Desert Rose Golfing Society takes the plunge in the UAE

Hello again. We are delighted to announce that the Desert Rose Golfing Society (DRGS) website is now up and running.

Membership applications are now being accepted and we are excited to announce that our soft launch to date has so far attracted almost 50 fully paid-up members. Applications are being accepted on a first-come first-served basis.

To be part of DRGS, every member has to be an Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) member, and from our records about 40 per cent of our traditional supporters are EGF members through their golf clubs and 60 per cent are non-members of golf clubs and direct/floating EGF members.

All of our upcoming DRGS golf events and activities are open to DRGS Members only.

The Society has been running for a while in an informal capacity but with some encouragement from a few friends within the group and some outside, we have taken the plunge to create a more formal and structured Desert Rose Golfing Society with prizes at our events, anchored all through the website.

Annual membership runs from September 1to August 31 and the official calendar of events runs from September 15 all the way to June next year, with some informal events outside of that schedule.

We are running a non-profit organisation that brings together female golfers of all nationalities. All surplus funds from the running of the DRGS will be reinvested in our initiatives.

We also have some social events alongside special activities and important occasions during the year such as pro-ams and breast cancer awareness, and occasions such as Christmas, Halloween and Valentine’s Day.

When Covid-19 government and travel arrangements permit, we have DRGS overseas tours planned for this forthcoming season, to Thailand and other destinations including Staycations within the UAE.

We also organise the very popular and competitive ICC Ladies competition (Ladies Inter-Club Challenge) under the DRGS banner.

We have been able to obtain great competition fees, and we have now taken it to the next level through the support of Back 9 Solutions and our DRGS supporters:

BMW AGMC, Orient Travel, JA Resorts & Hotels, Golf Superstore, Gulf News, EGF and Mediclinic as our Official Medical Provider.

We really appreciate the support of the above sponsors and supporters, without whom this would not be possible, and look forward to engaging with them all season for our mutual benefit.

The annual membership for DRGS is Dh1,000 for 12 months from the date of joining.

Membership includes a DRGS Member’s Card and pack — with a DRGS shirt, Mediclinic Golf Towel and other golfing items.

We have all been blown away with the interest in the DRGS so far. This will definitely change and enhance the dynamic of ladies’ golf and its community scene in the UAE.

I look forward to sharing all the news on ladies’ golf in the UAE, what is happening and how we can grow the interest through my Gulf News Desert Rose column.

The DRGS mantra is to get people together and have fun, connect and reconnect with new and old friends through the platform of golf and to help grow and develop the game of golf in the UAE. Enjoy your golfing from all my DRGS ladies.

Provisional DRGS 2021 schedule

September 15, Arabian Ranches Golf Club
September 22, Trump International Golf Club
September 29, Montgomerie GC, Dubai
October 6, The Els Club, Dubai
October 10, Trump International Golf Club
October 13, Dubai Hills Golf Club
October 20, Emirates Golf Club / Faldo Course
October 27, JA The Resort, Jebel Ali