Just ask the happy, 30-strong intake who recently completed a 10-week course at The Leadbetter Golf Academy Dubai at JA The Resort Golf Course under the tutelage of Yasin Ali.

As a former Asian and European Tour player and fully accredited Leadbetter Professional, Ali brings a unique blend of top-flight knowledge and junior coaching best practice to the Leadbetter Kids Programme.

The great news for aspiring UAE juniors is that Ali is set to deliver two new programmes: a 5-day “Kids Christmas Camp” from December 13-17 and another 10-week “Leadbetter Kids” Programme from January 8-9.

“The Leadbetter Kids Program we deliver at JA The Resort was devised by David himself to promote fun, high energy learning with a keen focus on team spirit, camaraderie, and etiquette,” said Stuart McMurdo, the Jebel Ali resort’s Director of Golf.

“The kids engage and play fun games to subconsciously learn the key golf fundamentals to build a solid skill base, whilst learning the finer points of the game.”

Registrations are now being taken for the two new Leadbetter Golf Academy programmes HERE!

The five-day Christmas Camp costs AED 650 per child while the Leadbetter Kids Programme cost is split: AED 1100 for 10x one hour sessions for level 1 and 2 players and AED 1500 per term for level 3 and 4 players who participate in 90-minute sessions each week.

Check out a sample of what’s on offer in this fun video:

Leadbetter has coached some of the game’s biggest names – Sir Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, Nick Price, Lydia Ko and Michelle Wie among them – but is especially passionate nowadays about junior development.

The Leadbetter Golf Academy Dubai is the first academy in the Middle East to offer a holistic approach to premier golf instruction. At the junior level, kids learn physical, mental and social skills through combined activity stations of golf fundamentals, basic language skills, and other life skills training in a fun and safe environment.

“Leadbetter Kids Golf aims to develop healthy, self-motivated children with the skills necessary to become future champions in golf and in life.”

For more information and to sign up, email: golf.teetimes@jaresorts.com or phone 04 814 5023 or click here.

The post Registration open for Leadbetter Kids ‘Christmas Camp’ and next 10-week junior programme appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Indeed, 2020 has reminded golfers everywhere just how lucky we are to be able to play at all, much less on some of the world’s most immaculately presented courses.

DOWNLOAD the new VIYA APP today for Dubai’s best winter golf rates

So what could possibly beat sneaking out for a quick round now winter is here? How about unbeatable green free rates to Dubai’s finest courses and a host of other lifestyle and experience rewards?

Welcome to Viya, Dubai’s new lifestyle loyalty and rewards App.

Dubai’s best golf booking App has been improved and rebranded. Golf Central is now Viya, your portal to book unbeatable tee times on Dubai’s best courses 24/7 via your smartphone.

The challenging 18th hole on Earth at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

The 2nd hole on Fire at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Viya promises peerless rates on the Majlis and Faldo courses at Emirates Golf Club, Earth and Fire at Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, Trump International Golf Club Dubai and JA The Resort Golf Course.

You can even use the Viya App for special offers on the Par-3 courses at Emirates G.C., Dubai Creek and Trump Dubai.

It’s the most photographed hole in the Middle East, the iconic 8th on the Majlis at Emirates G.C.

The iconic 17th hole at Trump Dubai.

Enjoy 2-for-1 tee times, twilight offers, replay rates, UAE resident rates and more on Viya where you earn up to AED 1 for every AED 10 spent. You can then cash the loyalty points in on future golf bookings or at one of Viya’s 80 participating outlets.

So, what are you waiting for? Say ‘Hello Winter’ by downloading and registering with Viya for FREE TODAY! 

JA The Resort Golf Course rite golf escapes.

The post Say ‘Hello Winter’ and enjoy the best winter golf rates with Viya, Dubai’s new Lifestyle Rewards App appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Promising youngsters come and go in golf, victims of a game with absolutely no guarantees, not even for the most talented of prodigies. Two things we do know for certain are that Mousa Shana’ah has serious game for a 13-year-old and won’t fade away for lack of opportunity on his own back doorstep.

