Omega Dubai Desert Classic Winner 2012 Rafael Cabrera-Bello
ime seems to pass so quickly once we get into the New Year and the second half of the golf season. Even Barney sent a message along with his write-up this month saying how quickly it comes around. The past few months have been full-on though with Ladies’ Masters, Christmas, a couple of weeks of golf, followed by the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and the Men’s Amateur Open…and I don’t even feel like I have got started this season yet! Obviously I am going to peak during the summer months!
The Omega Dubai Desert Classic was a fantastic event again: there was a wonderful atmosphere, which was very relaxed and enjoyable. It was also an exciting final day with a number of players battling it out to take the winner’s trophy. However, we had the charismatic Rafael Cabrera-Bello as the 2012 Omega Dubai Desert Classic winner having outclassed many of the top-ranked players in the field, including Lee Westwood who unfortunately finished in second place for the third time. His win here in Dubai has surely got to come soon!
Congratulations to the ‘golf in Dubai’ team, Mohammed Juma Buamaim, Adrian Flaherty and Sean Shanor for staging another enjoyable and successful event.
As we get into the final few months of our season, there are a number of fun events, namely, the Indian Invitational, which is always a great day when a lot of money is raised for the Junior staff at the Club. It’s never easy organising such events and it takes a lot of time and effort so thanks to all involved for your commitment and hard work. The Kohlman Nations Cup takes place on 23th March and all credit must go to Vice-Captain Moshe Kohli for making this event bigger and better each year; this year will be no exception as again he has numerous surprises on the day. These two events are always oversubscribed so please be sure to sign up early.
The Emirates Men’s Amateur Open took place last weekend which drew a huge field of 108 from all over the globe, for this world ranking amateur event which was played over three days with many handicaps in the range of +4 to scratch.
The Club continues to go from strength to strength and the various dining outlets are very busy which creates a good Club atmosphere; do try out some of the special themed evenings and/or brunches. You won’t be disappointed! Enjoy the next few months of activities at the Club and especially enjoy the courses, which are in such superb condition.
Check out the Emirates Golf Club Twitter account: @emiratesgc Jacqui
Christopher May General Manager cmay@dubaigolf.com
Follow Emirates Golf Club on Facebook for the latest news, views and special offers. We already have over 4,000 fans
Chef Max Grenard Culinary
wo weeks after the Classic it would have been normal to start this message referring to the results but I believe it more important that on behalf of all the members I pass on our best wishes to Keith Stack, his wife Nasreen and family. Keith, a long-standing member of the Club went in for minor knee surgery a few weeks ago and suffered a stroke postoperation. He is still in hospital and we hope that he continues to improve and is back at the Club soon enjoying his afternoon beer. It was with tremendous pride that I represented the members of Emirates Golf Club at the prizegiving of this year’s Desert Classic. It was a very proud moment especially with my son Richie, my brother Alistair, his wife Alison and son Mathew in the stand watching the ceremony. Rafael was a deserving winner and a very pleasant, well-spoken young man. I think we all have a soft spot for Lee Westwood who spends a lot of his free time practising at the Club and am sure his time will come again. Speaking to a number of players I was delighted to hear the comments they made about the course. The best condition they have ever seen it in and the best greens on tour. I was also very pleased when speaking to Colin Montgomerie who, known for his less than approachable nature on the course, was a delight to talk to, and who passed on his thanks to the members for their hospitality. I asked him about his form and his response was that he was just happy that he did not have to make a living playing golf anymore! I guess that sums up the amount of talent out there.
The Amateur Open also proved to be a fantastic success. An amazing field of low handicap players from sixteen countries battled it out over
three days. Fantastic scores were recorded with Peter Stajanovski, a young Australian playing off +5 beating our own Michael Harradine in a play off.
The Majlis is now open for general play and personally I am a little disappointed that carts are now allowed back on the course. I would have liked to see players walk for a few more months as there is no doubt that the condition of the course will suffer.
My column would not be complete without the usual complaint of people not raking bunkers, not repairing pitch marks and now my latest rant. Just yesterday I watched a member throw a hissy fit because there were no buckets of balls at the chipping ground. The fact that there was not a piece of green that did not have a ball on it did not seem to register. When I suggested that the member maybe clear some of the balls off the green, the response I got was ‘’that is what the staff should do’’. The junior staff members are not our personal
servants. They do a tremendous job and try very hard to make our time at Emirates as enjoyable as possible. Let’s all take a little responsibility ourselves. Raking the bunkers and clearing a few balls after you have practised will make it a better experience for all of us.
