Fancy a golf trip overseas? A new 'Golf in Abu Dhabi' initiative has been launched to entice amateur golfers.
New initiative launched to entice amateur golfers
Next year's Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship will feature the strongest field in the tournament's history with Luke Donald, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer all competing for the lion's share of the US$2.7 million prize fund at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
"The GIANTS of golf are coming" say the advertising slogans ahead of the event which takes place from January 26-29.
But now a new 'Golf in Abu Dhabi' initiative has been launched to attract the ordinary golfer.
The scheme launches with exclusive and attractive rates at three championship-ready courses - Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Abu Dhabi Golf Club (ADGC) and Yas Links Golf Club - while bundles of ancillary add-ons, such as flights, hotels and on-the-ground transportation are also offered.
Dayne Lim, Product Development Director, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), which manages the emirate's overall tourism industry and owns the annual Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, said: "Abu Dhabi's golf tourism potential is immense.
"For the last six years, our now globally-recognised championship has put Abu Dhabi golf on the map," said Lim, citing the event's annual television audience of more than 400 million international viewers.
"And far from simply praising the playing conditions and weather, the tournament's field - always among the best in the world - leaves us every year extolling the traditional Arabian hospitality they experience.
"Our goal now is to entice the world's amateur players by leveraging the destination's diversity of playing options and our other, multi-faceted tourism assets."
Two in the top 100 golf courses
Abu Dhabi's three championship-ready courses have dominated the prestigious regional golf course rankings list compiled by Golf Digest Middle East magazine, widely considered the game's voice of authority in the Middle East.
The Golf Digest Middle East course rankings list, split into 'Editor's Choice' and 'Reader's Poll' sections, saw Yas Links Golf Club crowned the region's best facility by the magazine's respected editorial panel, while Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Saadiyat Beach Golf Club placed third and sixth, respectively.
Abu Dhabi placed even higher in the all-important reader charts, where the Emirate's three championship courses all ranked in the top four.
"In Yas Links and ADGC, we also have two courses that have been listed in Golf World magazine's top 100 golf courses, while our multi-year sponsorship deal with Matteo Manassero - the Italian prodigy who acts as a global golf ambassador for the emirate - is reaping global dividends for Abu Dhabi," added Lim.
Although the capital's three championship-ready courses - all within a 25-minute radius of each other - are mainstay products driving the programme, 'Golf in Abu Dhabi' extends to all of the emirate's playing facilities.
"Additional options include an idyllic 18-hole country course at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club in the emirate's heritage heartland; a floodlit, nine-hole urban course at Abu Dhabi City Golf Club; and a unique 18-hole sand course at Al Ghazal Golf Club," said Lim.
"Our dynamic and diverse offering goes beyond the capital's intriguing mix of parkland, ocean and Links style championship courses. With half a dozen different playing experiences, tourists visiting the emirates can play a contrasting course, with varying challenges, every day over a standard six-day break.
"We believe this diversity is giving us a significant competitive edge."
Abu Dhabi's appeal to global golf tourists is strengthened by the destination's price competitiveness.
Average hotel room rates dropped 14% in the first nine months of this year compared to the first nine months of 2010 to stand at around US$130.
"We have some stunning properties and the highest standards of service and our 'Golf in Abu Dhabi' team will ensure any golf break is a great end-to-end experience," said Lim.
To capitalise on the emirate's heightened affordability, a variety of 'Golf in Abu Dhabi' launch packages are already available, with extended 'Golf Plus' products - incorporating various leisure and cultural activities in personalised, golf-centric itineraries - due to come online in coming months.
For more information, or to place bookings, visit
www.golfinabudhabi.com
