Club Life
March 2020 | Issue 96
March 1988
32 Years of Emirates Golf Club
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Editor: Jacqui Barry jaxdubai@gmail.com
Emirates Golf Club turned 32 on 8th March 2020! What a journey! Congratulations to present and past management, colleagues, members and Captains who have all contributed immensely to making this Club what it is today. I don’t think any of us Founder Members could have envisaged the developments and the progress of the Club 32 years ago when the membership was limited to 500 at that time and even then, this number seemed as if it would be difficult to achieve. Fast forward to today and we now have a couple of thousand members in different categories; in addition we have two 18 hole golf courses, one floodlit as well as the excellent floodlit Par 3 course. The expansion over the years did not stop there… in recent years the gym has expanded and now includes UPANDRUNNING physiotherapy unit, Sensasia Spa and Roseleaf café. Our fabulous pool, now has an indoor creche for the little ones. Squash and tennis courts were part of the Club when it first opened but we now also have Padel tennis which is extremely popular. Project Beauty came on the scene two years ago and the newest addition is going to be TopGolf, due to open in the summer. Within the clubhouse, it has been change all round with the refurbishment a few years ago and the franchising of Jones the Grocer and Carine restaurant, both of which are always busy which adds to the atmosphere within the clubhouse.
In addition to the above we have dedicated colleagues, an excellent senior management team, membership services, our very own publishing team and golf course maintenance… the list is endless.
The Majlis course was designed by Karl Litten, architect of classic courses in America, Australia and Japan. Changing the desert into a world class golf facility was a mammoth task but he really built a masterpiece that has matured over time and is known all over the world.
Looking at the photograph of the square patch of greenery in the middle of the desert, it is incredible to have witnessed the growth in the area with the Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Palm Jumeirah so the whole area has been totally transformed. Whilst on a holiday recently, someone I had
Dear Members The month of February closed out with the crowning of two new Club Champions
just met asked me if I lived in the city centre of Dubai. I asked her which area she thought that was and she replied “ Well, Dubai Marina area!” I always remember when our Club was being built and so many of us were shocked that this was so far ‘out of town’!
I think it’s fair to say that we members become very blasé about what we have here. Just think through your day when you arrive for a game of golf... your clubs are dropped at bag drop and delivered to a buggy (or a caddie), you check in at the first tee where you’re given tee pegs, towel, score card and wished all the best for your round. During your round, you visit the refreshment huts and avail of the huge selection of food and beverages; all groups are monitored throughout the round for pace of play and kept informed of any slow groups ahead or they are requested to speed up if you they lost some ground. Come into the club after the rounds, clubs and shoes are cleaned and you have numerous options for your post-round dining and refreshments not forgetting the wonderful service by all colleagues throughout. Most visitors to the club are totally overawed with what the Club has to offer - it is truly a fantastic hub for golfing, socialising and/or networking. Thank you to everyone who makes it all possible. Congratulations to all at Emirates Golf Club on the 32nd Anniversary and, to celebrate this occasion, the Members’ Annual Party will take place on Tuesday 14th April 2020
Jacqui
EMIRATES GOLF CLUB SENIOR MANAGEMENT
Christopher May
Chief Executive Officer cmay@dubaigolf.com
Steen Simon
Food & Beverage Manager ssimon@dubaigolf.com
Barney Coleman
Matthew Perry
Club Manager Golf Course Superintendent bcoleman@dubaigolf.com mperry@dubaigolf.com
Haridas Palliyalil
Head of Engineering hpalliyalil@dubaigolf.com
EGC Key Telephone Numbers Main Switchboard Members Golf Reservations Membership Recreation Accounts SensAsia Urban Spa
04 04 04 04 04 04
Chef Nicholas Cuomo Executive Chef ncuomo@dubaigolf.com
417 417 417 417 417 417
9999 9800 9801 9850 9875 9820
Stephen Deane
Head Academy Professional sdeane@dubaigolf.com
Cian Hurley
Golf Services Manager churley@dubaigolf.com
Ganesh Mangathil
Publishing Manager gmangathil@dubaigolf.com
Dougie Gair
Head of Recreation dgair@dubaigolf.com
Sandra Tinari
Head of Marketing & Communications stinari@dubaigolf.com
Pansy Gonsalvez
Head of Golf Central pgonsalvez@dubaigolf.com
Follow Emirates Golf Club on Facebook for the latest news, views and special offers. We already have over 40,305 likes. Follow us on Twitter @emiratesgc and Instagram @emiratesgc
Congratulations to Monica Palao who signed for rounds of 78 and 80 to clinch the Ladies’ Club Championship by one shot from Glory Xavier. The Men’s Club Championship had a similar conclusion as the Omega Dubai Desert Classic (ODDC). defending Champion, Mike Mezie, and Kooros Daneshvar returned 36-hole scores of 147, 3-over par. Kooros followed a 77 on the Faldo course with a fabulous 70 during the final round on the Majlis to force a play-off. The first play-off hole was halved with pars but it was Kooros who birdied the second play-off hole, as per Lucas Herbert in the ODDC, to win the title. Congratulations to Kooros who will now compete in the ODDC Pro-Am in 2021. It was good to see five of the men’s scratch team in the last three groups on Saturday and we wish them the best of luck in their next fixture against Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club with the winning team proceeding to the finals. Congratulations also to the ladies’ InterClub Challenge team who qualified for the final to be played at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club later in the season. For all those with an official golf handicap through the EGF you should have received an email from the EGF on 2nd March regarding the new World Handicap System. Apologies there was no prior communication from the Club regarding this, but it’s safe to say that the launch date was a surprise to us also. Having said that, not a lot of changes have been introduced during phase one (1st March 2020). The EGF has decided, based on the rules and new features of the World Handicap System, to introduce the changes, not already applied, in a phased approach. EGF WHS Phase 1 – 1 MARCH 2020 • Calculation of New LIVE HANDICAP = AVERAGE OF BEST 8 out of last 20 (18 hole) games • Maximum handicap is now 54 (for all genders) • Daily handicap revision every evening at 10pm UAE time EGF WHS Phase 2 – 1 JUNE 2020 • Amending the Course Handicap calculation formula to include the adjustment of the difference between Course Rating and Par
• Limit on Upward Movement of Handicap Index– using Soft Cap and Hard cap calculator and adjustments • Exceptional Scores A Score Differential which is at least 7.0 strokes or more better than the player’s Handicap Index at the time the round was played. Please use this link (https://egfgolf.com/ world-handicap-system/) to view the educational videos which assist and explain various points in more visual detail. Keep referring the same for regular updates.
Etiquette and Bunkers
Just a reminder regarding pace of play please KEEP UP WITH THE GROUP IN FRONT of you and do not be concerned on what is going on behind. The Marshals have my full support and in the past week they forced a group to skip a hole to facilitate the enjoyment of members playing behind the group that was out of position. Bunker raking still seems to be viewed as optional by a number of members and visitors. Sad to say, but having had the approval from the Members’ Consultative Committee we are looking at options to insert cameras on a number of bunker complexes…hopefully this may encourage everyone to rake footprints. For sure we will advise when this initiative goes live.
