Special company at Al Mouj
Dr Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Rumhi, the former Omani Minister of Oil and Gas, attended the GoLadies programme at Al Mouj Golf Club. The concept aims to encourage women to participate in golf activities, following the Oman Golf Association becoming a signatory of the R&A’s Women in Golf Charter.

Jumeirah Golf Estates

JGE gets in Open mood
Jumeirah Golf Estates held its Open Championship Scramble for members and guests over the weekend — a pairs scramble event that saw 74 golfers take part. Annabel Ayres and Bradley Webb came out on top with a net -14 under par, ahead of Connor McGlave and Gerry Donaldson in second.

Royal Golf Club

Royal Golf Club gets facelift
The Royal Golf Club in Bahrain has started work on its course enhancement programme — working alongside golf course construction experts Green Dynasty. European Golf Design architect Robin Hiseman will oversee the enhancements.

The Els Club

Quartet triumph at Els Club
The Els Club held the team Cha Cha Cha Golf competition, with teams of four going head to head in a stableford format. Kris Worne, Daniel Andrews, Ian Overton and Marc Spitzer were the winning quartet with a score of 84 points, three ahead of the team of Matthew Chen, Tim Haas, Guy Dawson and Murray Leslie.

Jumeirah Golf Estates

Green and Warham take top spot
The weekly Jumeirah Golf Estates Curry Club took place over the front nine of the Earth course, with 32 golfers battling it out in a pairs scramble. Richard Green and David Warham prevailed on eight-under, ahead of Mark Schofield and Simon Pearson on five-under.

The post The Gulf Club: News from around the UAE and beyond appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

However, most will admit it is always a memorable treat to head abroad to play a foreign course for the first time. This can be a lengthy and expensive undertaking, if a keen golfer is looking east to Asia, or west to mainland Europe or the United States.

But for those on a tighter schedule (and budget), there is a real treat you may not know about only a short hop away in Oman.

A 50-minute budget flight will take you from Dubai to Muscat International Airport, which is quite literally on the doorstep of one of the Middle East’s best golf clubs — Al Mouj Golf. 

Sutton Motorsport Images

Set amid the glamorous new Wave complex on the outskirts of the city, Al Mouj is a wonder to behold set in what almost feels like a wildlife park — a walk around the course is worth it alone to admire the natural lakes and reserves and the flora and fauna that comes with that. Al Mouj has more than 170 bird species throughout the year, from flamingos to eagles, that call this green oasis home, adding to an unforgettable experience on an iconic course.

Al Mouj, Oman’s first links-style course was conceptualised by former world No. 1-turned-course-designer Greg Norman when he visited the area in 2006. The club opened its doors in 2012 alongside the Wave resort’s hotels, residences, marina and luxury retail outlets. 

The club incorporates an award-winning 18-hole championship course and a flood-lit nine-hole track — both designed by Norman.

The Championship Course is a treat from the first hole to the last and — as Head Golf Professional Marcus Casey says: “Every hole could be a signature hole on another course. All 18 are a perfect challenge, there are no fillers here” — it is difficult to pick a standout among this collection on the Indian Ocean coastline.  

Sutton Motorsport Images

With the Hajjar mountains flanking the opposite side of the sea, Al Mouj has nine holes either side of the clubhouse along a two-kilometre stretch. While the lengthy course has no shortage of challenges — water (lakes and sea) is in play on eight holes, while every hole bar the fifth is heavily protected by deep bunkers and rough — in true links style, the wind whipping off the sea in the afternoon makes things even tougher. 

While distance is one factor, strategic placement is of more importance as the approach shots can take on a whole new degree of difficulty if you are out of shape off the tee. 

Al Mouj has played host to the DP World Tour’s Oman Open since 2018, with past winners including Joost Luiten, Kurt Kitayama and Sami Valimaki.

