Waggle... aim... fire! the game crosses a sandy border

Some may say that a trip to Oman for a UAE resident is tantamount to taking a step back in time, especially if you look at the vast undertakings of Dubai and Abu Dhabi whose governments continue to shape their vast cosmopolitan metropolises.

I am extremely fond of Oman and although I can't boast of having extensively toured the country and truly witnessed the jewels of the Omani crown, I can say that from my experiences I have found Omanis to be exceptionally warm, hospitable and humble people.

Perhaps these are traits of a nation that recently embraced the great game of golf within their modern way of life, that will help set them apart from the more high profile regional golfing destinations, during the years to come.

Golf in Oman has been around for over three decades, however the courses have all been of the sand variety and due to the lacklustre playing characteristics, golf as a sport has never truly grabbed the imagination of the masses.

Golf as we know is a well established sport in the East and the West, however these are areas which for the most part have climates which were literally conducive to the growth of the game. If you were brave enough 50 years ago to suggest building a golf course in a desert, it might have earned you a visit from the men in white coats.

The launch of nine holes on Oman's first grass golf course (Muscat Hills Golf and Country Club) a few months ago was a historic moment for the country and its people.

In the UAE we have been used to incredibly short development periods concept feasibility to realisation can occur in the blink of an eye not so for our neighbours.

This is not to say that a slower-paced and more measured approach is a bad thing, on the contrary it may just be that given the current financial situation this could play nicely into the hands of the Omani developers.

The second nine holes are due to open at Muscat Hills next month, the first hole-in-one has already been achieved (Mr Majid Al Toky) and there are already market rumours that the staging of a European Tour event at the venue could soon be announced, which would add a fourth leg to what is already an impressive three-event Desert Swing.

It will be fascinating to watch how Oman evolves as a golf destination. There are other courses such as The Wave, Blue City, Al Malkai and Salam Yiti which are all well progressed from a design perspective and no doubt they will in time play a vital role in the growth of the game.

I surmised earlier that when compared to the UAE, visiting Oman resembles a walk back in time the current status of Oman as a developing golfing destination is reminiscent of Dubai back in the late '80s.

Oman has a great opportunity to learn from their neighbours and to use the strength and popularity of the UAE's golf market to speed up their learning process.

The waves of the industry are way bigger for Oman than the ripples were for Dubai those 20-plus years ago.