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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