It helps when your father runs a golf events company with bold ambitions for the junior game in the Middle East. Mousa is already a serial winner on the Junior Masters Open Tour organised by Abedallah Shana’ah and his father’s business partner, Ali Kalbat, the Managing Director and General Manager of Golf Events Management (GEM) respectively.

In December, Mousa will have a chance at yet more glory with GEM announcing a deal with the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) to host an annual ‘UAE World Amateur Junior Golf Championship’ at Al Hamra Golf Club. The event will be open to amateur boys and girls up to the age of 19 and will carry World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and Global Junior Golf Ranking (GJGR) points.

Mousa is set to be one of the star acts if his recent performances are any indication. They include junior course records at JA The Resort Golf Course (68) and, encouragingly, Al Hamra (71) earlier this year.

The Jordanian is coached by former European and Asian Tour player, Yasin Ali, at the Leadbetter Academy at JA the Resort. Like Abedallah Shana’ah, Ali is working hard to ensure young Mousa keeps on developing. From almost first glance, Ali knew he was witnessing something special, a player with an attitude and work ethic that belie his years.

“I watched him hit some shots and what struck me was how he approached his practice. There was a real purpose behind each shot and that stayed with me,” said the Kenyan-born Briton. “As I’ve gotten to spend more time with him I’ve noticed that he’s a little different to most kids I’ve met at his age.  You notice how mature and grounded he is. The thing I love is when I set him a practice drill or give him a challenge it’s like a mission for him, he doesn’t stop till he gets it done, he doesn’t quit. That’s a great quality.”

Ali describes Mousa’s swing as “beautiful” in its simplicity. “It’s repeatable which is great.” But that’s only half the picture. “In terms of his mental game, he has a very positive outlook and a fantastic temperament which is essential for good golf.

Young contenders: 1) Mirwais Arghandiwal; 2) Fatiya Khalil; 3) Abdullah Kalbat; 4) Kate Bibby; 5) Hashem Shana’ah; 6) Lili Brecken; 7) Salwa Khalil

“For me his strengths are his temperament and his driving. When he’s out on the course, you’d be hard-pressed to figure how he’s doing as he keeps his emotions in check, he’s calm and collected. He drives the ball well and is pretty straight which naturally keeps him in play and with a chance to score.

“What do we need to improve? We need to gain some speed to hit it further, which will also increase as he develops and grows physically, and short game. For me, your short game can never be good enough. You can always hole more putts and chips.”

Ali says a 50-50 practice and competition balance is about right for juniors. He says juniors in the UAE are especially lucky to train on pristine practice surfaces and play and world-class courses.

So where does Mousa go from here?

“The short term goal would be to improve his game from a 150 yards and in. Medium goal, I would love for him to experience college golf in the United States as I did. Getting an education while playing golf is a win-win for me. Long term, it would for him to be happy and love the process of learning irrespective of the results. If he can maintain the same passion for learning and improving he’ll be more than successful where ever he plays.”

In this COVID-complicated world, the immediate playing opportunities will be at home. Luckily GEM is taking care of this as Kalbat points out.

“This competition will offer the best young golfers in the region a chance to compete against their counterparts from across the world, and we will be sure to market this event to the entire region, positioning it to become one of the biggest events in the world,” Kalbat said.

“We are so proud that we are the first national company to establish an event of this high standing within the region, in cooperation with our main partners, RAKTDA and Al Hamra Golf Club. The main goal of this event is to introduce youth to the professional golfing environment, help serious players to compete in high class ranked events with their counterparts from all the world, and lead juniors to the path of professional golf.”

The post Mousa Shana’ah sets sights on new ‘world championship’ set for Al Hamra appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

That comforting quote greets you when you open the Leadbetter Golf Academy webpage. It’s an ethos championed by coach to the stars, David Leadbetter, and has spread to the Middle East where the Leadbetter Golf Academy Dubai opened at JA The Resort Golf Course in September 2018.

It’s especially comforting for parents looking for a golf programme for their children.

