Tiger Woods In Dubailand

Guess what Middle East season opening golf tournament Tiger will be playing in for probably the next 20 years. Does Dubai ring a bell?

Some writers have taken issue with Tiger's new course design company, theorizing that being a great golfer doesn't make one a great golf architect. If you're a reader of this blog, then you know I immediately took the other side of the argument. I have hopes that Tiger will not only do course design right, but might even be the guy to take it back to it's golden age by using many of the same principles as the classic early 20th century architects such as Alister MacKenzie.

Last week's announcement that Tiger's company's first project will be a 7700 yard course in Dubailand has me wondering if I'm not sadly mistaken. I don't have anything against Dubai. If you're in real estate development it is THE place to be. They mint money faster than they can spend it and are intent on converting their entire desert country into an oasis that will surely be one of the new 7 wonders.

Imagine being a young designer and your first project is the Taj Mahal of golf. This place will be Disneyland, Augusta National and Marina del Rey rolled into one. The resort will be called Al Ruwaya and come complete with VIP suites, luxury villas, mansions and plenty of swanky retail space.

I know there's more to a course than length, but at 7700 yards what are they thinking? If you've seen some of the other stuff being built in Dubailand, then it's not hard to imagine them demanding their signature course to be the longest in the world. And who's Tiger to say no when there's enormous money on the table even by his standards. Unfortunately, sometimes your first attempt sets the stage for what is to follow.

Most courses are too long for the average golfer already. Length is the key factor in slowing play, with 5+ hour weekend rounds all too common nowadays. 7700 yards may be fine for Ernie, VJ and Freddie, but the rest of us shouldn't be playing this length unless we have the course to ourselves. Golf needs to become easier, more enjoyable and take less time if it's going to grow as a sport. A 7700 yard Disneyland course built on the Tower of Babylon is not the way to get there. I can see it now - 'new Nicklaus course to be 7800 yards', 'Robert Trent Jones layout rumored to be 8000 yards', 'Faldo designs 8500 yard monster'. You get my drift.

The course is also rumored to have dramatic elevation changes. Usually this means no walking unless you're in training to solo Everest, which to me is 180 degrees from what golf is about. I had the great good fortune to play Bandon Dunes in Oregon recently where you have to walk unless you've got a letter from your mother. What a joy. It's not that I'm ever going to be in a position to play any course in Dubai mind you, but I can't get away from the feeling that this course is somehow going to set the theme for Tiger's future courses. Please say it ain't so Tiger.