Municipal courses may be one solution

Following my article which touched on the price sensitivities of playing golf in the UAE, more so in particular Dubai, I have been approached numerous times by friends and golfers and listened attentively as they have aired their comments on the matter.

It’s very interesting to hear the views of real golfers, and by real I mean "the customer".

The profile and needs of a golfer vary considerably and there are many different factors, which determine the wants and needs of golfers.

You cannot stereotype a golfer as a financially secure expat with deep pockets and an ego to boot.

Golf is and should rightly be a game for all. What has made golf destinations successful in the past is diversification – the ability to accommodate all budgets, tastes and, more importantly, the opportunity for the game to develop.

I have to say that most of the people I have spoken with have in essence been pretty negative. There is no doubt that there are challenges in the UAE when it comes to accommodating every budget and fully supporting the growth of the game, basically due to demand exceeding supply, and the high price of current memberships and green fees.

So how do we overcome this situation in the short term? I am a great believer in the "Dubai Story" and I fell in love with the place and the city’s vision a long time ago.

Dubai has set out to develop a financial, leisure and tourism hub and plans to increase the number of tourists, which will result in a similar increase in the number of residents. It is to the latter that I feel the focus needs to turn.

We must continue with development of leisure infrastructure specifically aimed at residents, in order to make Dubai an even more attractive place to live.

The current story is that beach clubs and golf memberships are full – these happen to be two of the main pastimes of Dubai residents.

The feedback I have received is that residents don’t want the bells and whistles, they don’t want the token gifts and giveaways, they just want to play. In many established golf regions of the world the public course (or municipal course) is a key element to sustainability and growth and perhaps, more importantly, it is a contributor to the spirit of the community.

Will we see municipal golf courses appear in Dubai? I’m not so sure the typical model will work in this environment, but I do believe that with the right amount of thought and planning the right business model could be developed.

It is with this that I am happy to put IGLS’s services on the line to assist any Dubai developer or interested parties who would like to discuss this further. Please get in touch with me at jdanby@dubaigolf.com