Join the JA The Resort Leadbetter Kids Programme today! 

Leadbetter Kids Golf is renowned the world over and not simply because of the name behind the brand. David Leadbetter has coached some of the game’s biggest names – Sir Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, Nick Price, Lydia Ko and Michelle Wie among them – but is especially passionate nowadays about junior development.

Leadbetter Kids Golf aims to develop healthy, self-motivated children with the skills necessary to become future champions in golf and in life. They’re dedicated to adding to that legacy at JA The Resort where a new junior coaching programme has just been announced.

Check out a sample of what is on offer in this fun video:

The 10-week course, which runs from October 2 to December 5, is for 5-16-year-olds and features 60-minute sessions on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Leadbetter Golf Academy Dubai is the first academy in the Middle East offering a holistic approach to premier golf instruction. At the junior level, kids learn physical, mental and social skills through combined activity stations of golf fundamentals, basic language skills, and other life skills training in a fun and safe environment.

The extensive programme costs just AED 1100 per term. For more information and to sign up, email: golf.teetimes@jaresorts.com or phone 04 814 5023.

The post Leadbetter Kids programme at JA the Resort set to develop future champions in ‘golf and in life’ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

JA The Resort has just unveiled an incredible staycation package that allows you to redeem 100 percent (not a misprint!) of the cost of your stay at JA Palm Tree Court on F&B and activities resort-wide. With staycations starting from just AED 396 and the picturesque Peter Harradine-designed 9-holer at the heart of ‘Dubai’s largest experience resort’, what are you waiting for?

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Dubai’s Largest Experience Resort So close to the city, yet so far from the everyday. With 1 million square metres of nature and 800 metres of private beach as your playground, you have all the space to disconnect and rejuvenate! Book your ideal staycation and get 100% credit back on daily dining and experiences. . . #JATheResort #JAPalmTreeCourt #staycation #familytime #summervibes #getaway #summer #experience #beach #pools #rejuvenate #friends #makenewmemories #myJAmoment

A post shared by JA THE RESORT (@jatheresort) on Jun 23, 2020 at 5:39am PDT

There is plenty of fun to keep golfers and their families entertained across the resort’s one million square metres, including Dubai’s longest private beach at 800m. Take your pick of horse-riding lessons and pony rides, flood-lit tennis courts, clay pigeon shooting or a refreshing swim in one of the pools.

Your resort credit must be used in full each day, so get ready to spend up in the resort’s restaurants. Current dining options include the South-East Asian eatery White Orchid, the laid-back Sports Cafe and Captains Restaurant.

This money-back offer is open to UAE residents only, and is available for stays until September 30. To book, use the promo code UAESTAY.

JA The Resort Golf Course recently underwent a redesign and refurbishment to remain one of Dubai’s favourite golf escapes.

Safety measures
JA The Resort has prioritised your health and safety, with the following measures. You’ll have your temperature checked on arrival, and must adhere to social distancing throughout the resort. Kick back on a socially distant sun lounger, and rest assured knowing that your room and all common areas have been thoroughly sanitised.

JA The Resort, Jebel Ali. Staycation valid until Sept 30, with code UAESTAY. Visit jaresortshotels.com for full T&Cs.

The post Book an escape at JA The Resort and you can use your 100% staycation credit on golf appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Few are short but all are sweet examples of world-class golf design. Welcome to the Middle East’s best par 3s

By Kent Gray
With a defence system including (but not limited to) an old railway shed, a grand hotel, heather, a skinny green, a subterranean pot bunker and an equally uncompromising stone wall, the fearsome reputation of the ‘Road Hole’ at St. Andrews is warranted.

If you still need a refresher on why the 17th at the Old Course is the most recognisable hole in golf, search the ‘Sands of Nakajima’ and follow the endless thread. Just don’t say you weren’t forewarned, especially if you are of a nervous disposition in the sand already.

Thankfully you needn’t be a 450-yard par 4 at the Home of Golf to inspire awe.

