DOMINIC MORTON

By WILL KENT

ver recent years, Dubai has propelled promising young talent onto big things within the world of golf. Dubai-based teenagers Toby Bishop and Josh Hill have reaped the rewards of the first-rate facilities available in the Middle East, and their development has now opened the pathway of college golf in America. While the pair continue their pursuit of professional Tour golf on the other side of the globe, even more young talent has emerged in the UAE, such as 16-yearold Dominic Morton.

The English teenager has a fascinating story. Upon moving to Dubai less than four years ago, he was an 18 handicapper. Since his move to the Middle East, he now plays off plus two. During his rapid handicap descent, he also suffered a ghastly elbow injury from a bike accident which nearly meant he would never swing a club again. Now, a Scratch Team player at Trump International Golf Club, Dubai, Morton is also chasing the dream of American golf. He spoke to us at Worldwide Golf about his journey.

Worldwide Golf: How did you get into playing golf? Dominic Morton: I’ve been in Dubai for four years now. I grew up playing golf, football, athletics, and swimming. Then, all of the competitions started to clash so I chose golf as it was the one I was most passionate about. I grew up playing it and I just fell in love with the game.

WWG: Did you think you could have ever seriously pursued one of those other sports instead of golf? DM: Yeah, I was always a good footballer. I was really good at swimming. I did cross country for a long time, but I just fell in love with golf.

Dominic and his coach Ian Clark bounce off each other during our shoot

WWG: Do you think being in Dubai and playing these great courses has helped your game? DM: 100 percent. I’ve been in Dubai for four years now. I think when I came to Dubai I was off 18, and Dubai has taken me all the way down to plus two. It’s been a big change.

WWG: What made the difference to dropping the handicap that quickly? DM: The facilities around here are the best and obviously the people. You just get to know a lot of better golfers. Learning off other people has helped me to get better. WWG: What tournaments have you won in Dubai? DM: I won the Summer Open recently at Trump International. I’m in the Scratch Team for Trump. We’ve won that two years in a row. Last season wasn’t really my season though, I had big injury on my elbow so I was out for seven months. I wasn’t really up for last season, but hopefully this season that can be changed.

WWG: Was that from a bike accident? DM: Yeah, I had a bike accident where my elbow split in half. I was just messing about with my friends.

WWG: After the accident, did you think you might never play again? DM: Yeah, when the doctors took my parents out the room to tell them what actually had happened, I was like ‘ah yeah, I’m not playing again, no way’. Then, I got told there could be surgery for it and it was the biggest relief I ever had in my life.

WWG: What about your future plans - is moving to America the goal? DM: I’ve wanted to go to the States ever since I was a kid. Seeing other Dubai golfers like Josh Hill and Toby Bishop go recently it’s made me want to go even more. It’s the lifestyle and seems like the best place for golf, personally.

WWG: How about your recent summer competing in England, what was that like? DM: I played amateur events at Hillside and Royal Birkdale. Four rounds of golf in two days - it was really tough. I’ve never walked that far in my life. I’m used to the buggies in Dubai! It was a big struggle. First time ever doing it though, so it was a great experience. I think I was 30th out of around 70 players where I was against the top people in the UK, so it was really good experience.

WWG: Where do you prefer playing - Dubai or England? DM: Honestly, if I was to grow up playing golf at Royal Birkdale I don’t think I would have enjoyed the game as much. The weather is just really unpredictable in the UK. It does what it wants and you can’t play golf as much as you can in Dubai, so it’s Dubai for me.

WWG: What’s the difference between playing in Dubai, in comparison to back home - the courses, the quality of players, the style of golf? DM: Links golf and the golf here in Dubai is completely different. I think if you’re really good at Links golf you’ve got a really big potential. It’s a big difference between the two places. Things like rough, fairways are a lot of thinner. Playing at Trump, we have very wide fairways and wide greens. It’s a big change, and something I need to adjust to quickly.

WWG: How do you adjust? DM: Me and my coach Ian worked on it a lot. Shot shaping, tidying my game up, closing stuff off. Visualising different types of shots and fairways. Just trying to keep it more neutral.

