By Ian Brennan
Don’t let the relaxed atmosphere, floodlit ambience and unparalleled views of the Burj Khalifa fool you. The Track, Meydan Golf is no walk in the park, a layout that promises a stern test of your game. With eight out of our nine holes protected by water, it’s common for players to find themselves in some unusual positions. Playing lessons are incredibly popular at The Track and I love the discussions they generate with beginner and veteran player alike. A common question I receive during our time on the course is: How do I play some of these awkward lies? Here at the iconic 4th Hole I’ve pulled my tee shot and found myself in one such position, a little too close to the water’s edge for comfort. Due to the bank of the lake that my ball now lies on, you’ll notice the ball is above my feet as I take my stance. The ball above the feet lie can cause a lot of problems for amateur golfers but if you remember these tips, you’ll pass this tricky lie test every time.

ALIGNMENT
First things first, we need to understand the role alignment plays in performing this shot. The more above my feet the ball is, the more left the clubface will point. Note that the higher the loft of the club in hand, the more exaggerated this will be. With that in mind, we now need to ensure to aim far enough to the right of our target to allow for the correct start line and pronounced right to left curvature this shot will produce. As you can see, my body alignment is towards the right edge of the green. You’ll also notice my swing appears to be flatter. Again, due to the angle of the slope my swing will naturally need to flatten to match with the slope. Think of a baseball swing for the perfect pre-shot feeling.

CHOKE DOWN
We’ve spoken about alignment and the effect the slope has on the golf swing itself but in order to ensure consistent contact, we also need to adjust our grip placement slightly. Remember not only is the ball above our feet, it’s also now brought closer to our body. As noted, the swing will become flatter due to the angle of the slope. This, matched with choking down slightly on the grip, will give you the best chance of catching the ball clean and watching it curve back to target, navigating another tricky Track lie like a Tour Pro.

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To book a lesson with PGA Golf Professional Ian Brennan at the Meydan Academy By Troon, call 04 381 3733 or email ian.brennan@meydangolf.com

The post GAME IMPROVER: How to flush it from tricky lies appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

What would a compilation of the Middle East’s favourite holes look like? Stunning. Long. And very, very tough. Welcome to the region’s dream 18.

By Kent Gray
“The ideal hole is surely one that affords the greatest pleasure to the greatest number, gives the fullest advantage for accurate play, stimulates players to improve their game, and never becomes monotonous.”

Alister MacKenzie departed this life 86 years ago, more than 50 years before golf first met grass in Dubai and longer still before the game spread its virtuous tentacles around the Middle East.

But if he could, the revered British course architect surely would doff his Tam o’ Shanter to this, our compilation of the Middle East’s favourite holes.

Judged by the expert panel that brought you Golf Digest’s Top 10 Courses of the Middle East 2020 ranking (click here) and dreamed into a composite 18 by the editorial team, this is an impressive and imposing test of golf.

The criteria to be considered for the region’s dream 18? The same exhaustive process that determines the world’s most respected course rating system, a series of seven categories which reward shot values, design variety, resistance to scoring, memorability, aesthetics, conditioning and ambience. The kicker is that holes had to receive at least 75 per cent of the panel’s collective ‘your favourite hole’ vote at a respective course to be considered.

There is nothing more subjective in sport than the apples versus pears ranking of players or matches from different eras. The same can be applied to the rating of golf courses where one players manicured hybrid of parkland and desert, is another’s modern-day seaside layout, or, in the Middle East at least, yet another’s inland links wannabe. Drill down further to individual holes and the debate is even hotter. The most impartial way to measure that is with Golf Digest’s internationally trusted formula.

What is indisputable is that our composite layout complies to the criteria of the ideal hole as MacKenzie once famously hypothesised. Each and every hole inspires, demands accuracy (or acceptance of a lack thereof), will send you to the range searching for solutions and could never, ever be considered tedious. Enjoy.

Saadiyat Beach Golf Club’s iconic 16th makes the cut in our favourite holes selection.

1. The 16th, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
488 Yards, Par 4, Stroke Index 1
We’re fans of course architects who like to ease you into a round with a simple hole, providing, if not a birdie chance, then a relatively straight forward shot at par. There is no such luxury at our composite course. With its tight tee shot, magnetic waste bunker hugging almost the entire right-hand side of the fairway and approach over yet more sand to a deceptively large green well protected by humps and hollows, par is no cinch. Add in a breeze off the Arabian Sea and, well, good luck. This hole is stunningly brutal, a bit like designer Gary Player’s fitness regime.

READ MORE: Tame ‘Sea View’, stroke index 1 at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club

Soak in those Red Sea views on the 16th at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Saudi Arabia

2. The 16th, Royal Greens Golf & Country Club
180 Yards, Par 3, Stroke Index 16
We’ve gone for a par-4, par-3, par-5 opening to our composite 18 to test every club in your bag early. You won’t find many short holes in the Middle East more picturesque than the last par 3 on the Kingdom’s most recognisable course but don’t be lulled by those turquoise Red Sea views. Dustin Johnson nearly lost the inaugural Saudi International here before producing a miraculous recovery from the drop zone for a bogey to hold off Li Haotong in 2019.  Take par and run.

