VETERAN SCOT'S PART IN GOLF DEVELOPMENT IN OMAN

BILL LONGMUIR ... key figure in Oman golf development over the years

 

NEWS RELEASE

This week’s inaugural National Bank of Oman Golf Classic is not just one of the biggest sporting events the country has ever seen, it is also the culmination of decades of hard work and Scotland’s golfing veteran Bill Longmuir has been there from the very beginning.

It was a fitting tribute that the eight-time European Senior Tour winner received a sponsor’s invite from the National Bank of Oman to play in the tournament and he took full advantage, making the weekend cut before a superb three under par third round 69 shot him up the leaderboard for the final round.

The National Bank of Oman Golf Classic, however, is not just a golf tournament for Longmuir. It is the first giant step in putting Oman on the world golf map after 30 years of involvement in building the game in the Sultanate.

It’s a fascinating story of literally building the game in Oman from foundations made of sand. Longmuir explains:

 “The link started about 30 years ago when I met Oman’s late His Highness Kais bin Tarik al-Said. I happened to meet His Highness through a horse trainer friend of mine at Newmarket racecourse. I was keen on horseracing and so was HH Kais.

“We got on like a house on fire from the outset. He enjoyed the banter, so to speak, and I got him into golf. Between myself and my friend Pip Elson, whose son Jamie is playing here this week, we got him into playing in Pro-Ams and he sponsored a few Pro-Ams in Dubai.

“Then I came over here to visit Oman around 20 years ago. At that time, Muscat had one sand course which was reclaimed by the Government to build a hospital and they gave them a site upon which I then designed and built a sand course called Ghala Wentworth.

“The course was finished very quickly, all done with virtually no budget, just volunteers. The course turned out to be very successful and recently it was turned into an 18-hole grass course called Ghala Valley, and the club is going from strength to strength.

“HH Kais and I wanted to create Oman’s first grass course so we started with Muscat Hills. It took over five years to build and it was quite a complicated job. Paul Thomas (son of the late Dave Thomas) designed it and I helped with a couple of holes but it was really Paul’s design.

“We were thrilled with the course which features dry wadi river beds. HH Kais and I hoped that one day Oman would stage a tournament there. It’s certainly a good contrast to Almouj Golf The Wave, which was designed by my good friend Greg Norman, who rates the course one of the finest he has ever created.

“Muscat Hills is more in line with the mountainous, rocky landscape that you can see around Muscat, whereas Almouj Golf is more of a links-style course, so they complement each other.

“What I did notice when I first came to Muscat was that a lot of the Omani nationals wanted to play golf. There was, of course no tradition of golf in Oman but there was a lot of enthusiasm. Unlike some countries, the Omani nationals love their golf and I was encouraged by that, I must admit. 

"Over the years I have watched the game  grow and grow. It’s not just an ex-pat community playing golf here, as it is in many Gulf states, it’s really all about the nationals who love to come out and play. That’s what has been so good about golf out here in Oman.

“During the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic this week it’s been good to hear people talking about golf. With three diverse grass golf courses already well established in Muscat and another 18-hole grass course to be opened here next year, Oman is moving rapidly towards becoming a genuine golfing destination.

“They’re rebuilding the airport nearby which will encourage tourists to come to Oman and enjoy a totally different experience to Dubai.”

To host such an illustrious event in Oman is something Longmuir is immensely proud of and he believes it is a fitting tribute to his friend, His Highness Kais bin Tarik al-Said.

“I am thrilled with the initiative of the National Bank of Oman creating this tournament,” says Longmuir. 

“For me it is Al-Said’s legacy. It means a lot for me to be here competing and see it happen on Greg Norman’s spectacular lay-out and the equally spectacular manner in which it has been staged this week is simply wonderful. 

"The relaxed, friendly atmosphere of this event has made this one of the most enjoyable and memorable weeks of my career.

“Although I'm 60 years old, it’s great for me to have been invited to play in the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic and see these young players competing. They are so strong and the standard on the European Challenge Tour is excellent. It’s been an eye-opener for me and I'm really enjoying every minute of it.”