Heaton Park, Manchester, Oasis, Kasabian and Golf

The tickets for next summers Oasis tour go on sale today. What concert goers may not know is that there is a championship golf course there,designed by 5 times Open champion and founder of The Professional Golfers Association (PGA), J. H. Taylor The course opened in 1912, and has since been the host venue of many professional and amateur tournaments? Faldo Juniors Qualifiers Series? They allow all of us in and fees are very reasonable indeed.It was voted top municipal course of the year by Golf Punk and Esquire Magazine (they are hoping for tickets) Well Done.

But to stick to the purpose of the site, how will the celebrity name tag work for Heaton Park? Well, I dont think the Oasis tag will attract the Ryder cup to the Championship Course. I wonder if there has been an outcry from golfers and local residents about the mob turning up at the Park, the drunken hoards, the noise.Of course we wont go anywhere near the course and nature is very good and covering up marauders, as long as the bottles are picked up.

But lets face it, loads of fans will go back with their kids to look at the legendary site of the best gig they ever went to.I am admitting to returning to Maine Road and Balloch Castle. Its put Heaton Park on the map for my teenagers and their mates. Its all knowledge you know.

Imagine the day. Its Saturday 6th June 2009.Its definitely not raining. You have had a swift round on the beautiful parkland course, had a look at the Pennines, and now you are joining the throng to see Kasabian and Oasis on the same night! They, of course have been let in from the furthest entry point to the Park from the stage. You on the other hand are staying at Heaton Hall, just a short staggering distance away. Tickets on sale in 30 minutes.

The Race to Dubai via Shanghai

The Race to Dubai begins with the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai in November this year and ending with the $20million (£11.3m) Dubai World Championship at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in November 2009.

Shanghai has already hosted Formula 1 this year and now it is the venue for the first tournament of the European Order of Merit, which is now renamed as The Race to Dubai. "The Race to Dubai will bring a new dimension to the European Tour" says George O'Grady, chief executive of the European Tour...." and the partnership with Leisurecorp is central to our plans for the future." I see.

Golf is increasingly popular in China and there are more and more courses being built each year.Of the 31 I found in Shanghai, it looks like building and quantity rather than a pro golfer design name tag are the key. That does not mean that design is not important though. The course at the Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai was designed by Nelson & Haworth, who are responsible for the design of 10% of all the golf courses in China. They say " A Nelson & Haworth golf course is an evolution of ideas, communication, skill, and experience." Well, I have had a look at the images of their most famous courses, not really expecting to learn much more about them.. I just like looking at the pictures. But I found myself guessing where in the world the courses were, and I was getting it right! Golf St Raphael actually looked like it was in Canada.Bayhood looked like China. Macquarie Links GC looked like Australia. Go and have a look and let me know.