Backhouse and Hodgkins claim the Curry Club crown
The Thursday Curry Club at Jumeirah Golf Estates continues to heat up as a record 48 players took part in the latest edition, with Tim Backhouse and Adam Hodgkins taking the plaudits with a a net 29 (seven-under).
Taking place over the front nine on the Fire course in the Pairs Scramble format. Backhouse and Hodgkins had five gross birdies to secure the victory.
In second place was JGE’s own Adam Stastny and Mark Castell on 30. T pair of David Warham and Richard Green were third on 31.

Montgomerie Golf Club

Landmark at Montgomerie
Nick Dulley, Lee Jackson, Daniel Brocklebank and Andy Whittle conjured up a round to tell the grandkids about at the  Montgomerie Golf Club Monthly Scramble. The quartet joined the 59 Club with a gross 13-under par, and obviously, claimed top spot ahead of Paul Love, Brian Stewart, Ciaran Coakley and Richie Keating

Trump Dubai

Rayan  and Aoife Trump the field
The EGF-sanctioned Trump Dubai Summer Open finally took place over the weekend with Rayan Ahmed taking the Men’s title and Aoife Kelly winning the Women’s crown. Golf Digest Middle East Stay & Play 2023 champ Craig Vance and Ahmed Naim finished tied second in the men’s event, with Jamie Roslyn Camero just missing out to Kelly in the Women’s competition.

Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club

In the driving seat
A field of more than 30 golfers took part in the Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club BMW Open Social. The pair of Jumadi Bin Husani and Zein Ismail took top prize in the four-ball better-ball format.

Dubai Hills

Family affair at Dubai Hills
Lee I’Ons claimed the Mens Division Round 3 of the MMI Summer Series Stableford at Dubai Hills, while his wife Tanya made it a double celebration by taking home the Ladies Division.

The post The Gulf Club: All the latest golf news from around the UAE appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Richard Charlesworth set off on his mission at Trump International Golf Club Dubai at the crack of dawn back in 2020, and exhausted but unbowed, he holed out on No. 72 just after 4pm in memory of his father, who died of cancer in 2017.

Now, the 52-year-old did it all over again on Wednesday as he continues to raise awareness of the illness, while also helping UK-based Macmillan Cancer Support.

Originally from Chester, England, Charlesworth has lived in the UAE for 13 years and has now managed to complete 144 holes in two days — three years apart.

“I did the challenge in 2020 in memory of my dad,” he told Golf Digest Middle East. “I had known about the Macmillan Longest Day Challenge for some time, but it was a different test doing it in the UAE compared to the UK as it is buggy golf here (somewhat easier) but in 45 degrees (somewhat more challenging).

“Of course people only really play early morning and late afternoon/evenings in the summer here. Three years ago we started first thing and just kept going. I did first round with friends and then final three rounds on my own.”

Richard Charlesworth in action at Trump International Dubai. Supplied

Charlesworth was preparing to go again in 2021 but he had to put the plans on hold as he suffered a series of injuries that Tiger Woods could relate to.

“I had intended to do it annually but the following year I had to give up golf for a few months with plantar fasciitis type symptoms where I sometimes struggled to walk 100 yards,” he said. “Last year I was still recovering from a foot surgery to remove bone spurs and repair damaged cartilage to one of my big toes. Since then I’ve had golfer’s elbow and six weeks ago a had a minor tear to my knee meniscus, thankfully not bad enough to stop golf. So from the intended date in 2021 here I was in 2023 hoping and praying my body would hold up!

Thankfully, it did.

“I booked the first tee time for 6am — we started on the 10th tee this time around — and I competed the first two rounds with two friends,” he added. “I got off the course at 4.30pm as the second two rounds were much quicker playing on my own.”

The 7.2-handicap Trump member was delighted that he managed to keep his game so consistent throughout the day as the mercury crept higher. “I shot 80, 83, 81 and 81 so it was remarkably consistent!” he laughed. “I was swinging easy from the off and I was surprised that I felt OK at the end and hadn’t stiffened up as much as I did three years ago.”

An exhausted Richard Charlesworth after hole 72. Supplied

Charlesworth did everything possible to keep himself fresh and hydrated as the day wore on. “As before I brought four complete sets of spare clothes to change into, sports drinks, electrolyte tablets, sun cream, towels — even some Vaseline,” he explained. “Thankfully there are water coolers are every few holes and there’s a food/ beverage cart on course to keep my energy levels up. As before I will make a donation to Macmillan and continue my push to raise awareness through radio and social media.”

