Egypt a world golf destination? Nashwa Abdel-Tawab writes on a future certain to arrive Egypt might not have dazzling prize money or famous golf competitions on the international calendar, attracting stars like Tiger Woods to come over, but the country is rapidly making a golf name for itself, apparent in the many professional courses located throughout the country. Where else can you claim to tee off at the foot of the Great Pyramids, the coast of the most notorious of seas, by the picturesque Mediterranean Sea or from the city of historical monuments, Luxor? These are truly original settings especially when the natural gift of good weather is certain all year long, along with sight- seeing, shopping and maintaining cultural dialogue. From among several destinations, Golf Italiano.it Cup, an Italian golf final, chose to hold its final for the first time at the Stella Di Mare golf course in Ain El-Sokhna on the Suez Gulf. Golf Italiano.it Cup is an amateur golf event played in eight different courses over Italy. Three hundred Italian players participated in the qualifications. The finals were to have been played in Tuscany but this year, the tournament director, Donato Ala, took the 25 finalists outside the country to promote a new destination for Italian golfers and guarantee a final with no threat of rain showers. "The weather is fine in Egypt and it's not far from Italy and the courses are superb," said Ala. "Egypt will be a promising destination for golf tourism. It will threaten tourism in countries like Morocco, Tunisia and Spain." The decision to hold the tournament in Egypt was made early this year after Ala visited Egypt several times. The choice was Stella Di Mare's course court and resort in Ain El-Sokhna where its owner Ayoub Adli Ayoub facilitated the entire operation ahead of the tournament. "It was a challenge to have 25 players in the Italian Cup and 72 in the friendly cup between Egypt and Italy," said Calle Carlsson, director of the Stella Di Mare golf course. "The competition was great and the field was tried." Ain El-Sokhna features 18 holes measuring 7163 yards par 72 links course with four tees designed by Karl Litten. It is situated at the end of a very fast new road, on the beautiful Red Sea coast. Very quiet, all 18 holes were opened in 2006 and are in excellent condition. Very friendly, relaxed and altogether well set up, there are practice greens and a driving range over water with floating range balls. The course is relatively flat and has wider fairways and less hazards so it is an easier game to enjoy. The links course benefits from all the advantages of fresh clean sea air breezes and mountain backdrop scenery. In the first category of 0 to 12 handicap, Luca Gianola won the cup with a score of 75 shots and a gain of 38 points. Anne Chochard won the category of 21 to 36 handicap gaining 43 points. All praised the weather and the course. "The course is far better than the Italian courses we played on during the competition," said Chochard. "The grass is great and the resort is well-equipped." Chochard, 47, works in the restoration of paintings and developed her golf style due to her continuous practice with men. "There are few women who play golf in Italy, so I practice with men in my club and I felt surprised at my strong strokes in this final. My handicap was 22." Chochard came with her husband and four children. Winner Gianola represents the younger generation, practicing since he was a child. Now 24, his handicap is four and his shots are amazing but still he won't focus on professionalism due to his career as a dentist with his father. The course for Gianola is different and challenging. "I liked the course and the resort. It's very healthy to try different courses every now and then." Mona Zaki, chief executive officer of the Global Strategic Consultants who organised the tournament, sees the competition not only in terms of winners and losers but a chance to bridge cultural gaps and encourage dialogue among la crème of both nations. "We guarantee not only the sun every day," said Zaki, "but also the warmth of human relations." Zaki also sees the media as a major element in marketing tourism and spreading culture worldwide. "Egypt is now a golfing destination that competes with the world's best," said Zaki. "Its courses meet international standards. It enjoys good weather. And it offers a variety of tourist attractions. Perhaps the only thing lacking is good promotion." The same thing was recognised by Tourism Minister Zuheir Garana. "Italian tourists in Egypt shot to one million in 2004. They are famous for loving Sharm El-Sheikh and the Nile," said Garana at a recent press conference in Stella Di Mari after the Italian final. "This year they were less. They finished in fourth place among the six million and 600,000 tourists but managed to try a new branch which is golf tourism. "We try to market Egypt as a golf destination