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The
Dubai Desert Classic
 The
premier event of the PGA European Tour, the Dubai Desert Classic is the annual international golf tournament
conducted with much ado at Dubai. It has been the
aim for Dubai to utilize this as an invitation to
not just internationally renowned golf players but
also tourists and visitors from across the globe.
For the same purpose everything possible is being
don’t to raise the magnitude of this annual event
into an international one which will help form new
links with world golf and tourism.
Previous
years saw
the likes of Tiger Woods, the world’s number
one golfer and one of the most famous figures
on today’s international sport
scene besides
participants from over 30 countries at the venue
of the annual Dubai Desert Classic
sponsored by the Dubai Aluminum Company (DUBAL) at
the challenging Majlis Course of the Emirates
Golf Club. Those who have
carried away the laurels over the years include
Jose Coceres of Argentina, Jose Maria Olazabal of
Spain, Fred Couples of the USA, Ernie Els of South
Africa, Colin Montgomerie of Scotland, and Seve
Ballesteros of Spain. Others who have participated
have all won major golf tournaments and include,
Nick Faldo (England) Ian Woosnam (Wales), Greg
Norman (Australia), Nick Price (Zimbabwe), Sandy
Lyle (Scotland), Vijay Singh (Fiji) and Justin
Leonard and Mark O’Meara (USA).
Golf
and tourism complement each other in Dubai during
this annual event. There is ample media coverage
that gives excellent exposure to not just the
fabulous golf courses that Dubai boasts of, namely,
the Emirates Golf Course and the Dubai Creek Golf
and Yacht Club, but also has millions of golf fans
glued to their television sets. Dubai takes the
opportunity to project itself as the ideal tourist
destination on the globe.
COURSE
The PGA European
Tour event will celebrate its 15th anniversary
at the Emirates
Golf Club’s Majlis Course from March
4-7 2004 with Tiger Woods the star attraction
in what is gearing up to be the strongest line-up
in the
history
of the event.
The
Majlis course
is a source of pride for Dubai. This 7,185-yard,
par-72 course is truly of international
standards. It is a feast to the eyes too, sculpted
from the desert and stretches of manicured greens,
the natural terrain providing an exciting challenge
to the professional and amateur alike. The natural
terrain has been retained as such to the maximum
extent according to the desire of H.H. Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. This makes the game
all the more exciting as desert and vegetation
alternate to face the wayward shots. A part of the
course that tests the skills of even experts is the
par 4, eighth hole as it is hard to succeed for
the push drive or slice from the raised tee box has
to make it past barriers of bushes and hit the green
in regulation. As the green is protected by five
bunkers which makes a par on this hole during the
Dubai Desert Classic, a spectacular one.
The
finale of any course is the most impressive one and the 18th at the Majlis is rightly so. The lake that
borders the final hole’s double green, truly
dampens every golfer’s spirits! The lake swallowed
a wedge shot by Ian Woosnam in 1997 and he lost from
being in a winning position to Australia's Richard
Green in the play-off.
Talking
of those who have suffered at the lake, Tiger Woods
is not far behind. The year 2001 proved so unlucky
as he sent his third shot into the lake letting his
playing partner,Thomas Bjorn to see out the hole and
win the magnificent Desert Classic trophy and Woods
will remember the sad memories of the trophy that
had almost been his.
The
year 2003 promises to be as exciting and the
Dubai’s international course promises to be as
challenging as ever to the best golfers from the
world over.
Find out more about this great event here: http://www.dubaidesertclassic.com
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