What’s immediately striking about this photograph is not the golfer in the middle of his swing but the small piece of green astroturf on which his ball his resting. It’s the late 1990s and we’re on the 9th hole of Dubai Country Club’s sand golf course.
The club opened in 1971 in Ras Al Khor and swiftly became a much-loved haunt for expatriates offering golf, a swimming pool and tennis courts. However, larger plans for the area including the development of Meydan Racecourse signalled the end. Ten years ago this month, the bulldozers moved in. The sand golf course was the first to be demolished and the club eventually closed for good in December, 2007.
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Read more:
[ Sand golf: the forgotten sport of the UAE ]
[ Future of Al Ghazal Golf Club in Abu Dhabi uncertain as contract ends ]
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