Sanctuary Falls with Greg Norman; The Arabian Golf Development Property Award Winner

The results are in, but did you see how you apply for these competitions? Whoever pulls together the file for the golf projects entry requirements for this competition deserves a medal too. There is a fee to enter but the organisers of the Arabian Property Awards believe that 'the award can prove invaluable as a promotional tool for your company. The banner, complete with sponsor's name, can be used in all your sales literature and public relations material.' And they never let on who has entered; only those who have been successful.This all seems a bit cosy but it just proves that the promise of a logo to add to your brochure, a photo of a smiling premiership footballer or the link to the name of an old pro is reassuring to the public and must be worth paying for, or else why do it?

Sanctuary Falls in Dubai's Jumierah Golf estates has won the overall prize, an the pro designer this time is of course,good old Greg Norman. They have got Tiger Woods on board in Dubai as well and having taken over the old order of merit, as the race to Dubai it feels like Dubai is cleaning up.But the Normans are also cleaning up because the resort also hosts the Chris Evert Tennis Centre. It is said that former world no.1 ace tennis star will work closely with designers? To do what exactly? Chose the grade of the cement?

Golfing holidays in Dubai are part of any self respecting premiership footballers year and the luxury resorts built around these courses are part of the property portfolios any well paid sports enthusiat. I was recently at an overseas property show where Michael Owen, Freddie Flintoff and Sam Torrence were all grinning at me from the same Dubai Property for Sale stall. No claims of taking part in the design of these great apartment towers though. Just the bank balance to buy.

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.

The Tiger Woods, Dubai September 2009

Well if you are going to make use of the pro golfer designer name you have hired you may as well use it to the full. It is billed as 'A private Golf Community, the vision of its namesake' Hmmm. There is a very honest description of the input of the great visionary though; He talked about some of the things he liked most about other courses and the whole design team visited a few, but then they go on to say that Tiger has been very 'hands on'. Now, this could mean anything, but I am pretty sure thats about Tiger giving the nod to designs that are put in front of him. So does it work? If you are looking at golfing holidays are you more likely to book this.If you are buying an off plan villa within a golfing community, are you going to choose The Tiger Woods Dubai over another? Or will it come down to cost, cost of flights, facilities, potential rental income from holiday letting. Does the fact that Tiger Woods Inc. has had a hand in design and has been paid for his name mean quality is quarenteed. Or when you get there, will it be full of name droppers, with status anxiety? Its not going to make your handicap any lower you know.

Having said all that, the hotel, the palaces, the residences and the course would do for me thanks.

Valhalla by Jack Niklaus

Valhalla is the Ryder Cup Course this year and as I read through the news on the US versus Europe battle I was struck by the great and universal abilities of most top players over the years. It is well known that footballers are good at golf and snooker(hand eye co-ordination and all that) but little has been discussed on the Golfers ability to design a golf course. Is this the same sort of designing as Kate Moss and a Top Shop designer line. Of course they will know what they like or dislike about a course in the same way as Kate knows whether she doing Purple or stretch denim. Admittedly its easier to use a digger and some feed than sew a gypsy top from scratch, but how much did Jack really contribute to Valhalla? Well his website boasts Jack Nicklaus design has over 300 golf courses 'open for play' Hard to imagine how he found the time.But he's a golfing legend and thats all we really need to know.

Valhalla is in Louisville, Kentucky, USA and was opened in 1986 fulfilling the dream and vision of Louisville businessman and golf enthusiast Dwight Gahm. Jack Nicklaus was commissioned to build a course fit to attract the PGA Championship to Kentucky. Nice to be able to fulfil such dreams. This was acheived in 1992.

The Ryder Cup, every non golfers favourite tournament, begins on Thursday 18 September, with the opening ceremony, all covered by Sky of course. With Europe having won it on the last 3 occasion(with great sportsmanship and with the dignity of their wives in tact)it would be best for the tournament if the US won it this year.Thats what I shall be telling myself if we lose.

Celtic Manor, Wales, starring Colin Montgomerie and Robert Trent Jones (and the Roman Empire)

Celtic Manor has 3 courses and its Twenty Ten Course to be the venue for the Ryder Cup in 2010. Can you see what they've done there? But they still couldn't keep away from the Pro Golf Designer Course which they call 'The Montgomerie'by Colin Montgomerie.Can you see what they've done there? The Original Celtic Manor course was called The Roman Road Course, and thats because several Roman Roads cross the course.......
The most important fact about the Roman Road course is that it was designed by Robert Trent Jones, the most important course architecht EVER. He invented his own degree course as he went along, taking courses in surveying, horticulture and hydraulics amoungst other subjects, once ill health ruled him out of competitive Golf. It is said that the sun never sets on a course designed by Robert Trent Jones, which might be true. The furthest west I could find was Royal Ka'anapali Golf Course, Maui in Hawaii; the most easterly being in Chamonix in France. Then theres a massive clump in the USA. I wonder why Celtic Manor felt they needed another go at it!

Golf Course

Wikipeadia Says

Golf is played in an area of land designated a golf course. A course consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing area, fairway, rough and other hazards, and the green with the pin and cup. A typical golf course consists of eighteen holes, but many smaller courses have only nine. Early Scottish golf courses were mostly layed out on linksland, soil covered sand dunes directly inland from beaches. This gave rise to the common description of a seaside course as a links.

Got it.