hole when he grounded his club in a bunker. For a claim to be made in a ‘timely manner’, the player would need to raise a claim before either player played a stroke from the 5th tee.

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

Spending Christmas in Dubai this year? Whether you are looking for an intimate Christmas gathering or to welcome in the New Year in style, we guarantee a truly memorable festive experience at Emirates Golf Club!

What’s on in DECEMBER Golf Sunday 1st New Year’s Day Scramble 13.00 Faldo Monday 2nd Ladies’ competition 08.30 Faldo Friday 6th OMA Emirates Medal 08.00 Majlis

Championship & 13.00

in association with

Porsche Centre Dubai &

Ascot & Chapels Monday 9th Ladies’ Monthly Medal 08.30 Majlis Thursday 12th Emirates Amateur Open 06.30 Faldo

Round 1 onwards Friday 13th Emirates Amateur Open 06.30 Majlis

Round 2 onwards Monday 16th Lady Captain’s team 08.30 Faldo

v Lady Vice-Captain’s team January 16th - 21st Majlis course open to Members & Member guests ONLY Friday 20th OMA Emirates Medal 13.00 Majlis

Championship FINAL

in association with

Porsche Centre Dubai

and Ascot and Chapels January 22nd - February 5th - Majlis course closed for the prepration and staging of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic Monday 23rd Ladies’ competition 08.30 Faldo

Celebrate the festive season at Emirates Golf Club with a host of festive experiences. The Club offers everything from an intimate festive gathering to a spectacular New Year’s Eve celebration, guaranteeing festivities you’ll savour.

• • • •

Enjoy our festive family brunches at M’s restaurant Indulge in an elegant seasonal celebration at Le Classique Treat yourself to our award-winning culinary delights at home with our takeaway turkey and festive menu Welcome 2017 in style with our spectacular New Year’s Eve celebration

Please call +971 4 417 9999 , email emiratesdining@dubaigolf.com, or visit www.dubaigolf.com

s t e p p i n S e l o H h 19t PAST EMIRATES GOLF CLUB JUNIOR, SEBASTIAN HEISELE Congratulations to former Emirates Golf Club Junior, Sebastian Heisele, who made the Final Stage of the European Tour Qualifying School which delivered nail-biting drama on the final day as 30 players ultimately earned spots in the 2017 Race to Dubai at PGA Catalunya Resort.

Follow us on Snapchat @ emiratesgc for a glimpse behind the scenes!

Here’s what Sebastian had to say after a career-defining week in northern Spain “I was nervous out there. I had a shaky par on the eighth, my 17th, and a shaky par on the last but I got there in the end.

“I knew I had to post a score today but I think it was actually more comfortable to be coming from behind than being right on the number because I kind of had nothing to lose.

“I started well, I was three under through four, four under through nine, and I just tried to keep going, keep giving myself chances, and it managed to work out in the end.

“I was happy with what I’d done on the Challenge Tour this year, and I think I ended up only about 8,000 points outside the top 16, so this was a chance to make up for that so I’m going to enjoy it now.

“It’s going to be a new experience, new territory, to be playing on the European Tour next season so I’m going to try to get used to it, keep doing what I’m doing, and hopefully it will go well and I’ll keep learning and improving as the year goes on.”

Congratulations to honorary member and past Omega Dubai Desert Classic champion Henrik Stenson on winning the Race to Dubai and Matthew Fitzpatrick on winning the DP World Tour Championship last month.

Sunil Gavaskar visited Dubai and Emirates Golf Club last month.

Pictured with Club Captain Vipen Sethi and Lady Captain Maura Duggan

Neasa Lawless with her first grandchild, Freya Eloise Lawless who was born in London on 20th November to her son Tom and his wife Jessica

Congratulations to the Quizimodo team who were winners of the Spike Bar Quiz Night on 14th November!

Good job to teams Norfolk & Chance and Murphy’s Law who followed in second and third place, each team winning AED 300 vouchers!

Welcome back to Bryan Smyth who is in Dubai and will be caddying again for Paige Spiranac.

Good to see you Bryan!

Noemy Bertoul recently celebrated a ‘significant’ birthday at her home with a big gathering of more than sixty ladies from Emirates Golf Club

A member’s trolley rolled into the water on the Majlis last week and marshal Jerald was the ‘knight in shining armour’ and duly retrieved it!

Ladies’ Clinic with European Tour player, Sophie Walker

National Day Celebration at EGC

v

Conragulation to Qamar Rasheed for his hole in one!

Congratulations to Barney and Philippa Coleman on the birth of their baby daughter Penelope Jayne, who was born on November 23rd - a sister to Harrison.

Supporting the UAE Flag Day celebrations

This month we say goodbye to two of our long serving colleagues, marshal, Dan Ria who has completed 17 years at the Club and Prabath Nilantha from the driving range both of whom are returning home. Good luck and best wishes to you both - you will most definitely be missed.

Great to see the new progression tees on the Par 3 course, making it possible for total beginners to play a round of golf and choose one of our five tees to play from!