Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championships

This week the European Tour heads to the Middle East and the Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Fresh from a winter break, golf’s biggest stars are going to go toe to toe in the season opener. Luke Donald will be looking to carry on where he left off in 2011 and tighten his stranglehold on the world number one spot; Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood will be looking to knock Luke of his perch and a certain Tiger Woods will hope to prove to his many doubters that he is back in shape and on course to resume his assault on Jack Nicklaus’ Major Championship record at this year’s Masters.

Those will no doubt be the main talking points but the rest of the field isn’t too shabby either! 11 out of the world’s top 25 players are in attendance including 3 of the last 4 Major Championship winners. World number 4 Martin Kaymer is also along for the ride and players like Tiger – who haven’t played the Abu Dhabi course yet – would do well to follow his example seeing as the man from Germany has been crowned champion in 3 out of the last 4 years!

Plenty of holes at Abu Dhabi Golf Club have been cut along the edge of huge water hazards which places an emphasis on solid course management.

Other notable names include the big boys from Spain, Alvaro Quiros and Sergio Garcia. Quiros has enjoyed considerable success in the Middle East, winning the 2011 Dubai Desert Classic at the Emirates Golf Club and the season ending Dubai World Championships on the Earth Course at the Jumeirah Golf Estates. Meanwhile Sergio enjoyed a surge (get it?!) in form towards the end of 2011 and won back to back events…his first since 2008. The popular Spaniard first claimed the Castello Masters at the Club de Campo del Mediterráneo and followed that up with an impressive win at the Andalucía Masters which was played at the world famous Valderrama.

With everything on offer in Abu Dhabi the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship promises to be a fantastic start to the year and no matter who performs well or not we can all be assured that the golf course at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club will play its part.

Great swathes of sand also stand between golfers and a good score.

Within easy reach of the town centre, Abu Dhabi Golf Club is an internationally renowned complex, famous for its championship course and stunning clubhouse but it’s not just the world’s best players that get to strut their stuff here…you can too! Middle East golf breaks are becoming increasingly popular thanks to a fantastic climate, infinite local attractions away from the course and the rapid development of some of the world’s finest golf resorts and courses and Abu Dhabi GC is one of its front runners.

The 27 holes of championship golf on offer at Abu Dhabi Golf Club are some of the very best you can hope to play in the entire Gulf region. The Championship Course is a tranquil oasis carved out if the desert and at 7,334 yards from the back tees it is more than long enough to test talented golfers while still being playable for the shorter hitters out there! The impeccable fairways weave their way through undulating terrain that features native palm trees, decorative plants and shrubs and seven salt water lakes. Generous greens are well protected by strategically placed bunkers so well struck shots from the fairways are a must.

Unlike other golf clubs across the globe, sunset doesn’t signal the end of the day’s play at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Night golf under floodlights is an experience not to be missed while on a Middle East golf break!

The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is just a 45 minute drive from the more famous Dubai so why not follow in the footsteps of the pros and bolt on a short trip to Abu Dhabi during your Dubai golf holiday?

For more information on Middle East Golf Breaks and other European Golf Holidays please visit www.yourgolftravel.com or call 0800 043 6644.

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