WWG: What specifically are you and your coach, Ian Clark, working on at the moment? DM: I’ve been coming too much from the inside recently, so I’m working on fixing that. I’ve been getting quite stuck in my swing so we’ve been trying to get me a fade feel with my irons. I got my new set of clubs recently so I’ve been trying to build a relationship with them. I usually hit a draw but I think it’s going to have to become a fade at this point as I’m getting too stuck in positions and I don’t like it. WWG: What about when you were playing off an 18 handicap, were you a big slicer like a lot of us? DM: Absolutely. A big slice, a big hook. I did everything but straight to be fair.

WWG: So, when did it all really start to ‘click’ for you? DM: My first coach when I came to Trump International was a guy called Sven. I didn’t really have a coach in the UK, so to have someone to give you advice was helpful. He was the one to first settle out my swing, then Ian came into the equation and it’s got better ever since.

WWG: How much are you practicing? DM: Every day. 18 holes, practice, short game. Everything I can get in. Four to five hours a day. Obviously in the summer heat now it’s not that fun, but you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta to do.

WWG: The next generation of Dubai players - who’s next to look out for like yourself? DM: We’ve got a new Scratch Team in at Trump. There’s guy called Matthew De Haus from the Netherlands. Also, Jack White who is one of my good friends I believe he’s got good potential at the moment. Freddie Wassink, he’s Dutch as well. There are a lot of good players that I play with usually.

WWG: Do you try and replicate any professional swings? Tiger? Rory? DM: I try and do my own thing, really. I

look up to all of them as look where they are now and look where they’ve been. I always watch the competitions on TV and try and learn off anyone I can to be fair. They’ve all got amazing swings, all doing really well earning a lot of money.

WWG: What are your eventual career goals and aspirations? DM: It would be the dream to get right to the very top. That’s always been the dream. Even when I was playing other sports it’s always been the dream to be a professional golfer. Everyone has their ups and downs sometimes. You just have to conquer through it and carry on.

WWG: Outside of golf what do you like to get up to in your spare time? DM: I like going to the gym. I do cardio a lot, I like to go running. Hanging out with mates, all the normal stuff most teens like to do.

WWG: And the gym - how important is it for you? DM: I always liked a good physique. I have a good personal trainer right now, Alan Walters at Emirates Golf Club, so he’s been training me quite hard recently.

WWG: How much has your game improved with the fitter and stronger you’ve got? DM: I’ve been hitting it a lot further. Being able to control golf club a lot more considering my strength. It’s helping my game a lot more than I expected.

It has been an action packed summer for golf across the globe in both the amateur and professional ranks. In early July we saw the JP McManus Pro-Am showcase the talents of some of the biggest names in golf. Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and World No.1 Scottie Scheffl er were among the starstudded golfers that travelled to Adare Manor in Ireland for this spectacle of golf. This prestigious event attracted celebrities including Jamie Dornan, Niall Horan and Bill Murray, to name but a few. This two day charity event is a testament to JP McManus’ hard work, goodwill and charitable nature. Both days were fi lled with excitement from beginning to end, it was just fantastic to see 40,000 people each day gaining such enjoyment from golf.

I landed into Shannon airport, Ireland on July 2, a few days before the JP McManus Pro-Am kicked off. Upon landing I received a message from my brother telling me that I had just missed meeting Adam Scott, he had played a round at my home club, Lahinch Golf Club that morning. Little did I know, an even more exciting welcome home was awaiting me in Lahinch. Word quickly spread around the seaside village that Scheffl er, Jordan Speith and Sam Burns were going to be teeing off around lunchtime. I couldn’t believe my luck! All three stars showcased their incredible talents on the challenging links, a day I will always remember and a super start to summer 2022 in Ireland.

Mid July I travelled to the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, USA to attend a former grad school friend’s wedding. As I got out of the taxi on the college campus I noticed a large tour truck pulled up outside my hotel. The truck had Natalie Gulbis and Jimmy Hanlin faces on it. I asked a lady what this was all about, she explained that they were here to fi lm and review a round on the Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame for the Golf Channel. I ended up getting to meet Natalie on the college campus that day. She was as stylish as ever and full of charisma. Natalie was someone I used to look up to as a young girl playing golf, as she showcased golf in an incredibly glamorous, feminine and positive light.

