Ireland’s leading sports radio reporter Denis Kirwan and myself were up before sunrise last Saturday morning.

Thanks to Viren Varma, the Press Officer for Golf in Dubai, we had the pleasure of playing the Faldo Course at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai.

We were due to tee off at 8.20am but given we both were working at the DP World Tour Championship, Denis and I were concerned of not being delayed on the golf course what with the pressure of covering the third round of the final European Tour event.

However Denis and I arranged getting to the course early at around 6.30am and with the hope of getting out first on what looked set to be a wonderful morning.

The sun begins to rise over the Emirates Golf Club, Dubai.

It was now close to 6.40am and as we made our way to the first tee of the Faldo Course here was the site of a four-ball warming up on the tee.

‘Oh no!’, we said.

But no sooner had we arrived on the tee and there was the call:  “If you guys want to tee up first, then go right ahead.”

Denis and I could not thank the four enough.

So without even a practice swing, and with Denis still wearing his normal day shoes, we teed up and with both of us remarkably finding the fairway with pretty decent drives before jumping back aboard out cart and heading off down the first.

The sun starting to make it’s presence felt at the 2nd hole at the Faldo Course at the Emirates Club.

The sun finally showed its face as we were putting out on the second green and by the fourth hole the course was bathed in sunshine.

Our only concern this morning was getting a flat tyre on the golf cart on the 8th hole but then we met with one of the many courteous staff at the Emirates Club as we came off the 9th green who arranged a replacement cart.

The match between Denis and myself was a real ‘Titanic’ struggle with Denis going 1up after 3 holes but then it was back to all square when I birdied the next.

Denis then won the 5th before I won the 6th and 7th holes but Denis then won the 8th and also the 12th to get the match back to all square.

Ireland’s leading radio reporter Denis Kirwan on the 4th green at the Faldo Course.

However, and just hours before Ireland was due to face the Australian Wallabies, Denis closed out the match winning the 14th, 15th and 16th holes for a 3 & 2 success and with my Irish colleague storming his way through the back nine in 40 strokes and 22 Stableford points.

Then as Denis and I stood on the par three 17th here was the sight on the 11th green of the fourball that had called us through on the first tee.

We walked off the 18th green at around 9.10am – about two-and-a-half hours after teeing off.

Thanks so much again to Viren at Golf in Dubai for the opportunity to play the Faldo Course on what was a wonderful morning on a superb golf course and at Emirates Golf Club – the first in the Dubai and still the best.

Bernie moments after holing his putt for birdie on the 4th green at the Faldo Course at the Emirates Club, Dubai.

Faldo Course, Emirates Club – The morning sun lights up the 3rd hole.

FOOTNOTE –

The outing at Emirates Golf Club proved beneficial to Denis as he traveled home to capture the Irish Golf Writers Association annual championship title at