While each hole offers its own unique challenges, if pushed, the standouts are the short fifth, which demands a carry over water to reach the green 150 yards away, the gorgeous 11th which carries straight downhill to the coastline and the Indian Ocean, and the iconic par-4 18th, where players must play across the Indian Ocean itself to safely reach the fairway from the black tees.

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Where to stay

Kempinski Hotel Muscat
Located five minutes from Al Mouj Golf in the modern community of the same name, sits the luxurious Kempinski Hotel Muscat beach resort. The hotel features 310 rooms and suites, and can also accommodate corporate meetings and events. You will not go hungry with 11 restaurants and bars onsite offering a global range of culinary treats. There are two main swimming pools, plus a kids pool and club, tennis courts, various outdoor and water sport activities, a spa and even an in-house bowling alley.
kempinski.com/en/muscat/kempinski-hotel-muscat/

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Other things to do

Photo by Matt Smith

Visit Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
Back in 1992, the then Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said al Said, decreed the nation must have a Grand Mosque, and construction began at the end of 1994 and took six years and seven months to complete. The wait was worth it as what is now the major landmark of Muscat and dominates the skyline is a 420,000 sq m beautiful building that blends history and culture with a hint of modern architecture that can accommodate up to 20,000 worshippers at one time. Open to visitors, appropriate dress required.
sultanqaboosgrandmosque.com

Tour the Old Quarter
At the eastern tip of modern Muscat, away from the shimmering glass and Royal Opera House lies the Old Quarter. A short journey on new roads carved through the mountain takes you back in time to narrow bustling street, mountaintop 16th-century forts and 500-year-old city walls, and the must-see warren of the massive, ancient Mutrah Souk.

Go snorkelling
Al Mouj Marina offers all kinds of see trip, from dolphin spotting to fishing and overnight island camps. But top of the list has to be a day trip to go snorkelling. A 35-minute boat trip to the Daymaniat Islands with Captain Fahad’s Daymaniat Shells boat tours company will take you to two spots for hour-long snorkelling experiences, where the sealife sights include turtles, rays, moray eels, clown fish — even blacktip sharks and a variety of marine creatures and corals.
daymaniat-shells.com

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A WEEK IN IRELAND SERIES
DAY 1: The K Club
DAY 2: Lahinch
DAY 3: Dromoland Castle
DAY 4: Mount Juliet Estate
DAY 5: Druids Heath

BE AT 1 SERIES
Tame ‘Sea View’, stroke index 1 at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
Tame the 15th, stroke index 1, at The Els Club Dubai
Tame the 5th, stroke index 1, at Tower Links Golf Club
Tame the 15th, stroke index 1, at Yas Links Abu Dhabi
Tame the 7th, stroke index 1, at Dubai Hills Golf Club
Tame the 12th, stroke index 1, at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club
Tame the 13th, stroke index 1, at Al Zorah Golf Club
Tame the 10th, stroke index 1, at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club
Tame the 5th, stroke index 1, at Abu Dhabi Golf Club
Tame the 5th, stroke index 1, at Arabian Ranches Golf Club

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The post Muscat and Al Mouj Golf a must-see for golfers looking for a change of scene appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The club incorporates an award-winning 18-hole championship course and a flood-lit nine-hole track — both designed by ‘The Shark’ — and Al Mouj has quickly established itself as one of the best golf courses in not only Oman but the Middle East over the past decade. 

Along with the coastal views, the backdrop isn’t too bad either as the  Hajjar mountain loom large over a course that has made great use of the natural dunes to shape the terrain into a firm favourite of many top golfers. 

With 10 years under their belt, the management at Al Mouj are marking the occasion with a number of celebrations alongside a members ‘Anniversary Trophy’ competition, and an Individual Stableford tournament on October 22, which is open to all.

