DJ Khaled reveals his passion for golf, while Mark Chapleski gets set for the easy life in retirement.

Abdullah Al Naboodah takes us through his new role with the European Tour Group, while Lucas Herbert gives tips on mastering the greens.

Golf Digest Middle East’s Play & Stay is back, and we are inviting you to join us at Yas Island’s top venues for a weekend to remember.

The Golf Digest Hot List also gets to grips with the best wedges on offer this year.

All this and much, much more in the June 2023 edition of Golf Digest Middle East.

The issue is again free to our loyal audience. You can scroll through the ISSUU link provided here or download 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 June 2023 edition of Golf Digest Middle East FREE here today! appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Rory McIlroy. Getty Images

Have you secured your Yas Island Golf Staycation yet?

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to compete on these two great golf courses and enjoy a night’s stay with evening brunch & breakfast included.

FOR ONLY AED 1,295 you and your friend will get:

• One spot in nine-hole tournament (individual stableford format) at Yas Acres Golf & Country Club with 5pm shotgun on Friday June 9
• Evening brunch for two with house beverages at Stills
• Overnight stay for two at Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi – Yas Island
• On Saturday June 10, breakfast for two at Jing Asia & one spot in 18-hole tournament (individual stableford format) at Yas Island Abu Dhabi

Book now to secure your spot before it’s too late. Time is running out, so act fast!

The post Play & Stay: Now you can win a Pro-Am spot at the 2024 Dubai Desert Classic appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Golf Digest Middle East’s Play & Stay competition is back — and this time we are heading to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi to offer one of the finest golfing experiences the capital has to offer. 

Following the successful inaugural edition in Dubai, GDME Play & Stay — in association with Viya Golf — returns bigger and better. 

For just AED 1,295, you and a friend (twin share or double) can enjoy a two-day staycation on Yas Island with one playing spot in each round at Yas Links Abu Dhabi and Yas Acres Golf & Country Club, either side of a luxury pampering at Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi – Yas Island on June 9 and 10. Non-golfers can chill at Crowne Plaza’s Cyan Beach or pool and enjoy discounted offers at the Crowne Fitness spa and sauna.

It’s no problem if you’re a couple that golf together or a pair of golfing pals looking for an epic weekend away either. A second spot in either tournament can be booked for AED 150 (Yas Acres) and AED 290 (Yas Links).

Registered players will arrive at the hotel on Yas Island on Friday for a reception, followed a short jaunt for an early evening nine-hole showdown over Yas Acres’ stunning course. 

Following a luxurious night at Crowne Plaza, including a Friday night brunch with house beverages at Stills, and Saturday breakfast at Jing Asia, guests will head to the famous Yas Links to blow away the cobwebs in an 18-hole shotgun competition on the coast of the windswept Arabian Gulf.

THE PLAY

Yas Acres Golf & Country Club
First up on early Friday evening is the UAE’s newest arrival on the golfing scene. Yas Acres Golf & Country Club opened last year to a great reception from local golfers and visitors from abroad, and it continues to grow in popularity, having been added to Viya Golf’s growing portfolio of clubs across the UAE. 

The nine/18-hole set-up is perfect for experienced golfers, budding youngsters, weekend warriors and those who just like to relax and let the others do the hard work.

The par-36 track will test golfers with long holes, spanning 130 acres, across challenging contours and a low ridgeline that runs through the centre of the course. Some massive bunkers add to the experience and, while the fairways are generous, water is in play on four of the holes to keep you on your toes. 

On top on the fully floodlit Fry/Straka-designed nine-hole course — stretching from 2,554 yards to a challenging 3,700 yards from five different tee boxes — Yas Acres has a lot more to offer in the heart of Yas Island.

Away from the course, golfers of all levels can work on their game at the world-class floodlit practice facilities, including two chipping greens, with practice bunkers, USGA-approved putting greens — and the longest driving range in the UAE.

The club also offers a gymnasium, padel tennis, swimming pool, plus three restaurants with views over the course.

YAS LINKS abu dhabi
Saturday’s tournament will be a day to remember regardless of your score as competitiors will follow in the footsteps of some of the world’s greatest golfers at the famous Yas Links. This is a true links golf course, located on the western shores of Yas Island with views of the Arabian Gulf and is home to the DP World Tour Rolex Series Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. 

Designed by American Kyle Phillips of Kingsbarns, Scotland, fame, Yas Links forms the heart of the island’s massive entertainment complex. 

As the name suggestions, Phillips fashioned this as a warm-weather links, using two million cubic yards of sand dredged from an adjacent marina to create the shape and contours of the masterpiece, before covering everything with salt-tolerant Paspalum turf. 