There’s something about par 3s that trigger the golfing senses. Picture the 12th at Augusta National, the island greened 17th on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass or to the tiny (f)lick that is the ‘Postage Stamp’ at Royal Troon. How about wedging toward the pounding Atlantic Ocean that backdrops the downhill, 106-yard 7th at Pebble Beach?

In the Middle East, we’re blessed with countless examples of how a good little ‘un often beats a good big ’un. That, of course, begged this, the definitive compilation of the region’s finest short holes.

So what’s the criteria to make the cut in our list of treacherous tiddlers? It’s the same exhaustive process that determines the world’s most respected course rating system, seven categories which reward shot values, design variety, resistance to scoring, memorability, aesthetics, conditioning and ambience.

Our Top 10 Courses in the Middle East 2020 judging panel applied the same criteria to each par 3 at all the courses rated. We then tallied the scores and ranked them accordingly to compile our list from 18 to No.1. A couple of clubs feature more than once, other clubs not at all. Some selections will surprise from courses flush with memorable par 3s. It all serves to emphasise the impartiality of the system.

Without further ado, welcome to the Middle East’s best par 3s, wee wonders all. Enjoy.

[divider] [/divider]

18. 16th Royal Greens Golf & Country Club
180 Yards, Stroke Index 16
Hit the ball right to left? Welcome to the warm turquoise waters of the Red Sea my friend, a place where Dustin Johnson’s title hopes momentarily took a dip with his ball in the final round of the inaugural Saudi International in 2019. Bail out right and you may still donate your sphere to Davy Jones’ Locker given how tight the green is cut to the wet stuff. Soak in the views while trying not to think about blading your chip or bunker shot.

[divider] [/divider]

17. 16th Ayla Golf Club, Jordan
210 Yards, Stroke Index 14
The odds are against even low markers on this downhill, normally downwind hole to a green that slopes away to a back left bunker. Back right? Water. A pure strike is required to hold the green with the strong prevailing wind lowering ball spin. Come in too low and the ball will find its way to the back or fall into the sand. Gulp.

[divider] [/divider]

16. 2nd Fire, Jumeirah Golf Estates
250 Yards, Stroke Index 17
You might be sensing a theme emerging by now and it’s not the fact Fire, like Ayla, came from the design board of Greg Norman, nor that the Shark loves a good bunker. What we are trying to say is, ball striking baby, like, you better be ripping your irons today kinda ball striking. You’ll need something stronger if you play from the tips here, something we strongly advise against. It’s easy enough to drop a shot or three without going further back than most of us travel to work nowadays.

[divider] [/divider]

The pyramids are the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and a magnificent distraction at NEWGIZA.

15. 4th NEWGIZA Golf Club
187 Yards, Stroke Index 13
If you like your golf with a hearty dollop of history, put NEWGIZA on your must-play list. The signature hole at the Cairo layout – the last project of Thomson Perrett & Lobb – includes elevated views to the Great Pyramids of Giza. Breath-taking.

RELATED: Top 10 Golf Courses in the Middle East: The Class of 2020

[divider] [/divider]

14. 17th The Els Club, Dubai
212 Yards, Stroke Index 15
Trust us, don’t leave it short on this beastly par-3. Don’t go long either come to think of it. Or right. And definitely not left. Gosh no. Any two putt par, one each of which will be a slippery down or side hiller, is cause for celebration. An up and down par? Well played, Seve.

[divider] [/divider]

13. 16th Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club
198 Yards, Stroke Index 17
With views to the Burj Khalifa on the 5th, that big carry over water on the 8th and the equally memorable 14th, you might be surprised by the par 3 that resonated with our judges at DCGYC. But by a fraction, they plumbed for a mid-iron carry over sand to the elevated 16th and a test with the putter. The start of a magical three-hole finish that gives the ‘The Creek’ its name and your card all those big numbers.

