Emirates Golf Club Dubai Is A Very Special Place
by Scott A. Sumner
www.golfingnews.ca
When I knew I would be travelling to Dubai to play 8 golf courses and see this highly talked about area of the world I was most looking forward to playing the Emirates Golf Club. Each year in late January, when it is the height of the winter in Thunder Bay, I have enjoyed watching the Desert Classic with Tiger Woods and company playing this spectacular course.
Tom Rourke is the Membership and Guest Relations Manager of Emirates Golf Club Dubai. Orginally from Birmingham, England, Rourke has been in Dubai for the last three years and previously worked at the Belfry in England including during the Ryder Cup. " This is a magnificent golf complex with two courses both very good standard. We have the Faldo course and the Majlis. The Faldo is all about thinking your way around the course while the Majlis is about hitting a really good tee shot long and in position but you can be a little
more wayward, " stated Rourke. " Both golf courses are busy in the summer being fully booked on Sat urday and Sunday and during the week first thing in the morning and in the later evening. Today, a Monday, we are fully booked on both courses from 640 am to 9 30am and then at 3 pm again."
The Emiriates Golf Club Dubai also has the longest par three course in the middle east. The shortest men's hole is 120 yards and up to 210 yards. This course is fully lit so open to 1030 pm. Cost wise your green fee in the summer is 400 Dr ( 3 DR equals $1 Cdn dollar) Monday to Sunday for the Majlis. The Faldo is 300DR . The Majlis course is 1000 Dr in the winter, the Faldo 700.
They are are waiting at the Emirates Golf Club Dubai to hear if Tiger will play their 2009 tournament but it is unlikely they have been told. The landscaping of Tiger's new course in Dubai wil be finished by December of this year. He will check it, make any changes and then it will be grassed in January. The course is about 15 or 20 minutes from here near Sports City, further in the desert where it will be hotter usually.
" The Majlis course has a history being the first grass course in the Middle East, opened for 20 years and is a lot more established with many trees including Palm trees. It is a great layout. I really enjoy playing here as it is always a challenge. You can play it each time and be excited," noted Rourke. " We get about 40,000 rounds per year on each course and have 1100 members, 800 of which are golf members. We see about 600 playing golfers on a regular basis and have about 70 ladies play each week. To be able to play unlimited golf you are looking at 27,000 DR for your years subscription includes everything. There is a joining fee of 5000 Dr.
" I had worked at the Belfry for 6 years and always wanted to go to the Middle East. There was 200 applicants for my job. There is so much growth and so much going on Dubai is a great and exciting place to be. We tend to have a month off in the summer. The weather is
still pretty good when you are in a golf buggy with cold and dry towels and water on every hole. Most days it is bearable," noted Rourke. " We use 1 million gallons a day to maintain the course and water at night and during the day. It is recycled water. It cost us 9 million Dr per year in water costs . The Emirates Golf Club Dubai is owned by the government and we always have tee times for tourists."