Back to the British Isles, Cam Smith was crowned the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews in mid-July. Winning this event at the ‘Home of Golf’ was a huge leap forward in the Aussie’s golfi ng career and without a doubt his biggest victory to date. Rory McIlroy put down a good fi ght but it simply wasn’t to be for my fellow Irishman. Rory’s 36 putts on the fi nal day proved to be his downfall against the Aussie with the distinctive hairstyle and the silky smooth touch on the greens.

One week later and the attention to the ladies! The AIG Women’s Open Championship was held at Muirfi eld in early August for a prize fund of over $7M. Ashleigh Buhai secured her fi rst Major win when she defeated In Gee Chun on the 4th play-off hole. This event again showed the world that women’s golf is as skilfull as the men’s game – where raw power is less a factor. Interestingly Muirfi eld only accepted ladies as members for the fi rst time in recent years. I guess they realise now what they were missing all along! As the temperatures begin to cool, all roads now lead back to the Middle East! Over the next few months the region will host some major amateur and professional events, for both the men and the ladies. A new season of Chicks with Sticks commences in September, our group continues to gain new members, contributing greatly to the development of the game in the UAE.

The game is certainly changing, and LIV Golf has certainly shaken things up, but the battle ground appears to be revolving around the Offi cial World Golf Ranking. But it needs to remain independent of all the Tours and serve the job it was designed to do –rank the best players in the world. So, how can you then ignore any Tour in the world where several the highest ranked players are based?

The Majors and top events want the top 100 players in the world competing against each other but outside the PGA Championship this is very hard to pull off due to players schedules and time off.

Strength of fi eld

Now the highest profi le events are being gauged on the strength of the fi eld and not the rankings, but how can you have the strongest events with some of the top players missing?

The only way the whole situation is going to get resolved to have the top 100 players teeing it up against each other is if the PGA TOUR, LIV Golf and the DP World Tour schedule things as one. So they are balancing the calendar year. But you can’t just focus on the top 100 all the time as form is fi ckle. Players move up and down the rankings all the time and new players are bursting on to the scene out of nowhere. And how relevant is the Offi cial World Golf Ranking in terms of attraction? Tiger Woods is without doubt the biggest crowd and audience pull in the game and will be for many years to come. He’s currently ranked 1,137th.

The ranking is just a benchmark in which the professional game can have a form of structure but this only relevant if all the Tours receive points. You can’t have 40 leading tour professionals playing against each other and not get points as then you don’t have the best players in the system. You just fall back to strength of fi eld events and eventually the ranking system will become redundant.

History repeating?

The whole LIV Golf thing isn’t a new concept regarding a breakaway tour. You just must look at the game’s history. In the 1960s the PGA of America ran the professional game and then with the support of Garner Dickenson, Palmer and Nicklaus thought the players were not getting enough and they set up the PGA Tour.

The same thing happened with the European Tour. When I fi rst started playing in 1970-71 you had to enter events individually and each country ran their own tournaments. This changed when a player, John Jacobs, united things and founded the European Tour.

So, all that is going on in the game right now is history repeating itself.

The one that needs changing instantly on any tour are Monday qualifi ers. There is so much talent going unnoticed, especially in Europe, as they don’t have the opportunity to shine. I still think the DP World Tour should give spots to the leading US college players who might not get a card on the PGA Tour but have an alternative platform to build their game while adding to the quality of fi eld. Just look at what happened to Brooks Koepka. He came over to play on the European Challenge Tour and used it to launch one of the best professional careers in the modern game which made him a key target for LIV Golf.

Golf is a circus

I don’t blame him for moving over to LIV Golf as I see the professional game as a series of circuses that come to town. But if three circuses are in town, which one will you go to watch? The one with the best performers! Right now, that is the battle that is going on but that happens in every sport. Why should golf be any different? You have got to fi nd a way to let the best players compete against each other, but the best will age or lose form and the new talent needs have a way in which they can rise through the ranks to take in the best. That is why there needs to be global league structure and the tours all need to get around the table to sort things out. As they also need to keep a close eye on simulator golf and how that could impact the game.

Last month a player qualifi ed for the Omega Masters on the DP World Tour by winning a simulator event and the big news is the collaboration between Tiger and Rory to launch their stadium tour in 2024. Top Golf and simulator golf is the fastest growing sector of the game. Tiger and Rory could easily become the next Palmer and Nicklaus regarding forming a break away tour. It will not happen overnight but the pinnacle league in golf could be to earn a place on the Tiger / Rory Tour and not the PGA Tour or LIV Golf.

