General Abdullah Al Hashmi is marking one year as President of the Emirates Golf Federation, a role he took on after four years as general manager under his predecessor, Sheikh Fahim. Speaking to Golf Digest Middle East in Morocco, where the federation’s summer programme is based, he reflects on what the title has actually changed, the growth in Emirati and women’s participation, and where he wants the federation to be in three years’time.
A year that didn’t feel any different
Honestly, I can’t say the feeling is any different. My name became President of the Emirates Golf Federation, but I was doing the same thing I was doing four years before that: helping, working with the team, taking charge of the federation as general manager, really. I was trying to make sure that, working with Sheikh Fahim when he was President, we achieved our tasks. So the title, in that sense, doesn’t really matter. What matters is developing the game, developing the players, seeing our federation progress and climb the ladder, and building the connection with the community, the clubs and the game of golf in general.
I’m not trying to make this my own legacy and live there forever. The most important thing is setting up a system that works and for the federation to keep functioning. Once you set that up in every part of the organisation, it takes a lot off your shoulders, and it means you’ve done something. The only real difference the title gives you is the ability to make a difference.
The moment that made him proud
If there’s one thing, it happened just last week. Sheikh Fahim, our honourable Chairman now, paid us a surprise visit here in Morocco, where this interview was taking place. When he was President, he never used to come and “camp” with us like that, so it meant a great deal that he chose to spend a week with us. He said to me, “Since you’ve been on board, everybody sees the jump you have done in the federation.” I never really thought of myself that way, but hearing it from him made me very proud – I carry enormous respect for him, for everything he’s achieved.
Of course, none of it would have happened without his support, the executive board’s support, the previous board’s support, and the team around me. We can feel the difference across the board: our relationship with the clubs, the national team, the connection between players and the federation, and our standing with other federations across Asia and Europe. Emirates Golf Federation being recognised well on the international stage makes a real difference, and hearing that recognition from Sheikh Fahim meant a great deal.
Public golf courses remain the region’s missing piece
I can really only speak to what I’ve seen at the Emirates Golf Federation, because I’d have loved to see more happen region-wide. If there’s one thing missing, it’s public golf courses. In a place like Australia, you’ll find three or four public courses in every city, offering affordable rounds and facilities that everyone can access – that’s something the region still lacks.
What I have seen, and what excites me, is more nationals of the region taking up golf. It’s happening in the UAE, and it’s a big change – over the last three or four years especially, we’ve seen far more Emiratis playing. We’ve done a good job spreading the game here and getting it recognised as part of national sport, and the Ministry recognises our federation at a high level, which has made a real difference. I’d love to see the same momentum in the wider GCC. Saudi Arabia is improving and investing, Oman too. Morocco remains the regional leader – here on the driving range on a weekend, you’ll see hundreds of kids playing golf – and that’s what we want to see replicated elsewhere.
Women’s participation up 60 per cent in three years
Female participation has grown by around 60 per cent over the last three years, with roughly a 35 per cent increase in women now holding an official handicap. Working with the R&A, and through women’s leadership programmes we’ve implemented at federation level, we’ve seen a real shift in participation both in clubs and in schools. Golf is “cool” for women now, which is a fantastic thing to see.
Practically, we run women’s series events, par-3 formats, and give women places in club opens with tournaments split across different handicap categories – so they’re playing against strong players but still competing within their own bracket, with prizes for their category so nobody feels left out. We also get women playing alongside their children in junior tournaments; it becomes a real social occasion, with the whole family out at the club. That’s one of the best ways to build the wider golf community – get everybody involved, not just in the game itself, but in what comes after it, too.
Leaning on volunteers to build ‘the people’s federation’
It’s a huge amount of coordination, and we lean heavily on volunteers – people in the UAE who simply love the game. That’s one way we get the community genuinely involved with the federation. We don’t want people to see us as just a government entity; we’re trying to make this the people’s federation. It’s going to take time, and it isn’t easy, but it’s doable.
From 30 tournaments a season to more than 100
The federation’s mandate spans everything from grassroots junior programmes to elite performance. [Laughs] That’s Kieran’s – Kieran Pratt, Director of Operations – nightmare, I keep tasking him, that’s why he’s got no hair left! When I joined the federation around five years ago, we had maybe 25 to 30 tournaments a season. Now we’re running over 100 – full events every weekend, and often midweek too: junior events, ladies’ events, big events, small events, elite level, feeders, and feeders-to-feeders all the way up to the main tours. Then you have high-profile competitions like the UAE Cup, which in its second year delivered 380 WAGR points, making it one of the highest-ranked amateur events anywhere, attracting top players from around the world.
The next three years: a public academy for thousands of kids
I’d love to see more UAE kids playing the game. The reason I love it so much is that it’s a game of discipline. It gets your mind into the game in a way no other sport quite does.
To have my own academy – a public one – with thousands of kids playing golf. I’d love to see more UAE kids playing the game. The reason I love it so much is that it’s a game of discipline. It gets your mind into the game in a way no other sport quite does. You spend hours on the driving range, on the course, and it takes you away from all the other distractions – good and bad – in the community, the culture, wherever you are. It protects kids, and it takes them to a different level of mindset and discipline. I’d love to see more of that.
Twenty rounds a year, and a granddaughter’s verdict
In the UAE, I probably played about 20 rounds all last year – that’s it. But Morocco is my summer home, and when I’m here I try to make up for it. I play almost every day except Monday. It’s peace of mind, more than anything. It doesn’t really matter which course, as long as I get to play.
I brought my wife and kids out here recently, and my granddaughter – she’s seven – rode with me in the cart for a few holes for the first time. Afterwards she said, “Now I know why Granddad loves to play golf.” I asked her why, and she said, “This is so peaceful.” It really does take you away from the office, the stress, any pressure or obligation. You’re still thinking about the shots – good ones, bad ones – but the green space brings real peace to the heart and mind.
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