COLIN MONTGOMERIE

Colin Montgomerie grew up playing golf at Royal Troon, Scotland, one of the classic links courses on the rota of the British Open Championship. Not far from the Montgomerie home there were many other great links courses, such as Prestwick, Turnberry, St Andrews, Muirfield, and Carnoustie. These were just a few of the great Scottish courses on which Colin learned his golf as a child.

While Colin Montgomerie Design is on the cutting edge of new design concepts and technology, Colin�s own Scottish roots and his appreciation of the traditions of the game have resulted in his design company embracing a more traditional orientation, in terms of the basic design principles that have stood the test of time.

Today, Colin is not only one of the world�s leading golfers, but he is also highly respected in the field of golf course design, borrowing heavily on his lifetime on the links and his vast experience of playing the world�s greatest courses.

Although Colin has ongoing tournament and global business commitments, he is genuinely dedicated to his design business. He is very much a traditionalist, although his play around the world at courses such as Oakland Hills, Augusta, Oakmont, Pebble Beach, Valderrama, TPC at Sawgrass, Oak Hill and Royal Melbourne has given him broad experience.

Colin particularly believes in working with the natural contours of the land and ensuring that, as with the great Scottish designs, nature is not tampered with unnecessarily. Nevertheless, he is keen to draw on certain characteristics from other courses such as:
� Bunkering at Royal Melbourne; the use of bunkering as a genuine hazard.
� Fairway design from Pine Valley; fairways that are �fair�, rough that is �rough�.
� Undiluted beauty of Augusta, and the importance of maintenance.
� Character and toughness of Turnberry and Troon; playability in variable weather.
� Unspoiled tradition of St. Andrews, and the value of unique green shaping.

Accordingly, Colin believes strongly in variety and balance in course design, as well as in playability for all golfers so that a Monty design will be exciting, but above all, fair.

Combining the design traditions of truly great Scottish links courses, The Montgomerie, Dubai has become the jewel of golf courses in the United Arab Emirates. Surrounded by the palatial homes of the affluent Emirates Hills community, the Championship course offers a world class golf experience with a great deal of character. In his first collaboration with co-designer Desmond Muirhead, Montgomerie has achieved a design that rewards strategic play, while celebrating the stunning natural beauty of the area.

Covering more than two hundred acres and featuring fourteen lakes and eighty one bunkers, this spectacular golf course provides the player with undulating "links land" style fairways which challenge and intrigue all levels of player. Placement of the drive to the generous fairways remains the cornerstone of any good round. The flat landing area of each fairway can be challenging to find, but in the end a rewarding adventure.

One of the signature holes is the par 5 fourth, dubbed the Snake hole for its saddleback fairway which doglegs towards the green, with two bunkers behind forming the eyes of the snake. Further on, the par 5 ninth, with water down the left, is a tough finish to the opening half. The par 3 thirteenth, a hole designed in the shape of the UAE, boasts a 360 degree teeing area around an island fairway and green, allowing for a completely different golf hole to be played every time. However, it is the par 5 eighteenth that offers a more classic test. At 656 yards it is a monster and, with water protecting the front of the green, it defies even the best player to hit the green in two.