By Jamie Kennedy, europeantour.com
in Dubai
Ahead of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, europeantour.com sat down with Henrik Stenson to explore the ever-present host venue Emirates Golf Club and its revered Majlis course.
The oldest of all the events that make up The European Tour’s annual Desert Swing, celebrating its 26th edition this year, the Dubai Desert Classic has always produced great winners, from Stenson himself to players such as Seve Ballesteros, Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Rory McIlroy and, the last two years, Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher.
Opened in 1988 and designed by Florida-based architect Karl Litten, the Majlis course, which this week is playing at 7,327 yards to a par of 72, was the first all-grass golf course in the Middle East when it was first built on what was then the very edge of Dubai.
Nearing three decades on, and now nestled uniquely in the shadow of the City of Gold's famous, towering skyline, the course features hundreds of indigenous species of flora and fauna, beautifully complemented by meandering fairways and seven fresh and saltwater lakes that come into play on ten holes.
Wind
While perhaps not as gusty here as other venues on The European Tour International Schedule, Henrik Stenson believes the wind plays a crucial role in how the Majlis course plays.
“What I love about this golf course is that due to slight wind changes, it’s going to change how you pick your lines and where you’re trying to hit the ball off the tee,” says Stenson. “And due to a lot of doglegs, it also gives you the option to be more aggressive depending on how you feel about your game and what you think is the right choice.
“Take 13 for example, the short-ish par five. You can hit driver really aggressively and come in with an eight iron if you hit a great shot. But if the wind is into, you might have to hit three wood straight out and you can hardly reach the second shot."
Low Scores
To win in the desert, players need to make birdies. A lot of birdies. In the 25-year history of the Dubai Desert Classic, the winning score has been 16 under or less on 17 occasions. In 2001, Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington both finished at 20 under par and lost to Thomas Bjorn, who won with a tournament record low of 266 (-22).
Stenson says the players know the pressure they are under to go low at Emirates Golf Club.
“You kind of have a rough idea about the winning score,” he continues. “I think we’ve normally been 17, 19 under par or somewhere around there. You know you’re not going to be far away if you get to those numbers."
So where do the birdies come from?
The simple answer is the par fives. All measuring under 570 yards, they provide almost all the players in the field with a chance to get home in two and a very decent opportunity to get under par. The par five tenth, 13th and 18th played as the three easiest holes last year, suggesting players may score better on the way home around here.
“It’s got a number of reachable par fives and a couple of par fours that are a little bit shorter, so there’s definitely birdie chances out there,” Stenson told us.
While not overly long, the par threes at the Majlis course are tricky. Fast, hard greens and a surrounding blanket of thick Bermuda rough means par is almost always a good score.
Key Holes
Perhaps the signature hole on the course, the eighth is a dramatic par four which bends from left to right and then plays uphill to a small, undulating green. In the early years there was nothing to aim at from the tee box whereas now there are a plethora of skyscrapers to choose from.
Justin Rose once said he considered the eighth hole to be one of his nine favourite holes in the world.
The back nine on the Majlis course starts with a picturesque but dangerous par five. Perched in the shade of the clubhouse, the players tee off in hopes of finding the fairway sandwiched between two large waste areas. Then comes the decision whether to take on the heavily-guarded, raised green or play it safe and lay up. A titanic 192 birdies were made on this hole last year, more than any other hole on the course.
The 18th of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic is one of the iconic finishing holes on The European Tour with many of the 25 editions of the event won and lost on this hole.
The hole itself measures 564 yards and bends quickly right to left off the tee. Players will have to decide how much of the corner they can cut off to set up a daunting second shot, over water, to the massive shared green. No doubt, he who lifts the trophy on Sunday will have played this hole well.
Stenson says, “It’s a great finishing hole, set up for drama, which we’ve often seen over the years."