Renowned as one of the fi nest golfi ng destinations in the Middle East, the Els Club is widely known for its luscious fairways and extremely well-kept greens, but did you know it’s also home to some of the fi nest restaurants in the UAE, including the club’s signature steak joint, the Big Easy Bar & Grill

Named after four-time Major champion Ernie Els, the Big Easy refl ects the South African’s own eclectic tastes and his appreciation of the life enhancing benefi ts of wonderful food, great company and amazing beverages in a sociable, easy-going environment.

The casual dining venue in Dubai is one of only four across the globe, with the other three located in Durban, Malaysia and Miami - all four place the utmost importance on serving classic steakhouse food and top wines from the Ernie Els portfolio, all in a relaxed setting.

Worldwide Golf: What is Big Easy Bar & Grill? Vishal Rane: The Big Easy is an unpretentious Grill and Winebar hailing from the stunning Western Cape region of South Africa, if one term could describe Big Easy, it would be the Afrikaans word of ‘Gesellig’ – sociable with friends, friendly, convivial, cordial. The Big Easy is simply a fun relaxed place to ‘hang out with the guys’, a place to take your loved ones for a glass of wine and an unpretentious meal any day of the week. The culinary experience is inspired by the cultural crossroads of South Africa’s fresh off the grill comfort food approach to dining, combined with traditional spices, herbs and ingredients from the melting pot of the world. WWG: Why is it called Big Easy? VR: Hailing from South Africa, Ernie Els, who has been one of the top professional golfers in the world for almost two decades now, Ernie is known as “The Big Easy”, refl ecting Ernie’s manner; big in stature, gentle in character. The same spirit is the essence of any Big Easy restaurant – bold and prominent looking, full of fl avour, but at the same time a very gentle and amicable spirit that make the venue incredibly approachable and an all-round fun everyday destination.

WWG: What is Big Easy famous for? VR: As much as Big Easy is famous for serving the best cut of meats available in the market from across the globe, it is also popular for other house favourites such as unique South African inspired seafood and curry dishes. Our spicy lamb shank bunny chow is an absolute crowd pleaser amongst our regulars and members. WWG: What is a must try at Big Easy? VR: It’s a meat lover’s paradise, you are spoilt for choice from that perspective, however my personal favourites as mentioned above are the bunny chow and venison dishes. Mouthwatering!

WWG: What makes The Big Easy special at the Els club? VR: The way things are these days you need a place to relax and unwind, the Big Easy is exactly this, a modern, quality driven fresh grill and wine bar, an outlet that represents what is important and rea; about life to us nowadays. The team prides itself on providing a comfortable and friendly experience whilst using the best of quality ingredients and are simply driven to ensuring you receive a genuine everyday fun experience every visit.

MyGolf Dubai fi nally celebrated their long-awaited grand opening last month with a star-studded ceremony at the region’s largest indoor golf facility, which included attendance from several dignitaries and VIP’s, including H.E. Saeed Mohammed Hareb, SecretaryGeneral of Dubai Sports Council.

No expense was spared on the glitz and glamour of the evening with live music, premium F&B and taster golf sessions available for the many guests in attendance. Those who hadn’t seen the venue since the soft opening in April were wowed with the premium indoor golf and entertainment facility that spans 14,000 square feet and recreates realistic, immersive experiences of nearly 190 golf courses from across the globe.

Now with its doors ‘offi cially’ open, Michael Zhao, Founder of MyGolf Dubai, is keen for every golfer in the region to experience everything the outstanding venue has to offer.

“I’m feeling on top of the world,” said Zhao. “All the guests that we have here tonight at the grand opening didn’t expect the venue to be this impressive at Dragon Mart. It’s such an engaging and compelling place that hasn’t been easy to put together but it has been worth all the hard work.

“Hopefully 90% of the golf community would have already heard about MyGolf Dubai and now we’ve had our offi cial grand opening, we want to bring them folks to our venue and give them a unique experience. We know there is so much we can offer the golf community so our focus is fully on letting them know more about the venue and to try it out themselves. If you’re reading this, get yourself down!”