and reach different golf federations. We issued a brochure on golf in Egypt which lists all the golf courses and their facilities. The brochure is in seven languages and has been distributed among major travel agents and tour operators. "We have 16 international golf courses across the country from Luxor to Alexandria to Cairo, Suez and Sinai. Courses vary in attraction but unite in perfection. In three years' time we'll have established golf tourism in Egypt. We are on track." Egypt, he added, is in the middle of four key markets. On his experience directing the Stella Di Mari golf course, Carlsson added, "Since its inauguration early this year and up till now, an average of 50 golf tourists visited the country per week. They came from Sweden, The Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic and Denmark. "Europeans adore golf. For example, there are 450 golf courses in Sweden but they are only used seven months a year due to the weather. So the field of golf tourism is huge. People like to travel and play. "Each year, eight million golfers from Europe organise their holidays around golf," Carlsson said. Golf tourism is growing three times faster than leisure tourism, according to the World Tourism Organisation (WTO). Garana is sure that golf is a safe investment. "Even kids are attracted to golf. They will be the caddies of the future," he said. "Golf was here 100 years ago," said Karim Sabea, Egyptian player and co-ordinator of the tournament on the Egyptian side. "The potential is very high in Egypt. More courses have been established and more people interested." According to Ala, director of the ItalianoCup.it, four things make a golf resort a good one. "First is a quality product, ranging from courses and club houses to course facilities. Two courses at least are needed in every resort and a minimum of 5,000 rooms in a hotel and club houses. "The second is good climate. Third is accessibility and Egypt enjoys a good location at the heart of three continents and is accessible from Europe. Last is value for money." Earlier this year, the International Association for Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) awarded Egypt the Undiscovered Golf Destination of the year 2006 due to its "rising number of excellent golf courses in many resorts across the country." Among the nominees for the 2006 Awards were Alabama and Oregon in the US, the Azores in Portugal, Brazil, the Czech Republic, the Gold Coast in Australia, India, Nova Scotia in Canada, and Prince Edward Island in Canada. The IAGTO comprises 913 accredited golf tour operators, golf resorts, hotels, golf courses, operators, airlines and tourist boards in 72 countries worldwide. The IAGTO Awards are the official annual awards for the golf tourism industry. The 2007 gala awards evening, taking place tonight at the Estepona Convention Centre near Marbella in Andalucia, Spain, will announce the awards for next year. Golf has a historic relationship with Egypt, dating back to the British invasion in 1882 and the founding of Gezira Club. Until 1995, the only courses were in Mena House, Gezira Sporting Club and Alexandria Sporting Club, which all date back to the turn of the century when the British occupiers sought to create private sporting clubs for wealthy expatriate residents of Egypt. The '40s and '50s were the golden years of golf in Egypt. The Egyptian Open was one of the most prestigious tournaments for European and South African golfers, with champions and participants including five-time British Open winner Peter Thompson and four-time British Open winner Bobby Locke. Another equally impressive highlight was when future grand slam winner Gary Player won the Egyptian Matchplay in 1955 in Gezira Club for his first win outside of South Africa. Competing alongside the big name foreign pros were notable Egyptian professionals Hassan Hassanein and Noman Ali, who proved their quality by competing at the highest levels. Hassanein made the cut in the British Open and finished tied for 17th in his only appearance there. Golf is a sport where individual players or teams hit a ball into a hole using various clubs, and is one of the few ball games that does not use a fixed standard playing area. It is defined in the rules of golf as "playing a ball with a club from the teeing ground into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes in accordance with the rules." Golf originated in Scotland and has been played for at least five centuries in the British Isles. The oldest course in the world is The Old Links at Musselburgh. Golf, in essentially the form we know it today, has been played on Scotland's Musselburgh Links since 1672, and earlier versions of the game were played in the British Isles and the low- countries of Northern Europe for several centuries before that. Although often viewed as an elite pastime, golf is an increasingly popular sport across all sections of society.
