The Road to Mallorca returns to Saadiyat Beach Golf Club for the second of back-to-back events in Abu Dhabi, with the UAE Challenge taking place from April 25-28. Here’s everything you need to know for the week ahead.
Returning to Saadiyat Beach
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club played host to a Challenge Tour event for the first time in 2023, when Germany’s Maximillian Rottluff secured a one stroke victory after posting a new course record with his nine under par round of 63 on moving day.
The Gary Player-designed course harnesses the natural beauty of Saadiyat Island – combined with saltwater lakes and beach dunes – for a unique golfing experience. Stretching over 7,600 yards and with more than 60 bunkers in play, the course will demand length and accuracy off the tee to avoid the sand as well as strong approach play to successfully navigate the sloping greens.
A world leading venue for eco-conscious golf
The European Tour Group is committed to driving the growth of sustainable practices at golf venues around the world, and this week’s venue is a shining example of this. The Club uses a variety of sustainable practices to give back to the natural environment, including a water system that uses recycled water and a plastic free clubhouse.
Since opening in 2010, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club has also prioritised protecting and enhancing the natural wildlife and habitats in the area, which is home to a number of animals such as humpback dolphins, hawksbill turtles and over 250 mountain gazelles - who are free to roam the course.
The Club has implemented protection plans in recent years which have resulted in an increase of migrating birds and a growing population of mountain gazelles. These practices have also helped Saadiyat Beach Golf Club to become the only Audobon certified wildlife sanctuary for golf in the UAE.
The Field
The field for the second of back-to-back events in the UAE is packed with DP World Tour winners for the second week running. Five-time winner Alexander Levy enters the UAE Challenge after finishing a close runner up last week in Al Ain, and is only topped in victories by Alvaro Quiros, who has seven.
They are joined by four-time winner David Horsey, fellow Englishman Chris Wood, who has three titles, and Gary Stal, who’s sole DP World Tour victory came in the 2015 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, held at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