Any par on the closing hole at The Address Montgomerie Dubai will help you soar up the club’s monthly medal leaderboard

3. The 18th, The Address Montgomerie Dubai
656 Yards, Par 5, Stroke Index 1
How many good and great rounds at The Monty have been sunk by Colin’s (in)-famous closing hole? Finding dry land off one of the numerous teeing grounds is cause for mini celebration but this par 5 will keep you sweating till the end. The hole is relatively straight forward if you can get off the tee but isn’t it amazing how sensible strategy goes out the window with so much water everywhere, or how you suddenly chunk a wedge that has been co-operating so well until now? The potential sucker punch is under clubbing what should be your third (but probably your fourth, fifth of sixth) shot into the green. You deserve a drink but we are only getting started…

The 18th at Greg Norman’s Muscat gem, Al Mouj Golf, tests the European Tour’s best in the Oman Open so don’t fret your score

4. The 18th, Al Mouj Golf
410 Yards, Par 4, Stroke Index 9
Speaking of tough closing holes with watery graves…

The 18th at Greg Norman’s Muscat masterpiece tests the mettle of the European Tour’s top players at the Oman Open so it’s a given that it will keep the blowtorch focused on your ball striking now you’ve warmed your way into our composite course. Slicers can’t aim far enough left off this tee – and invariably they’ll hit it straight into trouble if they do. Don’t be tempted by any pin cut in the right half of the putting surface or you could be playing pinball with the rocks which elevate this green, and hole, to favourite status among our judges… a big call on a layout overflowing with memorable holes.

The 16th at Al Ain is another par 4 where getting wet is an ever- present danger

5. The 16th, Al Ain Equestrian Shooting & Golf Club
421 Yards, Par 4, Stroke Index 5
This par-4 ranks as just the fifth toughest hole at AESGC but don’t be fooled by the stroke index or the alluring design aesthetic. A telephone number awaits any player who strays from the fairway off the tee and that’s just the beginning of the fun. Ideally you’ll shape your drive around the dogleg and past the two furthermost palm trees on the right, hopefully without needing a second or third ball with all that water right and sand and OB left. Now play smart, ignoring any back left (bunker bound!) or centre-right (you’re wet!) pin. Simply rifle your mid-iron to the centre of the green, two-putt and walk off with a big smile and plenty of lead left in your pencil.

Good luck if you need a birdie to win your match on the 18th at The Faldo at Emirates Golf Club. Actually, best of British if you need a par

6. The 18th, The Faldo, Emirates Golf Club
485 Yards, Par 4, Stroke Index 5
We find The Faldo one of the region’s most exacting tests off the tee, particularly on the outward nine with all those tight doglegs. And sand. And water. To be fair, the closing hole on the Majlis’ sister course at Emirates G.C. offers a generous landing area for all but the biggest slicers but there are few more intimidating approach shots than here. Sir Nick was one of the game’s great shotmakers. You’ll feel like one too if you escape with par of better here.

The curvy 18th at Trump International Golf Club, Dubai is another testy finishing hole but comes early in our dream 18

7. The 18th, Trump International Golf Club, Dubai
425 Yards, Par 4, Stroke Index 3
Just don’t go left, right? Easier said than done on designer Gil Hanse’s closing hole at Trump Dubai. With that man-made lake hugging the dog-legged par 4, it’s easy to push it way right off the tee which then brings the wet stuff into play with your approach. Aim right of the green and hope for a members’ bounce onto the putting surface because any chip, downhill and with that ever-present water begging, is sure to unearth any jitters in your short game. In effort not to thin it? A frustrating fat? Fun and sometimes frightening.

8. The 16th, Al Zorah Golf Club
354 Yards, Par 4, Stroke Index 14
The 16th at Nicklaus Designs’ Ajman gem will have you umming and ahhing like the ebb and flooding tides that engross the hole’s island tees. The smart strategic play, with sodden marshland left and desert despair right, dictates a hybrid or mid-iron off the tee and a flick of a wedge in. But maybe, just maybe, you could get there with driver, maybe even a 3-wood? A classic risk and reward hole from another classic course Jack (kinda) built.

The 4th at The Track, Meydan Golf isn’t quite the shortest par 4 in our composite layout but it is a, ahem, tall order for those who suddenly get nervous with a bit of H20 to negotiate.

9. The 4th, The Track, Meydan Golf
358 Yards,  Par 4, Stroke Index 7
For further, irrefutable proof, that a hole needn’t be long to be memorable, welcome to this feisty little dogleg at The Track, Meydan Golf. You could almost throw it off the tee and have a shot at a green that is generously proportioned. Isn’t it amazing how even the silkiest of swings suddenly becomes a little twitchy though when you have to negotiate a bit of H20. And good luck if you over club (prudent) with your approach and leave yourself a slippery downhill chip, looking back at that hypnotic water.

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

You’ve done well to make it to the turn with balls left in your bag, not to mention the will to carry on. Grab yourself a nice drink and perhaps an extra sleeve or two of your favourite ammo and prepare for yet more fun.

Do you pull the trigger from this spot on the closing hole on the Majlis course at Emirates G.C. or lay-up and risk getting wet with a wedge anyway?

10. The 18th, Majlis, Emirates Golf Club
546 Yards, Par 5, Stroke Index 12
It’s the scene of so much OMEGA Dubai Desert and Moonlight Classics glory – and amateur heartache. Go straight off the tee and you run the risk of not reaching the corner of the dogleg and blocking yourself out or overpowering things and running out of fairway. Hit it too far left and you’re in the trees or lush rough at best. Somewhere in between and either wooden or watery fate potentially awaits. Then you must decide to go for it or lay-up and test your nerve over the water. Short is wet while air mailing the green brings another chance of the same. A brilliant strategic test.