We have a very busy next few months with some great events scheduled. Make sure that you sign up early and enjoy this fantastic weather.
Mike Sim Captain 2011 - 2012
EMiRATES AMATEUR OpEN
THIRD
DAiLY GROSS
BEST GROSS DAY 1 Vikram Judge (EGC) 73
BEST GROSS DAY 2 Craig Forrest (JGE) 69
BEST GROSS DAY 3 Mark Halliday (RAGC) 71
DAiLY NET
BEST NET DAY 1 Brian McCarthy (JGE) 74
BEST NET DAY 2 Douglas Mclennan (ARGC) 71
BEST NET DAY 3 Yoseph Dance (DGC) 72
pLATE TOURNAMENT
BEST NET Jehanzeb Awan (EGF) 36 (BB9)
BEST GROSS Sam Hobday (BGC) 75 (BB9)
What a great Omega Dubai Desert Classic - it’s much more exciting when it comes down to the last hole! Congratulations to the worthy winner Rafael Cabrera Bello and to runnersup Lee Westwood and Stephen Gallacher. I’m sure they’ll all be back next year to try again! As usual the atmosphere around the club was fantastic and it was great to see many of the players in the Spike Bar mingling with the crowds. Of course Craig Haldane and his team had the Majlis in top condition and it made me proud to be a member of Emirates when I saw how fantastic it looked on the big screen whilst being broadcast all over the world! The length of the rough is of course not a problem for the Pros, but our ladies found it very challenging the following week in the Medal, when only Jayshree Gupta and Glynis Hendry managed to have gross scores in the 80s! Congratulations to Jayshree and the other Medal winners Hiromi Ohashi and Karin Gesterkamp.
Despite losing to the Creek ladies by one point at the Saadiyat Interclub match, I am delighted to report that the Emirates Ladies team will be going through to the Interclub Grand Final on April 25th at Al Ain Golf Club. We are awaiting the results of the other sections to decide the other two finalists, but I am sure our team will be up to the challenge!
After a very windy weekend, the weather thankfully settled down for the Camel trophy at the end of February with a field of fifty ladies. Hiromi Ohashi was once again in the winners circle as she proudly held the trophy high with her winning score of 38 points ! Will she continue her winning streak in the Club Championship this week??? There are a lot of ladies ‘on form’ at the moment so it should be a very exciting contest!! I look forward to bringing you the highlights of this competition in the next edition of Club Life.
Our lady members model at the recent fashion show
On 3rd March we had the rescheduled ASIA v ROW mixed event, which was well supported with thirty-two teams participating; as usual it was a fantastic day with some great golf, great food and great prizes!
The ladies enjoyed a break from golf on 28th February with a fashion event in Le Classique when our six beautiful EGC models hit the catwalk wearing the Spring/ Summer collection of Libyan fashion designer Fadwa Baruni. It was a fun morning and I’d like to thank the models for participating –they did a great job! A big thankyou also to Fadwa and her team for putting on a fantastic show, and they will kindly be donating some raffle prizes for the Lady Captain’s Charity Tournament on 12th March.
The Charity I am supporting this year is SENSES Residential Care Home for Children with Special Needs which is a local care home providing 24 hour care to children and young adults with mental and physical disabilities and helps them cope with everyday life. Dr Lina and her staff do amazing work and it is a very worthwhile cause so please sign up for this tournament on 12th March as the club will donate the competition fee to the charity. Lunch and the presentation will be in Le Classique and the raffle draw will take place on the day. I would like to thank you all for your participation, buying raffle tickets and donating raffle prizes for this event – and look forward to seeing there.
Yet another Hole-in One was achieved this month; well done to Chris Purchase who sank her tee shot on the Faldo 2nd hole – that course is obviously too easy!!