Amateurs lucky enough to call the UAE home and international visitors in the know have been smitten for years with one of the region’s most popular tracks, which has been home to the HSBC Championship since 2022, when it switched from Abu Dhabi Golf Club after 16 editions. Being a links set-up, the course offers new challenges with the famous Arabian Gulf breezes wafting in over the mangroves and the undulating layout. 

Beware the stunningly difficult three-hole closing stretch which has been the scene of many amateur-hour meltdowns.

THE STAY

Crowne Plaza
Friday night will be spent in style at one of Abu Dhabi’s most stylish hotels — the What’s On award-winning Crowne Plaza on Yas Island. Located in the heart of Abu Dhabi’s top destination island, the hotel resort overlooks Yas Links and has its own private Cyan Beach on the shores of the Arabian Gulf — perfect for sundowners and beautiful sunsets.

As well as all the entertainment venues on the hotel’s doorstep — including F1 racetrack, Ferrari World, Warner Bros and Yas Waterworld, Yas Mall is also only a stone’s throw away for those in need of retail therapy. For Golf Digest Middle East Play & Stay non-golfers who fancy the luxury life without straying too far, the hotel offers an outdoor pool, fitness centre, kids club, dining outlets and a shisha garden. Non-golfing guests can continue to use facilities on Saturday, with late-check-out  available.

Signup

The post A capital staycation with style: Golf Digest Middle East’s Play & Stay returns — this time at the top venues on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The new year is always a highly anticipated time for golf fans in the Middle East as it signals the busiest time on the calendar when the four-week DP World Tour UAE Swing comes to town. 

Such is the way of things these days, the players get little in the way of rest following the end of the preceding campaign, before the new season opens its doors (the 2023 campaign officially began on November 24, four days after the 2022 season-ending DP World Tour Championship).

There are actually six ‘2023’ events in South Africa, Australia and Mauritius before the bells ring on December 31, but the UAE Swing is the real sign to get the season rolling. 

The 2023 extravaganza is certainly not to be missed as some of the best players in the world grace the courses of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah.

With the big names already in town for the Hero Cup, where the top 10 players from Great Britain & Ireland face off against Continental Europe’s finest on Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s National Course in a Ryder Cup warm-up, fans will be in for a treat across the UAE.

First up is the return to Yas Links, Abu Dhabi, and the first Rolex Series event of the year. 

Not only will there be $9 million on the table from January 19-22 on Yas Island at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, there will also be 5,000 Ryder Cup points up for grabs as those hoping to make Luke Donald’s team at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome come September look to make an early move into contention. 

Thomas Pieters’ final-round 72 and 10-under-par 278 was just enough to claim the trophy back in January, the Belgian just managing to hold off the surge from local hero Rafa Cabrera-Bello and India’s finest Shubhankar Sharma.

Viktor Hovland was two shots shy, but his time to shine was just around the corner 

“Winning a Rolex Series event is as good as it gets in Europe,” said Pieters as he cradled the Falcon Trophy in his arms. 

He will be looking for another strong start to the year, with Luke Donald certain to be taking notes.

Another one to watch will be the winner of the Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship, which takes place from December 13-15. Victory in that tournament books a ticket to Yas Links, and the victor will have a lot to live up to following Josh Hill’s break-out season in 2022, where he made the cut in both the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (58th) and then the Dubai Desert Classic (55th).

Following the celebrations on Sunday, the cream of European golf will make the short trip along Sheikh Zayed Road to the Emirates Golf Club for the Dubai Desert Classic, where another $9 million and 5,000 Ryder Cup points will be available.

Coming off one of his best-ever seasons without lifting a major in 2022, reinstalled world No. 1 Rory McIlroy will be chasing a hat-trick over the famous Majlis course from January 26-29.

The Northern Irishman triumphed in this event in 2009 and 2015, and blew a great chance for the triple crown last year, where he found the water on 18 to miss out on at least a playoff with Viktor Hovland and Richard Bland.

Left: Viktor Hovland was the eventual winner of 2022’s Dubai Desert Classic. Right: Nicolai Højgaard won the inaugural Ras Al Khaimah Championship. Photos by Getty Images

It was the Norwegian who took the glory and announce his arrival at golf’s top table with a thrilling playoff win over the English veteran Bland as dusk fell across EGC.

McIlroy himself, though, knows he has unfinished business in Dubai.

The 33-year-old said: “I always look forward to playing the Dubai Desert Classic, having won the tournament twice in my career, and the Majlis is a golf course that I love to play.

“Lifting the Dallah trophy for a third time is something I would love to achieve.”

