Three months away from ‘home’ ended with the pleasure of tackling the Faldo Course at Emirates Golf Club.

The Majlis Course, and host to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, remains the benchmark for golf in the Middle East however I’ve come to enjoy the Faldo Course.

The Faldo Course is a great mix of holes with no two the same and it’s a golf course where a 15-handicapper like myself can walk away with a bunch of pars that only adds to the enjoyment.

And 37 points was a great way to wind up three months spent travelling from Dubai and the DP World Tour Championship and then onto Australia before heading north via the EurAsia Cup, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and to be back in Dubai to witness Danny Willett continue to stake his claims for European Ryder Cup team selection.

Thank you ladies for a wonderful day’s golf and particularly Afifa (right in picture)

Chris May, CEO at the Emirates Golf Club, so kindly arranged for me to play the Fadlo Course last Monday at 1.35pm where I joined three women members of the Club.

So thank you ladies, and particularly Afifa, in allowing me to accompany you for what was a wonderful afternoon of golf on yet another glorious Dubai day.

Afifa mentioned to me she’s lived in Dubai for some 35 years and clearly has seen so many changes to the region and that continues to impress me on each visit to Dubai, and as you will see from the photos below.

The ever-changing Dubai skyline with the 8th hole in the foreground

And to highlight what a small world it really is, Afifa mentioned me to she had lived many years at Rose Bay in Sydney, and where I had thoroughly enjoyed spending some seven weeks before getting back into ‘the deep end’ of reporting on the European Tour.

Five pars in succession over the opening nine was the highlight of my round but then I gave myself a few more chances over the back nine, especially after parring the 10th but the good thing to report there was no disaster holes.

The day ended on a brilliantly note with sun setting behind the ever-changing Jumeirah Beach region skyline.

However not changing was the delight in being afforded the opportunity to play golf at the Emirates so thank again to Chris and all his team at the Emirates Golf Club.

Next move – making my way to Abu Dhabi and a 2.30am flight back to the east coast of Scotland and back into my own bed after an absence of some three months.

The ninth hole on the Faldo Course.

The sun lights up the 14th green at the Faldo Course.

The sun setting over the par three, 17th green on the Faldo Course.

A stunning backdrop at the last hole on this my last day of a three month absence.

The setting sun lights up the final green on the Faldo Course.