Caroline Jones Lady Captain 2011 - 2012
SHAMBLES
Monday, 30th January 2012
WiNNER Viv Caley, Janet Curtis, Ingrid Sjodoff and Fiona Munro
RUNNER Up Maria Petre, Berit Paton Reid, Liz Thorpe and Janet Taylor
THiRD Caroline Jones, Nina Watson, Helen Srivastava and Rena Sethi
LADiES MONTHLY MEDAL
Monday, 20th February 2012
SiLVER “A” DiViSiON (HCp. 0 – 14)
Winner Jayshree Gupta 72 net
Runner Up Glynis Hendry 74 net
Overall Best Gross Jayshree Gupta 82
SiLVER “B” DiViSiON (HCp. 15 –23)
Winner Hiromi Ohashi 74 net
Runner Up Maura Duggan 76 net
BRONZE DiViSiON (HCp. 24 –42)
Winner Karin Gesterkamp 75 net
Runner Up Carmel King 76 net
CAMEL TROpHY 27th February 2012
Overall Winner Hiromi Ohashi
Pts SiLVER DiViSiON ( 0-23)
Winner Veronica Elias 37 Pts
Runner Up Nancy Wingate 35 Pts
BRONZE DiViSiON (24 – 42)
Winner Josie Tracey 36 Pts
Runner Up Karin Gesterkamp 33 Pts
Mego Han Faldo Course, 12th Hole, 26th January
2. Chris Purchase Faldo Course, 2nd Hole, 27th February
3. Peter Falk Majlis Course, 11th Hole, 16th February
4. Joseph Robehmed Faldo Course, 8th Hole, 16th February
Hole In One
1.
STEPHEN DEANE… says…
Spotlight on...Alex Turlik
My name is Alex Turlik. I am seven years old, born in Dubai and I started playing golf in Scotland when I was five years old. Our house there is on a golf course so I used to watch the golfers and decided to try golf! I am now in the Elite division of the Junior Programme at Emirates Golf Club. Dave Adams and Stephen Deane are our coaches and
I play as often as I can on the Par-3 Course at Emirates Golf Club with my Dad where my best score is +4 (on Christmas day with my new set of clubs!). Last year my Dad and I did a “Golf Marathon” and played the Par-3 courses at Dubai Creek, Arabian Ranches and the Montgomerie in one day. I shot +17 and lipped out for a Hole-in-One at the Montgomerie!
My golfing ambitions are to get my handicap by the time I am eight and to have a Holein-One. My favourite club is my driver which I can hit about 150 yards and I can almost reach the green on the third hole on the EGC Par-3 course! My sister, Emma, has just started playing so my whole family play golf and I am looking forward to when we can play as a 4-ball with the boys taking on the girls! When I grow up, I would like to be a Professional Golfer. My favourite players are Rory McIlroy and Miguel Angel Jimenez but I have been very lucky and met a lot of tour Pros. At this year’s Desert Classic, I had the chance to hit balls with Mark O’Meara and Fred Couples at their clinic and then again with Lee Westwood and Thomas Bjorn the next day. It was a lot of fun and Fred Couples said he would like to be my manager!
I play and love lots of sports including tennis and rugby, but especially cricket. I am at the ICC Academy and last year I was selected to do the coin toss at a Pakistan v South Africa match at Dubai Cricket Stadium.
Alex is a talented youngster and at only seven years old is already one of the best Junior golfers within The Academy’s Junior Programme. His natural talent has allowed him to start his tuition within the Elite division of the Junior Programme. Most Juniors his age start at Bronze level and work through to Silver, Gold and then Elite. This is a first for any Junior within the programme and shows his promise at such a young age.
One thing Alex loves to do is practise! He is content to stand on the range or putting green and hit shots. This will stand him in good stead as he follows his dream to become a future Professional and at only seven Alex is a great role model for the other Juniors within the programme.
Over the next six weeks The Academy will be hosting some Junior matches against The UAE Development squad and we hope Alex can help strengthen The Academy team as they go head to head on the Par 3 Academy course.
We look forward to working with Alex for the rest of the season as he is certainly a future talent to watch.
Ishu Rupani’s 60th Birthday Golf Day
By Vipen Sethi
Mr. Ishu Rupani celebrated his 60th birthday on Saturday, 7th January 2012 in great style at Emirates Golf Club.
Ishu’s golf day had nearly every active golfing member participate in what was pretty much a club tournament but one of the most interesting club tournaments I have played ever. The format enabled everyone to play their full round of 18 holes and yet win individual as well as team prizes as they went along.
Every hole had prizes, which were put together very selectively for the good and the not so good golfers.
Examples of nearest to the pins on par 3’s, nearest to the pin on par 5’s after two shots, longest drives, straightest drives as well as birdies on difficult par 4’s resulted in every golfer having plenty to look forward to on the course during the afternoon.
Having ordered perfect weather, Ishu’s Golf Day turned out to be very a pleasant and enjoyable golfing afternoon. The evening commenced with a champagne welcome and a very well presented five-course meal which went hand in hand with a progressive prize-giving function.
The one thing very evident was that all of Ishu’s well-wishers stayed back for the prize-giving, and took part in the whole evening. Also present were his family who had flown in from various parts of the world to share in this special occasion of his 60th birthday.