A WEEK IN IRELAND SERIES
DAY 1: The K Club
DAY 2: Lahinch
DAY 3: Dromoland Castle
DAY 4: Mount Juliet Estate
DAY 5: Druids Heath

BE AT 1 SERIES
Tame ‘Sea View’, stroke index 1 at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
Tame the 15th, stroke index 1, at The Els Club Dubai
Tame the 5th, stroke index 1, at Tower Links Golf Club
Tame the 15th, stroke index 1, at Yas Links Abu Dhabi
Tame the 7th, stroke index 1, at Dubai Hills Golf Club
Tame the 12th, stroke index 1, at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club
Tame the 13th, stroke index 1, at Al Zorah Golf Club
Tame the 10th, stroke index 1, at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club
Tame the 5th, stroke index 1, at Abu Dhabi Golf Club
Tame the 5th, stroke index 1, at Arabian Ranches Golf Club

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The Middle East’s 18 favourite holes
The Middle East’s best par 3s
Top 10 Golf Courses in the Middle East: The Class of 2020

The post A Wave of celebrations as Al Mouj Golf in Muscat, Oman, gears up for its 10th anniversary appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Nasser Rashid Al-Shibli, Chief Real Estate Officer, ORIS, Ominvest, welcomed the news of Troon’s appointment. “Troon is the global leader in club management and have the expertise to help us achieve our vision. This is why we partnered with Troon,” he said.

Mark Chapleski, Executive Vice President of Troon International, whose division will oversee Muscat Resorts, added: “We are delighted to be working with such a forward thinking and passionate ownership group in Ominvest and look forward to bringing this club to new levels.”

Freddie Rexstrew. Troon Golf

Spearheading the reopening of Muscat Resorts is Operations Manager Freddie Rexstrew, who has nine years of operational experience, the majority of which have been in the Middle East. Rexstrew began his career in the UAE across a range of golf operations roles, including Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Beach Golf Club as well as Abu Dhabi Golf Club, previously home to 15 editions of the European Tour.

Rexstrew moved to Saudi Arabia and Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in 2017, where he was part of Royal Greens’ pre-opening team and worked as an Assistant Golf Professional before returning to the UK to take over as Director of Golf at the Centurion Club for four years.

Rexstrew will now oversee the reopening of Muscat Resorts. “Having now worked for Troon for nearly a decade I have been extremely fortunate to work at some great facilities in the UK, the Middle East and Asia,” he said. “This new opportunity to take on and run a facility that has been closed for a considerable amount of time is really exciting. I am looking forward to working closely with a very passionate ownership group in Ominvest to build something truly special and unique, not just within the Sultanate but also the Middle East.”

Muscat Resorts will be the first facility in Oman to have a Toptracer Range.

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The post Muscat Hills to reopen as Muscat Resorts in Oman next year appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Josh Thornton
Al Mouj Golf is famous for its lengthy par-5s which require several well-struck blows if you are to walk off the hole with a par or better. A problem that many of our members and visitors face when playing these long holes is the second shot where the ball is sitting on a flat part of the fairway. You’ve got the green light to have a go at the green but it’s a tough call deciding whether to sacrifice distance and play several iron/ hybrid shots safely down the middle or pull out a longer and riskier fairway wood. If this conundrum sounds familiar, then you’re not alone. Let’s look at what you can do to improve your ball striking with fairway woods ‘off the deck’ to bring birdies, or better, into play.

Centre of Gravity
As well as the correct ball position (aim for a ball inside your leading foot), your centre of gravity is key to crisp fairway shots. In a golf context, it’s a complicated term but can be simplified as a description of where your weight moves to during the swing. For fairway woods, your weight must move more to the front leg at the point of impact, around 80 per cent (see main right). It’s critical that your hips turn to create this weight movement, not sway from side to side.

Put this all together and you have an angle of attack that allows a positive impact with the ground, without taking a large divot, that will send the ball sailing towards a green that once used to feel out of reach. —with Kent Gray

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Josh Thornton is a PGA teaching professional at Al Mouj Golf. For more information, visit almoujgolf.com

The post VIDEO: Flush your fairway woods appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

A great golf escape needs a stay as impressive as the course you choose to play. Al Mouj Golf and the Kempinski Hotel Muscat hit the spot, as Golf Digest Middle East editor Kent Gray discovered.