11. The 18th, Dubai Hills Golf Club
486 Yards, Par 4, Stroke Index 10
European Golf Design architect Gary Johnson wanted to differentiate Dubai Hills’ finale from the par-5s that predominate the UAE golfscape. The Scot surely did – the 485-yard finish is an absolute brute. Getting it in play off the tee of this par 4 (don’t go too far right) is the (not so) easy bit. Afterwards you’ll need to rifle a mid-iron to a peninsula green guarded by water left and magnetic bunkering front right that looks like it’s cut tight to the green but is actually a clever optical illusion. Par? You’ve just roared up the leaderboard.

12. The 18th, Yas Links Abu Dhabi
646 Yards, Par 5, Stroke Index 3
There is arguably no tougher finish in Middle East golf than Yas Links’ closing par-5, a hole that just keeps coming at you. That’s why we’ve slotted it in early in our inward nine, to leave you some energy to get back to the 19th! You’ll need a solid drive and two decent whacks from there to stand any chance of reaching a green large enough to make three-putting almost inevitable. Into a breeze? Your blob won’t be the first or the last today.

The approach shot to the 16th is one of the trickiest shots on Earth at Jumeirah Golf Estates

13. The 16th, Earth, Jumeirah Golf Estates
486 Yards, Par 4, Stroke Index 10
The best players on Earth breathe a sigh of relief if they escape here without a scorecard glitch during the DP World Tour Championship each November so who are we to sniff at par? Proof again a hole needn’t be long to be challenging. Watch that your tee shot doesn’t bound right, never to be seen again. Commit fully to the approach shot too, ignoring the water that frames the partial island green. Yeah, we can’t either.

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

14. The 8th, Majlis, Emirates Golf Club
459 Yards, Par 4, Stroke Index 3
Is there a more iconic hole in the Middle East? Is there a hole where more golfers miss right off the tee anywhere in the world? Dust yourself off at the end of this famous par 4 and remember that no matter your score, you’ve got a marina views selfie your pals the world over will be jealous of.

Any par on the 15th hole at The Els Club, Dubai is to be celebrated, especially if you manage to get up and down from the bailout area pictured to the right of the green here

15. The 15th, The Els Club Dubai
489 Yards, Par 4, Stroke Index 1
Thankfully in our composite 18, you haven’t had to play the par 4 that mirrors the 15th at The Els Club Dubai because, no doubt, you’d rock up to this tee with the mental scar tissue from negotiating the 6th hole at Ernie’s course still fresh in your mind. Instead, rid your thoughts of the water right, that welcoming pot bunker in the landing zone off the tee left, and the bailout area left of the green, a no go zone for those with a twitchy wedge game. Instead, find the fairway, pure your approach to the heart of the green, two-putt and walk away with a par and the lingering admiration of your playing partners. If only golf was as simple as the Big Easy makes it look.

The 17th at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club (foreground right) didn’t make the cut in our dream 18 but easily could have. The closing par 4, as you approach the iconic Dhow shaped clubhouse, did and thoroughly warrants the distinction

16. The 18th, Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club
421 Yards, Par 4, Stroke Index 3
Likewise, be thankful you haven’t had to play the previous hole at the Creek (see p.39) before you roll up to this beautifully brutal par-4. There is actually no option here other than hitting it arrow straight down the middle and then purposefully onto the green. There is no Creek. Or sand. Or rocks guarding the green to send your ball there anyway. Who are we kidding. Grab a group selfie with the iconic clubhouse in the background and forget that double. Or was it a triple?

The sun sets on one of the prettiest – and most testing – par 3s in the Middle East, the 17th at Yas Links Abu Dhabi

17. The 17th, Yas Links Abu Dhabi
204 Yards, Par 3, Stroke Index 13
For golf eye candy, it doesn’t get much better than the penultimate par 3 at Kyle Phillips’ Abu Dhabi masterpiece. Aesthetically pleasing yes, easy no. You’ll need to strike it crisp, long and straight to walk away with a score anywhere as attractive as those shots your entire group did manage to nail off the tee – with their camera phones. Majestic.

18. The 18th, Abu Dhabi Golf Club
567 Yards, Par 5, Stroke Index 5
Great closing holes effortlessly conjure great late drama. A doff of our cap then to architect Peter Harradine for the climax to the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship each January. Risk and reward comes in wet and sandy waves, tempts the big hitter, teases till the end with its speedy, sprawling green and lures all to the most astonishing clubhouse anywhere in the Middle East. You’ve made it and well played, regardless of your score. Enjoy your drink and the debrief of the Middle East’s favourite holes.

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

The post The Middle East’s 18 favourite holes appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Ben Cannon
Delivering 40 lessons a week at a facility as busy as The Track, Meydan Golf, you see people from all walks of life. With our location being so close to the heart of Dubai’s Downtown district, it’s not uncommon for clients to arrive straight from a busy day chained to their office desks. Few amateur golfers realise the extent of the damage our normal day to day lives can have on our posture. It’s vital we have both a sound understanding and physical ability to create the ideal golf posture to first prevent injury and ultimately encourage accurate and solid ball striking.

The golf swing is essentially a rotational motion around a central column – that central column being your spine. The better the position and the angle of your spine at address, the better it will be throughout the swing, especially at impact as the torsional forces being applied to your body throughout the swing can put pressure on the back if an unsuitable posture is used.

Statically the two most common injuries picked up by golfers are in the lower back and wrist. Here, I want to talk specifically about how your pelvis plays a vital role in producing an athletic posture and preventing lower back issues.

