Gulf Air gives Golfers chance to play with some of the World's Best

Gulf Air, a main sponsor and official airline of the Abu Dhabi World Sand Golf Championship on March 7th 2005, is giving regional golfers the chance to play alongside some of the biggest names in golf.

After a successful inaugural event in 2004 an all-star cast of 28 European Tour pro's, are returning to Al Ghazal Golf Course to compete in the second championship and Gulf Air is organizing qualifier packages for golfers in the region to play the course and win the opportunity to play in one of two Gulf Air Pro-Am teams. Winners could be playing alongside the likes of Ryder Cup winners, Colin Montgomerie, Paul McGinley and Miguel Angel Jiminez to name but a few.

Mark Senior, Manager Destination and Leisure Marketing at Gulf Air says there are three qualifier rounds, on 27th January, 3rd February and 10th February.

“Gulf Air is offering a range of competitively priced weekend packages, which include return airfare to Abu Dhabi, two nights accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis and two days car hire and – more importantly, entry into the qualifier tournament,” he said.

”The winners of the qualifier rounds will be flown back to Abu Dhabi as guests of Gulf Air to compete in the Abu Dhabi World Sand Golf Championship on 7th March.”

So if you are browned off with your putting, good out of sand, fed up with driving into the long grass World Sand Golf Championship could be just right for you.

Al Ghazal Golf Club located adjacent to the Abu Dhabi International Airport, is an 18-hole, par-71 sand course, measuring 6,487 yards.

The sand course has many unique attractions, instead of 'greens', players putt on 'browns'. These are created by compacting rolled and oiled sand, and as players quickly discover they give an extremely true putting surface - provided, of course, you know how to read the grain.

The front nine holes (par 35) are based around an archaeological site on what, thousands of years ago, was the original Abu Dhabi coastline, the back nine (par 36), have been constructed on flatter reclaimed land. In addition to the customary hazards of water and the rough, players must also contend with the numerous burrows dug by desert lizards known as dhubs.

Instead of buggies, players will drive around the course in 4-wheel drive vehicles and many other unique local touches are planned.

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