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At Dubai Golf, the safety and wellbeing of our members, guests and colleagues is always a top priority. As a community we are all aware of the current concerns regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19), and as such, we’re writing to let you know of the additional precautionary measures that we are taking across our Clubs. These measures include, colleague education and awareness sessions, as well as the activation of relevant operational protocols. We’re also advising all members, guests and colleagues to the Club to stay at home if they begin to feel unwell. • Any Colleague returning from vacation/travel will be required to obtain a fit to work clearance from the Medical Coordinator before resuming duty • Hand sanitizer installations are now in place around the club in key areas • Housekeeping measures have been intensified, especially on all frequently touched surfaces (counters, door handles etc). To protect yourself and others from COVID-19: • Frequently wash your hands
Membership Renewal
I am pleased to report that membership renewal has been successful and in line with last year. An 84% renewal rate is as expected. That said, we do have space in a number of membership categories and we have recently launched a Member Referral Programme. You, our members, are the best advocates of the Emirates Golf Club experience and for any new members you successfully refer, a value will be credited to your account. For example if you refer a Golf Member then AED 2500 will be credited your account. Further information can be obtained through the membership team. Warm regards, Barney Coleman Club Manager
• Cover your mouth with a bent elbow when you cough or sneeze • Stay home if you feel unwell We will remain vigilant and follow the recommended procedures and protocols of the World Health Organization and UAE Government to ensure that all practices meet the latest COVID-19 guidance. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Feel free to reply to this email, or contact your Club Manager. Wishing you good health. Dubai Golf
Club Manager’s Report
Editorial
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Name Profession Home country Number of years a member Lowest handicap ever Current handicap
Adel Hamdan Perfumes and cosmetics distributor Lebanon 9 6 11
Any major wins? Pro Am with Sandra Gal at Emirates Golf Club during the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and a few tournaments when I was member at Al Badia but it was easier then as there were only about four members Favourite golfing holiday destination: Ireland Top three favourite courses you have ever played: Druids Glen Ireland The Majlis Espiche Portugal
Most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you:
Besides the daily embarrassment on the course every day, a few years ago I was staying at a friend’s place in New York; he was invited to a pyjama party at a hip club hosted by Paris Hilton and asked me to tag along. Since I wanted to impress the NY crowd, I went to an adult shop and got myself some sexy attire for the evening in the form of a seethrough mousseline top (imagine the hair!) and everything. My friend wore a sober Asian PJ and I just thought he was extremely boring. Once at the club, we got out of the cab where there was this long queue outside and guess what… nobody was in costume !!! It was too late to go back; I was there in the middle of the street looking like a male escort and drawing whistles and cheers. I became, without any doubt, the star attraction of the party. Dream fourball: My son Ian, my dad and Seve Ballesteros Most exciting moment in golf: Without a doubt Tiger’s last win at The Masters Other sports you are passionate about Windsurfing - you won’t see me on the course during windy days Family members: Sulafa my wife, my son Ian (14) and my daughters Raya (22) and Tiara (20) Funniest thing that has ever happened to you? I am sadly famous now for breaking my clubs and throwing them around. Once, on the second green I missed a pitch; I either chunked or thinned my approach (those are the only two shots I can produce) and I became so enraged that I threw the lob wedge and it got stuck in a tree. The next day, I went to recover it with our colleagues at the Club (ladders and all) but we couldn’t find which tree it was and it took us quite a while to finally find it… only to smash it to pieces a few holes later! I don’t know if that’s actually funny or tragic. Most abiding golfing experience or memory? A few years ago at Al Badia I had my first eagle on hole 16, I was so ecstatic I sent my father a text saying, “I shot an eagle today”. He said, “What? How could you do that? Aren’t they protected or something?”… and he has been a golfer for 50 years!
Name Profession
Jocelyn Icogo-Tracey aka Josie Worked at the Dubai World Trade Centre
Dear Members, I think this month of February has been one of the busiest as far as golf tournaments are concerned.
(Seminars, Conferences and Exhibitions Department)
Home Country Makati City, Philippines Number of years a member I became a social member in 1991 and a golfing member in November 2003 Lowest handicap 15 Current handicap 18 Any Major Wins? - BMW World Cup International World Final 2011 held at Sentosa Golf Course Singapore - Tournament of Champions 2007 - Hankook Greensomes Championship 2015 with Johnny Aldridge as my partner - Ladies’ Doubles Matchplay 2017 with partner Yana Jamieson Favourite golfing holiday destination: There are too many to choose from but most of my favourite golfing holidays were with my husband’s family members who love to travel the world, meeting up to play golf and having lots of fun and full of laughter. Some of the places we have played include: - Hilton Head Plantation in South Carolina with family members Richard & Lynn - We all travelled and played golf in Miami Florida, La Quinta Golf Club and the last trip we had was in the Algarve at Quinta do Lago Golf course Top three courses you have ever played: 1. Emirates Golf Club, Majlis & Faldo 2. Atlanta Athletic Club (ACC) 3. The Hamptons Country Club, Canada
Your dream fourball? Mike Tracey, Tiger Woods and Fred Couples
Family members: Mike Tracey my husband, daughter JulieAnn, son Ryan Joerel and I will include here our loveable grandchildren of course, namely Jaden Michael, Coleen, Cazyx and Jasmine Faye.
Other sports your are passionate about? I am a big fan of basketball. If we happen to be in the USA I will make sure to watch an exciting game. I am a big fan of Michael Jordan and the late Kobe Bryant of Los Angeles Lakers. Another sport I love to watch is tennis, especially during the eras of Pete Sampras, Andrei Agassi, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles.
Funniest thing that has ever happened to you? - in early 1990 Mike was with Yellow Pages who sponsored a team in the Pro Am on the Majlis. I had been following their team everywhere carrying my brand new video camera capturing every angle and every shot of Mike and his team. After they had finished the 15th hole and they were walking toward the next hole. I remained there for some time taking my video. Little did I know that down the fairway was Colin Montgomerie waiting patiently to proceed. Then I heard, “When you are ready and done let me know”. Your most abiding golfing experience or memory? - My first hole-in-one on the Faldo Course. - Very fortunate and thankful to be at The Masters in Atlanta Georgia, thanks to the sponsors, Compass Group.
Most exciting moment in golf for you whether personally or watching? - when Tiger Woods amazingly holed his bunker shot on the 18th (Majlis), the entire place went wild. He went on to win the 2006 Dubai Desert Classic. It was a very special day not only for me but for all the fans too. - personally, during the first DP World Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates when I was given the task to be the scorer for the group of Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott. This for me was such a wonderful experience.
On 14th February we had our OMA Emirates Medalford Championship. Congratulations to all winners. It was indeed a great pleasure to announce the five recipients of the Colleague Appreciation Rewards for the month of December and they were, 1. Sham (Spike Bar):
2. Gopu ( Golf Operations):
3. Abel (Golf Operations):
4. Heba ( Membership)
5. Migvel (Carine)
Winner
Runner-up
Runner-up
Third
Third
AED 1000 AED 600
AED 600
AED 400
AED 400
Thank you to all members who have been recommending online at the Member Zone. The following day we had the Tracey Trophy and once again for the fourth year in succession Emirates Golf Club Dogfight won against the Saturday Group. It was indeed a fun evening of all members getting together. Congratulations to Darren Cole and Vipen Sethi, the respective Captains of the Saturday Group and Emirates Golf Club Dogfight. At this event I was pleased to announce the five recipients of the Colleague Appreciation Rewards for the month of January and they were,
MEN’S COMPETITION RESULTS
OMA February Medal FRIDAY 15TH FEBRUARY 2020
Emirates Golf Club hosted A DIVISION (Handicaps 0-10) the first Monthly Medal, Winner: Christian Klynge 73 Net since the Omega Dubai Runner-up: Dalip Tripathi 74 Net Gary Black 74 Net Desert Classic, on the Majlis Third: 79 course on 15th February. The BEST GROSS: Arjun Manghnani course was still in spectacular B DIVISION (Handicaps 11-20) Winner: Mandeep Vohra 71 Net condition with lush rough 72 Net and fast greens awaiting the Runner-up: Jignesh Sangani Third: Iain Everingham 75 Net players. C DIVISION (Handicaps 21-28) In A Division (handicaps Winner: Ravi Khanna 70 Net 0-10) Christian Klynge was MEN’S STABLEFORD EVENT Winner: Subhojit Biswas 34 Points the winner with a score of 73, closely followed by Dalip LADIES’ STABLEFORD EVENT Christiane Verhaagen 36 Points Tripathi and Gary Black who Winner: both shot 74. Dalip just claimed second place courtesy of his better back nine. B Division (handicaps 11-20) saw Mandeep Vohra win with a net score of 71. Jignesh Sangani was a shot further back on 72. Iain Everingham was third with a score of 75. Ravi Khanna won C Division, with an excellent net score of 70. Arjun Manghnani had the best gross with a score of 79, proving just how tough the Majlis course was playing. In the men’s stableford, available for those who drop out of the Medal after not finishing a hole, Subhojit Biswas won with 34 points and, in the ladies’ stableford, new member Christiane Verhaagen had 36 points to claim victory. Upon completion of the prize giving, Cian Hurley, Golf Services Manager at Emirates Golf Club commented; “Thank you to everyone who took part in today’s Medal. The course is still in fantastic condition after the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and it certainly proved a test out there. Congratulations to our winners and, as always, thank you to OMA Emirates for their continued support of the event.”