The recreational facility can host over 200 guests and mimics a premium golf club, including six private bays, two open bays, two VIP suites named after golf legends Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus and one VVIP suite named after Tiger Woods. The suites feature a dedicated concierge making it the ideal place for social gatherings, occasions and celebrations.

“We are a client fi rst concept; the whole

CEO and founder of MyGolf Dubai

team are dedicated to making our guests feel as welcome as possible,” added Zhao. “I don’t care if they are managing F&B or on the front desk, if they see a guest having any sort of problem, they will be over there in a shot to assist. It’s the little details like that which matter. We want to understand every client’s need and offer a holistic approach to whatever they may want from their experience at MyGolf Dubai.”

The venue will also feature three training studios in a modern social-leisure platform with state-of-the-art proprietary equipment, to support experienced golfers to enhance their technique, while offering amateur golfers personalised attention to learn in a supportive setting.

Equipped with the latest technology that provides real-time shot statistics with 98% accuracy – including ball speed, angle of launch, left or right deviation, and distance hit – the unique experience enables golfers to improve their swing or putting with every turn.

MyGolf Dubai will offer two packages, Pay & Play - where golfers can enjoy a wide-range of golf courses at their own preferred time and bay; and the Membership package that offers a variety of options for individuals and corporate groups. MyGolf Dubai will also house a Golf Academy where trainees have the chance to learn under the supervisions of world-renowned coaches.

A common mistake I see amateurs make is that they try to hit the ball further, by hitting it harder. But, actually, increasing distance is all about applying the correct swing mechanics. It’s all about rotation and weight transfer. If you get those right, you don’t actually have to hit the ball very hard to gain power and distance. In this article I’m going to show you how to increase your clubhead speed and gain more distance by swinging it easy.

BY THEODORE SEAH

PGA PROFESSIONAL, MY GOLF DUBAI.

EXPERIENCE DUBAI’S FIRST PREMIUM GOLF & ENTERTAINMENT LOUNGE

Here at MyGolf we do things a little diff erently. We’re not here to tell you what everyone else in the market is telling you. We explain things in a way which will help you wrap your head around it easier and get your bringing you’re A Game as quickly as possible. I’d love to see you at our brand-new facility in Dubai so please get in touch if you’d like to book a lesson.

Book a lesson at My Golf Dubai, the UAE’s fi rst luxury indoor golf and entertainment lounge, and we will assist with your every golfi ng need! Visit mygolfdubai.com, call +971 43863535 or email: info@mygolfdubai.com

WorldwideGolf Worldwide.Golf

BY JAMIE COUGHLIN

PGA PROFESSIONAL, TOPGOLF, DUBAI golfprojamie

Get back into the swing of things in time for the new season, with some simple set-up tips that will help you hit those high scores at Topgolf Dubai.

Many players want the perfect swing but neglect how important set-up is and don’t realise its infl uence on shots. Follow my three simple steps to improve your set-up and climb those leaderboards!

1GRIP There are a few different types of grip - but why confuse it? I recommend using a 10-fi nger grip (baseball style). The important things to note here is that, for a right-handed golfer, the left hand goes at the top of the club. The club then sits in the base of the fi ngers of the left hand and the left thumb points down to the clubhead. Simply cover the left thumb with the right hand so that the hands are touching. For a left-handed golfer, 2 just do the opposite. 3 The correct posture will help you consistently strike the ball better. Tilt forwards from your hips and soften your knees. Reaching for the golf ball makes things diffi cult, but so does standing too close! The perfect distance is found when the arms hang straight down from the shoulders and the club is aligned with the ball. Now, you’re ready to take on those Topgolf targets!

For full swing golf shots, place your feet shoulder width apart, and make sure the ball is in line with the centre point between your two feet.

TOO WIDE TOO SHORT Here at Topgolf Dubai you’ll always fi nd our PGA qualifi ed professionals teaching you simple ideas to make golf shots more repeatable. Do the simple things right, stay consistent and take your golf game to a new level.

If you need a little more help getting game-ready, visit topgolfdubai.ae/academy or contact academy@topgolfdubai.ae to fi nd out more about the lessons and classes we have on off er. Whether you’re serious about your game, or just looking for some great fun, our lessons cater to all needs, ages and abilities and we welcome anyone of any skill set.