Typically, club golfers present with one of two posture types. These are:

C-Posture
C-Posture occurs when a lack of pelvic tilt causes the upper body to bend to address the ball. Your shoulders are slumped forward at address and you have a definitive roundedness to your thoracic spine (mid-back). This results in a loss of posture and a flat shoulder plane which makes it difficult to rotate fully in the backswing and often leads to an early extension.

S-Posture
S-Posture is caused by creating too much arch in the lower back/pelvis at setup. This puts abnormally high stress on the muscles in the lower back and leads to a loss of posture and reverse spine angle. This, in turn, puts the lower body out of position on the downswing and will affect the sequence of motion in the swing.

So, what can you do if you struggle with the either the C or S postures? To find a neutral posture give this a go:

Pelvic Tilts In Golf Stance – Find Neutral
1. Get into 5 iron Posture
2. Cross your arms
3. Arch your back (S-Posture)
4. Flatten you back (C-Posture)
5. Arch your back again
6. And then find neutral

Hip Bar Hinges
This is a great drill to help improve your pelvic position and feel the proper set-up posture, with a good hinge from your hips and not from your spine or knees.
•  Position a club across your hips with your thumbs on your hip joints.
•  Get into a neutral posture and bend forward from the hips, not the lower or upper back.
•  You will feel as if you are pushing the golf club back and tilting from your hips.

W-Turns
This drill is perfect for golfers that have a C-Posture and tend to lose their posture during their backswing.
•  From starting posture, place a club behind your back so that your arms form the letter W. Make some smooth slow swings focusing on keeping your shoulders back as you rotate. This is a great drill for those golfers in C-posture and gives them the correct sensation for a good setup position and keeping a good spine angle as they rotate.

Posture is very important in our day to day lives. In golf, a few tweaks to your posture could go a long way to not only improving your game but also reducing the risk of injury. – With Kent Gray.

Ben Cannon is PGA Golf Professional at the Meydan Academy By Troon.

The post HOW TO: Improve your ball-striking and limit injuries with these posture tweaks appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Tired of round-wrecking three-putts? Here’s a three-point plan to end the agony

By Ian Brennan
With a fully floodlit nine hole facility at our disposal, playing lessons are a popular option at The Track, Meydan Golf. Add some of the most highly regarded greens in the UAE to the equation and it also comes as no surprise that our team of Meydan Academy by Troon Professionals are often asked to help amateurs struggling to putt on the smooth surfaces.

It quickly becomes evident that most players don’t give putting the same care and attention as other aspects of the game. You use your putter more than any other club in the bag; it can be the difference between a career-low score and a disaster.

I always tell my students that in order to hole more putts, they need to create an environment that encourages a repeatable stroke. Let me guide you through my three point plan on the greens and put an end to three putts. – with Kent Gray

1. The Putting Setup
Although putting is perceived as straight forward by some beginners, it’s important we have the necessary fundamentals to ensure a consistent stroke and strike on the ball. The first thing I like to see is players adopt the correct grip.

– We want to have the putter handle running through the lifelines of both palms with the hands as level as possible. You may need to experiment with what feels comfortable when placing the fingers around the grip. This is partly the reasoning behind some of the larger grips we see on putters today. By placing the grip more in the palms you’ll limit wrist action in the stroke and encourage the arms and shoulders to work as one. This setup ensures your shoulders remain level and you don’t have any discrepancy in our setup.

– Once the setup has been achieved I like to see the ball position slightly left of centre. Too often I see amateurs with the ball position too close to the lead foot. This can create strike issues as the low point of the stroke occurs too far behind the ball resulting in catching it too much on the upstroke. For anyone that sees their ball bobble or skid when they strike it, this is the reason. Finally, the eyes should be roughly over the ball. This allows the arms to naturally hang from the shoulders.

2. The Putting Stroke
As mentioned, the grip will reduce wrist action in the stroke. A large part of the poor distance control I see in amateurs is their reliance on their hands to dominate. As a result, we tend to see a lot of last-minute flicking or hitting to try and generate speed. This results in inconsistent strikes and continual distance control issues.

– I know some of you will have heard terminology like “straight back and through” but the putting stroke should work on a slight arc to allow the putter to release correctly and ensure an efficient strike. The distance required can then be calibrated by simply adjusting the length of stroke. The pace at which the stroke is made should be constant and not accelerating. We want the length from backstroke to finish to generate the speed. The feeling should be of gathering the ball and not hitting it. You will feel and hear the difference on the face. Anything other than a solid sound and a soft feel could be another reason behind some of your putts skidding or bobbling which will inevitably lead to frustrating three putts – or worse!

3. Where To Focus?
We’ve worked hard on setup and stroke. Now what? Now it’s about intention. I always like to mentally categorise putts into three categories: cautious, hopeful and expectant. If I need to be cautious I’m picturing my putt finishing inside of a one to two foot circle which in turn sets up a comfortable two putt. If I’m hopeful, it means I’m faced with a lengthy putt but maybe one without any great undulations to manage. I can be somewhat aggressive. Then finally, if I’m expectant, I ensure I’m picturing myself making the putt, whether it aggressively hits the back of the hole or just falling in. Practice my three points and you’ll soon eliminate those momentum draining three putts.