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Tess (Spike) Gladys (Jones) Stephan (Golf Reservations) Mohd Asharaf (Men’s Locker room) Ismail (Huts)
Winner Runner-up Runner-up Third: Third
AED 1000 AED 600 AED 600 AED 400 AED 400
I sincerely thank all my anonymous friends who have helped me to initiate this programme. On Friday 21st February we had our very popular Kohlman Nations Cup and it was such a great pleasure to see our Past Captain Mr. Moshe Kohli being present for the tournament prize distribution. On 22nd February we held the Quaich Cup for the tenth year, between Emirates Golf Club and The Montgomerie Golf Club. This tournament was initiated by Moshe Kohli and John Brash when they were respective Captains ten years ago. This time Emirates Golf Club won the tournament to tie the overall record which stands at five each. The month of tournaments galore continued with a special tournament for Tom & Jacqui Barry’s farewell golf day and dinner. I sincerely wish them all the best of health and happiness as they intend to spend more time in Portugal. Also, I would like to congratulate them on becoming Vice Captains of Quinta Do Lago Golf Club in the Algarve starting next year for the 2021-2022 season and incoming ViceCaptains at the end of March 2020. Ishu Rupani Club Captain: 2019-2020
In association with
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Captain’s Message
A SLICE OF LIFE
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Men’s Club Championship 2020 FRIDAY 28TH & SATURDAY 29TH FEBRUARY 2020
Emirates Golf Club hosted the Men’s Club Champion for the first time. Mike Mezei 2020 CLUB CHAMPION: Club Championship last month with was, of course, second with rounds of 75 & 72, Kooros Daneshvar Gross 77+70=147 (Play Off) round one being played on the Faldo while Sanjay Dhandsa finished third with two Runner-up: Michael Mezei Gross 75 +72=147 solid rounds of 75. course on Friday 28th February and Third: Gary Black Net 74 round two on the Majlis course the BEST GROSS: Sanjay Dhandsa Gross 75 +75=150 In Division A (handicap index 8.0 & below), following afternoon. Mike Mezei was the Darren Cole was victorious after rounds of 70 defending Champion and was seeking to Division A (Handicap index 8.0 & below) Winner: Darren Cole Net 70 +75 = 145 on the Faldo followed by 75 on the Majlis for a claim victory for a successive year. Runner-up: Anil Shivanna Net 71 + 75 =146 total of 145. Anil Shivanna took the runner-up After the first round there were three spot (71 + 75), a single shot back on 146. Division B (Handicap index 8.1 & above) Winner: Tej Chhabra Net 75 +72 = 147 members tied for the lead on +3 In Division B (handicap index 8.1 & above) Tej Runner-up: Mike Craig Net 73 +75 =148 including Mike Mezei, past Champion Chhabra produced solid rounds of 75 & 72 for Best Gross Day 1 : Rohit Gupta Gross 75 Sanjay Dhandsa and Rohit Gupta. Best Gross Day 2 : Ken Babcock Gross 78 a total of 147 to win. Mike Craig was second, Best Net Day 1 : Rajinder Razdan Net 68 Round two saw the leading nine courtesy of a 148 total. Best Net Day 2 : Kush Sama Net 73 players tee off from the first tee, but There were also prizes for the best one day it was Scratch League Captain Kooros scores. Rohit Gupta took best day one gross Daneshvar who appeared from nowhere to shoot a superb round two after his 75 on the Faldo, while Ken Babcock won best gross on the score of -2! His round included four birdies in the opening eight holes, Majlis with a 78. Concluding the prizes was Rajinder Razdan with a best and this was enough to see him post the clubhouse lead of +3 for day one net score of 68, and Kush Sama with a best day two net of 73. two rounds (77 & 70). This meant that Mike Mezei, who had played Upon completing the prize-giving, Cian Hurley Golf Services Manager his opening 17 holes in level par, had the chance to claim victory with commented: “Congratulations to Kooros for becoming the Emirates a birdie on the 18th. However, a cast iron par meant a sudden death Golf Club, Club Champion! It was an exciting finish to the tournament! play-off! Thank you to everyone for playing this weekend and enjoying two great The play-off was conducted over the 17th & 18th holes in a loop. After days of golf across our two wonderful courses here at Emirates Golf both players made par on 17, Kooros hit a lovely wedge into 8 feet on Club.” the 18th and made the putt to be crowned Emirates Golf Club Men’s
Competition Results
Competition Results
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Kohlman Nations Cup FRIDAY 21ST FEBRUARY 2020
The Kohlman Nations Cup has been a major event on the Club calendar for the past 19 years and is always well attended by our members. The event was launched by Past Captain Moshe Kohli and his father General Kohli. Sadly in December, General Kohli passed away and he was deeply missed at this year’s event. Moshe thanked everyone who played in this event in memory of General Kohli and in support for his family. Mike Tracey gave a touching speech in which he shared some tales about General Kohli and he also thanked Moshe and his family for being such wonderful friends. The overall winners of the competition was the team of India (7), Ravi Khanna, Paul Joseph, Subhojit Biswas and Anthony Louis with 79 points. The runners-up, who were very surprised with a podium finish, was the team of England (1), David Moody, Ross Barlow, Darren Cole and Ian Scott with 75 points. Finally, in third place was India (5) with 73 points, Rajinder Razdan, Baljit Vohra, Arshad Waheed and Veneet Mohan. We then had a few words from our CEO, Chris May, saying: “ Thank you to everyone who played today, and especially a big thank you to Moshe for running the Kohlman Cup for so many years and providing such great support to Emirates Golf Club. We really appreciate Moshe and his family for this yearly event.”
WINNERS: 79 Points
RUNNERS-UP: 75 Points
THIRD: 73 Points
Ravi Khanna
David Moody
Rajinder Razdan
Paul Joseph
Ross Barlow
Baljit Vohra
Subhojit Biswas
Darren Cole
Arshad Waheed
Anthony Louis
Ian Scott
Veneet Mohan
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Competition Results
The Tracey Trophy
We had a couple of successful team events, namely the Inter-Club Challenge on the Faldo which we won and again, there was some incredible scoring on the day. We are now in the Final at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club so we hope to bring back the trophy!! We also had the tenth Quaich mixed event against The Montgomerie Golf Club which we won so we have had a successful few months of Club team events too. Dear All, Firstly, I would like to thank Emirates Golf Club senior management and the Golf Course Maintenance team for so quickly getting the Majlis back to being more ‘member friendly’ after the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. You have all done a great job in the fast-track dismantling of the corporate chalets, and of course, the Majlis is in great condition. Our Monday tournaments were, as usual, well attended last month and some pretty good golf was played by the ladies ...see all the results in the following pages. I would especially like to mention the Ladies’ Club Championship which was, as expected,
The fourth annual match between the Saturday group and the Dogfight took place last month on the Majlis, followed by a wonderful buffet dinner on the Spike Terrace. Captains Darren Cole and Vipen Sethi gave excellent speeches followed by the presentation of the winner’s trophy to Vipen and his team. One of the highlights of the afternoon’s play was a hole-in-one by Micky Chopra who rang the bell for a round of drinks for everyone...and rang it a second time!! Well done Micky and congratulations to the Dogfight
Tom and Jacqui Barry managed to disembark from their cruise ship (that actually went nowhere for ten days in the Far East!) in time to host their farewell golf tournament. As expected it was an excellent fun event both on course and the aprés golf. with 92 players and a few extra for the evening function. Jacqui has been a very special founder member, not just the excellent Club Life magazines she publishes but she is always available to help and make suggestions. I was very lucky to have met her 20 years ago when I first came to the Club and I truly appreciate all her advice. My congratulations to them both as they are to be the new incoming Vice-Captains at the end of March at Quinta
do Lago Golf Club in the Algarve, Portugal. This month we also say farewell to Viv Caley who is returning to UK. We had a wonderful golf morning followed by lunch to say our farewells. Thanks again to Martha, our ‘super social secretary’ who once again, did a great job of organising the golf and buying gifts. Martha is keeping Helen Srivastava company as both have broken their wrists and obviously cannot play golf for a few weeks. Wishing each of you a speedy recovery It was good to catch up with so many members at our Horse Racing Night at Meydan. Victoria and Mike put a lot of effort into setting it up and managed to take some members down to the ring to meet the jockeys and horses. It was good fun, but unfortunately we had quite a few complaints about the quality of food, but that did not spoil our evening. Going into March I’m very excited about my Captain’s Day which is on Monday 23rd March. I have lots planned for it and I hope the ladies will enjoy the day! Please don’t forget to sign up as this event will fill up quickly I think. Yana Jamieson Lady Captain - 2019-2020
Park Hyatt Ladies’ February Monthly Medal 2020 MONDAY 10TH FEBRUARY 2020
Emirates Golf Club hosted its second Ladies’ Medal of 2020 on the Majlis course in February which attracted a field of 54 ladies. This was a special event as we welcomed our new sponsors for the Ladies’ Medals, Park Hyatt Dubai. Golf Services Manager, Cian Hurley, started the prize-giving by saying: “A very warm welcome and special thanks go to Christy and our new sponsors Park Hyatt Dubai, for supporting our upcoming Ladies’ Medals. We now have more prizes as they are kind enough to offer a total of 10 vouchers for every Medal!” The winner of this first Park Hyatt Ladies’ Monthly Medal in Silver A Division (handicaps 0-14) was Naema Maya with a net score of 74. Runner-up was Jayshree Gupta with a score of net 76. In third place with a better back nine count-back was Nonita Chand with a close net score of 77. Cathy Lajotte won the prize for the overall best gross of the day with an 84 and a better back nine count-back.