At 60, Ishu is in great shape and is looked upon as a great friend on and off the golf course. He is always there to give people genuine advice and is liked by one and all.
TOM ROLLINSON
Hi, I first joined Emirates when you could see from the terrace of the clubhouse to the 7th green in 1988. Wow has that changed along with everything else in Dubai.
I was an active member of the club from 1988 to 1997 and remain one of the few Lifetime Members – I am often curious to how many of us there are as when I come back to Dubai now the reservations desk seems to have to search a large data base to see if I am still alive.
My former wife, Jan, (sounds much better than ex) moved to Dubai in 1988 from New Orleans with our two children, Ryan and Reid. Some of you may remember Ryan as he won the 8 and under Junior Championship in 1992. Unfortunately neither of the boys has any passion for golf and have moved on to bigger and better things.
Ryan is living and going to school in Minneapolis (Gerbich’s home town) – he plans to save the world; I am very proud of him not only for his academic accomplishments but also because he has become a long distance bicycle rider. He does several rides a year (weather permitting) and is planning to bike across Europe when he finishes his studies.
Reid is living in Houston and hopes to own his own auto customising shop one day. I do not know where
Welcome Back
that gene came from as I do not even know how to change the oil in a car.
My passion for golf is matched by my passion for helping others; since 1999 I have been involved in a golf tournament in New Orleans to raise money to fund a camp for kids with terminal cancer, Camp Challenge. In 2004 I became involved in the Wounded Warriors Project and I help run an annual golf tournament in Houston that benefits those veterans who have come back from Iraq and Afghanistan with physical handicaps. In the initial golf tournament I played 18 holes wearing a Kevlar vest which gave me an appreciation of what our boys suffer through. May we will all learn to live in peace one day.
I, like others who leave and return, cannot believe the development of the city but yearn for the old days of bouncing across the desert to get to someone’s house and the closeness of the ex-pat community in those days.
I was lucky enough to attend this year’s Desert Classic and even luckier to run into many old friends, one of whom, Jacqui Barry, convinced me to contribute to the magazine with this article.
I look forward to seeing more friends on future trips and hope to play the Majlis course again one day since I have not played it since 2005. The number of golf courses now available still astounds me and I would like some day to have enough time to play them all.
Jan and I divorced in 2007 – she is currently living in Meopham in the UK caring for her elderly parents who some may remember as they were frequent visitors during our ten year stay in Dubai.
I am living in Houston and was semiretired until a business opportunity presented itself in the Kurdish Region of Iraq. I became involved in this project in 2009 and it has developed into more than a full time job for me, but the beauty of it is that I get to make frequent visits back to Dubai.
If any one ever comes to Erbil in Iraq be sure to look me up. Unfortunately the only golf we have is the remnants of a nine-hole course left from pre-Saddam days but there is always a chance someone will build one. I also spend a lot of time in Houston and we recently had a “reunion” with several of the oldies but goodies that, as am I, still wake up and smell the daisies every day. I hope to “retire” at the end of 2012 and possibly relocate to the Scottsdale area so I can lose money on a regular basis to Gerbich.
There were many familiar faces around the Club during the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and it was great to see so many past members visiting at that time. They included:
Gerry Hodkins
Graham Thewlis
Mieko Coombs
Jenni Hodgkins
Janice Marler
pam and Roger Wortley
Stacey Walton
Yang Suk MacNamara
Tom Rollinson
Butch and Judy Kamps
Mike & Francie Gerbich
A.B.Subiah
Past member Pasan, now Thai Ambassador in Bangkok
Ask The Rules Wizard
by Barney Coleman
Do you have any questions about the rules. If so, please email your questions to Barney on BColeman@dubaigolf.com with the subject heading “Ask the Rules Wizard’ and we will put a selection of questions and answers in ‘Club Life’ magazine each month. During the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, Chris had a very tricky putt on the 7th green of the Majlis course. With the pin cut close to the front edge, he faced a fast 20-foot downhill putt towards the pin with the water beyond. Chris misread the speed of the putt and his ball went past the pin, gathered momentum and ended up in the water hazard. Slightly embarrassed he called for a referee?
Chris’s three option are:
a) Play a ball as near as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played.
b) Drop a ball behind the water hazard (back towards the 7th tee), keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped.
c) Play the ball from the hazard
Chris elected for option (a) and placed a ball on the spot from where his last stroke was made playing his fourth. Unsurprisingly he left his bogey putt short! And suffered a costly double bogey.