As the host of a $1.75 million European Tour event and a podium placer in Golf Digest Middle East’s biennial Top 10 courses ranking since the club’s inception, it’s strange that Al Mouj Golf remains one of the region’s best kept golfing secrets.

But that is exactly what the Greg Norman-designed desert links remains to UAE-based golf tourists despite increasingly revered global reviews.

Along a two-kilometre stretch of pristine coastline, flanking the Indian Ocean and with the stunning Hajjar mountain range as it’s inshore backdrop, Al Mouj Golf gives little away to the Majlis at Emirates Golf Club and Yas Links in Abu Dhabi, the only clubs above it in the most recent Top 10 list.

At 7342-yards, the 18-hole championship course is Oman’s first links course, a rugged, windswept brute of a layout which is as strategically challenging as it is beautiful. The outward nine features a pair of particularly memorable par 3s, the first to a partial island green, while any par on the 9th with its intimidating over-water tee shot and approach to a green guarded by the Gulf of Oman is to be celebrated. The excitement level – and shot-making examination – ratchet up a level on the homeward nine, particularly at the par-3 11th hole which plays directly out to sea and the 12th and 13th holes, a par-5 and par-3 combo that play adjacent to the coast and require as much to clever course management as they do pure ball striking. Then there’s the 18th, as picturesque – and daunting – a closing hole as you’ll anywhere in the region, a hole where every shot risks ending up wet.

Throw in a teaching academy and floodlit driving range, a floodlit par-3 nine-holer with impossibly perfect greens, a fully-equipped pro-shop and a restaurant to complete the experience, and it’s little wonder some of the game’s biggest names rave about Al Mouj Golf.

“I’d say it’s the best course I’ve played in the Middle East,” says European Tour winner Eddie Pepperell, not a man prone to hyperbole. “Al Mouj is a must play if you’re ever in Oman.”

Chris Wood, who narrowly missed out on the inaugural Oman Open title to Dutchman Joost Luiten in 2018, echoed Pepperell’s sentiments. “It’s a bit of a mix between a links and a desert course,” said the lanky Englishman. “The design is really good and there are so many players saying the same things. It’s in perfect condition and the practice facilities are awesome too.”

They’re doing good things for the future at Al Mouj Golf too, led by Australian course superintendent Steve Johnson. The club recently won the IAGTO Sustainability Award for Community Value and Johnson again earned high praise for the presentation of the playing surfaces when American Kurt Kitayama won the 2019 edition of the Oman Open in February.

It makes you wonder what else is needed to lure UAE-based golfers to the Muscat gem given the close, cost-effective stay and play adventure just a 70-minute flight from Dubai? With the new Muscat International Airport now operational and just a seven-minute drive to the golf club, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more convenient golf holiday option in the Middle East, not to mention worthy secondary courses nearby. Of course, the perfect golf escape needs a stay as impressive as the play, which is where the elegant new Kempinski Hotel Muscat comes into play.

Just a further eight-minute taxi drive west of Al Mouj Golf, the 310-room luxury beach resort offers a spectacular mix of modern Omani architecture and the sultanate’s famed hospitality.

After a memorable round, we retired to the luxury of our spacious and stunningly appointed superior room (complete with marble-clad bathroom) to soak up the sunset over the Gulf of Oman, much like the European Tour stars that followed us to the Oman Open’s official hotel. The views across the resort pools were enhanced by a flock of birds engaged in a mesmerising dusk inspired dance overhead. We could have stayed on our balcony for hours but there was so much to explore in the hotel and beyond. With state-of-the-art facilities, world-class restaurants and bars and a fully-equipped fitness centre, the Kempinski Hotel Muscat is the perfect accompaniment to Al Mouj’s truly world-class golf offering. The hotel is also ideally positioned for some post-round exploring on foot around the nearby Wave Muscat, Oman’s first master-planned community which sparkles between the Wave Muscat Marina (and some excellent non-golf activities) and Al Mouj Golf.

