With the beachside par 3 sixth hole providing a stunning backdrop for a giant hashtag encouraging more women to take up the sport, the stars of the game chose a wide range of words to sum up female greatness, from ‘strength’ to ‘perseverance’, ‘passion’ and ‘dedication’.

England’s Mel Reid will be playing with plenty of passion on a course she knows well this week

Emma Cabrera Bello had a straightforward answer to the question, ‘what makes women great?’

Agathe Sauzon was one of numerous Ladies European Tour players to speak in glowing praise of Gary Player’s Saadiyat Beach design

Emirati woman Sarah Al Nowais co-founded The AD Movement and believes Perseverance is the key to her success

Annika Sorenstam, the all-time great who has been actively growing the game of golf among women through her ANNIKA Foundation for the past eight years, singled out ‘family’ as the word that resonates more powerfully than any other. “I really applaud the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and everyone involved [with the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open] for what they’re doing here at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club,” said Sorenstam, who won 10 majors during a glittering career.

Annika Sorenstam (right) with compatriot and Saadiyat Beach Golf Club ambassador Camilla Lennarth

High flying Spaniard Belen Mozo and Sana Tufail, an amateur who grew up playing golf in Abu Dhabi and is now pursuing a college career in the United States, also joined in with the campaign, which saw a massive amount of engagement on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as players underwent their final preparations for today’s first round.

Alongside world-class golf, the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open will offer an action-packed four days of interactive experiences, golf clinics, children’s activities, competitions, cuisine and much more for families and friends.

The FBMLO has been organised by the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, in co-operation with Abu Dhabi Sports Council and is also sponsored by: TDIC, Al Masaood, CNBC, Etihad, Marriott Downtown Abu Dhabi and Omega. The event is free to attend and tees off today.

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More information is available from www.fbmladiesopen.com, on Instagram and Twitter (@fbmladiesopen), and on Facebook

The post Saadiyat Beach lights up social media with #WomenOnCourse appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.