Dave Glendenning

Super conditioning

Great conditioning and my favorite of the Greg Norman courses I have played.

This course is not as well known as it’s more famous neighbour - it’s literally a sand wedge from Winged Foot. The course is a fantastic routing through a tree lined parkland piece of land. It’s a very private club and what’s quite unique is that it’s only available to join if you’re Jewish. Thankfully theydidn’t make that a criteria for visitors to play it. It’s a sensational track, and a must play if you get the opportunity.

As the USPGA takes its ultimate test to what I would rank as one of the ultimate golf courses this week it should be a fantastic test. This course doesn’t need to be tricked up in any way. It has had some of The Who’s who in golden age architecture- Flynn, Raynor and MacDonald touch this fabulous piece of land and in the modern wars two of the very best in Coore & Crenshaw. It’s not easy to get a tee time, but if you’re one of the lucky ones, it will live long in your memory. It’s an outstanding course.

Everything!

Beautiful evening and great to be back at “The Park”

43 degrees and 30km/hr wind beautiful s cold and rain :-)

Great day at Yas, one of the very best courses in the region. But those last 3 holes are tough! Pic of the 9th

I guess you can sum up the Earth course in a few words- there’s a lot of sand around ... and not the waste areas that surround the fairways! The course is distinctive because of its numerous and deep bunkers. You need to drive the ball well, and accurately to score well around this course. Greg Norman either loves or hates bunkers, I’m not sure which. Not my favorite course, the holes are not so memorable as they are very similar on the whole, except for the last 3 which, if the other 15 had been of a similar nature it really could have been a very special routing. Still, it’s worth booking a tee time and playing. Practice facilities are superb, condition is always excellent and the clubhouse has a relaxed and welcoming vibe. Sharpen the sand play before you peg it up!

The original and probably still the best...but it’s going to lose out to the new Trump International Dubai. The Majlis can still keep its status if the European Tour and LET continue to use the course to host their prestigious Desert Classics and the fact that the course is right in the heart of the vibrant Marina area will always mean it’s a busy place to get a tee time. If you’re in the area it’s a must play. The layout is excellent. The clubhouse has recently been refurbished to include a new food and beverage area and the service is excellent. As for the course, it was being prepared for the LET event at the beginning of December and the greens were not running as fast as they could. The rough was up compared to what’s it’s usually like ahead of one of their showcase tournaments and there was some working taking place across the course but it didn’t really interfere with play. The range is close to the 1st tee and it’s off mats. They have the Peter Cowen academy which is first class but it’s not convenient to use as a warm up area if you don’t have much time to spare as it’s a buggy ride away. If you’re visiting around the tone of the Desert Classic, a trip to the academy could be worth while to see some of the very best get a lesson from Pete and Mike. I was there to see Graeme McDowell work with Pete and he didn’t look like he needed much fixing :-)

Don’t miss out on Trump Dubai if you’re here. It’s a great experience

The time of year and the amount of sand that is now on the course

Course is still open, but with the preparation for the winter well under way it’s not the best condition, with a lot of sand now on the fairways. Still, a birdie on the 7th was nice :-)

Picture perfect morning for the Nations cup 1st round!