Major tournaments shape golf in the UAE

When Dubai announced it had won the rights to hold the final round of the PGA European Tour, it captured the attention of the golfing world.

Not only was there a prize fund of $10m, but the tournament also changed the name of the Order of Merit to the Race for Dubai, also with a $10m prize pool.

The decision went global, caused debate and further stamped the emirate and the UAE on the golfing map.

With so much real estate and tourism tied into golf, it is easy to see why tournaments are important. A strong tournament legitimises a course and a region’s golfing credentials. Plus, it brings in keen golfers who not only want to watch the tournament, but at some point play the course.

Dubai has managed to capture the world’s attention – as it has with so much of what it has done – but it is not the only emirate to hold an important championship. Every January the top golfers head to the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship (again, part of the European Tour), this year being the third time it was held.

The winner, Martin Kaymer, walked away with $330,794, but the emirate also won. Around 25,000 people attended the tournament and although most already lived in the UAE, a sizeable chunk flew in from mainly Europe. And with that, they brought spending money for hotels, food, drink and merchandise. And perhaps a round or two of golf.

DJ Flanders, Abu Dhabi Golf Club General Manager, told AME Info before the Championship began: ‘It’s great for the golf club but more importantly it’s good for Abu Dhabi, because it’s going to give us international exposure in some of the golfing markets.’

Following hot the heels of the Abu Dhabi championship is the Desert Classic, held at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai. Again, top golfers play the tournament, attracting thousands of spectators and therefore, disposable income into the emirate. In December, the course is also home to the Dubai Ladies Masters, a major tournament in the Ladies touring circuit.

Dubai World Championship

And of course next year will see the inaugural Dubai World Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates. With spectator levels expected to hit somewhere between 50,000 and 75,000, the organisers are already planning the event and as part of preparations, it has set up the Dubai World Championship division in Leisurecorp.

That is looking at how much people are on average likely to spend at the event on hotels, refreshments, merchandise, and so on. The company recognises that being the inaugural event, merchandise will be hot property, and will unveil the look in July, with it going on sale from November this year.

A key part of Jumeriah Golf Estates, which is spread over 2,750 acres, is the property under development. Selling golf property helps fund a course and David Spencer, CEO of Golf at Leisurecorp, said winning a major tournament helps sell that real estate. Although most of the property had already been bought, the announcement heralded a final flurry of sales.

Spencer believes the new tournament will be one of the top golf championships in the world and Dubai the leading twenty-first century ‘golf destination under construction’.

‘We won the golf version of the Olympics,’ Spencer said.

PGA European Tour

The tournament will have its downsides. To play, golfers must have finished in the top 60 on the PGA European Tour and that means anyone who concentrates on the American tour will not be included – preventing some big names from entering.

‘In putting the it together we looked to create a bespoke tournament that was special to Jumeirah Golf Estates,’ added Spencer. ‘There was no point in just creating another tournament. We wanted something that was great for Dubai and would sit alongside the Desert Classic, but would put the world’s eyes on Dubai.’

And successful tournaments breed more successful tournaments in the UAE. But while the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship and Dubai Desert Classic helped the emirate win the Dubai World Championship, because the country already had a proven track record, Spencer doubts anymore will be announced with the same gravitas over the coming few years. But he believes Dubai is likely to be home to new seniors or challenge matches instead, so will continue to increase its major tournaments.

And with that will come more spectators, more hotel bookings and of course, more real estate in demand.