Following the tournament, we will be continuing to maintain all conditions as close to these standards as possible. With both course crews focusing on one golf course, we had the luxury of resources only experienced during a tournament situation. We are however planning well in advance of our bigger member events to ensure these resources are used more efficiently, and to ensure we can continue to present the best possible conditions on both courses throughout the remainder of the season. Our only plea to all, is to please take the time to repair your pitch marks correctly each time you play your round. Our staff do their best to repair pitch marks ahead of mowing the greens each morning, but we also are under pressure to stay ahead of play and we need to get done prior to your round. If a pitch mark is not repaired and the mowers mow over the unrepaired area, it causes bad surface damage that negatively affects ball roll and playability. We do try and roll ahead of the mowers, but this is not a practice one would carry out on a daily basis for the health of the plant. Please do your part and allow us the opportunity to present better surfaces daily. Please also keep an eye out for notices in and around the clubhouse, notifying you of any additional works being carried out on the course, that may slightly interfere with your round. We are currently working on getting the rough down to more enjoyable levels for all, so bare with us when you see us out there between play trying to get this done. We will also have to do some light work on the greens, nothing too disruptive, simply light verticutting to improve overall ball roll and surface. Thanks for your continued support and we look forward to a great end to the golfing season over the coming months.
Craig Haldane Director - Golf Course Maintenance
Majlis during the Classic
Majlis during the Classic
Preparing the course for Desert Classic
Omega dubai desert
Pro-Am winners, Gulf News: : Richard Green with Ashok Bakshi, Asim Arshad and Fred Watts Celebrity Pro Challenge Match
desert classic 2012
Pro-Am runners-up, Omega: Jeev Milkha Singh with Tarun Khanna, Chris Turlik and Ishwar Jodha
Pro-Am third, Emirates NBD: Lee Westwood with Grant Robertson, Rob Jefferson, Rosemary Turlik
Pace of Play and in particular ‘slow play’ is a constant topic of conversation around the Club and you’ll probably agree that our course marshals have a tough task to keep everybody happy. The golf management want to take this opportunity to advise all members of the Club’s position on pace of play and detail to you what is expected from both golfing members and our marshal team. Following our Emirates Amateur Open last year in which 144 players were successfully marshaled around the Majlis course, the timing schedule utilised has been adopted by the team ever since.
A timing schedule is defined as the recommended time a 4-ball in carts should complete 18 holes of golf. There are obviously a number of factors that can influence this time frame including:
• The ability of the players in the 4-ball. High handicappers may take slightly longer, however male golfers (handicap 20-28) are encouraged to use the white tees to improve their pace of play.
• Climate conditions - e.g. a windy day
• Speed of the greens, length of the rough • If the course is walking For instance during the week after the Dubai Desert Classic with long rough, fast greens and a restriction on carts it is likely that a percentage of groups will be slower than the defined timing schedule.
Desired Timing Schedules
Majlis Course - 4hrs 6min
Faldo Course - 4hrs 10min
The Majlis figure was obtained by deducting 18 minutes from the Dubai Desert Classic timing schedule. The club rated the Faldo course, and the extra four minutes reflect the increase in out-of-bounds and water in play on the course. There are probably a number of you reading this expressing the opinion that this schedule is too generous and your preferred schedule is nearer 3 hours 30 minutes. The golf management is of the opinion that a quicker pace of play is positively encouraged, however we are also aware that with a range
of ability across the membership not everyone can play at the same speed hence the above figures. The schedule is for your reference as a player and the marshals. On leaving a green a marshal will know exactly what your pace of play is whether you’re on time, plus five or minus 10 to the schedule.
Golfing etiquette dictates that ‘it is a group’s responsibility to keep up with the group in front. If it loses a clear hole and is delaying the group behind, it should invite the group behind to play through, irrespective of the number of players in the group’. Please note the word invite, recently a single figured handicapped 4-ball expressed the opinion that the group waiting should ask a group if they can play through, this is not the case and is poor etiquette. Our marshals are there however to relay such a message if they agree. Example 2 - Course is quiet, a shotgun start with empty holes.
Recently a member didn’t let a group play through because they were 5 minutes under the desired schedule. However they had 2 clear holes in front of them. As stated above etiquette dictates that they MUST let the group through. Please don’t confuse the importance of golfing etiquette and a timing schedule. Golfing etiquette MUST be applied first and then the timing schedule is secondary. Lastly, following plenty of
experience in the marshal team plus additional training they have been given the authority this coming season to force a group to let a faster group through. A slow group will be given the opportunity to improve their position but if a marshal feels it necessary to force a play through for the benefit of the golf course then so be it. Please cooperate with the marshal’s decision.