The Quaich Cup Emirates Golf Club team played the annual Quaich Cup against The Montgomeire Club last month on our home course and played well to win the Cup. This Cup match was set up by Moshe Kohli and John Brash when they were Captains of their respective clubs and this year was the tenth year of being played. The overall result is now 5-5 so congratulations to all
The scores reflect the difficult conditions on the Majlis course, home of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic a few weeks ago. In Silver B Division (handicaps 15-23), Thea Hendrickx claimed the Medal with a great net score of 70; the only player to have produced a net score under par. Runner-up was Margaret Breen with a score of net 73 and Elizabeth Agha came third with a net 74 and a better back nine.
SILVER A DIVISION (Handicaps 0–14) Winner: Naema Maya Runner-up: Jayshree Gupta Third: Nonita Chand Best Gross: Cathy Lajotte
In the Bronze Division (handicaps 24-36) it was Jasmin Fichte who won with a score of net 73. Caroline Granger was runner-up with a net score of 77 and a better back nine count-back.
SILVER B DIVISION (Handicaps 15–23) Winner: Thea Hendrickx 70 Net Runner-up: Margaret Breen 73 Net Third: Elizabeth Agha 74 Net
All winners will now enjoy various experiences courtesy of Park Hyatt Dubai. Congratulations to all players, and to all winners on the day!
74 Net 76 Net 77 Net 84
BRONZE DIVISION (Handicaps 24–36) Winner: Jasmin Fichte 73 Net Runner-up: Caroline Granger 77 Net
Lady Captain’s Message
very competitive; well done to Monica Palao who is our new 2020 Champion!
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Ladies’ Valentine’s Blind Date 2020 The ladies were in great spirits before the 8:30am shotgun on the Faldo course for the Valentine’s Day individual stableford…with a difference; each lady drew out a name and that person would be their ‘blind date’ and playing partner for a combined score prize after the round. The field was split into categories A (handicap index of under 18) and B (over 18 handicap index). Winning category A with a very
impressive score of 40 points was Lady Captain Yana Jamieson and runner-up was Rekha Bandopadhyay with 37 points. Category B was extremely close with the winner being decided on a back 9 count-back, both with 39 points. The winner was Caroline Granger and the runner-up was Roma Khanna. The Blind Date prize of combined stableford scores, with a total of 71 points were Roma Khanna and Sue Hopwood.
VALENTINE’S BLIND DATE Winner: Roma Khanna Sue Hopwood
Wednesday, 12TH FEBRUARY 2020
71 points
INDIVIDUAL STABLEFORD A DIVISION (Handicaps 18 & below) Winner: Yana Jamieson 40 points Runner-up: Rekha Bandopadhyay 37 points
CLUB Winner: Runner-up: Third:
B DIVISION (Handicaps 19 & above) Winner: Caroline Grainger Runner-up: Roma Khanna
INDIVIDUAL Winner: Blanca Rivollier Runner-up: Yana Jamieson
39 points 39 points
Emirates Golf Club 268 Abu Dhabi Golf Club 247 Women’s Golf Middle East 199
BEST COMBINED STABLEFORD FLIGHT Winner: Naema Maya Aileen Johnson Blanca Rivollier 92 NEAREST THE PIN: Hole # 8 (Division A): Najla Bartette Hole # 12 (Division B): Mary Seib LONGEST DRIVE: Hole # 16 (Division A): Hole # 5 (Division A):
The Ladies’ Inter-Club Challenge (ICC) was played on 12th February between Emirates Golf Club, Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Women’s Golf Middle East on the Faldo course.
Ladies’ Camel Trophy MONDAY 17TH FEBRUARY 2020
The 2020 Camel Trophy was played on 17th February on the Majlis course. The 2019 champion was Helen Srivastava who unfortunately could not defend her title due to a wrist injury. The overall winner was Ingrid Lind with an incredible score of 39 points. Ingrid had a better back nine than Annette Carstanjen who was runner-up. It was a great win for Ingrid as she had only landed in Dubai at 2.00am that morning. In third place was Roma Khanna with 37 points. The winner of Silver Division (handicaps 0-20) was Nonita Chand with 37 points and in Bronze Division (handicaps 21-36) it was Wendy Robinson who was victorious with 35 points. OVERALL WINNER Winner: Ingrid Lind Runner-up: Annette Carstanjen Third: Roma Khanna
39 points 39 points 37 points
SILVER DIVISION (Handicaps 0 – 20) Winner: Nonita Chand 37 points BRONZE DIVISION (Handicaps 21 - 42) Winner: Wendy Robinson 35 points
39 36
Assistant Golf Services Manager, Joe Way, started the prize-giving by saying: “Special thanks go to Abu Dhabi Golf Club for travelling to Dubai for this event. Also, thank you to Pia for her work in the ICC, to Kathleen from Abu Dhabi, to Sue from Women’s Golf Middle East and to Meera from Sassy Caddy.” The winning team of this event was the host team, Emirates Golf Club with a total of 268 points (8 best scores out of 10). In second place was Abu Dhabi Golf Club with 247 points, and in third place was the Women’s Golf Middle East team with 199 points. The individual prizes went to Blanca Rivollier with 39 points and to runner-up Yana Jamieson with 36 points. The best combined stableford flight with a score of 92 points was Blanca Rivollier, Aileen Johnson and Naema Maya. The on-course special events were won by Naema Maya, longest drive (Division A) on hole 16 and Karin Schmedes, (Division B) longest drive on hole 5. Nearest the Pin prizes were won by Najla Bartette (Division A)) on hole 8 and Mary Seib (Division B) on hole 12. Congratulations to all players and to Emirates Golf Club for securing the win!
Naima Maya Karin Schmedes
Competition Results
Competition Results
MONDAY 3RD FEBRUARY 2020
Ladies’ Inter-Club Challenge
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Ladies’ Club Championship 2020 On Sunday February 23rd and Monday 24th February, Emirates Golf Club hosted the Ladies’ Club Championship on the Faldo and Majlis courses. Defending Champion was Jayshree Gupta. Congratulations to Monica Palao for becoming the 2020 Emirates Golf Club Ladies’ Club Champion with a score of 158, 14 over par. Monica held her nerve down the final stretch to secure victory by a single shot from Glory Xavier who finished with a score of 159. In third place was Nonita Chand who had a two-day score of 166. In the net prizes, in Silver Division, Maura Duggan took home some beautiful prizes with an amazing 138 net over two days. In Bronze Division, Avani Shah won with a net score of 150. Best Gross on day one was won by Anne Bouigue with a fantastic score of gross 77 with an eagle 2 on hole number 7! The best net of day one went to Najla Bartette with a very impressive net 64. The best gross in the final round was by Naema Maya with a score of gross 85 and the best net of day two was won by Maria Petre with a score of 71. In the Weekday Members’ category, Haide Wright won the overall best net with a great score of 144 and Cathy Lajotte won the overall best gross with 171.
2020 Club Champion: Runner-Up: Third:
Monica Palao Glory Xavier Nonita Chand
78 + 80 = 158 Gross 79 + 80 = 159 Gross 80 + 86 = 166 Gross
Net over 36 holes Winner Silver Division: Winner Bronze Division:
Maura Duggan Avani Shah
67 + 71 = 138 Net 72 + 78 = 150 Net
Day 1 Best Net: Best Gross:
Najla Bartette Anne Gely Bouigue
64 Net 77 Gross
Day 2 Best Net: Best Dross:
Maria Petre Naema Maya
71 Net 85 Gross
Weekday Members’ Category Overall Best Bet: Overall Best Gross:
Haide Wright Cathy Lajotte
73 + 71 = 144 Net 85 + 86 = 171 Gross
This was a fun tournament which saw a few ladies definitely putting a lot of thought into their club choice strategy which was great to see! The overall winner was Naema Maya with a total of 33 points, which was an excellent score considering the difficulty in club selection. The winner of Silver Division (handicaps 0-22) was Fari Sayeed with a great score of 32 points and the winner in Bronze Division Overall Winner: (handicaps 23 Naema Maya 33 points and above) was SILVER DIVISION (Handicaps 0 - 22) 32 points Chantelle De Villiers Fari Sayeed also with 32 points. BRONZE DIVISION (Handicaps 23 - 42) Chantelle De Villier
32 points
OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC VOLUNTEERS’ TOURNAMENT A special tournament took place last month to thank all the volunteers of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic 2020. There was a full field of players for the afternoon shotgun followed by a prize presentation and bbq. Prizes were presented by Chief Marshal for the event, Boyd Edmondson, who thanked all volunteers for their valuable help during the tournament held in January.
