Ernie Els "The Dunes" Golf Course, Dubai.
Demand for individual, family and corporate membership at the world’s first The Els Club at Dubai Sports City has surprised owners and operators, with the club effectively selling out of the first phase of memberships within a few days of release.
Launched in a blaze of publicity in January 2008, the club is set to begin operations in April. The first section of memberships released sold out in a matter of days, with eager golf enthusiasts queuing from early in the morning to ensure they secured a place.
The Els Club’s 18-hole, championship golf course offers a unique addition to the Middle East’s growing range of world-class golf facilities, with thoughtfully-placed tee boxes, fairway pot bunkers and green complexes, coupled with carefully-developed undulation.
General Manager of The Els Club, Thomas Rubi said: “We’re delighted at the early response to The Els Club. There’s been huge demand to play the course and sales of memberships have exceeded our most optimistic projections. Part of our approach has been to ensure the right balance of membership, to ensure members can have preferential tee-time reservations, and we’ve certainly achieved that in record time.”
Executives believe that demand for membership has been stimulated by The Els Club adoption of the transferable membership model, which has proven extremely successful in major golf markets around the world.
Under the transferable membership model, individuals, families, and corporations are invited to pay a one-time fee to become a member of the club, and the transferable membership can then be sold at a later date at market value. Given the Middle East’s developing appetite for high-end golf, such memberships are becoming a smart investment, as well as an opportunity to enjoy one of the region’s best courses.
In addition to the 7,538 yard links style golf course, The Els Club will boast a 60,000 square foot Mediterranean-style clubhouse currently under construction, where members and guests will have access to a private lounge, state-of-the-art meeting and conference facilities, and varied choice of dining outlets.
There are also plans for exclusive member tournaments, unlimited access to The El Club’s practice facilities, and access to the practice areas at Butch Harmon’s School of Golf when it opens later in the year.
The Els Club will be managed by Troon Golf – the world’s leader in upscale golf course management, development, and marketing.
U. Balasubramanian, CEO, Dubai Sports City, said: “The Els Club is the first element of Dubai Sports City to go live, and the response has been phenomenal. Dubai Sports City is capturing the imagination of sports enthusiasts the world over, and we anticipate similarly strong demand for access to the other major sporting features as they become available.”
A second batch of memberships for The Els Club is due for release early in 2009.
