Chief Sports Writer William Johnson continues his journey around the fairways, bunkers and greens of the UAE 4th hole: The Montgomerie (par 5 - 543 yards).
My guide, Rhys Beecher, one of a team of professionals here, tipped me off in the early stages of our trip around Monte's manor that the sixth was a hole to savour. A "fantastic" short hole as he put it, but I stopped him in his tracks by pausing to makes notes about this contrasting offering which proved more than three big hits for me off the back tees.
It is dubbed 'The Snake" because of a ridge separating the fair way in the middle and a sprinkling of bunkers behind the green. It presents the option of aiming either to the right or left of the ridge of this wide-open par five.
Ability and the confidence level will determine which strategy to adopt. Finding the fairway left of the ridge presents a more realistic birdie chance to the low handicappers but well-positioned bunkers mean there is little room for error and hitting the green - which is comparatively small for a long hole - is no mean feat.
I took the safer route down the right knowing that there was little danger of straying into the water 250 yards away.
The key was avoiding the bunkers which Montgomerie feels is one of the most important aspects of course design.
I landed on the short grass but struggled to keep up with my two female playing partners who were a good distance forward off the red tee blocks. One of them, Chanchal Nanda, is a founder member of the club and initially found this hole extremely tough.
Now, playing off a respectable 15, she copes well with her tried and trusted formula of two decent hits down the right and a reasonably short pitch to set up par.
My other playing partner that day was Rena Sethi who refuses to be a "golf widow". Her husband Vipen, is captain-elect of the club and is a member of the nearby Emirates and Els courses. "I am off a handicap of 31," said Rena, "but I feel I am improving and can now negotiate this hole most of the time."
@Email:wjohnson@thenational.ae
Hole 5 tomorrow
Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history
Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)
Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.
Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)
A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.
Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)
Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.
Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)
Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.
Results
5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden+(PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Reem Baynounah, Fernando Jara+(jockey), Mohamed Daggash+(trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden+(PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Afham, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige+(PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ghallieah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout
6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige+(PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Yas Xmnsor, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi
7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1+(PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle
7.30pm: The President’s Cup – Listed+(TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Haqeeqy, Dane O’Neill, John Hyde.
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
Manchester City (0) v Liverpool (3)
Uefa Champions League, quarter-final, second leg
Where: Etihad Stadium
When: Tuesday, 10.45pm
Live on beIN Sports HD
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Almouneer
Started: 2017
Founders: Dr Noha Khater and Rania Kadry
Based: Egypt
Number of staff: 120
Investment: Bootstrapped, with support from Insead and Egyptian government, seed round of
$3.6 million led by Global Ventures