Competition Results
Competition Results
23RD & 24TH FEBRUARY 2020
Ladies’ Three Clubs & a Putter Competition
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Tom & Jacqui Barry’s Farewell Golf Day
by Joe Way
Although the golf day put on by Tom and Jacqui Barry was a great day and night for everyone involved, it was also a sad day. Tom and Jacqui have been members at Emirates Golf Club for 32 years, since the day the Club opened, so the prize giving, as well as celebrating the winners of the pairs Texas Scramble also included speeches from Chris May, Cian Hurley, friends from the Club and of course Tom and Jacqui themselves.
Peter Cowen Junior Tour by OMA Emirates – Event #11
THURSDAY 6TH FEBRUARY 2020
Emirates Golf Club hosted the 11th Peter Cowen Junior Tour event, sponsored by OMA Emirates, on the Faldo course last month with a field of 30 juniors gathered to see who would come out on top. Sandro Wulff claimed victory with an excellent score of 32 (-4) with a round that included gross birdies on the tricky Par 4 6th, as well as the Par 3 8th. Sandro also collected maximum Order of Merit (OOM) points for his win, moving him up to 5th in the OOM Net Division from 14th. Winning the best gross was Vedant Pal with a score of 36 which included a gross birdie on the Par 5 third hole. Vedant claimed maximum Order of Merit points and moved up to second in the OOM Gross Division. In the Boys’ Division, Jay Chinchankar won with a super score of 32 only missing out on the overall victory due to Sandro’s excellent final few holes. In runner-up spot was Lorenzo Lironi with a score of 34. Carlotta Scialanga claimed victory in the Girls’ Division with a score of 37, while Hannah Alan came second with a score of 37. Also in the prizes was Mirwais Arghandiwal who hit it closest to the pin on the Par 3 8th. Through 11 events of the season, Viggo Sorensen leads the gross OOM with 662.5 points. Vedant Pal is second on 507.5 points. In the net OOM, despite being yet to taste victory, the consistent Daksh Jain sits at the top of the leaderboard on 405 points, closely followed by Raghav Gulati on 365 points. After the prize presentation Joe Way, Emirates Golf Club’s Assistant Golf Services Manager, commented; “Well done to Sandro on his win today and for collecting the maximum OOM points. Thank you to all those who took part and of course to our event sponsor OMA Emirates”
In the men’s division, finishing with an extremely impressive score of 62.4 (-9.6) was Micky Chopra and Dash Dhawan and, finishing in a close second, were Campbell Steedman and Richie Ramsay on 64.4 (-7.6); in third place, winning after a back 9 count-back was the team of Dave Duguid and Gary Black on 66.6 (-5.4). European Tour Pro and his playing partner Campbell Steedman kindly donated their vouchers to Nishanthi and Candy in the Golf Office! In the ladies’ division, winning on a fantastic 7.4 under par 64.6 was Glory Xavier and Phyllis Schulte. Coming in second after shooting 66 was the team of Naema Maya and partner Kiyono Taniuchi. In third place, shooting a net score of 69 were Ingrid Lind and Sue Foll. Congratulations to all of our main prize winners. On the course there were also four nearest the pin prizes two for the ladies and two for the gents won by Josie Tracey, Glory Xavier, Chris Foll and Owen Clarke After the prize presentation Cian Hurley, Emirates Golf Club’s Golf Services Manager, commented; “It is so sad to see Tom and Jacqui leaving us after so many years here at the Club. Having both been Captains, they have contributed so much over the years and will be missed by all and will be welcomed back at any time.” Thank you to all our friends who played in our far golf day last month and who attended the BBQ in the evening. What a fantastic turn-out and an exceptionally good day and evening. We really appreciate everyone making the effort to be there. We had been thinking of a golf day or perhaps even just hosting a dinner until Martha Wong got wind of it and insisted on us having a golf day as well. Thank you so much Martha for everything you did - you are the ladies’ section super secretary!! Thank you to all the ladies for the fantastic gifts and to the Saturday group for Tom’s gifts - we were truly overwhelmed. Thanks also to Ian Walton who spent so much time doing ‘Tom masks’ for the Saturday group (don’t you have a proper job Ian??) Thank you also to senior management for allowing us to host this special day and to CEO Chris May for the very special words and the wonderful picture Thank you Surender for the fantastic framed khunjar which was a lovely gesture from such a lovely family. We have had 32 years of wonderful golf, friendships and social scenes since we joined on the day it opened 8th March 1988. We have made so many fantastic friends who we meet regularly even though many left Dubai so long ago and of course we still have so many longtime friends still in Dubai. What a special place this has been for us - we had our wedding reception at the Club in 1991 and our fantastic 25the wedding anniversary here in 2016. Our Club really knows how to put on a party - from way back then to today!! Another thank you to all our colleagues at the Club - past and present, who have looked after us so well, some of whom have been working at the Club for 20-30 years making it a real family atmosphere!!
Competition Results
Competition Results
Saturday 22nd February 2020
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SCHOOL OF RULES
17 by Cian Hurley
JUNIOR LINKS
1. Yellow Penalty Areas
These are defined by yellow painted lines or yellow stakes. In this scenario you have two options; A) Play again or
B) Drop back behind and on line with the pin 2. Red Penalty Areas
Spotlight on...
These are defined by red painted lines or red stakes. In this scenario you have three options;
Jay Pangarkar
My name is Jay Pangarkar and I am 15 years old. I am studying at DIA Emirates Hills and I have been living in Dubai for many years now. My parents are avid golfers and that’s how I started with the sport when I was nine years old. We are members at Emirates Golf Club which is such a wonderful Club and where I have always had such a lot of support from Head coach Stephen Deane. I have been a student at the Claude Harmon School of Golf ever since I started my first lessons with John Howells. John played a tremendous part in putting together the smooth swing that I have today. He was my mentor and coach until 2018 when he had to move back to the UK. From that time onwards Jamie McConnell took over my coaching. Thanks to Jamie’s guidance and coaching I have won two tournaments, both Junior Opens in the UAE Order of Merit. One was in 2018 at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club and the other in 2019 at Emirates Golf Club. My highlight so far was when I broke par in the last Junior Open at Emirates Golf Club shooting a 71. I dedicate a lot of time during the week to playing golf, sometimes with friends and often with my dad who is like an anchor and my
best friend on the golf course. Other than golf, I also do a lot of swimming which has kept me physically fit and has increased my stamina over the years. My other hobbies are watching F1 and also travelling and exploring different parts of the world with different cultures.
I am so lucky to be in Dubai and to have such wonderful facilities in immaculate condition all year round. Having world-class golf courses and coaches is like a blessing to me. I am currently sixth in the Emirates Golf Federation Order of Merit Gross and fourth in net and my goal is to get to first position. My current handicap is 6 and my goal is to get to playing scratch golf very soon. My favourite golf player is Tiger Woods and I hope to meet him one day as he took golf to a whole new level. I also aspire to playing golf at college and pursuing this when I go for my further studies in the US.
A) Play again or
B) Drop back behind and on line with the pin or
C) Take relief of two club lengths (no nearer the hole)
3. Unplayable Ball
This occurs when the golfer’s ball is deemed not possible to play and a penalty drop must be taken. In this scenario you have three options; A) Play again or
B) Drop back behind and on line with the pin or C) Take relief of two club lengths (no nearer the hole)
A useful memory aid is as follows: Yellow = AB
A (Again) & B (Behind)
Unplayable = ABC
A (Again) & B (Behind) & C (Clublengths)
Red = ABC
*Interesting Fact:
• As stated in the rules, “your ball is in a penalty area when any part of it lies on or touches the ground or anything else inside the edge of the penalty area, or is above the edge or any other part of the penalty area”. • A player may always choose to play their ball when it is in a penalty area. They may also now ground their club in a penalty area, as long as they do not improve their lie in doing so. • The player may stand inside a penalty area when playing a ball that lies outside that penalty area, including, where relevant, when just after taking relief from that penalty area.
Golf has been my passion ever since I was very young and I hope that, with all the hard work and long hours I have put in, I can fulfil my dreams.
We are excited to introduce a brand new accessible and affordable way for you to get into golf! For only AED 495 per month, start your golf journey by attending unlimited beginner lessons across the Dubai Golf clubs. Learn more: dubaigolf.com/getintogolf
A (Again) & B (Behind) & C (Clublengths)
Iconic views of the Majlis course...
SCHOOL OF RULES
Dear Members, I hope you have enjoyed playing the Majlis in such superb condition since the Omega Dubai Desert Classic! In this month’s article I would like to provide you with a useful sequence when considering Penalty Drops on the golf course. These drops can be broken down into three main categories as follows:
RECIPROCAL CLUBS
GREENKEEPER’S CUTTINGS - by Matthew Perry
THE EVIAN RESORT GOLF CLUB
The team has been working hard throughout February to keep the standards of both courses very high. The Majlis course does take a bit of time to recover after the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. There are areas to seed after structures are taken down and the greens do take some time to recover as they are pushed to the absolute limit for the tournament itself.
