Dubai Sports City, the world’s first integrated sports city, has announced several fundamental steps to ensure that its golf club, The Dunes, will provide golfers an experience that is not on offer anywhere else in the region.
Chief among these measures has been the appointment of the club’s general manager, Thomas Rubi, by Troon Golf, the world's leading luxury-brand golf management, development and marketing company.
The club’s management has also conducted extensive research with potential members to ensure that their questions, concerns, and requests are answered before the club even opens.
“We selected Troon Golf to manage The Dunes because we know that they have the global management experience to position the club in the market properly from the very first day of its operation,” said U.Balasubramaniam, CEO, Dubai Sports City.
“Troon Golf’s command of golf facilities management, but also its understanding of global marketing and luxury hospitality, gives us a great platform for success at The Dunes. We have high expectations for Thomas Rubi and his team.”
As general manager, Rubi will be tasked with overseeing all aspects of the club’s management, from pre-opening marketing and brand positioning to membership services and full managerial oversight of the club’s operations.
Rubi brings extensive hotel and golf resort management to his new Dubai position, having worked on high-profile projects across the world for nearly two decades, most recently at the Jack Nicklaus signature golf course project in Portugal, Monte Rei Golf & Country Club which is considered to be among Troon Golf’s finest managed properties.
“The Dunes project impresses me with its vision and commitment to building and maintaining a superior golf experience,” said Rubi. “New clubs like The Dunes do not come along often, and my team and I are excited and privileged to have the opportunity to build the club’s brand and fulfill its mission from the earliest days of its operation.”
About Dubai Sports City:
Dubai Sports City (DSC), the cornerstone project of Dubailand, is a $3.6 billion, 50 million square feet mixed-use development which will be the world’s first integrated purpose-built sports city.
The development will be built around five major sports venues:
• a 60,000 capacity multi-purpose outdoor stadium for football, rugby, track and field and other sports and non-sports events
• a 10,000 seat multi-purpose indoor arena suitable for all hard court sports as well as concerts and other events and also including a removable ice rink
• a 25,000 capacity cricket stadium, expandable to 30,000, with state-of-the-art facilities for players, match officials, VIPs, spectators and the media
• a 5,000 seat field hockey stadium
• The Dunes, a magnificent 18-hole Championship golf course designed by Ernie Els
In addition to the stadia, Dubai Sports City will feature a series of major sports academy facilities including:
• Dubai Sports City Football Academy, the home of Manchester United Soccer Schools, Dubai
• a David Lloyd Tennis Academy
• a Butch Harmon School of Golf, the first such facility outside the United States
• the International Cricket Council’s own ICC Global Cricket Academy
• the WorldHockey Academy, a first of its kind partnership with the International Hockey Federation
• top class multi-sport training facilities including gymnasium and a 50 metre swimming pool
• a world-renowned sports medicine and rehabilitation centre
Designed as a lifestyle development, Dubai Sports City will also feature comprehensive community facilities including:
▪ Next Generation Country Club and spa facility
▪ a large-scale shopping mall
▪ two retail hubs offering up-scale dining and boutique shopping
▪ a range of schools
▪ medical facilities
▪ community centres
▪ hotels
