Monday 19 November 2012

Pay-and-play golf key to increasing player numbers in UAE, says first ever Emirati professional



The Emirati tour professional Ahmed Al Musharrekh hails the accessibility and quality of the UAE’s newest golf course

The UAE needs to create more accessible golf facilities such as The Track if the country is to produce a string of local golf stars, according to Emirati professional player Ahmed Al Musharrekh.

Al Musharrekh recently became the first Emirati professional golfer in history and is well aware of the challenges young Arabs face in taking up the sport.
“Golf is a popular global game, but it is still finding its feet in this part of the world,” he said ahead of the UAE Nationals Golf Day this Saturday at the Meydan course – which is the only pay-and-play facility in the country.
“In order to grow the game and develop more professional Emirati and Arab golfers for the future, we must have more facilities like The Track.
“There are no membership fees and green fees are great value so it has all the hallmarks of a good breeding ground for the future of golf here at all levels.”
Despite the growing number of high-profile international golf tournaments taking place in the UAE, there are few facilities that cater for people who are completely new to the sport.
The Track also recently launched a schools initiative with the Rashid School for Boys in Dubai, introducing golf to their curriculum for the first time.
More than 20 boys from the school train for an hour a week at the course, under the guidance of UAE National Golf coach Jason Froggatt and The Track golf professional William Bruce.
The Track recently launched its golf academy, Academy by Troon, a brand new school of golf with junior classes and starter packages at the heart of the offering.
“In other parts of the world facilities like this and school initiatives are common,” he added.

“But that is not the case yet in the UAE. If we are to catch up and start to regularly produce Arab golfers we need more courses like this.”
For more information about Academy by Troon go to www.meydangolf.com.

Stay up to date on news from The Track at www.facebook.com/thetrackmeydangolfclub .

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