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To book a lesson with PGA Golf Professional Ian Brennan at the Meydan Academy By Troon, call 04 381 3733 or email ian.brennan@meydangolf.com

The post VIDEO: 3 Points Not 3 Putts appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

We have new white sand in our greenside bunkers at The Track, Meydan Golf so it’s especially important to follow these tips if you are to improve your scores. —with Kent Gray

Attack Angle
Before we look at the slight variation on the same theme that will allow you to control the distance of short, medium-range and long bunker shots, it is important to know that your downswing angle into the sand needs to be shallower. A big mistake that many amateurs make is not opening up the clubface sufficiently. Opening the clubface allows you to use the bounce angle on the bottom of your wedge correctly. If your swing is too steep, you won’t get the benefit of the bounce, the club will dig deep into the sand and you will leave the ball in the bunker. For each of the shots here, have your feet set just wider than shoulder-width apart and ensure the ball is positioned ahead of centre, closer to the front foot. Now, apply more pressure into your lead leg to assist with striking the sand closer to the ball. Let’s give it a try with different length shots.

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1. Short Distance (0-10 yards)

(Photo by Masam Ali)

Taking too much sand can be a disaster when playing a short bunker shot to a tight pin. For this shot, we need a high approach to the flag. Use your most lofted club, a lob or sand wedge, and start by opening the clubface so that it sits flat on the sand. Take your grip to lower down the handle and ensure you squat down into your posture and bend your knees more. This lowers the handle of the club and creates a flatter swing, allowing you to keep the loft on the club and create a shallow contact into the sand. Aim your feet left of the target and swing straight down the line of your feet. Hit the sand one inch (2.5cm) behind the ball, make a long swing and increase your swing speed into a full swing finish.

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2. Medium Distance (10-20 yards)

(Photo by Masam Ali)

The key difference between the short and medium bunker shot comes in the set-up. Start by opening the clubface to around 20 degrees before taking your grip at the top of the club. Once again, ensure you squat down into your posture and bend your knees more, aim your feet left of the target, swing straight down the line of your feet, connecting with the sand one inch behind the ball. Remember to swing through to a full finish.

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3. Long Distance (20 – 40 yards)

(Photo by Masam Ali)

It’s widely regarded as one of the toughest shots in golf but you needn’t fret over the long bunker shot. For starters, choose a less lofted club such as a pitching wedge. Less loft allows the ball to come out lower with more speed so it can roll out towards the target. Open the clubface around 20 degrees and then take your grip, aim your feet left of the target and swing straight down the line of your feet, as you have for the shorter sand shots. The other key here is to increase your swing speed as though you are hitting a 7 iron 150 yards. You must also hit the sand two to three inches (5 to 7.5cm) behind the ball. The ball will come out lower, travel further and run towards the target – hopefully setting up another memorable sand save.

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(Photo by Masam Ali)

Which wedge?
Here I’ve got my PW and more lofted 56-degree wedge. Ensure you use the right loft for the required distance.

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To book a lesson with Head PGA Golf Professional Mark Jones at the Meydan Academy By Troon call 04 381 3733 or email mark.jones@meydangolf.com

The post VIDEO: Control the distance of your greenside bunker shots appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

It was the serial UAE PGA Tour winner’s second title of 2018-19 in just six starts after a promotion to Operations Manager for the wider Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club recently has curtailed his golf this year.

After earlier edging Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Jordan Gallagher 1 up in a tense semifinal, Buchanan is chuffed to be taking some decent form into this week’s annual Dubai Trophy where he’ll captain the UAE PGA team against a selection of EGF amateurs chasing their fourth straight victory in the Ryder Cup-style matches.

Great to win my 3rd ?? PGA matchplay championship today.
2 nice matches and solid rounds. Onwards to next weeks Dubai Golf Trophy. #proteam pic.twitter.com/ewXmFpevrX

— Tom Buchanan (@tompro66) April 21, 2019

Buchanan just hopes he doesn’t suffer the same fate as his predecessor Ryan Smith who won last year’s UAE PGA Matchplay crown only to suffer a thumping in his singles match at the Dubai trophy as the amateurs sealed their hat-trick 19-13.

RELATED:  Thomas leads perfect trio as EGF amateurs seal Dubai Trophy treble

The respective Dubai Trophy teams and first-round pairings are due to be announced on Tuesday.

“Yeah we are on a bad run at the moment,” captain Buchanan conceded. “It’s always a tight affair and hopefully we can get it back this year.

“The Dubai Golf Trophy will be special as always and especially in its 20th year and as captain. The amateurs are strong and have more depth in their picks compared to us but we are all looking forward to it and hopefully we can get the win.”

Buchanan, who had previously won at The Track, Meydan Golf this season, drove the ball well against Gallagher to set up his advance the final where he played the outward nine in three under to give Bolt little chance.

“I was three up through nine, played really solid, then just kept applying pressure. Mike’s putter was cold on the day sadly for him but two very enjoyable games and to win it for the third time is great.”

The post Buchanan wins third UAE PGA Matchplay title but hopes it’s not a bad Dubai Trophy omen appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

If you’re also like us, you’re probably looking for ways to golf more for less in 2019 after another expensive silly season. Well, Dear Golfers of the UAE, we have an ace up our sleeve, or more specifically news of a discount card that will not only be conducive to your new year’s golfing resolutions.

ONE City Card is a single-purchase card that unlocks an array of benefits and discounts across Dubai and beyond, on everything from golf, to restaurants and bars and family days out.

Golf is our gig so we’ll focus on that, as well as the ONE City Card’s unlimited usage.

