Michael Braidwood, General Manager of Education City Golf Club (ECGC) is seen along with Mohammed Al Naimi, Deputy General Manger at ECGC, David White, Sales and Marketing Director at ECGC and Gordana Popovic Vincic, Sales and marketing Executive at ECGC.
Popularising golf and spreading its base while keeping an eye on potential champions, are some of the immediate targets for Qatar’s newly added sports facility, Education City Golf Club (ECGC).
ECGC’s immediate priority is to spread the game far and wide in Qatar, while at the same time it is still open to plans to host an international tournament in the near future, an official said here on Sunday.
Producing future champions at its State-of-the-art facility, which houses a Centre of Excellence and a specially crafted 33-hole course designed by Jose Maria Olazábal, will follow suit in due course said Michael Braidwood, General Manager of ECGC.
ECGC is a landmark project for Qatar and the world of golf, offering a revolutionary and holistic approach to growing the game.
The facility has a state-of-the-art learning and practice facility housed in the Centre of Excellence along with a TrackMan driving range.
The new facility, which had its soft opening in January this year has enrolled over 50 members is targeting a membership of 500 over a period of two years.
“We had our soft opening in January. And the golf courses are open and the driving range is open and so we are giving lessons. So we've signed up 50 members so far. Our goal for this year is to get to just under 300 members. And, then ultimately I think after two years the targets is 500 members,” said Braidwood, while speaking to journalists during a media familiarisation trip yesterday.
The facility features 3 golf courses including an 18-hole championship golf course, a floodlit 6-hole championship course and a floodlit 9-hole par-3 course all designed by two-time major winner Olazabal. Uniquely the 6-hole championship course has 7 teeing ground options per hole for quick and multi-generational golf supporting the development of golf.
The ECGC’s immediate priority is to make golf popular and reach out to more people.
“It's important for golf to grow in Qatar and to popularize the game, you need to open up the community. So we've already done a lot of work with schools. There was a program where we were teaching the teachers, so we taught the teachers and schools how to teach golf in the gymnasiums and similar places. A number of progams have been rolled out for the schools,” he added.
The Centre of Excellence is a state of the art learning facility for golf development and is education-driven, combining ultramodern technology with expert, PGA golf training. Golfers can receive golf lessons in one of our five private swing studios, or putting studio.These 6 x 8m rooms open out towards the driving range and offer the latest in camera and ball flight technology. The Centre of Excellence is the most innovated golf-learning hub in today's modern era of golf.
Braidwood believes that with more people flocking to the green they will be able to groom some of them to be future champions.
“By getting the base across getting hundreds of thousands of people playing golf then we can for sure that we have more people playing. You're going to get more talent. Some people are just gonna go. And some really dedicate themselves. And then then we'll of them champions of the future coming out of Qatar as well for sure,” he added.
Braidwood did not rule out the possibility of ECGC hosting an international event in the near future.
“If we do do big tournaments this is good for the country it's good for the club and it gives the right promotion because really the purpose of doing those events are to promote the country and to promote tourism. So if we do look into that we've got sponsors that want to do an event here. We've got to make sure we get that angle correct. So everything is seen in a positive light.
“And that and it makes really when what we're wanting to see is at this time of year when the weather's gorgeous in Qatar and other parts of world it's snowing and it's cool that people are going to watch television so I need to get to that country and enjoy clear blue skies and great golf conditions so that that's how we want to position it.”
The prime aim as of now is to get the community engaged in the game of golf with the big tournament plans taking a back seat.
“We are in the forefront in growing the game of golf, engage the community and getting people really enthusiastic about golf. So I think let's get the community excited about golf first and let them understand the game, watch on television. Follow the Internet understand the golfing heroes and generate more interest that way.”
