A Dubai Sports City spokesman today confirmed that progress on the group’s Ernie Els-designed golf course continues according to plan and without delay, good news for the region’s growing number of golf enthusiasts.
And to demonstrate its commitment to golf’s development in the region, Dubai Sports City was an active sponsor of the inaugural Corporate Masters golf events held in Abu Dhabi and Dubai on 16 and 23 May, respectively.
“With the stunning Ernie Els-designed Dunes course on schedule for opening in fewer than seven months, Dubai Sports City is excited to be a major supporter of golf in the region, and more specifically, the UAE,” said Malcolm Thorpe, Marketing Director, Sports Business, Dubai Sports City.
“The ‘Corporate Masters’ event was well-conceived, well-executed, and we believe delivered strongly in its ability to bring the cities’ influencers and decision-makers together in an informal event which celebrates the most positive elements of the sport,” concluded Thorpe.
The Dunes is a links-style course combined with traditional design elements and is championship golfer Ernie Els’ first project in the Middle East. Construction began in January 2006 with completion set for June 2007. The entire eighteen holes have been shaped and fourteen fairways grassed with Tifway 419 Bermuda.
Complementing the world-class standards of play offered at The Dunes is a Butch Harmon School of Golf for players of all ages and skill levels, as well as gracious amenities including a fabulous 42,000 square foot club house designed by world renowned clubhouse architects Kuo-Diedrich of Atlanta, Georgia and BSB Gulf from Dubai.
Both the golf course and the Butch Harmon School of Golf will be managed by internationally-renowned company, Troon Golf – the leader in upscale golf course management.
The course is set to be the jewel of Dubai Sports City – the world’s first fully integrated athletic metropolis – with club membership opening soon.
“We will be offering memberships to our Victory Heights homeowners in the near future followed shortly thereafter by an offer to the general public,” said Thorpe.
About Dubai Sports City
Dubai Sports City (DSC), the cornerstone project of Dubailand, is a $3 billion, 50 million square feet mixed use metropolis which will be the world’s first integrated purpose-built sports city.
The development will be centred around four magnificent stadia:
• a 60,000 capacity multi-purpose outdoor stadium for football, rugby, track and field and other sports and non-sports events
• a 10,000 seat multi-purpose indoor arena suitable for all hard court sports as well as concerts and other events and also including a removable ice rink
• a 25,000 capacity dedicated cricket stadium, expandable to 30,000, with state-of-the-art facilities for players, match officials, VIPs, spectators and the media
• a 5,000 seat field hockey stadium
In addition to the stadia, Dubai Sports City will feature a series of major sports academy facilities including:
• the first purpose-built Manchester United Soccer Schools anywhere in the world
• a David Lloyd Tennis Academy
• a Butch Harmon School of Golf, the first such facility outside the United States
• the International Cricket Council’s own ICC Global Cricket Academy
• top class multi-sport training facilities including gymnasium and a 50 metre swimming pool
• the WorldHockey Academy, a first of its kind partnership with the International Hockey Federation
• a world renowned sports rehabilitation centre