Unlike other discount schemes which offer a one-time only benefit, this little beauty can be used over and over again. That’s useful if you get beaten at one of the participating clubs below; next time invite a pal you know you have the upper hand over or keep playing and playing to exact priceless revenge, all the while saving money on green fees.

ONE has negotiated 2-4-1 deals off the rack green fee rate at the following clubs (the fine print – e.g. the cost of the ONE City Card which follows below and may surprise you):

Arabian Ranches Golf Club

Designed by former Open winner Ian Baker-Finch, “the winner of the Gold Medal and the Champion Golfer of the Year” in 1991, Arabian Ranches is a golfers’ golf club. A strategic challenge which is scoreable if you keep it out of the sand, you’ll also enjoy one of the best post-game debriefs in the region.

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The Address Montgomerie Dubai

Thomas Wiberg tackles the treacherous par 5 18th at The Montgomerie.

Colin Montgomerie sadly missed the cut at the Desert Classic, but produced comedy gold in his press conference. The Dubai course carrying his name is class too. Take advantage of the generous fairways early because there are some potential card wreckers as your round progresses, none tougher than that water encased par-5 18th.

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JA The Resort Golf Course

Better known to most of us as Jebel Ali, Dubai’s pioneering 9-holer has undergone a transformation with UAE-based architect Peter Harradine re-doing the opening three holes. You can read all about the recent makeover of JA The Resort Golf Course here. We’re big fans of the now par-4, par-4, par-3 start which has added even more strategic challenge to an idyllic course with teeth. Luckily they have a new Leadbetter Golf Academy to help take the bite out of a testing layout. You might even pop into Desert Swing regular Rafa Cabrera Bello, the resort’s global ambassador, who is a regular on the driving range.

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Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club

Another Harradine Golf design, SGSC created history by becoming the first course in the world to host a main tour event, the Staysure Tour’s Sharjah Senior Masters. Picturesque and ever challenging, SGSC is well worth a trip north of Dubai’s border where you’ll find some of the friendliest members in the Middle East. Comes with free buggy and range access.

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The Track, Meydan Golf

Continuing the nine-hole, Peter Harradine-theme is The Track, Meydan Golf, a course previously voted the world’s best nine-holer. If there is a tougher opening hole in the Middle East than the Track’s par-5 1st, we haven’t played it. Bring a few spare balls for all the water that follows too; this is a stern but fair test that will keep you coming back. Score well on the Track and you can score well pretty much anywhere.

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Trump International Golf Club

ONE has also negotiated a great deal at Trump International Golf Club, Dubai which offers these preferential rates:

500 AED Weekend
450 AED Midweek
250 AED Twilight after 2pm (Weekdays only)
75 AED Par 3 Course

But that’s not all. ONE City Card is not all about the discount, it’s about the golf and starting on February 20 is ONE Golf Wednesdays. Hosted at Trump International Golf Club, Dubai, 40 golfers can enjoy a 9-hole par-3 game followed by a thirst-quenching beverage and burger with prizes to accompany the event.

ONE Golf Wednesdays will be on a first booked-first-serve basis so get in quick. Here’s the details: 

Date : Every Wednesday, starting February 20
Time: 7pm shotgun start
Course: Par-3
Cost: 150 AED
Inclusions: One house beverage + Burger & Prizes

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THE ONE CITY CARD FINE PRINT
ONE card is priced at 100 AED for 12-months of unlimited access from the day you sign up, which means you’ll pay less than Dhs10 per month for access to heaps of discounts.

Or, if you sign up this February with the exclusive Golf Digest Middle East discount code, GDME50, and you’ll get 50 per cent off your annual membership – that’s just Dhs50 for 12 months of brilliant discounts.

Enjoy, bargain hunters!

Find out more and sign up now at onecitycard.com here

The post 2-for-1 golf? There’s only ONE discount card you need appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

If it’s not a blocked water ball it’s a tugged tee shot into the desert on the left, a calamitous over-correction to spare the life of a battered old sphere. Yes, it’s got so bad I’m not brave enough to de-box a new ball there any longer. Call it a saving on future mental health costs.

Even if you do find the fairway, the hole keeps coming at you. Your second needs to be long enough to leave a short-iron approach but that only narrows the landing area and widens your odds of getting wet again, left or right. And even with a wedge in hand, the magnetic properties of the water around the green have been known to reduce virtual tears.

Sure, I could arrive earlier for a decent warm-up to be ready for the instant examination, but my shrink charges by the hour and I need all the help I can get. It also doesn’t account for the inevitable capitulation at the second time of reckoning on what becomes the 10th at Peter Harradine’s testing nine-holer. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s simply a lack of ability. Or mental fortitude. Perhaps both.

My regular golfing pals aren’t overly enamoured with The Track’s opener either although just as readily pick out the 18th at The Monty, the 12th at The Els and the long par-4 7th at Trump from a line-up of heinous, card-wrecking perpetrators.

It’s funny how certain holes simply don’t suit our different eyes and even more depressing that we can’t seem to find a solution to the repeat blowouts. But what if there was a way?

The team at Jebel Sifah G.C. have come up with a novel system to tackle the Omani-layout’s trickiest holes. They’re calling it the “Comfortable Card” where you can choose to play from any tee box on any given hole. At the end of your round, the total course length is calculated to give a course rating.

“The fun part within a group is that a lot of strategies can be involved for players trying to figure out the easiest course at the longest length,” explains Jebel Sifah head pro Gavin Campbell. “In principle, it can create a more enjoyable game on a course the player is more confident with.”