The Evian Resort Golf Club course is a 18-hole course (6693 yards) located in Evian-les-Bains, France. Its location on the edge of Lake Geneva and at the foot of the Alps offers exceptional views throughout the game. It is one of the most beautiful golf courses in France. Voted “Europe’s leading luxury golf resort 2015” at the World Luxury Hotel Awards, the Evian Resort is a golf destination not to be missed.
I am happy to report though that we are going in the right direction and that areas are recovering nicely. The increase in temperatures always helps with this as the growth will improve.
The stunning setting and special care taken with regards to course maintenance and ensuring the preservation of nature make the Evian Resort’s golf course one-of-a-kind. The home to the Evian Championship, the only Major tournament in Continental Europe, offers an incredible golf experience.
The Faldo course has had a huge amount of play, and I know that members and guests have been commenting on the pitch marks and divots around the course so I wanted to explain the reason you see more during the winter and it is not just because we have more play. The main reason is that the colder temperatures cause the grass to slow in growth considerably. This means recovery of pitch marks and divots take a lot longer than in the summer months. The Paspalum grass, which we have on the Faldo course, is a warm season grass and an optimum temperature for it to grow is above 35 degrees which we have yet to reach. All we ask is to please make sure you repair your pitch marks and divots as this will help them to recover more quickly, even with the slower growth we have currently.
In 148 acres of wooded parkland, two minutes from your hotel in the Evian Resort’s private shuttle, the Evian Resort Golf Club is equipped with an 18-hole course (6 030m, par 72). It is a spectacular course with pace that requires strategic play. It asserts its strong French identity and offers the legendary quality of a championship course set in stunning natural surroundings. Unrivalled viewpoints of Lake Geneva and the Alpine summits make it one of the most beautiful courses in Europe. It is also one of the oldest courses in France. The course at the Evian Resort Golf Club is an 18-hole course (6,120 metres – 6, 693 yards, par 72) located in Evian-les-Bains, France. Its location on the shores of Lake Geneva, at the foot of the Alps, offers stunning views all the way round the course. It is one of the most beautiful golf courses in France.
The team has started to do some small projects around the course which include making sure the bunkers have enough sand and making sure they are softer. Major projects will start in April which include some new tee boxes on the courses so watch this space. Enjoy the last few months of great weather and see you on the course.
Evian Resort Golf Club offers a venue fitting for the status of the Evian Championship and the talent of its champions, while also offering amateur players a course on which they can fully express their golf all year round.
Happy Golfing
Matthew Perry
Director of Agronomy
WHAT’S ON IN
MARCH 2020
APRIL 2020
Monday 2nd Friday 6th Monday 9th Friday 13th Saturday 14th Monday 16th Friday 20th Monday 23rd Saturday 28th Monday 30th
Ladies’ Competition Indian Invitational Ladies’ Competition Chairman’s Cup Ladies’ Amateur Open Ladies’ Medal Junior Club Championship Lady Captain’s Day OMA Emirates Medalford Championship Ladies’ Nations Cup
Friday 3rd Hankook Greensomes Round 1 Saturday 4th Hankook Greensomes Round 2 Monday 6th Ladies’ Medal Saturday 11th Easter Scramble Sunday 12th Gorica Major Championship Trophy Monday 13th Ladies’ Easter Scramble Friday 17th Captain’s Day Monday 20th Ladies’ Competition Wednesday 22nd Curtisy Cup 2020 8:00 - 09:20 Friday 24th Senior Ooen Saturday 25th OMA Emirates “Medalford” Championship Monday 27th Ladies Competition
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RECIPROCAL CLUBS
Greenkeeper’s cuttings
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08.30 Majlis 13.00 Faldo & Majlis 08.30 Majlis 13.00 Majlis 07.30-11.00 Majlis 08.30 Majlis 09.00-10.00 Majlis 08.30 Majlis 08.00 & 13.00 Majlis 08.30 Majlis 06.35-14.05 06.30-14.00 08.30 13.00 12.00 & 18.00 08.30 13.00 08.30 & 13:10 - 14:30 13.00 08.00 & 13.00 08.30
Faldo Majlis Majis Faldo Majlis & Faldo Faldo Majlis Faldo Majlis Majlis Majlis Faldo
“It’s a great course, pretty complicated. You really need to keep the ball on the fairway. The rough is pretty thick. The greens play fast, some of the putts can be really tricky. You have to think about a lot of things, but that’s what makes it a great course.” Lexi Thompson
Dubai Golf Reciprocal Clubs Albatross Golf Resort, Czech Republic Al Mouj Golf, Oman Arabella Golf Club, South Africa Archerfield Links, Scotland Banyan Golf Club, Thailand Celtic Manor, Wales Centurion Club, England Clearwater Bay Golf Club, Hong Kong Close House Hotel & Golf Club, England DLF Golf & Country Club, India Elea Golf Club, Cyprus Evian Resort Golf Club, France Foxhills Club & Resort, England Heritage Golf Club, Mauritius
The Hong Kong Golf Club, Hong Kong Hubbelrath Golf Club, Germany Huntingdale Golf Club, Australia K Club, Ireland Karnataka Golf Association, India Laguna National Golf & Country Club, Singapore La Manga Club, Spain London Golf Club, England Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club, Australia Real Club de Golf el Pratroyal Golf Club, Spain Saujana Golf & Country Club, Malaysia Taiheiyo Club, Japan Yas Links, Abu Dhabi
European Tour Destinations:
Rossington Hall, England Finca Cortesin Hotel, Golf & Spa, Spain Villaverde Hotel & Resort, Italy Black Mountain Golf Club & Resort, Thailand Pirin Golf and Country Club, Bulgaria Tbilisi Hills Golf Resort, Georgia London Golf Club, England Diamond Country Club, Austria Jumeirah Golf Estates, UAE Emirates Golf Club, UAE Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, UAE Golf Club St. Leon-Rot, Germany Constance Lemuria, Seychelles Le Golf National, France Quinta do Lago, Portugal
Saujana Golf & Country Club, Malaysia Estonian Golf & Country Club, Estonia Constance Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius Albatross Golf Resort, Czech Republic Linna Golf, Finland PGA Catalunya Resort, Spain Verdura Resort, Italy Lighthouse Golf & Spa Resort, Bulgaria The Dutch, Netherlands Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort, France Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, Italy Troia Resort, Portugal Genzon Golf Club, China Moscow Country Club, Russia Guardian Bom Sucesso Golf, Portugal
Tee time reservations need to be made in advance through Membership Services. The current membership card must be produced at the reciprocal club when playing golf upon check in. For further information on the reciprocal clubs please contact our Membership Services team or email egc@dubaigolf.com
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PRO’S TIP OF THE MONTH by Pro, Olivia Jackson Chipping: Want to eliminate those flicky wrists?
Pro’s Tip
When I’m teaching many of my clients chipping, the shot I seem to witness the most is a thinned or topped shot. This is due to the right wrist taking over and flicking, meaning the club head is ahead of the golf ball at impact. Therefore we are hitting the top half of the equator of the ball so the ball does not make it airborne. In addition, I see a lot of people not transferring their weight onto their front leg through impact which will also encourage that thinned shot.
.
A great drill to prevent this is by chipping cross-handed (the other way around).
Feel like the left wrist is leading in front of the club head at impact and that we are rotating through the shot onto our left side.
As you can see in the picture my club head has not overtaken my hands at impact nor through the shot. When you’re next at practice, give it a go!
The old and the new
From pre - 1988 to today…what a difference!
WE LOVE NIGHT GOLF ON FALDO
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F&B Update
F&B Update
carine celebrates second anniversary
Carine
Your favourite FrenchMediterranean restaurant Carine is happy to introduce Eranda, our newly joined Assistant Bar Manager. After studying at the Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management in Sri Lanka, he worked for TGI Fridays in his home country and realised that he had found his passion for bartending. Five years ago he moved to Dubai and worked for Chef Izu Ani’s La Serre Bistro amongst other high profile venues, In Carine he will be hosting you at the bar with new creations using fresh ingredients, focussing on classic cocktails with modern techniques.
He proudly presents his entry to the #JamesonHosts2020 cocktail ‘Dochas’, meaning ‘hope’ in Irish.
He uses Jameson Caskmate (a whiskey aged in IPA barrels), Ramazzotti Amaro (a liqueur of 33 herbs) and homemade date syrup with seaweed and sesame bitters to create a complex cocktail for any time of the day.
Always ready to serve you...
Carine would like to thank you all for you continued support of the restaurant and is extremely proud to have received two Time Out Dubai Highly Commended Awards for ‘Best European’ and ‘Most Romantic’.
