After almost six months of intense work on the front nine, Nad Al Sheba Club proudly reopened the full 18 holes yesterday with the Orient Travel Monthly Medal.
The front nine, originally opened at NASC in 1996, and this upgrade have been the single biggest investment made on the course since that time. While the back nine greens were upgraded in 2003, this year's project aimed at making considerable changes to various other aspects of the nine and creating a greater balance between the front and the back nines.
The eager anticipation of the full field to see and play the greatly enhanced front nine was electric at the start of the day. Despite course maintenance director Rob Gradishar's modest request to let nature put on the finishing touches, there was no doubting the scale of the project undertaken and the improvements to so many aspects of the course.
Club captain Paul Smith stated: "The scale of the improvements has made the wait worthwhile and we are all delighted to be back playing on the full 18 holes."
