The National Course at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club has been transformed to present more of a challenge for the world's best golfers when the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship tees off next month.
The course, which directs the opening ceremony of the European Tour's Desert Swing, has seen changess implemented on five holes ahead of the tournament, which starts on January 20.
The course remains at 7,440 yards, but new sand traps on holes 2, 5, 6, 13 and 17 will test the likes of Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen and Martin Kaymer, who are all confirmed for the event, attracted, no doubt, by the $2.7 million prize purse - the biggest on offer on the Desert Swing.
The new hazards are described as "subtle and effective", with many bunkers pushed up closer to the greens. Rather than deepening the traps, organisers have instead steepened the faces and added definition to the lips so as to provide a strategic challenge.
"I think the golfers will enjoy the challenge of analysing the course changes and adapting their games," said Faisal Al Shaikh, Events Manager for Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA).
With six of the world's top 10 players and all four major winners from the 2010 scheduled to attend the event, the 2011 edition of the tournament looks set to be the biggest yet, and the ADTA has arranged for a significantly expanded Championship Village with more attractions, hotels, cafes and tournaments.