WorldwideGolf Worldwide.Golf

BY EDWARD RETIEF, GOLF SUPERSTORE, RETAIL MANAGER

It would be easy to say that all players can benefi t from custom-fi tted clubs, but It would be more realistic to say that various types of players would benefi t from having their equipment tailored to individual requirements, preferences, and patterns to a greater or lesser degree, which will help with consistency and improve their golf game.

• A Player who purchased secondhand clubs where there the loft and lie have changed over time due to usage • A Player who has certain physical characteristics, such as height or hand size • A Player who has an ingrained swing or playing pattern, usually a fault, such as consistently slicing or hooking, low or high spin rate and low or high trajectory. • A low handicap or professional player who has a good idea of what they like, but who may benefi t from some sound professional advice or perhaps some fi ne-tuning of current equipment

Once the custom fitting has been completed, a Surefit form with your specification will be sent to our build workshop.

1. The build team pull the correct shaft to match the build specifi cation. Depending on the brand of shaft, each club will have a specifi c length based on the dead weight of the club. 2. Roughing shaft tips and installing ferrule and cut to desired lengths as per the Surefi t.

At this point we dry fi t the head along with the grip and measure the swing weight of the club (this translates to how the weight of the club feels during the golf swing) 3. Assemble the shaft and clubhead using epoxy resin glue and glass shaft beads which helps to centre the shaft in the clubhead. 4. Verify swing weight and install grip to

Surefi t specifi cations. Grip size and tape will alter swing weight which has to be kept in mind when installing grips. 5. Grip installation - Double-sided tape and white spirits are used during this process ensuring the face of the club aligns to grip alignment markers. 6. With the clubs assembled, the lofts and lies are checked and adjusted to Surefi t specifi cations and for the last time swing weight is verifi ed. 7. Clubs are cleaned, wrapped, and boxed ready for delivery. Golf Superstore off ers custom fi tting on the latest equipment with the quickest build/ turnaround time on Titleist and Vokey hardware from custom fi tting to delivery.

BY ALEX GALLEMORE

GEN5 P 5 IRON

CARRY 199 YARDS

TOTAL 211 YARDS GEN5 P 6 IRON

CARRY 210 YARDS

TOTAL 225 YARDS MY AVERAGES WITH THE PXG GEN5 ‘P’ AND XCOR 2 IRONS COULD NOT HIGHLIGHT THIS BETTER.

THE GEN5 6 IRON WAS 14 YARDS LONGER THAN THE 5 IRON AND THE XCOR HAD 22 YARDS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ITS 5 AND 6 IRON.

XCOR 2 5 IRON

CARRY 201 YARDS

TOTAL 212 YARDS XCOR 2 6 IRON

CARRY 181 YARDS

TOTAL 190 YARDS

For the past three months I’ve had two sets of PXG irons in play. The latest GEN5 ‘P’ and the XCOR2. Both have a similar profile, with a thick top line and offset, designed with performance and forgiveness in mind. The settings from the factory in Arizona were both the same with Steel-Fiber i95 shafts and one-degree stronger lofts.

Both irons share the latest light weightsaving XCOR 2 polymer core which PXG designed specifically for the GEN5 irons. The mass has therefore been repositioned low and to the perimeter of the back of the clubhead increasing the MOI and forgiveness. When paired with the ultra thin face and Speed Frame technology the increase is noticeable compared to previous irons

First off, the unique two tone look appealed to me, as they are different and that is something PXG do best. The ‘P’ head is a little bulky but builds confidence when you are over the ball. The tungsten weighting is very effective and not only makes the club very forgiving on off-centre strikes but the low centre of gravity makes these launch the ball higher than most irons, which is why I strengthened them by one degree in order to control the trajectory.

Looks, forged feel quality, forgiveness and slight increase in ball speed

The very strong lofts produces low spin rates, making it hard to hold fast greens.

Make sure you get fitted as gaping is a huge issue and don’t focus on total distance too much. We had a rogue 6 iron which has a loft of 18 degrees -the equivalent to a traditional 2 iron! The 5 iron was 25 degrees, similar to a traditional 3 iron loft. The 6 iron went just as far as the PXG 19 degree hybrid! Getting fitted on the range not a simulator is essential so you can see how the ball rolls out. These are a great club but I wish I had not strengthened them by one degree and I should have got each club fitted accordingly.

