Being Ed Edwards

The 44-year-old Scot, who savoured stints at Arabian Ranches and The Address Montgomerie, Dubai between 2008-2014, is back in the UAE as Group General Manager of Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Saadiyat Beach Golf Club.

One-on-one with the man at the helm of Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat Beach GC. INTERVIEW BY KENT GRAY

So why the decision to move back to the UAE at the end of last year after devoting so much effort to the Jose Maria Olazabal golf project in Qatar? I have a lot of fond memories of the UAE, having lived in Dubai previously. Abu Dhabi has also established itself as a major contender as a golf destination and host of some of the finest events on any tour. Qatar was a fascinating experience. I got to work with a visionary ownership group and one of the legends of the sport and we achieved a considerable amount, working with an incredible team and turning a barren piece of desert into one of the most amazing golf developments I have ever had the fortune to be involved with. While construction was ongoing, we managed to introduce the game of golf to over 10,000 junior golfers through an innovative integrated schools program. However, time flies in our industry and when the opportunity arose to return to the UAE and join the Troon teams at Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat Beach, I jumped at the chance and have greatly enjoyed the first few months being back.

You must be pleased to be back working with Troon Golf after a four-year break? Very much so. Troon is the benchmark in delivering quality service and golf management expertise. To return to cover two top-class properties was a prospect I was very much looking forward to, and the first five months have been fantastic collaborating with a great group of associates both on a property and corporate level.

You’ve had a little trouble with the greens at Abu Dhabi Golf Club but things are coming right now we hear? Absolutely. It has been a challenging time for all at the club over the past two months for associates and members alike. The championship course is renowned for world class condition, especially the greens which former world No.1 Jordan Spieth commented on during the 2016 event saying they were the best putting surfaces he has ever putted on. However, in late February we identified a Nematode issue which affected the playability of the greens and meant that we could not present them at the high level our members and guests have become accustomed. We are extremely fortunate to not only have a great agronomy team at the club, led by Clinton Southorn and Alex McDowell, but also the Troon corporate agronomy support provided by Robin Evans, who together worked tirelessly to resolve the challenges we faced.

Any new plans in the wind for the 2018 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship? We are extremely lucky the event is backed by Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the main sponsor HSBC and driven by IMG. Our ownership TDIC is also fully supportive of the event and sees the value for promoting not only their asset Abu Dhabi Golf Club, but also Abu Dhabi as a destination. Every year it seems we present an even stronger field (4th highest on European Tour and strongest in the region) and the star names give the tournament extra excitement not only to local golfers but the visiting international tourist from Europe and Asia. In terms of names for 2018 and new initiatives that will be introduced, I am sure our friends at Golf Digest will be first to hear!

Could Abu Dhabi and the Dubai Desert Classic work more closely in this regard now it seems the Dubai event will follow the week after Abu Dhabi in a change to the European Tour schedule? The schedule for 2018 will have the Abu Dhabi and Dubai events back-to-back which will not only enhance the tournament schedule from the professionals point of view by being based in the UAE for two or more weeks, but will also assist both cities in driving international tourism.

Before then we can look forward to the 2nd Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open in November, a great showcase for Saadiyat Beach GC obviously? The Gary Playerdesigned Saadiyat Beach Golf Club really is a special place and the inaugural event was an enormous success from both the club, course and championship standpoint. Having Annika Sorenstam as the ambassador to back up a strong field, the support of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the management of Wasserman presented a fantastic tournament experience for professionals and spectators alike, whilst the support of Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak was huge. We will leave the announcements to our partners Wasserman but from the club standpoint, the agronomy team led by Clinton Southorn and Corey Finn have

already started preparations to present the course in the best possible condition, we have to be innovative to beat our hugely successfully social media campaign - ‘Women On Course’ - whilst creating unique experiences for spectators to encourage more people to visit.

How do you see the health of golf at present, both regionally and globally? I think golf has suffered from some negative press of late. In some areas the economics of the game need to evolve. A more creative mindset as to how clubs are actually put to best use as a leisure asset will help clubs, developers and owners better appreciate the commercial value of golf.

I think the way society has shifted has played a major part in how people consume leisure experiences. Golf has stood the test of time and remains hugely popular. We have witnessed many new angles on how to tweak certain aspects of the game in an effort to meet new demands.

What I think does stand the game in good stead is the new wave of entertainment bodies such as the European Tour are introducing. Not being afraid to change certain dynamics of the sport, try new things and introduce great access and audience insights will be a major factor in 2017 and beyond.

What needs to be done to ensure continued growth in the Middle East? Growing the game at grass roots is something both our clubs have championed. The Future Falcon’s program has been a real success and is something we want to grow further still, introducing the game to schools. If we can nurture the next generation and demonstrate the positive behavioral and health benefits the game can have, I think we can attract more youngsters to the sport. Improving the uptake of the game at a local level is an area that could move-the-dial regionally. I think there are a number of strong initiatives already in place. Of course more can always be done, but we can’t be afraid to try new things and embrace how the sport and club life can fit into modern day society.