As with any new system, there are gremlins to overcome, most notably assessing ‘Comfy Cards’ for handicapping purposes.

“Perhaps course ratings in the future could be bracketed. The bands (noted for Jebel Sifah on the scorecard pictured) would have their own rating without worrying about if the overall length was at the lower or higher end of that band,” says Campbell.

I’m not sure teeing it forward would make much difference to my army golf (left, right, left, right) at The Track, but applaud the innovative thinking.

Initial member feedback has been positive and the club is considering a tournament where the winners will be decided by the best net differential after all course lengths are run through the abacus.

“I think all of us are trying [to find] fresh concepts of golf without making the game too gimmicky and totally losing its identity. It’s still early days although it has been interesting to see the strength of feedback on LinkedIn so perhaps we may be on to something.”

It will indeed be fascinating to see if the concept migrates beyond Oman but it’s certainly piqued our interest.

Anything to make the game more enjoyable, inevitable blobs on the 1st and 10th at The Track aside, are to be encouraged and commended.

The post A comforting solution for amateurs driven to distraction by the toughest holes appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Whether you are looking forward to the standard two-day weekend or are lucky enough to have three or even four days off, here’s our guide to the best deals to get your golfing fix in the UAE this Eid Al Fitr holiday.

Best of all, the long weekend coincides with the second major of the year so you can retire to the club lounge after your round (or three) to enjoy the U.S. Open coverage from Shinnecock Hills.

Related: First and second round U.S. Open tee-times

Most clubs are also screening every match of the FIFA World Cup live from Russia. Come to think of it, you might end up spending the majority of the long weekend at the clubs below, with a few hours at home to recoup (and say hi to the family). For golfers, Eid weekend is going to be sporting bliss. Enjoy.

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Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club – AED 105!

What’s this? No, it’s WhatsApp and easily the golfing steal of the Eid weekend courtesy of the always innovative marketing team at SGSC. How about AED 105pp for 18 holes on the Staysure Tour (formerly European Senior Tour) course, or just AED 75pp for nine holes (minimum two players, or a fourball) when you book via SGSC’s WhatsApp number? Better still, the total green fees paid will be reimbursed if at least one member of your group joins SGSC’s summer golf membership on the day of play. That’s a crazy, crazy deal.

The WhatsApp number is +971 (0)56 2283649 – tell them Golf Digest Middle East sent you. And enjoy the U.S. Open and FIFA football – it goes without saying that one of the friendliest clubs in the UAE will have the big screens locked into the Eid weekend’s best sporting content.
golfandshootingshj.com

Trump International Golf Club, Dubai – from AED 250

Take it from us, Gil Hanse’s first Middle East design is in pristine nick despite the rising mercury. It makes the selected AED 250 green fees on Thursday and Sunday – and even the AED 300 pricing on Friday and Saturday – a steal. Visit trumpgolfdubai.com/tee-times for more and then stick around for the football. They’re promising an “electric atmosphere” at The Terrace restaurant which boasts a “mega” indoor screen. For all the details on sharing platters and beverage bucket deals, or to book a table, email: dining@trumpgolfdubai.com
trumpgolfdubai.com

The Els Club, Dubai – from AED 255

You’ll need to be quick to secure the Els Club’s best Eid weekend rate of AED 255 for tee-times between 10am and noon. There are also great prices outside this window via the Troon International App and all rounds booked online this weekend will score you a AED 50 retail voucher. You can also earn Troon reward points against all green fee and retail spend and take in the golf and the football in all of the club’s outlets:  TheBig Easy, Overlook Lounge and Atrium.
elsclubdubai.com

Al Hamra Golf Club, RAK – AED 225 throughout June!

The Troon International App is a handy application to have it seems. Not only is Al Hamra offering green fees from AED 225 throughout the Eid celebrations, the deal runs all month long. It’s some deal for a fully-fledged European Tour venue; test your game on the course set to host the Challenge Tour’s Road to Ras Al Khaimah finale, the aptly named Ras Al Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final, this coming October. And yes, it’s the place to watch all the golf and World Cup football you can handle too.
alhamragolf.com

Emirates Golf Club –  Play the EGC’s  U.S. Open Par 3 Championship from AED 175 + Special EID Sunday deal on the Majlis

Emirates G.C. is getting into major championship mood with its very own U.S. Open  Par-3 Championship on Thursday evening. The AED 175 entry fee gets you a tee time (at either 6.30pm & 8.15pm) on the club’s excellent academy course (we’re told there will be U.S. Open-esque fast greens and tight pin positions, so don’t say you haven’t been warned) plus a post-round buffet. Stay on for the OSN Sports 3HD golf coverage from Shinnecock Hills in the Spike Bar or alternatively check into Football Central, the club’s ‘Ultimate Fan Zone’ for the FIFA World Cup. Entry is free and there will be DJs playing after the footy.

You can also secure tee times on the Majlis from AED 525 and the Faldo AED 420 (before 4.05pm) over the holiday period. Our top tip is to upload the Golf Central App (App Store or Google Play) to avail 2-FOR-1 golf on the Majlis after 11am on Sunday; that is an absolute bargain for a two-ball on the Omega Dubai Desert Classic’s home course.
dubaigolf.com/emirates-golf-club

Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club – Robbie Fowler, Par 3 Championship and AED 470 golf

Like its Dubai Golf sister club, The Creek is also hosting a U.S. Open Par-3 Championship, this time on Sunday with 6.30pm and 8pm shotgun starts. The AED 175 fee also includes a tasty feed, a BBQ buffet feast in the Academy Café.

