Getting There?

This is the tale of my week working working on the final European Tour event of 2014, the DP World Tour Championship.  It's particularly exciting this year because all of the victorious European Ryder Cup team will be plying their trade on the Greg Norman designed Earth Course in Dubai.

It isn't the first time that I have worked on this tournament.  That was in 2009 when Lee Westwood blitzed the course and his opponents to win both the event and the Race to Dubai taking home a cool £1.6 million!

Mind you, my experience at that first event very nearly convinced me to come home, sell my clubs and take up a different sport!  Why you may ask?  Because fundamentally, the golf that the professionals played bore little or no resemblance to that of a 13 handicapper from Skipton!

I overcame the thought of resigning, rekindled my love affair with the glorious game and have subsequently returned to Dubai on a number of occasions to act as a roving marshal.

This year like last, I am joined by two fellow Skipton members, our gorgeous Lady Captain Amanda Kilner and her long suffering husband Paul!  Unlike me who is just there for the tournament, they are making a holiday of their trip and hold one major advantage - they know that they are getting a flight to Dubai on Sunday!

Why is this different for me you ask?  Well I am the proud dad of daughter Sarah whom many of you will know as a member and Director of our golf club.  You are probably thinking, what's that got to do with it?  Well from an early age all she wanted to do was fly aeroplanes for British Airways, a dream she made reality.  As a consequence, mum and dad from time to time enjoy the benefit of some staff travel concessions.  However on most occasions these involve the uncertainties of standby travel. In essence, if there are no seats, you don't fly and I well remember the time when I was left in Phoenix as my better half took the last seat on the jumbo jet!  It can be a real adventure.

Well I was hoping to fly out to Dubai on Sunday but guess what?  Of the two potential flights I can take both are totally full!

Whilst you might be thinking that the tournament doesn't start until Thursday, the reason I have to be there on Monday is because I have to attend a meeting to be briefed on my new role as a TV scorer and a no show means the role will go to someone else!!

I don't want you to worry about me just yet but on the assumption that I do get to Dubai as planned I hope that you might be interested to read of my experiences throughout the week?  Hopefully the blog will be accompanied by some great photos and if any of you have any comments to make (preferably not abusive as I prefer to receive these face to face) then click on the comments link at the end of the blog.

Fingers crossed that the next dispatch has some positive news and it is actually posted from Dubai!