With so much world-class golf on our doorstep in the UAE, it is easy to look beyond the Middle East for any golf escape. But for wow factor at play and rest just a hop and a skip from Dubai or Abu Dhabi, you’ll need to go a long way to beat this Muscat combo for quality.

The post There’s now a stay to match the quality of Oman’s must play, Al Mouj Golf appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The latest addition to the Middle East’s enviable course portfolio offers a refreshing alternative to the “monster championship” layouts that predominate the region’s golfing landscape.

Jebel Sifah GC is the 9-hole epicentre of a seaside and yacht-dotted residential/resort community by the same name, 65km south-east of Muscat, Oman’s capital city.

To be managed by Troon International, the desert-links was designed by Harradine Golf whose principal architect Peter Harradine is the antithesis of many of today’s contemporary course designers.

The 5th green

While developers elsewhere continue to be delivered overly difficult behemoths in a foolhardly attempt to lure tour events and/or to future proof their investment against the advances of club and ball technology, Harradine’s design philosophy has long focused on the physical ability (or relative lack thereof) and potential enjoyment of “average players”

The first pictures of Jebel Sifah, obtained exclusively by Golf Digest Middle East just after the course’s soft opening, clearly illustrate the fun factor Harradine desires.

Stunning Gulf of Oman views across the 6th green

Wide fairways, large greens and the absence of “useless” fairway bunkers promise aesthetically-pleasing, resort-style golf where the natural topography has been cleverly enhanced to offer strategic challenge.

The par 36 layout, which can be stretched from its forward-most tees at 2843 yards to a championship standard 3634 yards from the tips, is easily able to be toughened with greens that offer “easy, difficult and very difficult pin positions.” The use of a second set of pins on each of the nine greens can also transform the course into a par 72, 18-holer.

Sweeping Gulf of Oman views, natural wadis and a majestic mountain range backdrop complete the alluring picture at Harradine Golf’s first seaside offering.

The 1st tee leads the eye towards the majestic mountain range

“Surprisingly and for once, the client did not want a monster ‘championship’ layout but a resort course that would be fun for average players that are, after all, the back bone of the golf industry,” Harradine Golf said.

“Two holes play towards or along the Indian Ocean [Gulf of Oman] and the nearby mountains provide a dramatic and constant back drop. Play is also interesting thanks to a continuous breeze from the sea that often changes direction which obliges difficult club selection [decisions] and playing strategy.

“Despite the topography, the course is rather flat and a pleasure to walk which is not always the case with courses on real estate projects as they often have great distances between the greens and the next tees.”

Harradine Golf praised the developer, Muriya (a joint venture between Orascom Development Holding and Omani master developer Omran) for heeding its recommendations regarding the safety limits of the real estate that fringes the course.

There are no fairway bunkers but challenging traps around the greens

“The stylish houses are therefore unobtrusive around the course as it meanders through and around wadis which are filled with torrential water during the few but violent rain-falls. The complete sub-surface is composed of big and small caliber gravel which ensures rapid drainage during those storms. “

Jebel Sifah is the latest addition to Harradine Golf’s Middle East portfolio which includes European Tour venues Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Doha Golf Club (Qatar) and Al Hamra GC (Ras Al Khaimah/Challenge Tour) plus Jebel Ali Golf Resort (Dubai), Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club and Mirage City Golf Club in Egypt.

The 8th green

Set along five kilometres of natural Omani coastline and spanning 6.2 million square metres, Jebel Sifah is home to one luxury hotel and has five more in planning. Able to be reached by water taxi from Muscat, the resort also includes “Golf Lake Villas” and marina apartments which can be owned freehold by Omanis and expats.

