- BLACKBOOK TEE TIME D E - BLACKBOOK TEE TIME D E P A R T U R E S at I N T E R N A T Go online for more about the latest goings-on in the Gulf . C O M I O N A L m o r e S e e dubai Emirates Golf Club (dubaigolf.com) heralded Dubai’s golfing fortunes when it debuted in 1988 with the 7,301-yard Majlis course, later to be complemented by Nick Faldo’s eponymous 7,348-yard offering, the only fully floodlit layout in the UAE. If playing at night somehow feels entirely apt in these parts, then Dubai Creek (dubaigolf.com) won’t disappoint either, with its urban-meets-creekside setting and an island tee box (on the sixth hole) which was once an embarkation pier for boats on the so-named saltwater inlet. Designed by Robert Trent Jones II, Al Badia Golf Club by InterContinental (albadiagolfclub.ae) also features aquatic views aplenty, in the shape of myriad ponds, streams and waterfalls, all spread across 7,303 manicured yards. A similarly traditional test beckons at The Els Club (elsclubdubai.com), sculpted by Ernie Els from a rolling expanse of desert, and at the two Greg Norman-designed courses at Jumeirah Golf Estates (jumeirahgolfestates.com), Earth and Fire, measuring 7,675 yards and 7,433 yards respectively. The former is a parkland-style tract while the latter is more of a links-style layout, though both feature cavernous bunkers and require a brains not brawn mindset. Not to be outdone, The Address Montgomerie (themontgomerie.com), designed by Colin Montgomerie, boasts no fewer than 81 sand traps, undulating fairways and innumerable hazards, solidifying both its own and Dubai’s bulletproof golfing credentials. An ode to a traditional Arab dhow, the striking sail-like clubhouse of the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s 18th hole and its unique falcon-shaped clubhouse Abu DhabI A trio of courses, two of which were designed by notable architects and unveiled in 2010 to great fanfare, are increasingly putting the UAE capital on the golfing map. The brainchild of Kyle Phillips, whose previous projects include Kingsbarns in Scotland and The Grove in England, Yas Links (yaslinks.com) is a brawny 7,450- yard links-style tract stretching along a 3km coastline of the Persian Gulf with no fewer than nine holes fronting its aquamarine waters. Equally challenging and even more ferocious is Gary Player’s seaside Saadiyat Beach Golf Club (sbgolfclub.ae), which like Yas, opened in 2010 but measures an awe-inspiring 7,806 yards from the tips. Meanwhile, the 7,440-yard Peter Harradine stalwart, the Abu Dhabi Golf Club (adgolfclub.com), which wends its way around seven sizable (and penal) saltwater lakes, no fewer than 90 strategically placed catch-bunkers and through undulating pockets speckled with palms, ornamental trees, flowering bushes and shrubbery, has recently benefited from a new, 172-room, on-site Westin-branded hotel and spa. the sultanate of oman Hoping to be the harbinger in this land of wadis and fort-studded mountains, Greg Norman has designed the country’s first truly championship course. Almouj Golf (almoujgolf.com) is a 7,342-yard stunner at the heart of an ambitious US.5bn project called The Wave. Strung along a 5.6km stretch of coastline, the links-style course comprises sand dunes, sunken fairways and generous rolling green complexes – resulting, says Norman, “in one of the most beautiful and unique courses I’ve ever been involved with”. Routed around the seafront and a pair of inland lakes, the course provides golfers with a surfeit of water views and variety, ensuring it becomes an instant classic. ♦ The Greg Normandesigned Almouj Golf course FROM TOP: GERRY O’LEARY, © TROON, PAUL MACLEOD 30 departures-international.com CONTACT PLATINUM CARD SERVICE FOR BOOKINGS
Here they come. See the future, feel it, know that now it is yours. EL AL is proud to present the newest and most advanced fleet of aircraft - Boeing 737-900ER. The future is here. Come and get to know it. On flights to/from Israel as of October 24, 2013 www.elal.co.il
