Worldwide Golf

AFTER a season of surprises in the golf world I’m looking forward to seeing who comes out on top in the second edition of the Dubai World Championship on the Earth course we designed at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
The winner of last year’s inaugural event, Lee Westwood, did it in style with a six-shot victory over Ross McGowan with Rory McIlroy eight shots adrift and Padraig Harrington nine shots back.
To shoot 23-under-par, finishing with a 64, was sensational golf. I was pleased for Lee who described his performance as the best golf he had ever played.

Great advert for The Tour
I agree with the sentiments he expressed on winning the Championship when he said: “It’s a fantastic tournament. If you ever wanted a tournament to burst onto the scene that’s probably as good as it gets out there – I think Dubai, the Earth course and The European Tour have come out of it looking fantastic. It’s a great effort for golf in this region and a great advert for The European Tour.”
I was very proud of our Earth course hosting such a Championship and it’s great to see the interest it is already gathering for the second Dubai World Championship in November. It was a phenomenal performance by Lee but, as he commented, the expected winds didn’t blow and the conditions were near perfect.Lee went on to say: “The Earth course played really well, particularly as the week went on and the greens firmed up. The greens were true. If you hit a good putt the ball went in. There’s plenty of water out there to make it interesting and it’s not an easy finish when you’re under pressure. It’s the kind of golf course where you have to play strategically and leave yourself in areas where it’s easy to get up and down in two.”
The Earth course will be more mature this time around and I’ll be surprised if the scores are as good this time.
I was happy to see the Championship get such a good send-off and for Lee to win The Race to Dubai as well the Dubai World Championship earned him record winnings of $2,750,000. That’s a huge boost in getting a first event off the ground. I’ve said it many times but the Dubai World Championship proved that the model for Dubai and the vision of Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum is world class. What Singapore is to the Far East, Dubai is to the GCC subcontinent and North Africa.
The Maktoum family have created a well managed, well established and settled government with an excellent infrastructure. It also has a world-class airline in Emirates Airline, advantageous tax structures for individuals and corporations, plus a wide variety of sporting and recreational activities available to spectators and participants.
Over a relatively short period of time Dubai has established itself as a centre for business in the region with a thriving international import and export trade. Most Fortune 500 companies have a substantial base in Dubai. Geographically and strategically Dubai is well placed to command such a position and I don’t see that changing.
Like so many other markets, Dubai simply developed too fast and got ahead of itself.

It needed to go through a slight correction, which appears to have taken place.

Excellent momentum
The Dubai World Championship is an example of how Dubai is committed to offering consistency and continuity to its friends and partners. Jumeirah Golf Estates, despite some slight setbacks, has excellent momentum.
It is powering forward. The infrastructure is now coming on strong and I believe that  Jumeirah Golf Estates will continue to be the standard by which all other real estate-driven golf course communities in the GCC will be measured.
I’m pleased that the Fire course we designed has become so popular among golfers in Dubai. It seems to be in equal demand to the Earth course, which is exactly how we hoped it would work out. The European Tour and the Dubai authorities can take great credit for the way in which they have steadily and confidently worked their way through a very difficult period.  
I’m a great believer that the strongest relationships are often forged in troubled times and clearly the principals and management teams have worked very well together to maintain the standard and integrity of the Championship.
As the Grand Finale to The European Tour season the Dubai World Championship is the ideal showcase for the growing number of world-class players on The Tour.
With Ian Poulter beating fellow Englishman Paul Casey in the final of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona, Graeme McDowell’s triumph at the US Open, Rory McIlroy winning his first event on the PGA Tour, Lee Westwood winning his second title in the United States and Justin Rose becoming one of only two multiple winners on the PGA Tour so far, the Europeans are flying high.
The Dubai World Championship has already established itself as one of the biggest events in world golf and November’s Championship is shaping up to become an even bigger and better end-of-season climax.

“I’m a great believer that the strongest relationships are often forged in troubled times and clearly the principals and management teams have worked very well together to maintain the standard and integrity of the Championship.” – GREG NORMAN 

The Wave Muscat making waves in Oman

I’m pleased to say that work is gathering pace at The Wave Muscat since my site visit there in May. Capping has begun to the 14th hole; the pump station has arrived in Muscat and is ready for installation; Greens Mix blending is underway; construction of the cart paths has begun; the marine headland work to the 9th and 18th holes is 60 per cent complete and the rough shaping of the back nine holes is taking place. I’m excited at what is happening at The Wave and I believe it is going to be an outstanding golf resort.