At half the price of the GEN5 you would expect these to feel inferior. They look cheaper with the chrome sticker and the feedback through the hands makes them feel a little dead in comparison. But out on the course I scored better with the XCOR2 over the GEN5 P. They were just as forgiving but the lofts and higher spin rates provided more control with approach shots. The 6 iron measured 25 degrees and the five iron at 21 degrees. Still very strong lofts but the low centre of gravity meant they launched similar to a traditional loft iron but with reduced spin. However, the finish and forged feel of the GEN5 was superior.

Price and performance

Looks and just one head shape.

For a mid-handicapper that doesn’t have money to burn, these are worth considering. Opt for the anti glare black finish if you are playing in the Middle East, plus you lose the shiny chrome decals on the back of the clubhead!

I wish I’d opted for the T model in the GEN5 as I found the ‘P’ top line a little too thick and the offset too great. This meant there wasn’t much of a discrepancy between the XCOR2 when it came to the long-term test. It also highlighted the importance of getting the lofts checked on all your irons and how that affects your game on the course. Busting a 6 iron 230 yards might sound great over a beer with your friends but not so great when trying to hold a green with trouble through the back. Needless to say that I’ve gone back to my trusty PXG 0211 ST irons. They are not as forgiving or as long as the GEN5 P or XCOR2 but they suit my eye better and that’s half the battle when it comes to selecting irons. It’s not all about the numbers!

ABU DHABI CITY GOLF CLUB

Andrew Thomas and. Yolande Harrison have been given the honour of new Club Captains at Abu Dhabi City Golf Club. Thomas, hailing from England, has been a member for fi ve years and plays off a handicap of 10 while Harrison, hailing from Ireland, has been a member for three years and plays off a handicap of 19. Michael Brogan and Wendy Pearce will be the new Vice Captains. The club wanted to thank outgoing Captains Kenny Macaulay and Jacqueline Morrison for all their efforts last season.

EMIRATES GOLF CLUB

Sanjay Dhandsa was crowned champion of the Gross Division at the recently held Red Hot Open after shooting an impressive won with a score of 38 points. Dhandsa’s round included gross eagles on both the 13th and 17th holes. Mark Hughes claimed the overall title, also on a score of 38 points, which included a superb back nine of 20 points withgross birdies at the 17th and 18th.

SHARJAH GOLF & SHOOTING CLUB

A strong fi eld from across the UAE staked their claim to be this year’s Gross Summer Open Champion and it was youngster Mousa Shana’ah who topped the highly competitive leaderboard at the end of the days with an impressive total of 34 Stableford points. In the Net Division it was a family affair as Mousa’s younger brother Hashem Shana’ah posted a brilliant score of 44 points.

TRUMP INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB

The members of Trump International Golf Club, Dubai once again triumphed over the staff in the fourth edition of the annual Staff v Members match with an emphatic 9-2 victory to defend their title. Rumours have it the staff are already working hard to try and reclaim the trophy next year!

DP WORLD

Next month, DP World will be unveiling the fi ve global benefi ciaries of the ‘second life container campaign’, with the fi ve recipients focused on three key areas of growth for the sport – disability golf, junior golf, and ladies’ golf – hoping to inspire and encourage more people to take up the sport.

Unveiled at the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic in January, the DP World container has travelled around the globe collecting balls at various tour events.

The golf balls have been collected in numerous ways, with donations from DP World Tour players, fans, professional golf ball divers and children on golf ball hunts.

Not only is there the main 20-foot container, there are also mini containers at DP World Tour events to help collect balls at every stop of the season.

Following the conclusion of this year’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates, DP World will use its expertise as a leader in global supply chain solutions to redistribute the golf balls to fi ve grassroots organisations around the world.

Each organisation will receive a proportion of the tens-of-thousands of golf balls that are currently fi lling up the Second Life Container.

Favourite club in the bag and why? Driver. They say drive for show, putt for dough, but you need to have show first for you to be in for the dough!

Favourite player and why? Tiger Woods for his persistence, dedication to excellence and great sportsmanship.

Fantasy fourball? Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and Donald Trump.

Best Course in the UAE? MyGolf Dubai.

Course you’d love to play but haven’t? St Andrews.

Favourite par 3 hole in the UAE 15th Majlis, Emirates Golf Club.

Item you never leave behind on your travels? (doesn’t have to be golf related) My laptop.