Here’s hoping Richard doesn’t have to wait three more years to do it all over again — if he is up for it…

The post Trump Dubai member manages four rounds in one day — again! — all for a good cause appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Supplied

Noon and McInerney cook up JGE
Steve Noon and Ian McInerney came out as winners of the Thursday Curry Club event on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates this week. A net 30 over the nine holes in a pairs scramble format was enough for victory over Aaron Yasities and Lewis Brown. Andy Drees and Kevin Duffield finished third.

Supplied

Goodall and Dodson come up Trumps
To mark Women’s Golf Day, Trump International Golf Club Dubai held a ladies pairs scramble, with Julie Goodall and Janine Dodson triumphing with 68.6, ahead of Anne Denham and Sheila Alban.

Joe Heraty’s card. Supplied

Heraty hits new heights
Joe Heraty just missed out on a famous 59 at Dubai Hills earlier this month but a bogey on 17 meant to was a case of so near yet so far. The consolation for Heraty is that his 61 is a course record!

The post The Gulf Club — The latest golf news from around the UAE as Heraty hits 61 at Dubai Hills appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

A three-way playoff saw Marta Silchenko take the 2023 Junior Open at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
More than 50 juniors (18 and under) participated in the strokeplay event on the Fire Course, with Marta holding off Viktor Kofod-Olsen and Rayan Ahmed after all three finished on three-under.
The girls’ gross division was won by Hannah Alan with an even-par 72, while Julius Martinaitis’s 68 was enough to win the boys’ event

El Chaib wins EGC Ladies Amateur Open

Emirates Golf Club hosted the Ladies Amateur Open which saw 37 golfers competing on the Majlis Course.
The overall winner was Lara El Chaib with a gross 74ahead of Hannah Cheryl Alan. Third was defending champion Jamie Camero. In the Net Division, Anca-Luciana Pirvu was victorious with a 66.

Vance and Smith are Trump International Dubai Club Champs

Craig Vance and Kate Smith have defended the Trump International Dubai Club Championships titles they won in 2022.
In the Men’s Division, Vance’s level par 142 after two rounds saw him finish ahead of Steve Kelbrick and Wayne Platts, while Smith also managed to retain the Ladies crown.

EGF Order of Merit Championship to take place in Al Ain

The Emirates Golf Federation has announced the dates for the 2022-2023 EGF Order of Merit Championship. It will be held at Al Ain Equestrian Shooting and Golf Club from May 19-21. The season-ending Championship sees 80 players invited to compete: the top 30 players from each of the Men’s and Ladies’ EGF Order of Merit tables, along with 20 top Juniors. For the Men’s and Ladies Division, World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points will be available for the three-round championship.

Masud and Uddin take Jumeirah Pairs

Some 40 duos competed in the Pairs Shamble event over the Fire Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Nadeem Masud (12) and Ehtasham Uddin (12) finished two shots clear of the field to win with a net 59 13-under par.
Deirdre Joan Kemp (15) and Derek Kemp (13) were the runners-up with a net 61.

Kron and Borjesson win at Creek

Anders Kron and John Borjesson emerged as champions at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club Invitational with 49 points, ahead of Mark Hughes and Karl Ryan, and Nikhil Bhatia and Vihaan Sharma.

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

By Alex Riggs
Most of us have been told at some point that we must either “hit down” or “keep your head down”. Sorry to burst the bubble, but you should delete that thought from your memory. Now I’m sure you’re thinking, “If I lift my head, I’ll surely top it?” Let me explain… If you slow down golf swings of elite players through the impact zone, you’ll start to notice something –  well before impact, the hands along with their entire lead side, start to travel up. The clubhead is still travelling down (negative angle of attack) through impact, though the player is going up. This extension through impact helps the golfer maximise their ‘Ground Reaction Forces’ leading to massive acceleration of the club. It also provides space for the arms to remain structured, giving the clubface more support. When we start to use the ground and control the clubface to a higher degree, good things happen.

POWER POSITION
Notice how, at impact, my left knee, hip, and shoulder are all higher than those on my right side. At the moment of impact, you should have about 80 per cent of your pressure into your lead foot. This forward pressure helps position the divot after the middle of our stance thus ensuring ball first contact. This is one of the single most important factors to quality iron striking. The pressure also allows you to use that lead side to push off the ground. Your trail side should be banked down assisting in giving your pelvis the necessary tilt through contact.

MYTH BUSTED
When you try and stay down, you create a whole list of issues as you’ll see in this image. Because I am consciously staying down, my lead side is as well. Therefore I’m severely compromising my power. More importantly, I’m not creating the necessary room for my arms to extend, thus forcing them to buckle. Who likes chicken wings? I do too, just not in my golf swing. It makes it extremely difficult to achieve solid contact or have clubface control. You should see the faces of golfers I’ve showed this too who had similar positions and assumed they were topping the ball from lifting their head.