[divider] [/divider]

12. 12th Abu Dhabi Golf Club
186 Yards, Stroke Index 16
The green here isn’t tiny but boy, how magnetic is that water short? And that sand left and right. Heck, we’ve even bounced it off the boulders at the back trying to take all the other hazards out of play. Like the 7th on The National, this is another gem from Harradine Design. Which leads us too…

[divider] [/divider]

11. 8th JA The Resort Golf Course
177 Yards, Stroke Index 15
Club selection is critical from the elevated tee where you are treated to lovely views over the resort’s marina and out to the Arabian Sea. With water wrapping around the left side of the green, it’s easy to find sand right and then leave your bunker escape short for fear of a thin into the H2O beyond. A seemingly simple hole where dropped shots are not uncommon.

[divider] [/divider]

10. 17th Al Zorah Golf Club
224 Yards, Stroke Index 8
We’re huge fans of the short 2nd hole at Al Zorah which tests your mettle early with wetness waiting any weak or pulled (pushed for lefties) strike. We also enjoy the short 15th but for design and resistance to scoring, the 17th at the Golden Bear’s Ajman layout takes some beating. Forget par if you are short here, especially if you draw a sticky lie when the tide is out. All carry, all class from Jack Nicklaus Design.

[divider] [/divider]

9. 15th Majlis, Emirates Golf Club
190 Yards, Stroke Index 14
The final par 3 on the Majlis isn’t dissimilar to the 17th at Al Zorah. This is a hole all about hitting and holding the green because anything short or left will leave a tricky desert lie to an elevated green and likely a frustrating blob on your scorecard. Beyond the green? Best left for spectating at the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic.

[divider] [/divider]

8. 17th Dubai Hills Golf Club
203 Yards, Stroke Index 2
Few of the holes in our selection have a single figure stroke index rating. A clear exception to that coincidence is the penultimate hole at Dubai Hills. Good players will look to draw the ball away from the water that hugs the right-hand side of this hole but even low handicappers will be frustrated by a poor strike or an untimely gust at some point. Brutal!

[divider] [/divider]

7. 17th Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
147 Yards, Stroke Index 15
Framed by the white sands and the sparkling waters of the Arabian Gulf, the penultimate hole at Gary Player’s Abu Dhabi masterpiece scored well for aesthetics. It also resonated with our judges for resistance to scoring despite being a mere flick most days. Proof that par 3s needn’t be monsters to be memorable.

[divider] [/divider]

6. 11th Al Mouj Golf
230 Yards, Stroke Index 13
The island-style green on the 5th at Greg Norman’s Muscat gem makes for a memorable par 3 but it can only doff its cap to the 11th where the green seemingly melds into the horizon. Don’t be distracted by those dreamy Sea of Oman vistas…you’re going to need a pure blow to escape with par or better here.

[divider] [/divider]

5. 9th Dubai Hills Golf Club
220 Yards, Stroke Index 3
They clearly like their par 3s tough at Dubai Hills as witnessed by the two entries in our list, including the stroke 2 17th. The 9th is the most picturesque of the memorable collection of par 3s (we like No.2 as well) and, at 220 yards from the tips, is not for the faint of heart. We’d love a dirham for every water ball and two for every bailout right.

[divider] [/divider]

4. 7th Majlis, Emirates Golf Club
186 yards, Stroke Index 15
The second of the memorable collection of par 3s imagined into life by Karl Litten on the Majlis more than 30 years ago wouldn’t be out of place today at one of the UK’s famous old parkland courses. Beware the false front ready to suck your ball back into the lake and don’t be surprised if you face a lengthy first putt. And a knee-knocker for par. Or bogey.

[divider] [/divider]

3. 17th Earth, Jumeirah Golf Estates
195 Yards, Stroke Index 8
It’s the UAE’s answer to the 17th at TPC Sawgrass and like The Players Championship, the penultimate hole on Earth regularly has its say in the outcome of the Race to Dubai decider, often with a incredible escape from one of the bunkers. Club selection can be tricky if the wind is swirling. Par here is never to be sniffed at.

[divider] [/divider]

2. 17th Trump International Golf Club, Dubai
156 Yards, Stroke Index 18
Designer Gil Hanse clearly got the memo on the beauty of short, short holes. It’s easy to be sucked in by any pin cut to the front right of this cleverly sculpted green. Anything short is a bogey-plus in the making and good luck negotiating that shallow wee bunker beyond the green too. The sage option is to aim for the middle of the green and take your chances with the flat stick.

