DUBAI // When Greg Norman first cast his experienced golfing eye over the barren terrain of Jumeirah Golf Estates (JGE), the former world No 1 had plans to design and develop a course that would provide testing but not too demanding facilities for members and residents of that new complex.
The stunning announcement two years ago that Leisurecorp, owners of JGE, had struck a multi-million-dollar agreement with the European Tour to sponsor the order of merit and introduce the lucrative Dubai World Championship to the fixture list brought a swift and dramatic rethink from Norman, known in his playing days as the Great White Shark.
From holiday golf to tournament golf in one fell swoop was Norman's brief and with the help of a team of enthusiastic course builders led by Englishman Bob Knott, Norman's blueprint became the stunning reality of a magnificent 7,706-yard par 72 Earth Course, which will stretch to the limit the 58 professionals who will play it in this week's inaugural DWC.
Norman is particularly proud of what he calls the "Golden Mile" - a potentially card-wrecking finishing stretch of four holes measuring an aggregate of 1,702 yards and featuring what will surely become the signature hole of the not-so-short 17th.
That scary par three is based on the Island Hole at Sawgrass, Florida, where many aspiring winners of the prestigious Players Championship on the US PGA Tour have entered a watery grave.
Earth also has its own version of Augusta National's Amen Corner where many US Masters titles have been won and lost.
Here it comes early in the round with two difficult par threes on the outward nine sandwiching the awkward par-four fifth.
Norman has made several tweaks to his Earth creation and the latest was to order the building of six more deviously placed bunkers which have raised the total number of sand traps to 102.
1. (454 yds, par 4)
A relatively straightforward start. A downhill drive to a fairway which slopes from left to right. Avoiding the deep fairway bunker on the left will lead to a short-to-mid iron to the green. The green angles away right, with mounding supporting the front left and promoting shots aimed left of the pin.
2. (583 yds, par 5)
Players will look to take on the fairway bunker on the right. The left-hand side of the fairway feeds down to a hollow just short of the greenside bunkers. However a shot here takes on the risk of the large fairway bunker stretching down the left-hand side. The safe route is to lay up short of the left-hand fairway bunker and leave a short iron to the perched green.
3. (452 yds, par 4)
An uphill tee shot across the landing area, with the big hitters rewarded with extra run down towards the green. A gentle rolling green that falls off back left and short right. If the pin is cut back left, approach shots should be aimed slightly right in order to allow for the right to left slope.
4. (245 yds, par 3)
This long downhill par three hole will play one less club than you think. A well-protected green with deep bunkers surrounding short and back left of the green. Avoid these bunkers at all costs, if you can.
5. (407 yds, par 4)
A slight dogleg right that climbs back up the hill through a valley. The tee shot should favour the right-hand side of the fairway in order to avoid an approach shot over the greenside bunkers. A well-struck mid-to-short iron second shot will set up a realistic birdie chance.
6. (186 yds, par 3)
The first of the water holes playing into a crosswind, only a fully struck shot will carry the water. A large bunker protects the bailout area to the right, meaning the only line is straight at the green. A great par 3 hole which demands your full attention.
7. (572 yds, par 5)
A fantastic par five with deep fairway bunkers awaiting the slightest wayward shot. Two big hits are required in order to carry on to the green. The safe option is to lay up short of the cross bunker and play a short iron on to a green which slopes from back to front.
8. (461 yds, par 4)
A dogleg left back down the hill, the tee shot will be assisted from a right-to-left crosswind. A mid-to-long iron shot is required to carry the mounding at the front of the green. Although no bunkers surround this green, it is protected by undulating fall off areas.
9. (499 yds, par 4)
Only a driver from the tee will do for most players. The second shot is uphill and will require a long iron or even a rescue club to negotiate the two greenside bunkers. A par at this hole will feel like a birdie!"