Also please be aware that the marshal team has a lot clearer picture of the golf course than any single group. With up to three staff per course and a radio network they are better placed to know what is going on ahead than any player.
TIPS FOR SPEEDING UP PLAY
• Ready golf - Be ready to play as soon as it is your turn to play
• Leave your bags/cart in such a position to enable quick movement off the green and towards the next tee.
• Immediately leave the green on completion of the hole
• Do not mark your scorecard when it is your turn to play
• Whoever has the honour on the next tee be ready to play
• Be aware of your position with regard to the group in front, don’t concern yourself with the group behind
• Don’t wait until it is your turn to play before putting your glove on
• Don’t wait until it is your turn to play before calculating a yardage
• Look at your own line of putt while your fellow competitors look at theirs (within the bounds of normal etiquette)
Meet the ladies’ locker room staff
L-R Donessa, Kristy, Mercy, Cecille, Lucy
NEW GPS SYSTEM
Our new touch screen GPS systems are being installed, some are fitted already. See the information below so you will have a good understanding of how the new GPS system works.
Stayprime Pro–Elite GPS Touch Screen Unit
• Automatically advances at each Hole
• Distance to Green Centre/Pin always on view
• Green outline and distances to Front, Centre and Back always on view
• Yards/Metres Toggle Button
• Press Helicopter image button for Hole Flyover
• Press Pro Tip Button for advice on playing each hole
• Touch Screen anywhere to get distance to Hazard/Layup Point and on to Pin/Centre of Green
• Automatically zooms into Green as you get closer
• Manual zoom in and out on Touch Screen buttons, bottom right
• Pace of Play timer. Green- ahead of time, Red–behind time
Cameron Bellman with Colin Montgomerie
Ian Botham, John Daly
Nasser Hussein
Tottenham Hotspur players at night golf
Jim Wheat and John Daly
Jenny Ayres with David Howell
Farewell to Cameron Bellman
After 17 years in Dubai, fifteen years as a member of EGC my career is taking me to pastures new. I have secured a position in our (BASF) Asia company based in Shanghai in a role that will see me travel extensively through Asia and Australasia. I am very excited at the new challenge of both the job and living in a new country in a different part of the world. I have been in he Middle East for nineteen of my working life, so I am sure it will be a big change.
I started to play golf originally at Nad Al Sheba in 1997 and became a member at EGC in 1998. It was here that I fell in love with the game, for its challenge, integrity and camaraderie, but not only that, the Club became a bit of a sanctuary for me, somewhere to escape to and driving through the gates still gives me that sense of peace that I got when I first joined.
I have felt privileged to be a member at the Club; the staff are fantastic, the courses and facilities are, in my opinion, without equal in the region. This is all enhanced by the membership, the place really does have a Club feel. I was lucky enough to begin playing with the “ Saturday Group” in 1999, and have enjoyed every Saturday since. The friendly but competitive environment of those Saturdays helped my game improve, but more importantly, introduced me to a wonderful set of people.
The competition is fierce, the golf seems to be that much better. I will really miss these.
I have been fortunate to play in ten Talker Cups and captained the European team twice. Two defeats! I have also played for England in as many Tri-Nations events (England v Scotland v Ireland) These tournaments are without doubt the biggest on my golfing calendar. I cannot sleep before them with excitement.
It’s the people that make anywhere, and there are plenty I will miss from EGC. The Saturday group became part of my week and indeed life and I shall miss them all, but I must single out Paddy, Keith and former member Gerry. Thanks guys! The Club holds so many good memories for me. It was where I was married to Sarah, who joins me with our son Charlie on March 7th in China.
Golfing highs: Toyota Pro Am win in 1999; winning the Loch Lomond Invitational with Keith; any Talker Cup and Tri-Nations and just staring down the first fairway of the Majlis, ready to take onthat fantastic course again. (it won most of the time!); and of course the two tours with Gerry, Paddy and Keith to Scotland and London. I will miss that place and people a great deal. Thank you for the memories.
Your Golf Tip Of The Month
CHIPPING
HMark Bruce PGA Professional, The Academy at Emirates Golf Club, in association with Peter Cowen explains chipping.
aving a good short game can be a massive asset to your golf and this area is under-practised by most amateur golfers. The chip shot is about controlling three factors, spin, loft and direction.
Gravity is a natural force so when we swing the club back it is always pulling downwards but also falls in behind us when the club passes parallel to the ground. To help counteract this, stand closer to the ball with the shaft on a more vertical plane encouraging the player to hold the club online for directional control.