[divider] [/divider]

1. 17th Yas Links Abu Dhabi
204 Yards, Stroke Index 13
The downhill 4th, the nifty 8th, the pretty little uphill 13th. All stunning. But the penultimate hole at Kyle Phillips’ Abu Dhabi masterpiece? In a different league. Any tee-ball other than a green finder leaves a devilishly difficult up and down. A par here will linger in the memory, as will the social media mementoes you snapped with your phone camera from the tee. And looking from beyond the greenback towards the tee. It’s majestic from every angle and in every sense.

RELATED:
Top 10 Golf Courses in the Middle East: The Class of 2020
Be at 1: Tame stroke index 1 Middle East courses

The post Wee Wonders: The Middle East’s best par 3s appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

SPONSORED CONTENT – Closing in on 18-months since the re-opening of JA the Resort Golf Course and a good thing just keeps on getting better.

Harradine Golf’s redesign of the opening three holes of the nine-hole course, 20 years after the iconic Dubai golf destination was originally opened, has clearly captured the imagination. That much we can deduct from JA The Resort Golf Course again being named the region’s best 9-holer in the ‘Best in Middle East’ category of the 2020 Golf Digest Middle East Top 10 Courses ranking.

RELATED: 2020 ‘Best of the Middle East

The expert panel tasked with judging the biennial Top 10 Courses in the Middle East ranking and you, our loyal readers, were effusive in your praise of the update by principal designer Peter Harradine to accommodate the resort’s impressive new, 348-guest room JA Lake View Hotel.

A recent round for an upcoming Stay & Play feature underlined this resounding tick of approval to the Golf Digest Middle East editorial team. Not only were we thoroughly enamoured by Harradine’s re-imagined opening third, we were also mightily impressed with the condition of the entire nine, headlined by greens as pure as any we putted in the UAE during the peak spring months.

RELATED: Jebel Ali’s new opening gambit adds lustre to Dubai’s 9-hole icon

All of which makes JA The Resort Golf Course’s ‘Ultimate Summer Golf Package’ even more attractive.

For AED 3700 per person or AED 6500 per couple, the ‘Summer Swing’ package offers way more than just unlimited golf, seven days a week, from May 1 to September 30, even though that presents as great value in itself.

But throw in the following and it’s simple to see why JA The Resort insist “you’re guaranteed an enjoyable golfing summer with the whole family”:

UNBEATABLE PACKAGE BENEFITS
– Unlimited practice facilities and par 3 course when applicable
– Unlimited access to gym and leisure facilities
– 20% discount on all food & beverage outlets
– 15% off on golf lessons at The Leadbetter Golf Academy
– 10% discount at the golf retail shop
– One complimentary 30-minute professional swing assessment
– Preferential room rates

You also get unlimited access to an 800-metre private beach and swimming pools for 2 adults and 2 children throughout the five-month package, a perfect addition in the summer months.

For bookings and inquiries, please email golf.teetimes@jaresorts.com 

Terms and conditions apply.

The post JA The Resort Golf Course unveil the ‘Ultimate Summer Golf Package’ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

This is our sixth biennial ranking of the best golf courses in the Middle East, and for the third time, we have broadened our scope to include a range of excellence that exists beyond the boundaries of 18-hole layouts. Unsurprisingly, these categories were just as hard to separate as the courses themselves.

This is a region that excels both on and off the course. The amenities are among the best in the world and the service is exemplary. Of the six nine-holers in the Middle East, not one doesn’t leave us pining for its imaginary second nine. As for the category of Best Clubhouse, there is scarcely one that doesn’t combine arresting architecture with a seamless blend of comfort and convenience.