Following the conclusion of the back-to-back Rolex Series events, the action rolls on up to Ras Al Khaimah, where the RAK Championship returns from February 2-5. Nicolai Højgaard took top spot at Al Hamra in 2022, and both he and his twin brother Rasmus will be back vying for those valuable Ryder Cup points this time around. 

So, strap in for four weeks of non-stop action right across the UAE.

The post Swing away: The new year signals the start of four weeks of top golfing entertainment in the UAE appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 3,700 yard, 9/18-hole track provides the perfect challenge for keen golfers, while also being an enjoyable experience for those looking to start their journey in the sport. 

A relaxed experience, the par-36 course features stunning visuals with its compelling contours and long holes, spanning 130 acres, including large bunkers and a lake and stream that flows throughout the entire course, supporting the growth of native desert plants and vegetation.

Yas Acres Golf & Country Club opened earlier this year on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi and has quickly gained popularity, thanks to its versatile layout and night-golf set-up to help avoid the heat.

Book your tee time today with Viya App when you download for free from the App Store.

viya.ae

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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

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
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The post Light up the course away from the heat for a memorable evening at Yas Acres Golf & Country Club appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The Yas Acres Weekender has teed up a perfect way to take an extra day off to help celebrate its grand opening, where you can spend some time with the family, while still getting out on the course, either as a player or spectator.

From Thursday 20 to Sunday 23 October, the Yas Acres Weekender offers four days of family-fuelled fun at the newest golf club in the UAE portfolio on Yas Island, with activities and events including golf, padel tennis, watersports — alongside the launch of the club’s two new restaurants and the Big Acres Brunch

With something for everyone, there are some not-to-be-ignored offers in place over the weekend, including discounted rates on golf, starting from AED200 with drinks included. There is also a 9-hole Ladies Day on Saturday, with pre- and post-game coffee, snacks and fizz. There is a real treat on Sunday with the Festival of Golf, which is free to enter and includes a 7am Par 3 tournament, followed by a long-drive event, nearest-the-pin challenge and putting competition.

Away from the course there is a 50-per-cent discount on padel tennis each day and the Saturday kids’ pool party. There will also be a craft market and plenty of kids activities.

With the kids well fed and rested, Sunday sees the launch of the Acres Big Brunch from 12.30pm-3pm, along with the ever-popular Picnic on the Range, which opens at 8am and starts at AED50 per person.

For those not in the know, Yas Acres Golf & Country Club opened earlier this year on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi and has quickly earned a reputation for golfers of all abilities, thanks to its 9/18-hole layout and a nifty floodlit set-up to help avoid the heat.

The Yas Acres Weekender will let visitors see the full facilities the Country Club has to offer, as the official grand opening also marks the launch two new F&B outlets: Acres Grill House and The Black Room, with music and refreshments to suit all tastes.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s on offer over the four-day bonanza:
Thursday
All-day Al Forno at Roots, 9am-10pm
Yas Links Ladies v Saadiyat Ladies
Complimentary padel clinics and tournament, 5pm-8pm
The Black Room launch, 7pm-10pm
Friday
All-day Al Forno at Roots,  9am-10pm
Kids art & crafts corner, 5pm-7pm
Society Championships, 5pm shotgun start
Yas Acres Grill House launch, 5pm-11pm
Pitching challenge, 5pm-7pm

Yas Acres Golf & Country Club offers activities such as swimming, padel tennis and a gymnasium

Saturday
All-day Al Forno at Roots, 9am-10pm
Craft market, 11am-8pm
Ladies Golf Day, 9am shotgun start
Kids Pool Day (free entry 12 and below), 11am-3pm
Viya Golf & Dubai Golf Challenge, 1pm-5pm
Sunday — Community Day
Picnic on the Range, 8am-10pm
Par 3 Challenge, 7am-10.30pm
Long Drive Challenge, noon-2pm.
Nearest to the Pin Challenge, 3pm-5pm.
Putting Challenge, 3pm-5pm
All-day Al Forno at Roots, 9am-10pm
Acres Big Brunch with live music and kids’ entertainment,12.30pm-3.30pm

What
Yas Acres Long Weekender
Where
Yas Acres Golf & Country Club, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
When
Thursday 20 to Sunday 23 October

More info: viyagolf.com/weekender

You may also like: 
Viya’s Christopher May on portfolio expansion
Yas Acres joins the club

The post Something for the Weekend at Yas Acres Golf & Country Club appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By GolfDigestME.com

Yas Acres Golf & Country Club Community Week

Yas Acres Golf & Country Club, the latest addition to the UAE’s expansive and impressive golfing portfolio, is officially opening its doors — and you are invited to celebrate in style with a week of special events.

Following its inauguration in December, Yas Acres is now offering the public the chance to come along and see why it is creating such a buzz in the local golf community and beyond.