Spin and loft control may sound technical but can be made very simple. As mentioned gravity will pull the weight of the club back down towards the ball so during the motion of the downswing, let this movement be natural and let the club fall into the ball causing the club to “bottom out” which is using the bounce of the club
perfectly under the ball. Too many players drive the hands through causing low flight and no spin control. Soft landing, in order to get the ball to land almost dead with little forward momentum, after impact with soft hands, collapse the arms and position the hands into your hole side pocket. We can gain high flights and low flights with this action. When facing a poor lie or the ball is sitting down, use the toe of the wedge to position the club under the ball; this is the lowest point of the club and the ball can be struck out the centre of the face. This will lift the ball easily and deliver a soft landing and less roll for more control.
The Golf Academy
We trust you’ve had a fantastic February and got the golfing season off to a great start. The Academy has had a busy start to the year with a positive uptake of new and excising students. We would like to thank all members for supporting The Academy and we look forward to helping you and your families improve through out the season.
As mentioned a few months ago The Academy structures its teaching programmes to incorporate Peter Cowen’s philosophy of “simple effective coaching”. With a pyramid of learning put in place to allow constant growth and development as the student improves.
We trust all of you who use The Academy have benefited from this structure and are seeing a lasting improvement in your games. As coaches we have certainly noticed a dramatic improvement in our students’ consistency and the ability to take their range games to the golf course.
If you would like any information on Private, Junior, Ladies or Beginners programmes, please feel free to send an e-mail to emiratesacademy@dubaigolf.com
angle, too far away from
hands in pocket for soft flight
Poor lie, toe under the ball
Dear Member,
t was very interesting during another fantastic Omega Dubai Desert Classic to see so many of the worlds top golf professionals using FitLab. I remember ten years ago, when I first started working at Emirates Golf Club, there would only be one or two using the gym but this year we had over fifty. It is very nice and encouraging to hear that they love coming to Dubai and their personal trainers and physiotherapists comment that it is probably one of the best facilities, not only in Europe but the world.
We have some new activities happening at FitLab with the introduction of scuba diving and free trial dives will be given on Saturday afternoons through the month of March for anyone interested.
Studio Timetable: from March 1st the Zumba crew will be happy as we are putting on an extra two classes due to the demand on a Sunday
morning. Fitness Express is a new class for anyone wanting a short 30 minute class over lunchtime.
Squash: FitLab has two teams competing in the Dubai Premier League and are doing extremely well. Anyone looking to get into the teams or looking for a social game, we do have a social evening on Wednesday 7 – 9pm.
Fitness Activity Schedule
-16.00
(Khadija)
- 11.00 Pilates Mat (Amanda)
- 12.00
Tennis: WTA World number one tennis player Victoria Azarenka chose to do her pre season training for her very successful Australian Open campaign at our Academy. Victoria was based at our Academy in Dubai for three weeks prior to capturing her first Grand Slam Event and ascending to the number one spot in the world rankings. Elite Tennis Academy students were able to spend time with the new world number one and also to practise with her. Victoria was not the only Pro to be based at our Academy prior to the Australian Open, as Dimitri Turzunov (ATP Top 20), James Ward (UK number 2 and Davis Cup Team Member) and Sergei Bubka Jnr ( ATP prospect) also chose Elite Tennis Academy to do their pre-season training. The Elite Academy has over 400 students starting from the age of three, and we offer group and private programmes for beginners to competition players. If you require any further information on what is happening at FitLab please do not hesitate to call on 04 417 9850 or email
com and one of my team will be happy to assist you.
Healthy Regards
Andy Meech Recreation Manager
Mother’s `Day is soon so check out the special offers at Sensasia Spa for this occasion.
• ‘Adore Mum’s’ - indulge in Eve Lom’s Celebrity following ‘Ultimate Cleanse Facial’ for Dhs 399 (usually Dhs 495)
• ‘My Mum & I’ - an award winning Elemis Facial and SensAsia Signature Hot Stone Massage for Dhs 650 (150 mins)
• ‘Mummy to Be’ - Yummy Mummy to Be massage + SensPolish (for those hard to reach places). Dhs 595 (60 min massage and 60 min SensPolish,).
Recommended SensPolishes for the Mummy to be are Coconut & Rose or Sugar Daddy
• ‘Super Mum’ - for being there for all her family she deserves the Pamper Me Silly for Dhs 1500 (240270 mins). Book in advance and let SensAsia Urban Spas know that this a special treat for your mum and she will be given a special mother’s day meal with chocolates.
