Dean Nelson (pictured) is the recently appointed Club Manager at one of the game’s most recognisable golf destinations, Emirates Golf Club. Throughout its 35-year history, Emirates Golf Club and the Dubai Desert Classic have produced some world-class champions, with the likes of Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros, Ernie Els, Fred Couples, Rory McIlroy, and Colin Montgomerie having all claimed victory over the famous Majlis Course.
In this interview, we spoke to Dean about the 25-year career path that took him around the world in senior management roles before landing at Emirates Golf Club – including a spell in Dubai earlier in his career. He also discusses the responsibilities involved in hosting professional events in the UAE, the importance of attention to detail when preparing to host the world’s best golfers, and how Dubai is fast becoming the go-to global golf destination.
Tell us about your journey in the golf industry, and how you came to land your new position with Dubai Golf at Emirates Golf Club?
I was actually Golf Operations Manager with Dubai Golf at their Nad Al Sheba Club venue for six years previously, between 1999-2005. I moved around the world across a variety of leadership positions in the following years, including Hong Kong Golf Club for eleven years as Director of Golf and St. Andrews Bay in Scotland as Chief Owner’s Representative.
Moving back to Dubai was an easy decision given my history with Dubai Golf and the progression that Dubai has made since we left. Coming back to a very forward-thinking country was an easy decision. I met my wife here, got married here, and my daughter was born here. So, I have a lot of personal and professional ties to Dubai!
Emirates Golf Club is one of the busiest clubs anywhere in the world and is really a sports hub within Dubai. The club also has a fantastic tournament heritage. How do you plan on further enhancing that reputation and offering, and what is your long-term vision?
We’re absolutely one of the busiest clubs in the world. Emirates Golf Club is one of the biggest clubs not only in the UAE but all around the world, with more than 30 years of professional tournament heritage. The club’s membership is full and thriving, which is great, with so many facets to the facility, it is truly something to be savoured.
In addition to golf, we’ve got three restaurants here with an incredible variety of cuisines on offer as well as a host of recreational facilities. With Emirates Golf Club, there’s an opportunity to really enhance what we offer and separate ourselves from other golf clubs. I think that mindset stems from the club’s operator, Dubai Golf, which has huge ambition and desire to develop the club and the golfing landscape within the UAE.
In terms of my vision, a key aspect is to focus on each individual element of the guest experience. Everything must be tailored with this in mind, so that guests will not only come here to enjoy great golf, but also have a memorable experience due to the service we offer throughout the facility. All of those different touchpoints need to be constantly monitored and connected to allow us to keep improving. We are also going to be enhancing our caddie programme, as we are noticing a higher demand for that service from guests visiting from various corners of the world.
Despite already offering a fantastic service, there is always an opportunity to keep improving and get better – nobody else is standing still. We need think about ways to introduce new technologies and create better spaces for tuition and enhanced short game facilities within our academy. Striving for small improvements is at the heart of our success, and I’m lucky to be supported by a team that are very much committed to that mindset.
This is your second stint with Dubai Golf. What has changed at the company since you left at the end of 2005?
We’ve now got the three clubs in Dubai, but also have the three clubs in Abu Dhabi under our Viya Golf brand, and of course our fantastic Topgolf facility here at Emirates Golf Club. So, the biggest change is the vast expansion of the Dubai Golf portfolio. The international recognition as an industry leader has strengthened massively since 2005. The volume of events has increased in line with the growth and expansion of the city.
The growth of the brand working simultaneously with the forward-thinking approach of the team here makes for the most impressive shift. For example, Padel has become a huge part of the club; Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Golf were pioneers in the early days of padel courts in Dubai and to this day they are thriving and growing at a rapid rate.
Dubai Golf has great leadership and a fantastic support network. There’s a constant desire to push boundaries, and there’s a strong mindset towards unearthing what each and every business and person can do to continue promoting Dubai and Abu Dhabi as the most desirable destinations for international golfers.
We have a great collection of golf courses, world-class course conditioning and impeccable service across all our clubs. That camaraderie amongst the club managers has really enhanced the Dubai Golf experience – we all work together with common goals in mind.
Emirates Golf Club is the flagbearer for golf in the Middle East, and the heritage of the Majlis Course is one of the most impressive in the history of the modern game. How do you plan to use your vast international experience to continue positioning EGC as a progressive leader?
The whole gate-to-gate experience for the guest at Emirates Golf Club is my focus. What’s their arrival experience like, how’s their journey from there to the locker room, then to the first tee? We must keep looking at ways to improve every step of the process. On the course, looking at everything from the bunkers, playing surfaces, green speeds and playability of our rough and natural desert areas are all vital components of the experience. Each aspect must be fine-tuned constantly to ensure our members and guests are having a first-class experience.
What I can help to bring is a detail-oriented approach. Building cohesion between all our departments, with the same collective goals will ensure there are no gaps in the guest journey. It’s a very exciting time and with the enthusiasm from my colleagues and the same common goals, we will continue to lead the market in service levels. This is a similar approach to what I have taken at Hong Kong Golf Club, as this was also a very busy and prestigious club.
You’ve re-joined the company shortly before the 35th anniversary of the Dubai Desert Classic, one of the oldest and most storied events in world golf. How was the event this year, and why do you think professionals love playing the Majlis Course so much, considering the consistently positive feedback from players?
The event was a resounding success, due to a brilliant collective effort from all our colleagues, sponsors and our partners, Falcon, who are the promoters of the event. The player feedback this year was incredible, due in part to the largest hospitality ever built framing the 9th and18th greens as well as their player experience. The player lounge featured, ice baths, massage, fitness facilities, fine dining, an ice cream machine, not to mention they have a player hairdresser located inside!
So, they’re well looked after, and it helps that the tournament is a Rolex Series event, meaning the purse is very strong. Dubai’s a great destination for the professionals to visit and the course conditions are as good as they play anywhere all year. I think that makes it one of the best – if not the best – event on Tour.
The event was that good, that I think it might be tough to top it. We’ve got some plans to extend a couple of holes and we’re going to change some of activations that will improve the fan experience as well. We’re lucky here in that our course maintenance team has a vast experience in improving the standards and scale of the event. As always, we take what we did well, and we learn from what we didn’t do quite so well, so that we can make it even better next time!
Dean Nelson, thank you very much
