Dubai delighted with coveted IAGTO award
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Emirates Golf Club, featuring Dubai’s only World Top 100 golf course, has welcomed the news that the region has been voted Golf Destination Of The Year – Africa, Indian Ocean & Gulf States, at the 2012 IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators) Awards.
Dubai’s rise on the global golf stage began in 1988 when Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis Course, currently rated No. 97 in sister magazine Golf World Magazine’s highly-influential World Top 100 Courses ranking, became the region’s first grass course.
Often referred to as ‘The Desert Miracle’, the course has grown in stature, and is a regular feature on both the European Tour and Ladies European Tour schedules, this year hosting the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters, Dec 5-8, and next year, the men’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic Jan 31 – Feb 3, 2013.
Christopher May, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Golf, which manages Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, said: “It is heartening to know that Dubai continues to be seen as one of the world’s top destinations for visiting golfers and we are proud of the role both Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club have played in positioning the region as a must-visit golf experience.
“Emirates Golf Club, in particular, has been at the centre of building the region’s golf pedigree for nearly 25 years and with our recent multi-million pound investment in state-of-the-art irrigation systems on our Majlis Course, and our unique ‘night golf’ offering on the Faldo Course, we are confident it will continue to set the standard in the UAE for many years to come.”
Both courses at Emirates Golf Club utilise the natural rolling desert terrain to offer a serious test of golf, while the signature clubhouse, in the shape of Bedouin tents, remains the most eye-catching in the region.
In addition to its standing in Golf World’s Top 100 ranking, the Majlis Course featured in Golf Digest’s ‘100 Best Courses Outside the USA’ listing in 2009.
Commenting on the important IAGTO accolade for Dubai, Hamad Bin Mejren, Executive Director – Business Tourism at the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), said: “Dubai’s golf industry continues to grow and flourish. This award is a true testament to all of the efforts that the golf course developers and operators have put into delivering exceptional experiences for our guests.
*See the next issue of Today’s Golfer, out Dec 27th, for the full list of IAGTO award winners – as well as some cracking offers at the successful venues/resorts.