From Monday April 18, Yas Acres Golf & Country Club will host a week’s worth of free activities to show just what they have to offer.

These events include:

• Ladies’ Day with free clinic, drinks and bites
• Men’s Evening with free clinic, longest drive competition and whisky tasting at the Cigar Lounge Experience
• Get into Golf evening with PGA professionals with BBQ and drinks
• Introduction to Padel with discounted court rental and on-site Mexican F&B offers
• Friday Pool & Movie Night for the Family to enjoy the fantastic leisure facilities with accompanying snacks
• Yas Acres Golf Open individual and team competitions
• Community Open Day for all to enjoy the best that Yas Acres Golf & Country Club has to offer

The week begins on Monday with Ladies Day as Abu Dhabi’s female golf enthusiasts, non-golfers and Yas Acres residents are invited to a free clinic, followed by drinks and bites. There will also be a ‘shopping soiree’ with entertainment.

The men take over on Tuesday with their own free clinic, followed by a slice of luxury with cigars and whisky tasting.

Other highlights from the week include a ‘Get Into Golf’ day on Wednesday with a further complimentary clinic, as well as access to the driving range where there will be music, a long-drive competition and Trackman access.

Thursday and Friday will promote some of the club’s other facilities with a free ‘Introduction to Padel’ evening and a ‘Pool & Movie Night’ respectively.

The weekend means only one thing — back to the course itself for some competitive golf. The Yas Acres Open will be attended by a string of VIPs where players will battle it out for the Gross and Net titles for both men and women and the inaugural plaques and trophies will be distributed.

To round things off, Yas Acres Golf & Country Club will host its first ‘Community Open Day’, with picnics for juniors and families, along with music, fun activities and Par 3 and mini-golf competitions.

About us

Yas Acres was inaugurated in December and the Fry/Straka designed nine-hole course stretches from 2,554 yards at its shortest to a challenging 3,700 yards.

Golf is available day or night thanks to the course being fully floodlit, with generous fairways, sizeable greens and plenty of water offering a fun yet challenging experience for golfers of all levels.

There are five tee grounds for each hole at Yas Acres, with decks available to suit golfers of all standards. Facilities also include an impressive driving range, access to pros for lessons, padel tennis courts, a gym and swimming pool.

Community Week Timetable

Monday, April 18 – Ladies’ Day
9am-11am: Ladies Golf Clinic
11am-2pm: Shopping Soiree
11pm-4pm: Mimosas and tapas
Sign up here

Tuesday, April 19 – Men’s Evening
6pm-7pm: Men’s Golf Clinic
7pm-8pm: Longest Drive Competition
7pm-9:30pm: Whisky and Cigar Experience (Cigar Lounge Experience for AED 100 per person; Malt whisky tasting with Whisky Master and on-site cigar roller)
7pm-10pm: Pass around food and whisky
Sign up here

Wednesday, April 20 – Get into Golf
From 9am: Fitness activities at the Studio
5.30pm: Mixology and BBQ at Roots Bar & Kitchen terrace
6pm-7pm: Get in to Golf Clinic (with PGA Pros)
7pm-9:30pm: Driving Range Access
Sign up here

Saturday, April 23 – Yas Acres Golf Open
Nine-hole team and individual competitions
Best two of four team scoring
Gross Men’s and Ladies winner recognised with official Yas Acres Open Plaque and Trophy
Sign up here

Yas Acres Golf & Country Club offers other activities such as swimming, padel tennis and a gymnasium

PRICES
Admission is free to all activations, F&B supplements apply. Golf Tournament participation rates dependent on local golf memberships.
Special daily rate of AED 100 per nine holes bookable via the Troon International app using code ‘GITG’
Click here for more information

LOCATION
Yas Acres Golf & Country Club
Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Opening times
Golf: 9am-9pm
Dining: 8am-midnight
Padel: 9am-9pm

Website
www.yasacresgolf.com

AT A GLANCE

What
Yas Acres Golf & Country Club Community Week

Where
Yas Acres Golf & Country Club, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

When
April 18-24
Monday 18 – Ladies’ Day
Tuesday 19 – Men’s Evening
Wednesday 20 – Get into Golf
Thursday 21 – Introduction to Padel
Friday 22 – Pool & Movie Night
Saturday 23 – Yas Acres Golf Open
Sunday 24 – Community Day

Price
Admission is free to all activations, F&B supplements apply. Golf Tournament participation rates dependent on local golf memberships
Special daily rate of AED 100 per nine holes bookable via the Troon International app using code ‘GITG’

The post Join the fun at Yas Acres Golf & Country Club Community Week appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.