Fairway Views: The unsung heroes behind the UAE golf scene

Dubai - The format of the League is three mini-leagues of four golf clubs with each club hosting a round

Local sports, grass roots sport for both juniors and adults, amateur leagues and so many other sports initiatives are now a significant industry in the UAE with a positive economic impact, whether it is golf, tennis, football, rugby, baseball, Little League, cricket, snooker, darts, motor racing, squash etc.

While thousands of people are employed in this growing and vibrant UAE sports industry and so many companies are thriving and joining this space, careers are being established and developed, there is still an essential reliance by sports on the unpaid volunteer, the captain, the vice-captain, the president, the vice-president, the treasurer, the committees and so many more people to make so much of it all happen.

This is a spotlight on one such ‘unsung hero’ on the ladies’ golf scene in the UAE.

Following 12 round-robin matches played throughout the UAE from January 20 until March 17, the three winners of the mini-leagues (Yas Links Abu Dhabi, Jumeirah Golf Estates and defending 2019–2020 Ladies InterClub Challenge, League champions Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club) will meet on Wednesday at The Els Club, Dubai, in the Grand Final of the 2020–2021 UAE Ladies ICC.

The format of the League is three mini-leagues of four golf clubs with each club hosting a round.

Each team comprises a maximum of 10 players with the leading eight Stableford scores counting to the aggregate team score using the EGF Handicap Index.

The winning team of each round in each league earns four points, the second team three points, third place two points and fourth place one point.

The other nine teams not in the Grand Final will play for the ICC Day Cup, which runs parallel to the Grand Final today (Wednesday).

Both events have a shotgun start at 12.30 pm followed by a Prize Presentation Awards Dinner.

Ladies’ golf is very strong at many of the golf clubs in the UAE, but the real golfing community in especially ladies golf is established with competition between clubs as well as between players from different clubs.

It is never easy to coordinate such multi-club leagues, and congratulations are in order to Pia Fleury, the UAE ICC Co-ordinator for shouldering the responsibility to keep all players on the straight and narrow.

This will be Pia’s third year co-ordinating the ICC that has been running for over 10 years and from the reaction from all clubs and all players it is definitely going from strength to strength and is now a permanent fixture in the UAE golfing calendar.

Pia also co-ordinates the Desert Rose ladies golf society (piafleurywgme@gmail.com) which is an active and self-funded, non-profit, group of, currently around 150 lady golfers based in the UAE, all with official EGF handicaps, who are both members of golf clubs and otherwise, who play in away golf days and other activities at the golf clubs in the UAE as well as previously arranging international golf tours, prior to Covid.

Good luck to all, but never forget the unsung heroes behind all such activities, without whom they would probably not happen at all and, if so, not at the level, quality and camaraderie that happens all over the UAE today.

There are so many ‘Pias’ all over the UAE in all sports offering their time and effort to ensure so many of us enjoy our sport.

They are not looking for money but never forget to thank them in your own way.

It will make their day!

fairwayviewskt@gmail.com

2020–2021 ICC League Tables (After All 2021 Round Robin Qualifying Matches)

ICC League 1

TeamPlayedPoints

Yas Links, Abu Dhabi416

Saadiyat Beach GC410

Abu Dhabi GC49

Abu Dhabi City GC45

ICC League 2

TeamPlayedPoints

Jumeirah Golf Estates413 (Winning on Countback)

Emirates Golf Club413

The Els Club48

The Address Montgomerie46

ICC League 3

TeamPlayedPoints

Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club416

Arabian Ranches GC412

EGF (Hosted by Dubai Hills)48

Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club / Northern Emirates44

PROFESSIONAL GOLF THIS WEEK AROUND THE WORLD

PGA TOUR www.pgatour.com

Wed 24th – Sun 28th March, 2021

WGC-DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY

Venue: Austin CC, Texas, US

Purse: $10.5 million

EUROPEAN TOUR www.europeantour.com

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Tues 23rd - Fri 26th March, 2021

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