The Creek are also embracing the start of Russia 2018 like no other, with former Liverpool and England striker Robbie Fowler the star of a Q&A from 6.30pm on Thursday ahead of the opening match between Russia and Saudi Arabia.

The U.S. Open will be screened live in Lakeview from Thursday until the final putt Sunday while the Creeks weekend/public holiday tee time rate is AED 470.
dubaigolf.com/dubai-creek-golf-yacht-club

The Track, Meydan Golf

Book online at Meydangolf.com for rounds between between 11am-3pm and you’ll get the best 18-hole and 9-hole rates at the Peter Harradine-designed 9-holer – and that price guarantee extends beyond EID. The kicker is a special replay rate; book within 24 hours of your original tee time and pay again at 50% off.

Don’t forget the Track’s Unlimited Summer Wildcard either. It offers golf seven days a week (day and floodlit) with unlimited access to the course, driving range and practice facilities. Check it out here: Track Wildcard
meydangolf.com

The Address Montgomerie, Dubai – Footgolf anyone?

They’re doing golf things with a twist at the Monty to mark the start of the FIFA World Cup. Simply wear the football shirt of your home nation to avail 2 for 1 footgolf during the World Cup – that’s a sweet AED 60pp. After you’ve dazzled your mates with your skills, let the pros go to work as you enjoy special themed la carte menu, 2 for 1 offers on selected hop beverages and pre- and post-game happy hours taking in the real football on the big screens.
Call 043 631 208 or email academyreception@themontgomerie.ae

Yas Links – From AED 250pp if you book a fourball

For lovers of links-style golf, it gets no better in the UAE than Yas Links and their June fourball deals are hard to beat – and run through the Eid weekend break.

Pay AED 1000 per fourball on Thursday and Sunday and just AED 1300 on Friday and Saturday.  You also have until Friday to take advantage of their intriguing Pro Shop offer; spend AED 750 or more on TaylorMade and/or Adidas kit and receive the full amount back in green fee vouchers if any of Jason Day, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods of Jon Rahm wins the U.S. Open. That’s pretty good odds if you ask us.
yaslinks.com

Saadiyat Beach Golf Club & Abu Dhabi Golf Club – Summer Scorecard

Book online and have your loyalty rewarded at the Abu Dhabi sister clubs. Play two rounds on the weekend or three on weekdays and receive a complimentary round. Valid June 5–August 31 with T&Cs. For bookings email golfdesk@adgolfclub.ae or golfreservation@adgolfclub.ae

Abu Dhabi Golf Club – Golf with Robbie Fowler this Saturday!

There’s still time to get in on a golf-football bonanza at the home of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship involving Kop legend Robbie Fowler.

For AED 995, you get 27 holes of golf – including three with the former England and Liverpool star himself  – on Saturday, June 16 (7am shotgun start) followed by an exclusive gathering at The Grille Restaurant with one-hour canapes and beverages. You then get to join an afternoon brunch (AED 395pp without golf) hosted by Fowler in ADGC’s dedicated Global Football Fan Zone, an ideal place to watch the World Cup all tournament long.

Abu Dhabi G.C. are also offering two complimentary beverages in the fan zone for every round of golf booked on the club’s Garden Course between June 14-July 15.
adgolfclub.com

The post The UAE’s best Eid green fees – golf the long weekend from as little as AED 105! appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

This time the 14-year-old Jumeirah Goilf Estates +3 handicapper has waltzed to a four-stroke victory over Emirates Golf Club’s Mike Mezel in the 36-hole AGMC Men’s Open at The Track, Meydan Golf. His rounds of 68-68 for a 136, -8 aggregate saw Hill swipe the Track course record from Michael Harradine who carded a 69 in the same event last year.

It was the English teen’s sixth Emirates Golf Federation Order of Merit (OOM) event win in his last eight starts and the second time this season he’s established a course record after his heroics at the Trump International Men’s Open in late February.

Related: Josh Hill, then just 13, shots 65 to win Trump title

Mezei (70-70) was second at The Track on 140, a shot clear of Hill’s JGE club-mate Arjun Gupta (72-69) who is a distant second on the OOM standings – no slight given Hill’s purple patch.

HILL SETS A NEW COURSE RECORD AND WINS THE AGMC MEN’S OPEN AT MEYDAN – @MeydanGolf – https://t.co/DBJjNsthgA pic.twitter.com/7xHOu5eypc

— Emirates Golf Fed. (@EGFuaegolf) April 16, 2018

Hill will enjoy home course advantage when JGE hosts the EGF OOM Championship on May 4-5 but has one more qualifying event to extend his superb run before then at the Yas Links Men’s Open on April 20-21. He’ll then lead the EGF amateurs in their defence of the Dubai Golf Trophy against the best UAE PGA teaching professionals on May 12-13.

Related: Hill flirts with Al Ain course record, waltzes to Faldo Series title by six shots

For the record, Hill has won the JGE Amateur Men’s Open, the Abu Dhabi Golf Club Men’s Open, The Trump International Men’s Open, the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club Men’s Open, the Al Ain Men’s Open and the AGMC Men’s Open. Chuck the successful defence of his U-16 Faldo Series Middle East title into the mix, and there is no hotter golfer in the Middle East right now.

It’s an incredible run for a 14-year-old whose performances in this summer’s major U.K. amateur events will be watched closely.

The post Hill sets Track course record en-route to sensational sixth EGF title of the season appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.