25 YEARS OF
DUBAI CREEK GOLF & YACHT CLUB
A GULF NEWS SPONSORED SUPPLEMENT
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2018
Celebrations tee off at iconic golfing venue ●● Riaz
Naqvi speaks to Christopher May, CEO, Dubai Golf, about Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club’s enduring sports legacy
Pictures: Gulf News Archives/Supplied
ver three decades, Dubai’s architecture has been a key part of its visual identity. From the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab to the colossal Burj Khalifa, the city is home to some striking structures. Among the most beautiful is the one printed on the UAE’s Dh20 note: The clubhouse at the Dubai Creek & Golf Club, which marks 25 years of operation. Christopher May has been CEO of Dubai Golf for five years. He arrived
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in the emirate as assistant manager of Dubai Creek & Golf Club in 1999. His first week coincided with the club hosting its first Dubai Desert Classic. “It’s always a great atmosphere around the Dubai Desert Classic week, and it was exciting times because it was the first time Dubai Creek had hosted the event, at one of the most beautiful clubhouses in the world.” May believes 1999’s Desert Classic ranks as one of the top three moments
in the club’s history thanks in part to the sheer star power involved. “Sergio Garcia played in it as an amateur, Mark O’Meara played in it as the then US Masters champion. José María Olazábal was the defending champion of the Desert Classic — he’d won it at Emirates Golf Club the previous year. Justin Leonard played as well, while David Howell won it that year.” However, beyond the interna-
tional pros, an unlikely hero emerged. “Probably the biggest story of that Desert Classic was our own director of golf, Peter Downie. In those Hosting the Desert days, the home golf profesClassic in 1999 was sional was given an invitation to play in the tournament. a big thing for the Peter played in the event and Creek and really was leading after two and a helped put both half rounds, which was unthe club and Dubai heard of at the time and it’s on the sports map.” never happened again since. With the likes of Ballesteros, Olazábal, and Clarke on the field, for the home professional to come in and be leading the tournament was quite outstanding and amazing. Peter knew the golf course better than anyone, probably played it more than anyone and he performed brilliantly. It caused quite a lot of headlines around the world. “Hosting the Desert Classic in 1999 was a big thing for the Creek and really helped put both the club and Dubai on the map because it showcased the fact that Dubai had more than one championship golf course and has since led to the building of many more courses in the region. In the UAE we have more than 20 golf courses — the testament is that if the first two hadn’t been successful, another 18 wouldn’t have followed them.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 2