Dubai: Muscat Hills Golf & Country Club and The Els Club Dubai will make their debuts on the 2015 Mena Golf Tour in October, according to the revised schedule announced on Tuesday.
The addition of two new stops has taken the tally of tour events to a record 11, including nine on the ‘Gulf Swing’ that will see the players travel to Oman and Saudi Arabia in addition to the UAE. Missing out on the journey is the Qatar Classic, which has been put on hold until 2016.
Managed by Troon Golf, The Els Club Dubai comes to the party following the hugely-successful DUBAi Open, the Asian Tour’s final event in December 2014, which was the first professional tour event at the Ernie Els-designed course.
The Golf Citizen Classic, as the event at the Els Club Dubai is called, takes place from October 11 to 15, followed by the Muscat Hills Golf Citizen Championship.
Mohammad Juma Bu Amim, chairman of the Mena Golf Tour, said: “We feel proud and privileged to join hands with Muscat Hills and The Els Club Dubai. Their support has further strengthened our resolve to create a competitive environment for the overall development of golf in the region.
“With Oman and UAE boasting courses of international standard, there is a positive synergy between golf and the key tourism sectors. Golf is just one of the many reasons that many people visit the two countries to savour the experience.
“We look forward to working with them and hope our regular exchanges will further stimulate interest in golf and turn the region into a golfing force.”
Held under the auspices of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation and affiliated to the Arab Golf Federation and the R&A, the 2015 Mena Golf Tour teed off in March with back-to-back events in Morocco before taking a break to avoid the heat of summer in the region.