The charming eatery celebrates its second birthday in March 2020 Chic French Mediterranean restaurant carine is celebrating its second birthday this March. Since arriving onto the Dubai dining scene in 2018, the scenic spot at Emirates Golf Club has been wowing customers including UAE royalty ever since. Dubai’s renowned Chef Izu Ani proudly opened the stunning venue in devotion to his wife Carine, whom he named the restaurant after and lovingly creates each dish in dedication to. Carine Ani is humbled by the success of the restaurant and is thankful for all the support it has received in its two years of operation after all the effort Izu and the team have put into it; “I am incredibly proud of Izu and the dedicated team who put so much hard work in every day. The passion they all bring to the restaurant consistently creates a warm atmosphere for our guests.” When asked what makes carine just so special to Chef Izu Ani, he explains; “carine combines the two things closest to my heart, lovingly homemade food and of course my lovely wife.” The multi-award-winning eatery is open for lunch and dinner every day plus breakfasts at the weekend, where the “mise en place” exudes quality for every signature dish. Whilst authentic French recipes are integral to the menu, Izu and his enthusiastic team embrace international inspiration throughout. The combination of French elegance, stylish décor and warm service makes carine the perfect setting for any occasion. With a beautiful terrace amongst the picturesque green golf course and a pergola for the warmer months of the year, guests can experience the scenic views of the city’s skyline over an indulgent breakfast, relaxed lunch or a romantic dinner. Booking: https://www.dubaigolf.com/carine Phone number: 04-4179885 Email: reservations@carine.ae
Breathing Life into your Game
F&B Update
WHAT’S COOKING? Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups An easy to make, light supper dish
FROM THE KITCHEN OF CHEF NICHOLAS CUOMO
Method Serves 4
Ingredients
• Combine 2 tablespoons oil, soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. • Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in pan over medium heat. • Add chicken • Cook 7 minutes or until lightly browned • Add 1/4 cup soy sauce mixture • Cook 4 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Place about 3 tablespoons chicken mixture in each lettuce leaf; top evenly with spring onions carrots, and peanuts. Drizzle evenly with remaining soy sauce mixture. Sprinkle with mint.
Healthy options at Spike View the full menu at www.dubaigolf.com/spike
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• • • • • • • • • • •
3 tablespoons oil 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons light brown sugar 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 500g minced chicken 12 butter lettuce leaves 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots 1/4 cup chopped roasted unsalted peanuts 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 2 tablespoons chopped green parts of spring onions
by Jennifer Rath
your spine? The likelihood is that it is the rotation at your thoracic spine and thus the force transferred through the legs, which propels the force of the club downwards and through the ball. Without this rotation you are losing not only power, but overloading the rest of the upper limb to try and gain more propulsive force which can cause overload injuries of the arm.
When I ask patients why they play golf, aside from the common answers like ‘I enjoy it’, ‘the competition’ or ‘to keep fit’, there are less common answers like ‘it helps my anxiety’, ‘it relaxes me’ or ‘I’m less irritable when I play’. What if I told you that the way you breathe could impact this and actually elevates your game when done properly? Would you believe me? In a relaxed state, breathing becomes deeper and more abdominal; when taking complex or stressful shots, some golfers have a tendency to hold their breath which negatively impacts the subsequent shot. Breathing affects the heart, blood vessels and oxygen delivery to the brain. However I will focus here on muscular and spinal effects.
Stiffness at the thoracic spine can have a direct impact on force generation and although manual therapy with Physiotherapy and exercise can help this, changing your breathing technique day to day can also be influential.
So, how can you become an abdominal breather?
Deep breathing reduces levels of calcium in the muscles which in turn allows smoother movements and less twitching, especially at times when using fine motor control which will ultimately impact putt (putting performance) effectiveness and keeping a smoother line. There is also influence on the control of large muscle groups which are essential for a successful drive, if the muscles are fatigued due to poor oxygen delivery or excessive calcium build up, the power delivered to the shot is diminished. When you are not playing, how do you breathe? Are you a shallow breather? As
you sit reading this article, are you aware of your shoulders moving up and down but the abdomen stays still? In this case your resting breathing technique may be setting you up for inefficient play. If you are aware of the air you take in filling the lower portions of your lungs and abdomen, then not only are you increasing the blood flow to your brain and vital organs, but with each breath you’re causing movement at the ribs and thoracic spine. When you start your backswing, do you move your arms alone, or do you also rotate
1. Lie on your back and put your left hand on your chest and your right on your abdomen. 2. Inhale deeply through your nose and push the stomach out causing the right hand to move but then left hand to largely stay still. 3. When you have fully inhaled, hold for a second. 4. Breathe out, allow the right hand and thus the abdomen to return to the same level. 5. When you find the technique comfortable and easy to do, repeat in sitting and standing as it becomes a normal action.
Jennifer Rath Here at UPANDRUNNING we have recently said farewell to our Clinic Manager Michael Mefo and we have welcomed Benjamin Nixon to the team. Our updated lineup is below, each member of the team is competent to assess and treat all musculoskeletal injuries, however we each have some special interests.
Jeelna Ruparelia MSK Physiotherapist Shoulder and Upper/Lower Limb, Yoga for Rehabilitation
Jennifer Rath EGC Clinic Manager and MSK Physiotherapist Special Interests - Spinal Injuries, Upper Limb and Dizziness
Matthew Stevenson MSK Physiotherapist Golf Screening Assessment and Lower Limb Rehabilitation
Benjamin Nixon MSK Physiotherapist Hip/groin injuries and Lower Limb Rehabilitation
UPANDRUNNING
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Exercise Tip Of The Month - by Christopher Mallett The Wall Sit
Fit Lab
The wall sit exercise is often overlooked as a leg exercise due to its simplicity in nature.
What Is the Wall Sit? For those of you who are not familiar with the wall sit, this is an exercise done over a period of time rather than a specific amount of repetitions. The wall sit requires you to hold yourself in a seated position, (hence the name) for a certain amount of time, normally between 30 to 60 seconds. It predominantly works your glutes, quads, hamstrings …and your pain threshold. Here are a few benefits of the wall sit and why you should consider incorporating this exercise in your workout routine..
Works your entire lower body: Even though the wall sit is an isometric/ static exercise, it can still be considered a compound exercise as it requires numerous joint and muscles to work in unison. Wall sits work your entire lower body – your glutes, your hamstrings, and your quads. The main purpose of this exercise is not to increase muscle mass, but to increase muscular endurance. You will notice that you will be able to hold a wall sit for longer and longer periods of time over time. Burns a lot of calories: Since a position is being held whilst performing the wall sit, rather than moved in and out of, as with an exercise that requires repetitions, the muscles remain contracted/in use for the duration of the exercise. This is unlike performing repetitions, whereby the muscles lengthen and contract with each repetition, providing periods of rest and no resistance.
Increases your endurance: We’ve covered that the wall sit isn’t necessarily for building muscle mass, nor should it be your go-to exercise for strength. But the wall sit will improve your muscular endurance. Here are a few of examples: Single-Leg Wall Sit Once you are in the standard wall sit position, extend one leg out in front of you at a time in an alternating fashion from left to right, shifting the load onto your stabilising leg. You can keep the leg extended for a few seconds, or simply perform it in simple ‘one-second hold’ repetitions.
Weighted Wall Sit As we mentioned previously, holding the wall sit for longer periods of time will become achievable as you progress. However, not everyone has time in their day to sit against a wall for 10 minutes. So, this variation is a way to make your wall sit extra challenging without having to increase the duration. Once in a wall sit position, place a dumbbell or weight plate evenly across your thighs, or hold a slam ball. As opposed to any other wall sit variation, this one does have the added benefit of strength gains. An alternative to squats: If you can’t perform squats for whatever reason, wall sits are a great alternative that will work the same muscle groups. If you can perform squats though, the wall sit should not be an alternative, but rather a supplementary exercise. Great for skiers:
If you are new to skiing, you probably don’t know that wall sits are the number one exercises performed by all skiers, beginner or advanced. Apart from the added muscular endurance that wall sits provide, allowing you to stay in the skiing position for longer periods of time (i.e. have more fun), wall sits will also strengthen your knee caps which can be under a lot of stress when skiing down bumpy slopes.
Getting the hang of wall sits is easy and the exercise itself is straight forward. Having said this, there are still a couple of things to look out for. So, here’s how to do it correctly: For starters, in a standing up position, lean against your vertical surface of choice.
Next, walk your feet out away from the wall (once in your wall sit position, your knees should not track over your toes), and have them shoulder-width apart. While leaning back on the wall, slide down until there is a 90-degree bend at both your hips and knees. Hand placement can be on the wall next to you or crossed in front of you but should not be placed on your thighs, unless you are a beginner requiring some assistance to start off with. Placing the hands on your thighs will make the exercise less difficult.
