MEA Business Awards 2022 57 Luxury is difficult to attain – often meaning different things to different people. Of course, some things are innately luxurious, looking to redefine and set new expectations in their industry. That’s where The Els Club comes in. On the back of its success in the programme, we spoke to General Manager Tom Rourke to find out more. stablished in 2008 and designed by legendary golfer Ernie Els, The Els Club has become a mainstay and paragon within Dubai Sport City, and the greater Middle East. Indeed, for golfers around the world, The Els Club remains a standout, a goal, a bucket list item. “When golfers ask, “What defines a true golfer?” our answer is The Els Club Dubai. From the impeccable course conditions to our world-class experience, we offer a scenario like no other. The contours, green shapes and overall layout is superb with every hole having its own character. “The 18-holes constitute characteristics from Ernie Els’ favourite courses around the world; bunkers from Royal Melbourne, greens resembling Pinehurst No. 2 and wide, rolling links fairways. Combine this with strategically placed tee-boxes, strong course management, soft sand, hard sand and carefully developed undulation, and you are presented with a true masterpiece in golf course design. Besides the fantastic golf venue, The Els Club is home to the ultimate 19-hole, 261 Bar & Restaurant (named after Ernie’s PGA Tour record-breaking 72-hole aggregate score in the 2003 Mercedes Championship) With plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, this really is the perfect place to relax before you tee off or to unwind after a round of golf,” Tom explains in more detail. Of course, The Els Club isn’t just a golf club, but a holistic luxury experience, with a 5-star leisure facility that includes an “urban-chic” gym, restaurant, and swimming pools. Tom calls it “the Jewel of Dubai Sport City”, and this certainly is a well-deserved title. There’s a whole team that works diligently to not only create, but also maintain, this status, as Tom moves on to discuss. “Our team works incredibly hard behind the scenes to ensure that every golfer has a very positive and memorable experience on our pristine golf course. The dedication to continually improve the playing experience for all levels of golfer is at the forefront of everything that the team do. The course has always had a fantastic reputation for its course condition and over the last 12 months we have made many enhancements to take this to the next level. This has included purchasing a considerable amount of new state of the art agronomy equipment, new Club Car golf cart fleet, practice facility shading and surface enhancements, detailed analysis to improve the irrigation system to have the golf course playing firmer and faster as per the original design from Ernie Els as an inland links course design, clearing out and refreshing all landscaping areas and conducting a full review of everything that we do. “Our associates at the course take huge pride in their work and always look at the course through the eyes of those who are playing it. They know that golfers want perfect conditions all year round from when they arrive to putting out on the final green, and they do everything they can to make that happen. It’s not an easy job, but it’s one that our team takes a lot of pride in.” And so we come to the future, which naturally remains incredibly bright for The Els Club as it continues to deliver exceptional experiences. “We’re extremely excited to be opening our first two holiday home hotel rooms at The Els Club in the coming weeks and introducing our Stay & Play packages. We will also be conducting major restaurant upgrades and refurbishments at our all-day dining restaurant “261”. This will be a major enhancement to the dining experience for golfers and surrounding residents. We continue to review and update menus to deliver something for everyone to enjoy and my personal favourite our Saturday Carvery at The Big Easy and I can’t wait for everyone to try it! With these new additions, we strive to provide an even better experience for our members and guests.” Company: The Els Club Dubai Sports City Name: Tom Rourke, General Manager Email: [email protected] Web Address: www.elsclubdubai.com Address: P.O. Box 111123, Dubai Telephone: 04 425 1000 E Best Luxury Golfing Destination - Middle East “We are delighted to receive this award and appreciate the recognition of The Els Club which was recently voted at the 9th Annual World Golf Awards as Dubai’s Best Golf Course.” -Tom Rourke
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