We sifted through the views of our panel and tallied the reader votes to arrive at this, the final list of winners and runners-up. The very best of the best in a region that consistently sets its own international benchmark. – RG

•  BACK TO 2020 TOP 10 LIST
•  MEET THE 2020 PANEL
•  2020 READERS’ CHOICE

The post Top 10 Courses: 2020 Best in the Middle East appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Reigning boys’ green jacket holder Mousa Shana’ah kicked on from where he left off at the season opener at Yas Links – and last season – with a stunning 68 at the Jebel Ali 9-holer. The two-under-par round is a junior course record and helped the 12-year-old (12!) Jordanian up-and-comer to an eight-stroke victory over British 15-year-old Thomas Taylor-Cross. Third in the boys’ event was another Brit, Josh Bibby, whose seven-over 77 was a shot shy of Taylor-Cross.

UAE national team player capped a memorable day for the boys when he scored his first hole-in-one on Jebel Ali’s tricky par-3 8th.

Abdulla Kalbat is rewarded for his hole-in-one on Jebel Ali’s tricky 8th hole.

Kate Bibby backed up her season-opening victory in Yas Links with a two-over-par 72 to again win the girls’ title, this time by four strokes over Indian player Eshna Bhargava. Third place went to the British player Lili Brecken with an 84.

RELATED: Bibby off to brilliant start on Junior Masters Open Tour

Shana’ah easily won the boys’ net prize from Diego Ojeda and third-placed Savansh Chopra. The girls net division went to last season’s green jacket recipient Siti Latifahin ahead of Belgium’s Sien Demelker and Bibby.

The main champions at JA The Resort Golf Course including girls champion Kate Bibby (left) and Mousa Shana’ah (second from right).

The four on-course prizes went to:

– Hole in one: Abdulla Kalbat (UAE)
– Nearest the pin: Jay Pangarkar (India)
– Longest drive for boys: Josh Bibby (UK)
– Longest drive for girls: Kate Bibby (UK)

The Junior Masters Open Tour offers players aged for eight to 19 years old the lure of Global Junior Golf Rankings (GJGR) and Junior Golf Score Board ranking points. It has expanded in its second season with new events in Egypt and Oman.

“It was a great tournament at JA The Resort Golf Course as we see everything you could wish to see in a golf tournament,” said Abedallah Shana’ah , Managing Director of Golf Events Management, owners of the Junior Masters Open Tour.

“The results are amazing and the competition is high between all the players. I am so happy to see a hole in one this season. Our juniors are playing very good golf and I am sure that they will reach to the best position in the ranking globally in a short period. 

RELATED: The Junior Masters Open Tour’s green jacket goals

“We are so proud of all the players and we are happy to see that in each tournament we have more players from different countries which show that the tour give the players what they required, and we will keep encouraging them to reach to the best places over their peers from around the world.

“We are also so proud that we are the first we establish a  tour with the global ranking in the Middle East and also the first we establish the same in Africa, and we add some tournament in Oman as the first round will begin in January, and we will keep developing the tour to be one of the best and biggest junior tours not in the region only but in the world.”

Abu Dhabi Golf Club will host the third round of the 2019-2020 season on November 30.

Winners were grinners at JA The Resort Golf Course.

The post Mousa Shana’ah, just 12, fires 68 to star in latest Junior Masters Open Tour event appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The school’s revolutionary approach of integrating education with industry has now flowed beyond the classroom and some of Dubai’s most powerful boardrooms to the lush fairways of JA The Resort Golf Club following the launch of FirstPoint School’s (FPS) Golf Centre of Excellence.

FPS has partnered with the world-renowned Leadbetter Golf Academy at JA The Resort Golf Course to offer a pathway to the professional game via scholarships to globally recognised universities and professional coaching academies. Jay Tostevin, FPS’s Secondary School Vice Principal, says promising young golfers can expect a bespoke curriculum that will lead to qualifications, both academically and vocationally, without impacting on the golfer’s training and coaching development.

“Our vision is to create a golfing academy that becomes a central hub for the development of elite golfers within Dubai and the UAE,” says Tostevin.

“We want to promote participation, excellence, enjoyment and understanding of the game, providing a quality education that will stimulate both golf game development and high academic achievement.

