This year's Jumeirah Golf Estates Community Cup competition was very well attended, with 96 people participating in the afternoon shotgun. The atmosphere was brilliant; there were signs of a great community spirit.
The Fire course hosted the annual event with teams playing in a pairs better-ball format. The best net score on each hole counted towards the pair's score. The top four pairs per community counted towards the overall community score. The team with the highest score would be crowned JGE Community Cup Champions for 2023.
Gents were playing off the light blue signature tees and the ladies from the orange tee markers.
The 2023 Community Cup Champions were Al Andalus. The team scored a superb 183 Stableford points. This was a tremendous result for the community as this was the first year that they had entered a team.
Whispering Pines scored 177 Stableford points to claim second place. Just six Stableford points behind was Lime Tree Valley who took third.
In the pairs better-ball category, it was fitting that the Al Andalus couple – Jane and Gerhard Vorster, were the winners. Jane plays off a ten handicap, and Gerhard, a twelve handicap. They secured an awe-inspiring number of Stableford points, amounting to 50. Jane's regular participation in Wednesday Ladies' events at Jumeirah Golf Estates certainly paid off over the weekend. Gerhard had the round of his life, shooting his lowest score ever; a gross 74.
The runners-up were Sam West (12) and Thomas Sleep (17) from Jumeirah Luxury. They had an impressive 47 points. The position was closely contested and had to be determined through a card count-back with Russell Wilson (11) and Lewis Allsopp (20) from Hillside, who also scored a fantastic 47 points.
The dominance of the Al Andalus team continued as Oliver Henderson (0) and Jason Farr (8) were in on the prizes, scoring 46 Stableford points. Not only did they contribute towards the team's result, but their efforts also landed them in fourth place, the second pair in the top four – a fantastic result.
Whilst concluding the prize-giving presentation, Adam Stastny, Assistant Golf Services Manager, commented, "I am delighted to see such a fantastic turnout today and great signs of community spirit. On behalf of Jumeirah Golf Estates, I congratulate our winners, Al Andalus, on their fantastic performance and decisive win today".
Results
Community Totals
1 Al Andalus 183
2 Whispering Pines 177
3 Lime Tree Valley 171
4 Flame Tree Ridge / Hillside 170
5 Jumeirah Luxury 166
6 Sanctuary Falls 152
7 Redwood Park & Avenue 152
Pairs Betterball Event
Winners - Jane & Gerhard Vorster (Al Andalus) 50 points
2nd Place - Sam West & Thomas Sleep (Jumeirah Luxury) 47 points
3rd Place - Russell Wilson & Lewis Allsopp (Hillside) 47 Points
4th Place - Oliver Henderson & Jason Farr (Al Andalus) 46 Points
Special Events
Nearest The Pin on Hole 2 - Nichola Thorne
Nearest The Pin on Hole 8 - Irem Aksay
Nearest The Pin on Hole 11 - Rob Duce
Nearest The Pin on Hole 14 - David Warham