The second hole bathed in late evening sunlight

The post EXCLUSIVE: Stunning Jebel Sifah Golf Course Opens in Oman appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Representing Team Boyo Malaya, Mokhaza (pictured above with Titleist cap alongside Onside Sports Steven Munro) and Razak carded a seven-under-par 65 around Almouj Golf course in Muscat to win the betterball strokeplay event by two shots.

Tenzin Tsarong and Fiaz Riaz (Team Mohamed Riaz) finished second but it was a close run thing on countback with five other teams also signing for -5, 67s.

Mokhaza and Razak will be joined at the 36-hole final at Dubai’s Jumeirah Golf Estates by Almouj’s gross winners, Allan Middleton and Lynn Casey (pictured right in main image above). Playing for “Still Game”, Middleton and Casey posted an even par 72 to earn their place in the City Tower Real Estate Cup division on the Earth course at JGE from December 16-17, 2017.

The post Almouj duo Mokhaza and Razak qualify for XCGC appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

A luxury twist to Muscat’s golfing double-header
By Robbie Greenfield

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For the UAE-based golfer, Muscat is making an increasingly strong case as a front rank golfing getaway choice. It’s close enough to be reached via a short hop on Fly Dubai, yet far enough away to offer an escape from the norm. Oman is different with a capital D. Neither of its two top golf courses are remotely like anything you will play in the emirates, and nor is the magnificent Chedi hotel like any five-star property in the UAE.

You may not quite get the slick, polished golfing experience that is so expertly served up in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but both Almouj Golf and Muscat Hills possess considerable charm and a rugged quality, while at the same time featuring two wildly different playing experiences.

Greg Norman’s Almouj Golf is the undisputed king of this coastline, having arrived with a bang on Golf Digest Middle East’s official Top 10 course ranking last December at No.4. The easiest comparison to make would be with Yas Links in Abu Dhabi, but there are certainly some key differences. The manmade dunes on Greg Norman’s creation are even more imposing than Yas’, and its exposed location makes Almouj the breeziest course in the Middle East. Still less than two years old, the club have already hosted a Challenge Tour event and the playing surfaces, while spongy in places, are continuing to mature into a linksier test.

We took an early morning Friday flight from Dubai late last month and had already made time for a tasty breakfast and a bucket of range balls before pegging it up on the first tee at 11am. It really is that easy. Of course, it helps when your transport from the airport to the course arrives in the form of a Chedi-branded Mercedes, just one of the customised services the hotel offers to the ever-growing number of golfers heading to Oman.

As part of the ‘Tee off in Style’ package running until the end of the year, golfers can make use of the Chedi’s renowned Spa and Health Club. In the company of the frighteningly athletic Health Club manager, Milos Padjeski, our group discovered the full, depressing limitations of our levels of flexibility, together with muscles and joints we never knew we had, during a stretching routine designed to increase balance and mobility.

Almouj Golf is the undisputed king of the Muscat Coastline.

You’ll need all the help you can get on both Almouj Golf and Muscat Hills, because neither venue is too kind on the type of wayward shots we were hitting. At the former, deceptively thick rough and even more impenetrable native areas provide an excellent hiding place for a Pro V1, while the dramatic rocky wadis at Muscat Hills are not the place to go foraging after that skewed approach shot.

In the UAE, taking a cart can feel like a guilty pleasure at times, but on this terrain you may not make it back to the clubhouse without one. Muscat Hills’ layout makes great use of several impressive ravines, with the 10th green seemingly carved out of the front of a jagged wall of rock.

After a pair of golf courses that pack a physical punch, the incredible tranquility of the Chedi is the perfect respite. Landscaped gardens, soft lighting and the understated class of the Asian-inspired architecture combine to make this 21-acre hideaway the ultimate in luxurious privacy. Choices abound, from a variety of pools including the longest anywhere in the Middle East (at 109 metres) to a full range of dining options.  the Japanese cuisine at the Long Pool was mouthwateringly good, which is just as well since none of us had enjoyed the rare taste of a birdie.

The post Stay & Play: The Chedi / Almouj Golf / Muscat Hills GC appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.