The Golf News Is Aubzz With The Dubai Championship
The Latest Golf News Is All About Dubai
Ten years ago there was no mention of Dubai in golf news. They had just built their first golf course, a sand course, and the greens were soaked in oil and then brushed for faster putting. Golfers were given a piece of artificial turf to carry around with them and hit from. Sounds like a cartoon, right? Well, ten years later Dubais original course has 500 members and is going strong. And the newer courses in the country have everything an American course would have with dirt, beautiful turf, golf carts, and extra amenities you might not expect to find such as floodlights for fully illuminated night games to beat the desert heat.
Dubai is a country in the Middle East that unearthed an unbelievable amount of money when they struck oil in the 1960s. Now they are finding a new source of income as tourism and the golf industry have both become very popular for their country. Many people are puzzled about the attraction for tourists to travel to the Middle East but Dubai breaks the stereotypes of what an Arab country looks like. With a booming population of 1.5 million, only 200,000 of those are actually United Arab Emirates nationals. Most of the population is made up of ex-patriots who have chosen to relocate from the country of their birth and reside permanently in Dubai.
The country boasts that it is nearly perfect with a non-existent crime rate, free health care, and no taxes. The only thing visitors need to worry about in this country is their golf handicap. Dont expect to see guards with machine guns and a war torn city. With high rises and major corporations having a strong presence there such as General Motors and Microsoft, you might think you are in a capital city in the United States. The prices are good, although they are rising as their currency gains strength and the dollar falls, and the experience is incredible.
Although you are in the desert while in Dubai, you would never guess it when you are at the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club. Situated on the waters of the creek it is named for, this club hosts Middle Eastern royalty, business executives, celebrities, and anyone else who can afford to vacation there. Dubai itself has six courses with 18 holes and one golf course with 9 holes but developers intend to quadruple that number within the next two years so pack up yourgolf clubs and brush up on your golf tips. They also boast that they foresee an indoor, air conditioned golf course in the future to escape the desert heat which can soar at 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Midnight games are a present day fix for the heat and you are assured you wont get rained out because it only rains once or twice a year.
The Dubai World Championship is planned for the end of the European PGA Tour in 2009. With the prize money estimated at $10 million, it is being billed as the worlds richest golf tournament. Ernie Els, who is sponsored by Golf in Dubai, has declared his astonishment at the amount of the purse as the winner of the tournament will take home over 1.5 million. It was created to boost the image and appeal of the European Tour and hopefully wrest some of the popularity away from the U.S. Tour. The FedEx Cup $10 million dollar prize, which is won over a succession of tournaments rather than one, has had center stage since its conception.
The courses managers in Dubai have tried to pay strict attention to golf rules. In an attempt to bolster their golfing industry, they have hired the best in the fields, bringing over experts to oversee course management and marketing. Dubai is a growing country with a booming population. They will continue to change and evolve into a world population rather than an Arab one.
It is a golf vacation for the adventurous and the curious. But unfortunately, as long as the majority of American golfers have access to places like Pebble Beach, Augusta National, and other breathtakingly beautiful golf opportunities on their own turf, Dubai remains a place oversees that has a funny name that they will never see.
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August 5th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Good write up on the Dubai golf. I think though that they are already making huge progress with attracting overseas golf players. Even though some problems still remain.
Best wishes
Ali