10. (437 yds, par 4)
An accurate second shot is required as the green has a narrow entrance. Any aggressive approach to the back of the green must be cautious as the slope runs off back left."
11. (401 yds, par 4)
An inviting tee shot should be laid up short of the two fairway bunkers and then the approach must carry the single bunker protecting the left entrance to the green. A definite birdie opportunity on the back nine.
12. (476 yds, par 4)
This strong par four requires two precise shots to achieve the surface of the green. Club selection will be vital for the approach with a deep bunker lurking on the left.
13. (204 yds, par 3)
A picturesque par three which plays uphill to a well-protected green that is wider at the front half before narrowing to the back section which has small ridge running across it. A makeable birdie opportunity.
14. (626 yds, par 5)
A slightly downhill tee shot with distance being well rewarded. The safe option is to lay up short left of the fairway bunkers and pitch on. A narrow entrance leads to a green sloping down towards the lake.
15. (371 yds, par 4)
This short par 4 is the beginning of a fantastic final stretch. A straight hole played uphill, it's nothing but risk and reward and the tee shot has to be played to the left to get the best reward.
16. (486 yds, par 4)
The large lake to which the fairway slopes influences the entire fairway right up to the green. Again, a high-risk tee shot will give you the most reward on to the green.
17. (195 yds, par 3)
A fantastic, but precise short par three. This iconic hole is a true island green. Club selection is crucial for this hole. Wind from any direction will make this very difficult with the tight island green surrounded by a selection of bunkers.
18. (651 yds, par 5)
Although more risk is involved, the shot played right is narrower but opens up the green for an easier approach, whereas the shot played left is less difficult but brings into play a large group of dangerous bunkers.
@Email:wjohnson@thenational.ae
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETwin-turbo%2C%20V8%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20automatic%20and%20manual%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E503%20bhp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E513Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh646%2C800%20(%24176%2C095)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
England v South Africa schedule
- First Test: Starts Thursday, Lord's, 2pm (UAE)
- Second Test: July 14-18, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 2pm
- Third Test: The Oval, London, July 27-31, 2pm
- Fourth Test: Old Trafford, Manchester, August 4-8
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
%3Cp%3EElena%20Rybakina%20(Kazakhstan)%0D%3Cbr%3EOns%20Jabeur%20(Tunisia)%0D%3Cbr%3EMaria%20Sakkari%20(Greece)%0D%3Cbr%3EBarbora%20Krej%C4%8D%C3%ADkov%C3%A1%20(Czech%20Republic)%0D%3Cbr%3EBeatriz%20Haddad%20Maia%20(Brazil)%0D%3Cbr%3EJe%C4%BCena%20Ostapenko%20(Latvia)%0D%3Cbr%3ELiudmila%20Samsonova%0D%3Cbr%3EDaria%20Kasatkina%E2%80%AF%0D%3Cbr%3EVeronika%20Kudermetova%E2%80%AF%0D%3Cbr%3ECaroline%20Garcia%20(France)%E2%80%AF%0D%3Cbr%3EMagda%20Linette%20(Poland)%E2%80%AF%0D%3Cbr%3ESorana%20C%C3%AErstea%20(Romania)%E2%80%AF%0D%3Cbr%3EAnastasia%20Potapova%E2%80%AF%0D%3Cbr%3EAnhelina%20Kalinina%20(Ukraine)%E2%80%AF%E2%80%AF%0D%3Cbr%3EJasmine%20Paolini%20(Italy)%E2%80%AF%0D%3Cbr%3EEmma%20Navarro%20(USA)%E2%80%AF%0D%3Cbr%3ELesia%20Tsurenko%20(Ukraine)%0D%3Cbr%3ENaomi%20Osaka%20(Japan)%20-%20wildcard%0D%3Cbr%3EEmma%20Raducanu%20(Great%20Britain)%20-%20wildcard%3Cbr%3EAlexandra%20Eala%20(Philippines)%20-%20wildcard%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
