Player to host Saadiyat Beach debut

Last updated: 24th November 2009

Golf legend Gary Player will host a new charity tournament - the Saadiyat Beach Classic - in the UAE in late January.

The event - to be staged by Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), the Abu Dhabi-based master developer of Saadiyat Island and its stunning Saadiyat Beach Golf Club - is expected to attract major golfing and non-golfing celebrities from around the world to the UAE's capital.

South African legend Player designed the 18-hole Saadiyat Beach Golf Course and The Saadiyat Beach Classic, running from January 27-28th, 2010 - just a few days prior to the European Tour's Abu Dhabi Golf Championship - will be the first tournament played there.

The Saadiyat Beach Golf Course, the Arabian Gulf's first and only ocean-front course, is situated on Saadiyat Island - the global leisure, residential and cultural destination under development just 500 metres offshore Abu Dhabi city.

Ahmed Hussein, Chief Operating Officer of TDIC and Deputy Director General, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), explained that Saadiyat Beach Classic will be the perfect sister event to the European Tour-backed Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, held 20-24th January.

"The Classic is another first for Abu Dhabi and provides a high-profile platform for people to connect with this world-class golfing destination in the making," he said.

Lee Tabler, CEO of TDIC, said: "Abu Dhabi has taken great strides in establishing itself as a top-tier golf destination and the Saadiyat Beach Classic is the next step in that pursuit. This tournament adds a significantly new and rewarding aspect to the UAE capital's golfing ambitions."

Golf legend Player, who has a long track-record of hosting charity events, believes the tournament will be a major boost to Abu Dhabi's emergence as a leading golfing destination.

"I am delighted to be hosting this inaugural charity event that we have conceptualised with TDIC, on a golf course that I am particularly proud of and in a country that is really making the world sit up and take notice," said Player, whose on-course accomplishments include three Masters wins, three British Open titles, two PGA Championships and the US Open.

Saadiyat Beach Classic's focal point will be an 18-hole tournament, where teams of four - including one major celebrity or top international golfer - will battle it out on Saadiyat Beach Golf Club's lush fairways and greens.

To raise money for charity, companies and organisations will have to buy places in a team.

As for those wishing to hone their skills before they take to the fairways, Player - one of the greatest international golfers of all time - will be hosting his highly anticipated golf clinic for a lucky few.

"The Saadiyat Beach Classic offers golf enthusiasts a unique opportunity to play with some of the world's most dynamic personalities on one of the world's most stunning courses. It will be a day to remember," added Tabler.

However, it is not only on the course where the action will take place. Kicking off the tournament will be a welcome barbeque on the famed white sands of Saadiyat Beach with a wide-range of delicacies prepared by some of the country's top chefs.

On the final evening, a black tie gala dinner will be held in one of the UAE capital's leading venues, where local and international stars will be in attendance to celebrate the debut Saadiyat Beach Classic event.

With a stunning entertainment line-up and a silent auction offering a wide range of sports memorabilia, weekend breaks and memberships to the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, the event is sure to be the hottest ticket in town.

Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, which is managed by Troon Golf, the world's largest golf management company, is the latest championship-ready golf destination in Abu Dhabi and will have its soft opening in December.

The amphitheatre-style Par 72 Saadiyat Beach Golf Course, Player's first signature golf course in the region, has been designed in a classic 'figure of eight' configuration with over a third of the course having views of the Saadiyat coastline where dolphins are regularly spotted.