Your back should be leaning against the wall with your head, neck, and spine in a neutral position. And that’s how you get into a perfect wall sit position!
Another important thing to remember is that when you fatigue you should push or slide yourself up against the wall back to standing position. Don’t crumble down to the ground. It can cause a lot of damage to your knees, especially when your muscles, tendons, and ligaments are fatigued.
Variations of wall sits can help work the adductors (which are often overlooked during training). To work the adductors with wall sits, put a medium-sized exercise ball between your knees while performing the wall sit. Squeeze the ball with your knees and you’ll feel those inner thighs burn! What Are Wall Sits Good For? Mostly, building endurance and baseline strength through the quads. Being the biggest working muscle in our legs (that get a lot of work), usually they don’t need to be isolated and strengthened on their own. Therefore, exercises like squats are usually preferred over wall sits. However, there are some cases where you would want to isolate the quad muscles with wall sit exercises: - Increasing quad stamina - Improving stability
- Building strength (for people with particularly weak quads) - Sport-specific endurance
How Long Should You Do Wall Sits? Ideally, you should do wall sits for 30 to 60 seconds in sets of 3. If you are a beginner and can’t hold wall sits for very long, start off with 5 sets of 10 to 15 seconds and build up to being able to do 30 continuous seconds. Once you can easily do walls sits for 60 seconds, consider variations such as the one leg wall sit, or adding some extra weight.
How to Make Wall Sits Easier? Being in the right position makes it easy by providing you with comfort in terms of your posture. Should you require assistance when starting out, place your hands on your thighs and support a bit of your body weight so you’re not fully loading your legs. Focusing on contracting your abdominal muscles while doing the wall sit which will help stabilise your body and make it easier to hold the position for longer. And finally, don’t hold your breath! Oxygen is required for blood flow. Consistent breathing through this exercise will help you gain the stamina needed for wall sits.
I challenge you to start adding a couple of sets of wall sits to your workout. If you happen to be not training at all, start by doing a couple of sets of wall sits a week. Write down your wall sit hold time on a piece of paper and review your progress after four weeks. You will be amazed by the results.
LEARN PADEL
with
Toni
Get involved in the fastest growing racquet sport in the world. Learn and improve every aspect of the game in a friendly and social environment while burning some calories! Schedule Sunday/Tuesday 8.30 - 10am Monday/Wednesday 5 – 6pm For more information or to register email: infodubai@rrapadel.ae or call: +971 54 791 1377
Get fit today, be happy tomorrow...
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February Monday Night Winners Mujahid Siddiqui, Harry Dickenson, Liam Wealleans
18 points
Big man Suresh Shewakramani won his 300th golfing prize with S2B for the January AOP Player of the Month award. We celebrated in style on Monday 24th February, when Suresh kindly sponsored the food and drinks for the evening for all S2B player and partners.
February 17th: The MonViso Pairs: Alex O’Brien & Jimmy Norfolk
net -7
February 10th: Carlotta Pretti
18 points.
Also celebrating Jimmy Norfolk’s Eclectic win!
S2B members get 30% off at MonViso. As most of you are aware since March S2B Mondays have been part of the “Take Water. Give Life” initiative to help support the Al Jalila Foundation for medical research. Every Monday fines have been given out for 3 putts or for any funny or embarrassing moments on the golf course!! In 11 months we have now raised over AED 6500 which is a great start for a great initiative. February 24th: Party with Suresh: Kristi Sealey 18 points
TOUCH GOLD RACING RACE NIGHT Touch Gold Racing, S2B sponsors of the longest drive, held a race night at Meydan last Thursday evening for members & friends of Emirates Golf Club. Over 80+ people attended including many S2B members in a private box overlooking the racecourse with a buffet and free flowing drinks as they enjoyed the night of racing!! Thanks Mike and Victoria.
A MORE SUSTAINABLE ROUND OF GOLF
Our steps towards sustainability and plastic reduction through providing our Members and Guests with a longer lasting, sustainable water bottle
AOP FEBRUARY PLAYER OF THE MONTH (Player of the Month is calculated by adding up a players best three stableford scores of the month)
Kristi has been on fine form this year winning her second overall Player of the Month Award with her best three scores in February amounting to 50 points, three shots clear of second place. 1st: Kristi Sealey 50 points 2nd: Liam Wealleans James Yeomans 47 points The February Champion Kristi Sealey
CALL TO ACTION FOR EMIRATES GOLF CLUB MEMBERS With James and Russell Yeomans becoming full Emirates Golf Club members again in 2020 we expect to attract a few more members to join us on Mondays. As we say, it’s the most fun you can have on a Monday, always something to play for, a chance to meet other members and a truly inclusive atmosphere created for all. Please contact James for more information! Email: jyeomans@yeomansexecutive.com Phone No.: 0504816277 We look forward to welcoming more Emirates Golf Club members to Sport2Business! S2B Facebook and Instagram Check out our social media pages: Sport2Business Events
sport2business
SPORT2BUSINESS
February 3rd:
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19th Hole Snippets
Ishu Rupani presented Paul Byrne with a book (on behalf of Jacqui Barry) consisting of all issues of Club Life magazine during his captaincy 2018-2019
A ladies‘ farewell golf morning and lunch was held recently to say goodbye to Viv Caley who is returning to UK with husband Cliff. Martha Wong again took on the responsibility of organising the morning and some gifts for Viv and everyone really enjoyed the day. Wishing Viv and Cliff all the best for the future.
Jacqui Barry pictured with the Dubai Golf Publishing team with whom she has worked closely for many years. What a great team!
Congratulations to Emirates Golf Club member Viggo Sorensen who was crowned junior champion on the Fire course at Jumeirah Golf Estates on 6th March His victory came following a playoff after finishing on a five under par 67 which was equalled by Natali Gupta. The duo went back to the first hole on the Fire course and it took four attempts of hole 1 for Viggo to be crowned champion, eventually holing a birdie putt with barely any daylight remaining.
HOLE in
It was good to see past members Lyn Rowley and Annette & Lloyd Stewart visiting the Club in January - pictured with Maggie Neil
NE
To mark International Women’s Day, we are celebrating the talents and achievements of all women at Emirates Golf Club...from our dedicated food & beverage colleagues who take your orders with a smile to our professional golfers who tee-up success - their hard work and dedication doesn’t go unnoticed in making a difference today.
ACKNOWLEDGE A COLLEAGUE AWARDS JANUARY Hole-in-One Micky Chopra Hole # 4 Majlis 15th February 2020
Our colleague’s cricket team in action Working 9-5 doesn’t stop you playing 18 holes throughout the week at Emirates Golf Club
ACKNOWLEDGE A COLLEAGUE
It is my pleasure to congratulate the following colleagues as the beneficiaries from the programme for December & January. Their hard work coming into 2020 has done so much for making sure everyone at Emirates Golf Club has had a great experience, we look forward to seeing them keep up the good work! December First: Runner-up: Runner-up: Third: Third:
Sham Food & Beverage Heba Membership Gopu Golf Operations Miguel Carine Abel Golf Operations
January First: Runner-up: Third: Fourth: Fifth:
Tess Gladys Stephen Ashaff Ismail
Spike Bar Jones the Grocer Golf Reservations Men’s Locker Room Food & Beverage
This initiative is designed to reward excellent service, motivate colleagues and highlight individuals for career progression. If you wish to acknowledge a colleague’s positive impact, simply logon to the Dubai Golf Member Zone and select Colleague Appreciation on the left navigation. We thank you for your continued support of the Club and our Colleagues.
Lady Vice-Captain, Naema Maya, has been responsible for the ladies’ beginners’ group this season and she recently hosted a social evening for them which was enjoyed by all
Rhys James was at the Club last month to play in a golf day - looking like he never left!! Great to see you Rhys
By Barney Coleman Club Manager
19th Hole Snippets
FAREWELL TO VIV CALEY
MEMBER GUEST
REWARDS
Book four member guest rounds per calendar month at Emirates Golf Club and receive one complimentary weekday voucher on either: • Championship Course at Dubai Creek • Majlis* or Faldo course at Emirates Golf Club • Earth or Fire course at Jumeirah Golf Estates Terms & Conditions • • • • • • • • •
This promotion is valid until 30th April 2020 This promotion is applicable to full and weekday golf members only Redemption voucher is transferrable. Maximum of two vouchers can be earned per member, per month. Redemption voucher is valid for two months from date of issue. Redemption voucher valid from Sunday to Thursday inclusive, not including Public Holidays. *Majlis course redemption vouchers are valid from Sunday to Wednesday inclusive, not including Public Holidays. Tee times are subject to availability Member Guest round valid for 18-holes only