Photo by Mustufa Abidi

Sword from the Stone Drill
Take an alignment stick or an old shaft and stick it into the ground at a 45-degree angle. Hold the end of the stick or shaft and get into a standard golf stance. Shift 80-90 per cent of your pressure into your lead side and bank down your trailside. Make sure your lead arm is long and strong and your trail arm is softer. Prepare for the movement by exaggerating that lead side pressure and trailside bank. Now pull the stick out of the ground as hard as you can by pulling up with your lead side. Allow your eyes to follow the stick, with your head rotating along with your chest. Maintain the structure in your arms by extending them away from your torso. Extend your hips and push your belly button to the target by contracting your glutes. Once your hands make it to the height of your sternum, hold this position. Pay attention to where you are in space and where you feel your muscles working. This is the magic we are after! In the future, the next time someone tells you to keep your head down, make sure to laugh, then send them this article.

Alex Riggs is a Canadian born golf coach who specialises in finding simple and effective strategies to lower scores. He is a Brand Ambassador for PXG and Under Armour. For lesson inquiries, contact Alex via riggsgolf@gmail.com or +971 55 497 7913

The post Still Trying to Hit Down? Learn how great players compress the ball while pulling up! appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

BACKSWING

As the club travels back, nearly all high-level players position the clubhead outside of their hands. The arms stay connected to the rib cage and the body rotates around a tilted axis. When this happens, you can clearly see that the position of the hands is well inside that of the clubhead. What is very common amongst higher handicap players, is the rolling of the forearms in the early backswing. This move gets the clubhead well inside the position of the hands. When we consider what we want the golf club to do for us in the transition, this early backswing positioning becomes all the more crucial.

TRANSITION

As we are transitioning from the backswing into the downswing, we want the golf club to be shallowing. This is what virtually all top players do in their swings. The clubhead starts to lay down or fall behind the position of the hands and the shaft takes on a more horizontal rather than vertical appearance. When people swing back with the clubhead rolled inside the hands, it most often takes a steep or vertical path down. Although it is possible to achieve shallowing through different backswing relationships, it is often easiest to accomplish by keeping the clubhead outside the hands going back.

DOWNSWING

Work on this move by exaggerating the feeling of keeping the clubhead outside throughout the backswing. As you do this, you will feel the clubhead wanting to loop or fall behind you as you start the downswing. This is where the magic lies. Remember that we often need to go crazy with our feelings to create even the most subtle of changes, so don’t be afraid to look strange. We are trying to facilitate the shallowing transition rather than the steepening transition so this is bound to feel very different to what you are likely used to. Embrace it and enjoy the gains!

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Alex Riggs is a Canadian born golf coach who specialises in finding simple and effective strategies to lower scores. He is a Brand Ambassador for PXG and Under Armour. For lesson inquiries, contact Alex via riggsgolf@gmail.com or +971 55 497 7913

The post Why the relationship between the hands and clubhead are so important appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Gil Hanse’s first Middle East creation has received widespread acclaim since its opening in March 2017. Indeed, the renowned American architect’s 18-hole desert links at Trump International Golf Club, Dubai raced into the Golf Digest Middle East Top 10 course rankings within a year of opening, no small feat given the heady competition across the region.

Trump Dubai’s Par-3 course is a mini-me version of the immaculately maintained championship layout where Hanse has placed the same high premium on fun – think moonscape fairways, greens that are a joy to putt and tightly clipped run-offs that offer ample short game challenge.

The 1257-yard layout is now floodlit, meaning you can tee it up after work to dial in your wedge game or introduce friends or family to the game from as little as AED 100 per player.  The club offers tee times from 6.30am to 8.10pm, seven days a week and best of all, a challenge for all levels – the progressive tees offer holes as long as 210 yards while newcomers and juniors can play a course with tees set-up between 65 and 110 yards.

Fun. Illuminated. Just as Hanse envisaged it.

The post QUICK SHOT: Trump International Golf Club, Dubai’s ‘mini-me’ 9-holer appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Riggs
The long bunker shot is widely regarded as one of the trickiest in golf but amateurs across the Middle East know an even thornier challenge – the escape from a  desert lie. Chance are you’ll be familiar with the scenario; your ball bounds off into a gnarly lie carved out by mother nature or, worse still, one created by the last unfortunate soul to go off-piste. If you’re lucky, the lie won’t be too bad but almost inevitably, your un-cooperative sphere will nestle down into a rut or one of the deep trail of size 11 footprints that dot most holes in our sandy part of the golfing world. For most amateurs, the resulting escape attempt ends in a frustrating, blur of sand and dropped shots. But this needn’t be the case.

