1988
The Desert Miracle
That was the name given to Emirates Golf
Club, when it became the first championship
all-grass golf course in the golf region,
way back in 1988.
The
brainchild of His Highness General Sheikh
Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Club
was built as an attraction to the growing
corporate sector and the then burgeoning
tourist industry. Within a month of
opening the most important regional
golf tournament - the Pan-Arab - was
taking place on the newly named Majlis
course.
Designed
by Florida-based course architect Karl
Litten, the original 18 holes were built
in and around the dunes of a beautiful
site on the edge of the city of Dubai,
donated by Sheikh Mohamed, on whose
instructions, the desert flora was maintained,
as it is to this day, in its natural
state.
1989
The
club's international recognition was
confirmed in 1989 with the Club's first
European Tour event - the Dubai Desert
Classic. Fourteen years later the tournament
reaches hundreds of millions of TV screens
around the world every year, and most
of the world's top players, including
Tiger Woods and Ernie Els, have taken
part in what is now one of the European
PGA Tour's top events.
1995
In
1995 the club was voted the Favourite
of the Year by the players of the European
Tour, and in 1996 the second eighteen
holes - the Wadi Course - were completed,
bringing Emirates Golf Club to its current
36-holes.
2003
Today,
Emirates Golf Club maintains its position
as the leading golf club in the region
and continues to meet international
standards in every aspect of its operation.
As
the original "desert course"
in the Middle East, the Majlis remains
in many peoples' minds a miracle - The
Desert Miracle.
Emirates
Golf Club has managed to retain the
traditional Arabic warmth of welcome
and quality of service, not just for
golfers, but also for all members and
visitors. And the facilities are not
restricted to golf. With superb tennis
and squash courts, an extensive gymnasium,
a beautiful swimming pool, spectacular
outlets and shops, the Club is a haven
for sports minded people and casual
visitors alike.
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