Local View on UAE Golf

Local View on UAE Golf with UAE Golfer Emil Nilsson

Emil was the first to be interviewed back in 2010

Welcome to the “Local View” feature. A simple question and answer session with Golfers on the ground who play Golf in the UAE. This time we are pleased to feature Local viewer Emil Nilsson. If you are interested in being the subject in Local View, please contact us.

Q. Name? A. Emil Nilsson
Q. Age? A. 26
Q. Nationality? A. Swedish
Q. How long been playing Golf? A. 10 years
Q. Handicap? A. 10.8
Q. Occupation? A. Sales Manager
Q. How long you lived in the UAE? A. 3 years
Q. What area of the UAE do you live? A. Business Bay

Q. How many times do you play golf a month?
A. 1-2 times

Q. How do you cope with the heat in summer when playing golf?
A. Firstly, I play much less golf during the summer months. When I do play I try to get an early tee off at 6:30 – 7:00 to beat the worst heat. I also try to keep my concentration by drinking lots of water.

Q. Favourite Golf courses in the UAE (select 3 in any order)
1.    The Els Club
2.    Abu Dhabi Golf Club
3.    Dubai Creek Golf Club

Q. Which of the 4 Emirates have you played golf in?
A. Dubai & Abu Dhabi

Q. Are you part of any golfing societies in the UAE?
A. Emirates Golf Association

Q. What’s your lowest score on a UAE Course?
A. 80 at The Els Club

Q. Have you ever had golf lessons the UAE and was they good experience?
A. I have been meaning to sign up for a few classes but unfortunately, I have not. I am planning to buy a new set of clubs though, so I will take a few classes then and do a custom fit as well.

Q. Do you ever use a driving range or practice facilities in the UAE?
A. Yes, I tend to go to Emirates Golf Club or the Creek Golf Club which i find have great training facilities. Their par 3 courses are great for your short game.

Q. How do you find the service at Golf clubs in the UAE?
A. In general, I find the service excellent. You are much more looked after in comparison to our Swedish Golf Clubs.

Q. Are you a member of a golf course in the UAE, if not what would encourage you to become a member?
A. I am not a member at the moment as play far to less to make it worth the money. Ultimately I would consider a membership if it was around 10,000-15,000 per year. It would also be great to have membership entitling me to play at more than one course.

Q. Do you visit any of the Golfing events in the UAE?
A. The past years I have been visiting most of the golfing events in UAE and last year I visited Ladies Masters, Race to Dubai and Dubai Desert Classic. I have also been to Abu Dhabi Golf Championship a few times. They are all fantastic events and a great opportunity to see the professionals close up.

Q. What would you do to improve the UAE Golf scene?
A. We are really spoilt for choice in the UAE and have great golf courses of varying difficulty and design. I do however miss the opportunity to play golf at well-maintained golf courses without having to pay AED 800-1000. I believe we have many top courses but few standard courses for the average player at an affordable price.

Q. Who are your favorite golfers past or present and why?
A. Jack Nicklaus is my all time favorite golfer. He had a fantastic swing and the way he dominated golf was amazing. The way he won his last master title in 1986 is just unbelievable. I was unfortunately too young to experience it “live” but must have been a great experience to be at Augusta that day.

A. At present, I don’t really have a favorite player but tend to follow the Swedes. I do however admire the way Robert Karlsson has managed to compete at such a high level for a long time and even improved his game during the last seasons. Another favorite is Johan Edfors who has a lovely swing and it would be great to see him win a few big ones.

Q. Favourite sport apart from golf?
A. I love to play at football but also do a lot of other sports and have started to play squash lately.

Q. What do you do to relax apart from golf?
A. I love to go out for a drink with friends or just read a good book.

Q. Favourite other played Golf courses in the world? (top 3)
A. Celtic Manor Golf Resort, Wales, UK.
A. The Grange Golf Club, Adelaide Australia
A. Ekerum GK, Sweden

Q. If you could play golf anywhere in the world where would it be?
A. Scotland

We would like to thank Emil for his time. If you would like to be featured, please contact us.

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