Well, I have to say it’s nice to be back on Dubai soil after four weeks away, and what a pleasant surprise it was, to not be hit by the usual murky wall of summer humidity! From all accounts, most of August has been ‘reasonably’ pleasant and devoid of the despairing blazing inferno we usually have to endure. I hope you all have been taking advantage and getting your games in good shape for the fast approaching start to the new golfing season.

For golfers worldwide, the start of the golf season evokes feelings of hope, enthusiasm and expectation. For many, the desperate need to improve burns a fire of passion and drives the desire to want to try harder and do more. In the UAE, technically October 1 marks the start of the season, as summer rates end and the no doubt inflated prices for the peak season golf are introduced. Well guys and girls – the clock is ticking!

Ask yourself some questions:

As I sit writing my last column of my summer leave, the rain pelts against the window (again) and I wonder what I’m in for when I step off the plane in Dubai. Well in actual fact I know exactly what I’m in for and it’ll be considerably different than golfers in the UK have been facing for the last 2-3 months.

I played my last game up in Clitheroe just outside of Blackburn. Clitheroe Golf Club, established over 100 years ago, is a very pleasant little parkland course with plenty of character and beautiful scenery. Like many others in the rolling hills of northern Lancashire, it has built a reputation as an all year round, well conditioned and enjoyable test of golf – well, given normal weather conditions anyway!

I have to say that apart from my exceptionally lucky window of summer sun back in July whilst in St Andrews, the rain has been pretty unrelenting and many courses up and down the country, as well as the club’s balance sheets, have taken a beating.

For those of you that have been following my diary notes over the last few weeks from the “Home of Golf”, I hope I managed to sow seeds of passion to one day sample the delights yourself – you won’t be disappointed!

My travels have moved on from one golfing haven to arguably another – the Costa Del Sol, or the “Costa Del Golf” as it’s more affectionately known.

Day three of our “Fife Golf Tour” started with great optimism, angst and hope all rolled into one – 36 holes around the New and Old Courses at St Andrews – now there can’t be too many golfers able to say that! At £75 (Dh550) and £135 (Dh980) respectively (a mere snip by today’s standards) it was a day to take in, relax and enjoy the experience at all cost.

After the short walk to the clubhouse to start our round, my initial reflections were not of awe at the sprawling dunes but of the modern look of the clubhouse – not particularly befitting the surroundings but more perhaps a sign of times with tradition and culture being brought in to the 21st century.

After what can only be described as the perfect start to our golf getaway at the Home of Golf – St Andrews, we packed up the minibus and headed inland, under the blazing sun (and yes we are still in Scotland although you certainly wouldn’t believe it if you looked up to the heavens) for round number two at Ladybank Golf Club.

Ladybank Golf Club (1879) is renowned for its outstanding beauty and although not being a links course on what is essentially our “links golf tour” it certainly holds all the characteristics of a top-class facility and, following a stack of recommendations from fellow golfers, we couldn’t resist a trip down to see for ourselves.

My column for the next few weeks will take a slightly different turn from the normal focus on industry news and UAE golf.

Last week as the summer humidity reached dizzy heights I headed off on my annual holiday, which this year I am extremely delighted to say has started at the home of golf – St Andrews. So for all you golf enthusiasts and avid followers of my column I thought I’d bring you with me on my travels by turning my column into my diary notes!

I know you don’t need to ask what I’m doing here, as that’s obvious – but to give you a little more detail, this week is our "inaugural golf tour", which is the result of a plan hatched between myself and a few friends six months ago. There are eight of us altogether – perfect fit for two fourballs and the minibus we hired to get us around.

As golfers worldwide prepare themselves for a golfing feast this week when the Claret Jug makes its way to Royal Birkdale, will the traditionalists and past winners of the coveted trophy be wincing at the major surgery the course has undertaken over the past 12 months?

When the curtain opens, players and spectators familiar with this famous links will see that all but two of the holes have been altered for this year’s championship.

Perhaps though Royal Birkdale is a case in point on the growing trends of stretching the length of famous and traditional courses. On the 16 holes that have been altered the course has been lengthened only by 155 yards (approximately two per cent). In the modern day of over 7,500-yard monster courses, Birkdale stands at a modest 7,173 yards. The majority of the changes have been made to increase the difficulty level such as the addition of 20 new bunkers, additional mounding around seven of the greens and the changes to the line of play on five of the holes.

They always say as one door closes another one opens and that could certainly be the case for young Anthony Kim in light of the world number one leaving the door firmly "Open" for the third major of the year next week.

Kim, fresh from his second PGA Tour victory last week at the AT&T National, has recently had full endorsement from "golf in Dubai" ambassador Mark O’Meara. Not wanting to pinch quotes; it looks like O’Meara sees the potential in Kim to rise up the ranks above and beyond the call of duty.

It’s also interesting to hear that Kim has had "issues" prior to joining the tour and was quickly branded by the press and fellow university graduates as having a temper and lack of discipline.

As we head into July and the hot summer months we can take solace at the prospect of having three of the world’s premium golfing showpieces about to unravel in front of our very eyes. With the exception of the final event of the threesome (The Ryder Cup) most would have said a couple of weeks ago that they were foregone conclusions, that was of course until Mr. Woods’ decision to go back under the knife on his troublesome knee.

The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale followed by The USPGA Championship at Oakland Hills in August and of course, the Ryder Cup in September – who could possibly miss the titanic battle that will no doubt have millions of golf and sport enthusiasts glued to their screens over the best team event in the game!

As 19th hole gossip columns and golf blogs all over the world prepare to keep the surfers content, the question I raise is ‘what will be the biggest debate to grip the golfing public this summer?’ It’s hard to believe that a major championship can be discussed without Tiger’s name being mentioned, so will it be ‘the perceived public and media validity of a major triumph without the best golfer in the universe competing?’ Surely not!

A topic that inspired me to write my column this week all came about by a recent shopping trip to Mall of the Emirates. It wasn’t in the search of new technology or at least not in the equipment sense of the word, but it was more in search of what was going to make me cut a dash, out on the fairways of St Andrews. You got it – fashion!

I have to admit that over the years of being involved in the golf retail business while managing the golf operation at Nad Al Sheba, I have detached myself from wearing club logoed clothing out on the course.