Let’s be honest—most golfers wouldn’t fancy a couple of pins in their hips before they’d even cracked adulthood, or sitting in a wheelchair with your clubs taunting you from the foot of the bed. But Stuart Taylor isn’t most golfers. He’s the kind of bloke who’ll take that sort of setback, dust himself off, and, eventually, pinch Darren Clarke’s course record for good measure.
Today, Taylor is the affable General Manager of ProSports International—the UAE’s heavyweight when it comes to golf equipment, club fitting, and pretty much anything else that helps you stripe it further than your mates. But if you think it was all sunshine and tailor-made shafts from the get-go, you’d be mistaken.
When we caught up with Stuart, he shared the story of a journey that started in Lancashire, detoured through hip surgeries and the pro circuit, and landed him here in Dubai—where he’s been grafting, innovating, and helping local golfers level up for nearly 15 years.
Grab a coffee (or something stronger), because this is the tale of how one lad’s love of golf never dimmed—no matter how many curveballs life (and the odd dodgy lie) threw his way.
Ask any golfer to list their proudest moments, and you’ll often hear about that one glorious day when every putt found the middle of the cup. But for Stuart, his greatest memories started as part of something bigger.
“Proudest achievement as an amateur?” he laughs, weighing up a long list of possibilities. “I’m going to go down the team route on this one rather than myself.”
See, back in the day, Stuart was an absolute force for Lancashire county golf—the sort of reliable team man every captain dreams of. But it was one particular campaign that stuck with him.
“We won the English County Finals to make us the best county team in the country,” he says, with a grin that suggests it still gives him goosebumps. “We beat Yorkshire at Hexham in the northern section and then went on to Longcliffe in Loughborough for the final. Myself and three of the lads all came back from losing positions on the front nine to win our matches. That was pretty incredible.”
It wasn’t a one-man show, and that’s precisely why he loved it. “It was an amazing team,” Stuart says, proudly. “The county set-up had been running for ages. To get over the line and call ourselves champions—that meant everything.”
Stuart Taylor pictured with Christy O’Connor Snr
Of course, Stuart didn’t hang up the spikes after county golf. He earned his PGA stripes and had a good go at the pro ranks—an experience that gave him ultimate respect for tour players and their relentless slog.
“Looking back, I probably went out on tour a bit young,” he admits. “You see how much travel is involved—how demanding it is mentally and physically. It’s not for everyone.”
Still, there were moments of brilliance. One that stands out involved none other than Christy O’Connor Sr., a Ryder Cup icon, and, unwittingly, Darren Clarke.
“I won my pro-am and shot a course record at Island Golf Club,” Stuart says, lighting up. “I got to take the trophy from Christy O’Connor Sr.—what an absolute legend. And to know I’d taken the record off Darren Clarke? That was special.”
He makes it sound almost casual—like breaking a course record is just something you do on a Thursday. But it’s that modesty that makes Stuart such good company.
After that stint of tournament golf, Stuart faced a crossroads: keep grinding out life on the road, or find a way to channel his passion closer to home.
“I’d always had this itch to teach,” he recalls. “I wanted to pass on everything I’d learned—from elite amateur golf to playing pro—to the next generation.”
When some of his friends moved to Dubai, he paid attention. The city was growing, the courses were thriving, and there was a real hunger for expertise.
“I could see opportunity here,” he says. “And I knew I could help people—whether it was juniors picking up a club for the first time or better players wanting to get to the next level.”
It didn’t take long before Stuart’s path crossed with Sheikh Saeed Bin Hasher Al Maktoum at ProSports International. But don’t think for a second he walked straight into the General Manager’s chair.
“He made it clear he wanted me on board,” Stuart says. “But he also made it clear I’d be starting at the bottom. No shortcuts.”
And start at the bottom he did—lugging bags, learning the nuts and bolts of retail, and studying every detail of equipment performance. Over the next 14 years, he climbed every rung of the ladder.
“When I started, we didn’t have the level of technology we do now,” Stuart says. “TrackMan wasn’t everywhere, and dynamic fittings were only just becoming mainstream.”
But he loved the challenge. ProSports’ philosophy—to make sure every golfer walks away with the right kit for their game—matched his own perfectly.
“It’s been amazing to watch Dubai golfers embrace the idea that the right club, shaft, ball—even the right pair of shoes—can completely transform their game,” Stuart says. “We’ve had people come back and say, ‘I’m hitting it 20 yards further,’ or ‘I finally got rid of my slice.’ That’s what it’s all about.”
And it’s not just the single-figure handicappers who get his attention. Weekend warriors, new golfers, and juniors all get the same level of care.
“Whatever level you’re at, you deserve the best advice and the right equipment,” Stuart says. “Those incremental gains are what keep people excited about golf.”
The story might sound like a steady upward arc—but there’s one chapter that tested Stuart in ways most golfers can barely imagine.
When he was still a teenager—flying as a junior—he developed a severe issue with his hips. The solution? Two pins in each hip.
“I wasn’t allowed to walk,” he says, quietly. “I had to live downstairs, in a wheelchair, looking at my golf clubs every day.”
It was the sort of nightmare that could break a lot of people. But for Stuart, it was motivation.
“Those clubs sitting there were my inspiration to get better,” he says. “When I finally got back on my feet, I spent six months just chipping and putting. I wasn’t allowed to make a full swing.”
Eventually, he returned to the course. What happened next was the ultimate vindication.
“A couple of games later, I shot the course record at my home club,” Stuart says, almost sheepish. “After worrying whether I’d walk again, to play like that—it was massive for me.”
Fifteen years is a long time in any city, but in Dubai—where everything evolves at warp speed—it feels even longer.
“It’s changed so much since I arrived,” Stuart says, looking around. “Back then, there weren’t as many courses, and the approach to fitting and coaching wasn’t as sophisticated. Now, you’ve got world-class facilities everywhere.”
And he’s had a front-row seat for it all.
“What I love about Dubai is how open people are to improving,” he says. “Golfers here really want to learn, to get the best out of themselves. And there’s such a brilliant mix—from local Emirati players to expats who’ve played all over the world.”
Does he ever see himself heading back to the UK? He pauses for a moment.
“Dubai feels like home now,” he says. “I’ve built my career here, I’ve watched the golfing landscape transform, and I’ve had the chance to grow alongside it.”
Spend five minutes talking to Stuart Taylor, and it’s clear: this is a man who lives and breathes golf.
From county titles and course records to helping thousands of players find that magic club, he’s done it all—without losing the humble, grounded love of the game that first got him hooked.
“Golf’s given me so much,” he says, smiling. “It’s taught me resilience, patience, and how to look forward instead of back.”
And if you’re ever in doubt that the right equipment can make a difference, pop into ProSports International. Odds are, Stuart will be there—ready to hel0p you find your next secret weapon.
So here’s to the man who turned adversity into achievement, who swapped Lancashire drizzle for Dubai sunshine, and who still gets a buzz from seeing golfers play their best. Stuart Taylor: a reminder that in golf—as in life—it’s how you bounce back that counts.