• Want to select your own treatment for your Spavelous mum?
You’ll make her day with a cute and customised SensAsia Urban Spas Gift Voucher. SensAsia Urban Spas offers free delivery of all gift vouchers and can also arrange for a beautiful bunch of flowers to be delivered with the vouchers.
Dubai Area Divers Classes
PADI Open Water Diver Course
This course teaches you the basics of Scuba Diving and upon certification enables you to dive in almost every country. The amount of time required to complete the course is based on class size, student aptitude and performance. The course includes five knowledge development segments, watermanship requirements, five confined water dives and four open water dives.
AED 2,250 per person
AED 2,000 per member
Dubai Seals (8 years +)
PADI Seal Team is an introduction to SCUBA and is held in the confines of a swimming pool with a maximum Instructor to Student ratio of 6:1. The course takes place over seven one hour sessions and includes five exciting Aquamissions in the pool.
AED 1,800 per child
AED 1,600 per member
Dubai Master Seals (8 years +)
Dubai Seals can continue their dive education by completing the PADI Master Seal Team programme. This course enables your child to undertake an additional ten speciality aquamissions, as well as reinforcing the safe diving skills and developing their confidence in the pool.
AED 1,800 per child AED 1,600 per member
For further information and to book a course, contact Linda on +971
or email info@dubaiareadivers.com PADI Open Water Referrals Take part in the Open Water course with Dubai Area Divers, but complete your Open Water dives while on holiday and we will provide you with a referral. Documentation will be provided to prove that
Dubai Area Divers An Underwater World of Adventure
Dubai Area Divers is an independently owned PADI dive educator that has been established to provide underwater experiences and marine awareness to the residents of Dubai.
From private diving courses and trial dives, through to group lessons, children’s scuba parties and corporate events, Dubai Area Divers provide the very best of experiences in a patient and considerate manner, using first-class equipment and facilities and highly experienced PADI Professional instructors.
From February 2012, Dubai Area Divers will be offering a range of scuba diving experiences and tuition programmes for juniors aged 8 years and above, up to adults. Classes will take place at Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, between the hours of 6pm and 9pm.
19th HOLE
Against the clouds
Thank you to Saad
for
Rabia Designer & Motion Picture Producer,
this fantastic photo of Dubai in the fog
Mike & Kashe Gerbich, Adrian Flaherty with Rafael Cabrera-Bello
Great view of the 9th hole Majlis
Ashok’s grandson Aayush
Congratulations to Josie Tracey who won the regional BMW final to gain a place in the International final to be held in Singapore this month. Good Luck Josie!
Looks like someone misunderstood the instructions! Guess who
Sometimes golf practise can be so exhausting
Membership Services Manager, Kate with Robert
Lady Captain, Caroline, Vice-Captain Glynis, with Mark O’Meara and Thomas Bjorn
Surender Kandhari with Mark O’Meara & Fred Couples
Rock
Rafael Cabrera-Bello with Agnes Anwar and Barb McBean
19th hole snippets Martha Wong with Fred Couples
Two brothers with two sisters
Tom Rollinson and Mike Sim
Creek Pro Cyril Rozes’ daughter with Gregory Bourdy
Enjoy Brunch at M’s every Friday and Saturday
Every Friday and Saturday from 12 noon to 3pm, enjoy a delicious International Brunch buffet at M’s. With a starter and dessert buffet, as well as a live carvery, make your own pizza station and plenty of kids’ entertainment, this is a great afternoon out for the whole family! Enjoy shisha on the terrace from AED 50.
Price
AED 125 per person for food and unlimited soft drinks and water
AED 245 per person for food and unlimited selected beverages
AED 45 per child (5 – 12 years old) Children under 5 go free
Weekend Gourmet Brunch at Le Classique
Embark on a culinary adventure with Chef François every Friday and Saturday from 12 noon to 3.30pm in Le Classique. Enjoy an endless starter and dessert buffet along with an unlimited a la carte main course menu of Chef’s all time top ten dishes. Children aged 12 years and above are welcome.
Price
Unlimited food and soft drinks
AED 150 per member, AED 185 per member’s guest and AED 195 per guest
Unlimited food and your choice from a dozen varieties of reds and whites
AED 250 per member, AED 285 per member’s guest and AED 320 per guest
For reservations, contact M’s restaurant +971 4 417 9999 or email ms@dubaigolf.com
dubaigolf.com
For reservations, contact Le Classique on +971 4 417 9999 or email leclassique@dubaigolf.com
