Sport | Golf
Officials defend high green fees
Top officials responsible for the growth of golf in the region have stepped out in defence of the claim that the country's golfing facilities are too expensive.
- By Alaric Gomes, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:52 February 1, 2008
- Image Credit: Karl Jeffs/Gulf News
- Golf enthusiasts catch a glimpse of Dubai-based Henrik Stenson playing, but they are less impressed by how much it costs to play in the UAE themselves.
Dubai: Top officials responsible for the growth of golf in the region have stepped out in defence of the claim that the country's golfing facilities are too expensive.
"It is maximum value for money spent. And, secondly, I would look at it as a challenge because expense reflects on quality and the service we offer," Mohammad Bu Amim, Vice Chairman and CEO of Golf in Dubai (GiD) told Gulf News.
In a study released by accounting firm KPMG, the UAE has been deemed the most expensive golf destination in all of Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
However, in the same breath, the report states that the country is setting new standards in the golfing business.
"We need to have a look at the report and see how we can work around it. We need to turn it from a negative into a positive factor for the region," Bu Amim said.
As per the study, average revenues for golf courses in the Middle East are three to four times higher than in Europe.
The Golf Benchmark Survey Summary Report published last week showed revenues of courses in the Middle East average £3.95 million (Dh29.5 million). This is much lower when compared to courses in Dubai, which account for more than half of the Arab region's golf facilities, with revenues averaging about £5.2 million (Dh39 million).
Among the top European golf locations, courses raked in an average £1.35 million (Dh10 million) in Portugal and the Netherlands, £1.2 million (Dh9 million) in Spain and £1 million (Dh7.5 million) in Ireland.
"We've got some of the best golf courses in the world with unique clubhouses that have facilities that match any of the top clubs anywhere in the world," Bu Amim said.
The official further noted that there has been no early impact on operations, and neither does he foresee an impact in the near future.
"We have not lost memberships at clubs and as far as I know there is nothing to worry about for the next two years at least."
Top end of the market
Rodney Bogg, the managing director of Dubai Golf, also swears by the unique position Dubai enjoys as a destination.
"In the UAE, all the courses are at the very top end of the market and therefore the average green fee is higher than that at a destination which has a mix of high, middle and low cost facilities," Bogg said.
"If compared with the very top end of the market in established destinations such as the UK and the US, we are relatively affordable."
Bu Amim put the cost factor down to the standards here. He said: "One needs to remember quality and service are very much integral factors in the UAE. However, we still need to see the comparison that the study has adhered to while coming to such a conclusion."
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