Read about Ayla Aqaba, Jordan’s golfing gem in the making

CHRIS WHITE is one of the most experienced golf course General Managers in the Middle East. He was in the UAE at the beginning, when golf courses started to mushroom throughout the region. Now Chris is Director of Operations of the Ayla Aqaba, Jordan, one of the most fascinating developments the Middle East has ever seen.

Worldwide Golf: You hosted the Abu Dhabi Senior Tour Championship in October 2000 as Director of Golf at Abu Dhabi GC when golf in the Middle East was in its infancy – what are your memories of those times?

Chris White:  A crazy blur would be the best way to described those days, purely because we had three months of pre-opening activity before finally opening Abu Dhabi’s 36-hole facility (9 holes were floodlit). It was great fun but incredibly busy. We had more than 500 members from day one and double shotgun start events running on both courses every weekend. We were doing 70,000-plus rounds a year.

Ayla Aqaba Chris White Worldwide Golf

Chris White, Director of Operations of the Ayla Aqaba, Jordan.

 

 

WWG: You were at Al Hamra GC, Ras Al Khaimah GC, another Peter Harradine-designed course, for a number of years. How different was it to Abu Dhabi and what was the real test?

Chris White: I joined Al Hamra literally for the breaking of new ground. Peter is a great architect to work with and is passionately involved in his designs. To work with the golf course construction team, overseeing the design and building of the clubhouse, academy and marina was a great experience, whilst ensuring that we interphase with the residential and retail developments that were running in parallel to the golf course design work. It was a very different market and audience but I believe it was a success from the start. We realised that we had a small local community but an attractive offering to those who were prepared to travel 60 minutes from Dubai – and they certainly made the trip in numbers. I secured all the ‘Title Opens’ and the business snowballed into what it is today, which is a fantastic mid-range resort with probably as many international rounds as some of the other  ‘big name’ courses.

 

WWG: What took you to Yas Links and construction the company, Aldar, where you were totally involved in the project from the concept to the planning to the opening of the course?

Chris White:  I was approached by Aldar. The concept and appointment of designer Kyle Phillips had already been made, the construction tender process was just coming to an end and the golf course contractor was being appointed. I headed the golf division of Aldar and worked initially with the development team through construction and clubhouse architect appointment, including the fit-out over five very successful years of operation which left me with some wonderful memories in helping to create such a world-class facility. Aldar were a great empowering company. They recognised the skills-set certain individuals had and, in my case, trusted me to deliver on my knowledge. I was very fortunate to be able to work closely with the now CEO, Mohammed Al Mubarak, who, despite the fact that he was not a golfer, fully supported the strategy and decisions that were made.

 

WWG: Why is Yas Links one of the most popular must-play courses in the UAE?

Chris White: It’s simply unique. There are many great parkland-style layouts throughout the UAE but only one true links experience. You can play Yas Links every day of the year, whether from different tees, weather conditions or course set-up, and you will have to think, plan and strategise on almost every shot – there are so many really strong golf holes.

 

WWG: Where there is no real history of golf in a region how do you go about trying to grow golfers?

Chris White: The Middle East has witnessed unprecedented growth. Golf is something that adds value to real estate contributing to the residents’ lifestyle. Many Nationals I know historically used the sea and boats as a pastime. As golf courses opened their pastime turned to golf. One of the biggest challenges is that golf from a beginner level requires patience. It takes 4-6 weeks to learn technique so it’s going to take time.

 

Ayla Aqaba-masterplan Worldwide Golf
Drawing of the Ayla Aqaba Jordan master plan.

WWG: Why leave the Middle East’s favourite golf course at Yas Links for a journey into the unknown in Jordan?

Chris White:  After 16 magical years and the opening and operation of three great venues I was approached by Ayla, Jordan, in May this year with a view to joining them as their Director of Operations. I felt I needed a new challenge and there were three deciding factors: Ayla Aqaba is an incredible organisation led by the Chairman, and the Managing Director, who insist on you becoming part of the family from day one – which is a unique experience to me. It’s a world-class project at a world-class venue where attention to detail is of paramount importance. My role as Director of Operations covers a wide range of responsibilities that are huge, fascinating and challenging. I have 11 business functions that fall under my scope, including the marina, golf, leisure, retail, security etc. Collectively, we are working to a phased opening – a totally unique offering to Jordan. Life is very different to anything else I’ve experienced. I have been welcomed with such warmth it’s amazing, although Jordanians are renowned for their friendliness.  Ayla Aqaba works with a collective team approach. The Chairman and Board are hands-on with the Managing Director, Technical Director and Financial Director, who have built teams and layers beneath them to manage the vast volume of work as we begin to transition from development into operations. My job is to ensure the facilities are functional to guests’ needs, then build the teams that will operate a diverse portfolio. On a daily basis I jump from Marina operations to Golf Course Construction, across to Beach Club fit-out, ensuring that cross functional HR, Finance, Admin and Security all fit into the master plan. It’s energetic to say the least. Ayla Aqaba represents a phenomenal piece of planning and engineering where 235 metres of the Aqaba coastlinehave been adapted to create a marina access channel and two beach-fronted lagoons.

This resulted in an additional 17.1km of coastline with 17 individual beaches to facilitate seaside living where 1million cubic metres of sea water is circulated on a daily basis with a massive enhancement to marine life. We now have growing corals, sea turtles and a multitude of fish species. The golf course, located to the north of the site and at an elevation of + 11m. from sea level, has sea and lagoon views on many holes as well as its own network of four lakes and a flowing wadi where the rate of water flow can be controlled.

 

WWG: Ayla Aqaba is unique, with camels walking freely through the streets. Can Aqaba be transformed through its relationship and interaction with the golf course into a substantial  tourism destination?

Chris White: There is a countrywide and government-driven initiative to further enhance Jordan’s tourism and Aqaba is seen as a critical component to that goal.  Petra, Wadi Run and numerous other historical sites coupled with some of the Red Sea’s best dive sites are all within 90 minutes or less from Aqaba. Ayla Aqaba golf course is just another ‘must do’ on the list of Jordan visits which contributes towards  creating and marketing it as a tourism destination. Most interestingly, from a GCC perspective June, July and August are ideal golfing months with Aqaba’s dry heat as opposed to the oppressive humidity of other climates.

I am obviously aware of the abundance of history and sites around me. I travel to Amman at least once a week so my sightseeing has been from 20,000 feet but I most definitely look forward to exploring the locality soon – after all, we are selling the full offering, and need to know the product. As the Jordanian Tourism Board says, Jordan is “Out of this world” – as is the country’s first Championship standard golf course.

 

Ayla Aqaba Worldwide Golf 4

WWG: When Greg Norman first visited the Ayla Aqaba site in 2012 he declared, “The Ayla Aqaba project will be among the best in the world – the scale and quality of this project is phenomenal and the entire setting is unique.” When Norman returned to Aqaba last September he said: “The course is among the top three most eco-friendly courses in the world.” Is this your also your opinion?

Chris White: Greg Norman is one of the world’s leading golf course designers, renowned as a pioneer of eco-friendly layouts. From my experience here in Aqaba, Norman’s design and the owners’ vision has encompassed every means of water conservation, in addition to creating power through its extensive banks of solar panels on the edge of the golf course. You only have to look around the course at the increasing birdlife the water-running wadis and lagoons are attracting, along with the wide variety of fish and sea creatures thriving among the water features. The abundance of shrubs, fauna and trees selected from local species shows that the site is a perfect example of an environmentally-focused development, with all the irrigation water coming from wells or treated effluent.

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