SIZE UP THE SAND
One key for successfully executing a desert sand shot is to first gain an understanding of the texture of the sand. Typically, the desert sand we encounter in the Middle East is extremely soft and powdery, necessitating an approach to the shot slightly different to that of a typical greenside bunker shot. The soft sand means the club will be prone to digging and consequently dramatically reducing clubhead speed just before contact. For this reason, it is very important to concentrate on the following steps:

1. Play one wedge stronger than what you would typically play for the required distance. For example, if it’s a 60-degree distance, play a 56-degree.

2. Open the wedge significantly to increase the effective bounce and prevent the wedge from getting too deep in the sand.

3. Swing with double the power you think you need. This is vitally important because the typical miss is short from desert sand. Don’t be shy with your speed. Blast through it!

Desert sand is not nearly as daunting as some make it out to be. Make sure to take the sand texture into consideration and when it’s soft, as it often is, follow the steps above to shave shots from your score. – with Kent Gray

Alex Riggs is a Canadian born golf coach who specialises in finding simple and effective strategies to lower scores. He is a Brand Ambassador for PXG and Under Armour. For lesson enquiries, contact Alex via riggsgolf@gmail.com or +971 55 497 7913

The post VIDEO: How to escape the Middle East’s often gnarly desert lies appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
You get the feeling members will survey the honours board at Trump International Golf Club Dubai in years yonder and nod a knowing nod when they came across the name of the club’s second senior club champion.

What probably won’t be inscribed alongside Josh Hill’s name is the ease with which the 14-year-old won the 2019 title even if his mightily impressive six-under-par aggregate of 136 is noted. With rounds of 70 and 66, the stardom bound, Dubai-based England age-group international waltzed to a mammoth 14-stroke victory over runner-up Craig Vance.

Add the recent Al Ain Men’s Open title (below) to his overflowing trophy cabinet and it’s easy to see why there are big hopes for the reigning Emirates Golf Federation Order of Merit Champion as he heads into another European summer campaign.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Nice little win before going off for the summer! What a tough tough windy sand storm day and to come in 1 under for the day was a monumental day. It was hard that wind I don’t know how many club wind it was into but I know Josh went 370 with his 2 iron and was 30 yards short of the green on 678 yard par 5 with a driver and 6 iron wind behind!Thanks again to @aesgc.alain always provide such hospitality always nice to visit this venue.

A post shared by Russell (@russellhillgolf) on Mar 30, 2019 at 8:28am PDT

Hill is also right in the mix in his thus far thoroughly impressive rookie MENA Tour season, second behind countryman Curtis Knipes heading into the second half of the 10 event season which resumes in September.

Back at Trump Dubai, meanwhile, and Denise O’Brien was just about as emphatic in victory in the Ladies Club Championship, rounds of 85 and 93 for a total of 178 giving her a seven-stroke victory over Maren Elliott.

In the Net Division, Thomas Dawson was victorious with scores of 67 and 77 to post a two-over total of 144. Claudine Kingston was the ladies winner with consistent scores of 76 and 75 for a 151 total.

2019 Trump International Golf Club Dubai – Club Championship winners:

• Men’s Club Champion – Josh Hill
Runner Up – Craig Vance
Third Place – David Voller

• Ladies Club Champion – Denise O’Brien
Runner Up – Maren Elliott

• Men’s Net Champion – Thomas Dawson
Runner Up – Russell Stewart
Third Place – Dean Stothard

• Ladies Net Champion – Claudine Kingston
Runner Up – Siti Latifah

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JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES

Drew Foxcroft mastered the blustery conditions at Jumeirah Golf Estates to claim the open men’s club championship in late March.

An opening 72 on the Fire course saw Foxcroft take a three-shot lead into day two from David Marshall with Paul Anderson with Danny Williams a further four shots back.

A 75 on Earth saw Foxcroft extend his lead to seven strokes over eventual runner-up Marshall while David Eustace took third, but only on a countback.

James Finnigan cruised to the net title, also by seven strokes from Robin Bellings with Liam Kivlin third, 10 shots adrift.

Michelle Walsh-Hall is the 2019 JGE Ladies Club Champion by four shots from Gabby Greipel while Ornella Parigi was crowned net champion after edging Mitsuko Emmerson.

Martin Vertigen won the senior men’s title for the second year in succession while Rob Duce held on to win the Seniors Net Championship.

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Have you won your club champs? Get your club to contact Golf Digest Middle East today and we’ll share it with our Middle East-wide readership. 

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