“We have teamed up with The Leadbetter Golf Academy as we share the same values that [world renowned instructor] David Leadbetter wants to instill in young people through playing the game. They have 40 centres across the globe and have a proven track record of progressing talent to the top.”

In the first year, FPS is working with golfers from seven to 15 years old and will eventually expand the Golf Centre of Excellence experience to those as young as four and up to age 18. The programme offered is personalised, meaning a teen already playing at MENA Tour level can remain with their existing coach while still benefiting from the Leadbetter Academy facilities and the school’s pioneering academic offering.

“Some of our talented young golfers are already coached by a range of people which we would not change, we are not exclusive,” Tostevin explained. “We want to work with all parties but with The Leadbetter Academy we have the coaches and facilities to provide the students that we begin to develop from grassroots, a pathway into the higher level coaching and potentially to the Leadbetter Academy in Florida.”

Initially, the FPS Golf Centre of Excellence will be delivered as part of the school’s PE curriculum and through after school clubs. Students will compete in intra school competitions while FPS hope to set up a school level league to provide intermediate competition pathways.

“Long term we will have dedicated coaching on-site, allowing our students to train on-site, whilst studying a national curriculum that develops the skills and knowledge through specific golf-related content. There is a multitude of science, mathematics and English objectives that can be taught through the game of golf,” Tostevin said. 

“For example the physics involved in the golf swing, or the numbers you can analyse in swing paths, ball spin rates, stoke percentages… it is exciting to think what could be created.  Students will be able to gain their GCSE’s and A-Levels whilst still playing at the level they need to.”

GEMS FirstPoint School is delivering its golf programme in tandem with The Leadbetter Golf Academy team at JA The Resort Golf Course

Working in partnership with local and globally recognised companies to provide an integrated and individualised curriculum for every student, FPS has become the lead school for Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority’s (KHDA) Rahhal programme.

RELATED: Why this school expects to create Dubai’s next generation of leaders

What does that look like in practice during a typical day at FPS? How about classes where your child builds an F1 car, explores the solar system from within a space shuttle or constructs a robotic arm? While some students learn in a traditional classroom setting, others will be brainstorming in a corporate office in another part of Dubai, explains FPS principal and CEO Matthew Tompkins.

“Education needs to adapt and evolve to meet the demands of modern industry and prepare young people properly for employment in the Fourth Industrial Revolution that we are now in,” Tompkins says.

“In our younger years, this involves guest speakers and day visits to different industries. As the students get older, the time in industry increases and the experts contribute to develop employability skills while also supporting learning in classes like business studies, economics and PE.

“In the sixth form, students have access to a one-day-a-week project-based internship with a company, where they work as a team to find solutions to issues posed by the company.”

Students in the FPS Golf Centre of Excellence will be provided with opportunities to undertake mini internships within the golf industry such as hospitality, course management and coaching.

Jay Tostevin takes up the cause when FPS is quizzed on how golf can set up future students for “high academic achievement”.

“Golf as a sport impacts positively on academic achievement,” Tostevin said. “In fact, there are over 250 associations between physical activity and academic achievement, academic behaviour, and cognitive skills and attitudes.”

FPS has already partnered with a number of businesses including SIEMENS, Emirates NBD, Price Waterhouse Cooper, Emirates Airline and Facebook. Expect the links with the Middle East golf industry to increase as well.

“Our partnership with SIEMENS is just the start of our links with industry here in the UAE,” Tostevin said. “Our aim is to develop these links so that these companies can collaborate to provide enhanced opportunities for young people. I’m thinking our swing studio could be powered using Siemens technology. 

“The beauty of golf is that the handicap system allows anyone to play with anyone.  The beauty of the Middle East is that 95 per cent of the time the weather is superb. Put these together and we have a plethora of opportunities to organise golfing events where all our stakeholders can come together to socialise as well as forge new business opportunities.”

To find out more about GEMS FirstPoint School and the courses offered, click here

RELATED: How this Dubai school is addressing the challenge of the future workplace

The post VIDEO: Golf now on the curriculum at Dubai school changing the face of education    appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.