It’s that time of year again as both the UAE amateur and professional order of merits are coming to a close and players on both sides of the rope are scrambling to get into the top 16 placings.

The Dubai Golf Trophy was the brainchild of Rodney Bogg (managing director of Dubai Golf) and Peter Downie (former Director of Golf at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club) and began in 2000.

During my 10 years in Dubai I have seen and have personally been involved with a number of fantastic junior development schemes that have made great headway in establishing the framework for the growth of junior golf in the UAE.

I feel very strongly that junior golf is the future and a key fundamental element towards growing the pool of local golfers to service the vast number of courses that are currently on drawing boards around the UAE.

The UAE Golf Association has been instrumental in successfully putting in place the building blocks to attract children into the game, by means of the new YMG (Young Masters Golf) development programme. But how much more do we (as golf ambassadors, instructors, club managers) need to do?

It’s been a funny old week! Following the recent news from Dubai Racing Club, announcing the fantastic grand plans for the future of horse racing in Dubai, the much-rumoured closure of Nad Al Sheba Golf Club is now a reality.

What will this mean for the golf community you may ask?

As a golfer myself it is disappointing, but it has been exceptionally gratifying to see just how a golfing community can pull together in times of difficulty.

Force a change and stick to your guns.

How many times have you thrown your clubs in the back of your car, chucked your glove in the nearest bin and sworn that you will never play this god forsaken game again?

It’s an all too recurring event for most handicapped golfers and it’s an affliction that all golfers go through – albeit some more than most!

Affordable golf to come to the UAE? Now there’s a question that makes your eyebrows raise!

There has been much talk of further huge expansion within the UAE golf market, with signature courses being signed up every other month, the greats of the modern day era all putting their stamp on this wonderfully developing golfing oasis.

But what really can the domiciled golfing public of the UAE have to look forward to? “Only time will tell” I hear you say, but lets look at the facts. Rapid population growth, a buoyant economy, a booming real estate sector.

Last Friday – what a day!

While many of you were brushing the sand from under your doors at home and hiding from the worst shamal for years, a number of the UAE’s golf professionals and amateurs were crawling blind down the Shaikh Zayed Road at 30km an hour (makes a change, I hear you say) on the way to play the 34th Abu Dhabi Men’s Open Championship at Al Ghazal.

The UAE PGA. What is it, you may ask? “Well it’s… mmm, not really sure.” Don’t feel ashamed, you’re on a par with the majority of amateur golfers (and some pros) that don’t really know or understand what the PGA “brand” is all about.

The Professional Golfers Association was established in the early 1900s as a members’ organisation for golf pros.