We’ve studied the 12 former winners spanning 14 Opens and 127 years at Royal St George’s and drawn an extremely long bow to select our long-shot winner for ‘Sandwich’ (golf is hard and picking winners of majors even harder!). We’ve even dug up a James Bond link to the famous Kent coast linksland.

Elsewhere, we get the inside oil on the Emirates Amateur Golf League’s Mini-Series at Jumeirah Golf Estates, visit the José María Olazábal-inspired golf resort in the Maldives and bring you all the shenanigans from Golf Digest Middle East’s inaugural Play & Stay at Trump Dubai and Radisson Hotels Dubai DAMAC Hills.

Russell Hill, the osteopath father of Middle East amateur No.1 Josh Hill, explains how to avoid falling into a perpetual injury cycle (and how to get out if you’ve already fallen) while Dubai Creek teaching professional Matthew Brookes shows you a simple way to nail your set-up for every full-swing shot.

Don’t miss our Playing Through feature which offers a fascinating insight into the future of the royal and ancient game and pick your next fairway wood weapon in the latest instalment of our Hot List equipment guide.

All this and much more in the July 2021 edition of Golf Digest Middle East.

The issue is again free to our loyal audience. You can scroll through the ISSUU link provided or download the bumper July 2021 issue FREE to your favourite device for later. Alternatively, pick up a copy at your favourite club. Whatever option you take, we hope you enjoy the read.

The post Get the July 2021 issue of Golf Digest Middle East FREE today! appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By GolfDigestme.com
SPONSORED CONTENT – There is golf and then there is golf in paradise.

Welcome to Velaa Private Island, home to a truly breath-taking golf experience sculpted by two-time Masters champion José María Olazábal.

For a golf getaway like no other, Velaa has it all in a sumptuous package. There’s all the luxury you’d expect from an archipelagic escape to nirvana including lavish over-water accommodation, impossibly white sandy beaches, warm Indian Ocean water sports, indulgent dining and all those dreamy views to drink in.

Visit Velaa Private Island

For the serious golfer though, Olazábal’s wee masterpiece perhaps trumps it all. Wonder at the Spaniard’s clever 7-hole layout complete with nine tee boxes to continually mix things up and cater to both the beginner and to the professional golfer.

“The Maldives. A vacation paradise, and space for golf? Of course,” says Olazábal. “But forget 7500 yards, five hour rounds and think entertainment and fun, think game improvement, think family time enjoying excellent facilities tailored to the individual.”

Think a stunningly beautiful place to hone your game, especially with the Velaa Golf Academy by Olazábal at the heart of the property.

Renowned for his silky wedge work, Olazábal has designed the only short-game academy in the Maldives with an unequalled backdrop to enjoy and develop your game.

“This is truly practising in paradise, it doesn’t get any better than this,” Olazábal continued. “Having a facility like this is actually a plus. When you go to a driving range, you stand there and you hit balls, you hit a driver, you hit long shots and all you do is just hit shots. But here you have to create shots, you have to create different feelings, you have to picture things, you have to see things and in that regard it is a facility that is a great tool to improve your game. “

Olazábal’s Academy boasts a studio offering one-on-one tuition with fully-qualified PGA professionals and prides itself in tailoring golf lessons to suit the individual, focusing on the areas required for improvement.

An indoor teaching studio allows guests to practice or take a lesson regardless of the weather. With the studio’s retractable doors, players are able to enjoy hitting from an air-conditioned area whilst still playing to the greens outside. The academy also holds swing analysis software with the latest technology including a Trackman simulator. A putting green and tailor-made tuition programmes make the Velaa Golf Academy an experience for the whole family to enjoy.

If you still need convincing, check out this video of the Velaa Golf Academy by Olazábal:

We told you it was spectacular but don’t take out word for it. Trust Olazábal, the World Golf Hall of Famer and Ryder Cup hero.

“To be here at Velaa Resort is just extraordinary. It’s fantastic, it’s amazing, you’re surrounded by water in a beautiful island, it’s peaceful, quiet, the whole place is just for your soul.”

For more information and special packages, click here to visit Velaa Private Island.

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My keys to sticking your 50 yard shots tight to the flag
By Frank Murray

Our Academy by Olazabal is an amazing place to hone your short game skills, but we had a little fun with this temporary inflatable green during Golf Digest Middle East’s recent visit to Velaa Private Island.

Learning how to control shots of this distance is such a fundamental part of good scoring and I wanted to share a few ideas for good pitching with you. If your game is sharp from 50 yards, you’ll save yourself a ton of pars and set up plenty of birdies, too. Here’s what to focus on during your practice.

At impact, make sure that your hands are ahead of the ball.

The primary way that pitching differs from chipping, other than the length of the swing, is that on a pitch, the downswing is initiated by your lower body. From the backswing position pictured here, which is all you want to swing to for a 50-yard shot, your hips begin moving towards the target, allowing your arms to drop across the chest.

You know that low, controlled ball flight the pros have on their pitch shots? They do that with forward shaft lean at impact, which lowers the loft on the club. Help achieve this by setting up with more weight on your left side, and have your shaft leaning forward at address. You want to feel like your hands are ahead of the ball to achieve optimum impact.

Frank Murray is the Director of Instruction at the Academy by Olazabal on Velaa Private Island in The Maldives. The academy is managed by Troon Golf. For more info, visit velaaprivateisland.com

Photograph by David Bernard

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