The GEMS Schools will be taking their acclaimed parental engagement programme to a course for the first time when the first ever GEMS Educational Parental Engagement Golf Day is held at the Els Club, Dubai on Thursday.
A full field of 25 teams from 18 GEMS schools will take part in the inaugural event, which features a shotgun start at 13:00.
Each teams comprises two students plus either two parents, or two teachers, or a combination of a parent and a teacher.
The golf day, which has the tagline of ‘Play together, learn together, grow together’, is an extension of what the GEMS Schools have already done with academics and arts.
The students are from age six onwards, and this also includes the six-year-old Shawn Cooper of Jumeirah Primary School, who impressed world No1 Tiger Woods during a clinic hosted by the American superstar at last week’s Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club.
James Bowring, whose company Pitchmark Events is managing the tournament, said: “This is the first time GEMS are trying to engage the parents in a sporting activity. It is part of their programme to get the students and parents together and experience things together.
“This is a vision of Jay Varkey, who has been a very good amateur player himself. Jay has always felt that golf has been good to him, and that he has learnt a lot from the game. He now wants the students in GEMS schools to experience the same pleasures.”
As part of the tournament, the students and their families will be entertained by world champion trick-shot artiste Geoff Swain, who will later also participate in the event as part of a ‘Beat the Pro’ contest on the par-3 fourth hole.
There is a sports activity zone and a barbeque area, which opens from 15:00, and apart from an area for the family to enjoy, teachers from the Butch Harmon School of Golf will be there to give an introduction to the game to newcomers and family members.
“We really are delighted with the interest shown by students and the schools. This is the inaugural event, and hopefully, this will keep growing and become an annual event for the GEMS Schools,” added Bowring.
“We are also hoping to expand the concept to all schools in the UAE. Inter-school tournaments are lacking in the UAE, and we see a big future for events like this.”
IN BRIEF
Early birdies Kraetzer and Phillips capture the worm
Brett Kraetzer and Andrew Phillips of the Emirates Golf Federation produced some magical golf to win the recent BMW Members & Guests Social played at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club.
Playing in the morning’s shotgun they started fairly conservatively and turned in four-under 32 after the Shambles Better Ball format, however an outstanding back nine of 11-under net 25 during the Better Ball format enabled them to win by a margin of three strokes.
Phillips enjoyed the back nine of his life with an incredible gross birdie converted to net one on the difficult final hole. The other morning winners were Roy Holmes and Alex Tivi who combined well during the tricky Shambles format to shoot a four under net 32 even though they hadn’t met before the round.
The back nine Better Ball format went to good friends Peter Foley and Mark Dupree who produced a scintillating 7-under net 29.
With a tough total score having already been set, the afternoon field set out to attempt to overhaul the lead, giving it a good go as they finished three shy of the overall winners.
Shewakrmani Suresh and Sindhu Ashok producing 33 and 27 to shoot a 12-under net 60.
Annual DUBAL event strengthens ties
In keeping with tradition, Dubai Aluminium (“DUBAL”) hosted a corporate Golf Day at Emirates Golf Club on Monday, the Mixed Scramble tournament being played on the Majlis Course a day after the Dubai Desert Classic drew to a close.
Hosted by Walid Al Attar (Executive Vice President: Marketing & Sales – right), the DUBAL Golf Day is an integral component of the company’s partnership-building activities.
More than 20 teams comprising 115 players teeed off from 08:30 before the prize-giving ceremony.
Entries soar for the 6th Dufry Ladies Open
Wednesday is the last chance to sign up for the eagerly anticipated 6th Dufry Ladies Golf Championship to be played at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club this Saturday.
Three-time Ladies Champion Sana Tufail faces tough competition from another rising junior star Julia Alhemoud who has already beaten Tufail on the road this season.
Entries are limited to 39, so please act fast if you intend to take part with the closing date today. Contact: 06 548 7777 or email: [email protected].
