The UAE golf industry came together for what has become one of the most eagerly anticipated gatherings of the year as the annual 59club MEA Service Excellence Awards were hosted aboard the iconic Queen Elizabeth 2 with Emirates Golf Club, The Els Club and Al Zorah among the big winners of the night.
The coveted ‘Ultimate Service Award’ went to Emirates Golf Club, who defended their title for a second year in a row. Dean Nelson, Club Manager, Emirates Golf Club commented: “Winning the 59club Ultimate Service Excellence Award is not merely an achievement; it stands as a testament to the club’s steadfast dedication to delivering an extraordinary experience for all members and guests.
“My heartfelt gratitude extends to our devoted colleagues who consistently go above and beyond to ensure service excellence permeates every department of our club. This award would not be attainable without the hard work and dedication of this exceptional team.
“I would like to offer my sincere thanks to 59club for their invaluable support. Their role not only involves measuring our service but also entails a continuous commitment to innovation, consistently pushing the boundaries of service excellence.”
Celebrations for the Els Club, Dubai ensued having seen their Membership and Agronomy departments awarded team of the year titles as well as a Gold Flag designation for the club. Tom Rourke – General Manager of The Els Club Managed by Troon Golf International said:
“We’re delighted to receive this recognition from 59club of our Gold Flag designation as well as the team awards for Agronomy Team of the Year and Membership Team of the Year. This is greatly deserved by The Els Club team who tirelessly work to exceed our member and guest’s expectations. We continuously evaluate and review our guest journey utilising the independent and benchmarked data from 59club to evolve the experience to the high standards of Ernie Els, Troon Golf International and Dubai Sports City”.
Further celebrations on the evening went to Al Zorah Golf Club as they clinched the prestigious Retail Team of the Year for their unparalleled excellence in service and sale processes, and to Arabian Ranches Golf Club as they fought off fierce competition for the Food & Beverage Team of the Year.
Dubai Hills Golf Club were awarded the Sustainability Award, presented by Adam Hoult from Neutral Carbon Zone (NCZ), who were also commissioned with making the event carbon neutral. Adam explained: “The clubs answered sustainability questions and demonstrated their current sustainability activities. These were assessed and graded by which activities would have the greatest impact. Using a weighted scorecard NCZ ranked the clubs by order of sustainability impact, Dubai Hills becoming the overall sustainability award winner.”
Trump International Golf Club, Dubai once again secured the my59 Ultimate Service Excellence Award for the fifth consecutive year, showcasing their unwavering dedication to continuously enhance customer service through thorough analysis and improvement based on extensive satisfaction surveys. As proceedings unfolded, Jumeirah Golf Estates took to the stage to collect the award for Operations Team of the Year, testament to the hard work and dedication of the team led by Franco Botha.
The complete list of properties achieving Gold Flag Designations on the night were: Abu Dhabi City Golf Club; Al Hamra Golf Club; Al Zorah Golf Club; Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club; Dubai Hills Golf Club; Els Club, Dubai; Emirates Golf Club; Jumeirah Golf Estates; Montgomerie Golf Club, Dubai; Saadiyat Beach Golf Club; Trump International Golf Club; Yas Links, Abu Dhabi.
Meanwhile three Silver Flag Designations were awarded to Arabian Ranches Golf Club, JA Resort Golf Course and Yas Acres Golf & Country Club, with The Track, Meydan Golf claiming Bronze Flag status.
Mark Bull, Director 59club MEA said: “We’re ecstatic to acknowledge the outstanding teams and managers who shone brightly throughout the evening. Heartfelt congratulations to all the deserving winners! A huge thanks extends to our title sponsor, Luxury Carts Group, and to the QE2 for graciously hosting a night of tremendous celebration. Special gratitude to Tom Lynch, from 59club Global, who provided a captivating overview of 59club’s remarkable journey and the thrilling future that lies ahead.”
A full list of award winners from the 2024 Service Excellence Awards are featured below:
1. Golf Membership Team of the Year: The Els Club, Dubai – led by Agnes Wesolowska
2. Retail Team of the Year: Al Zorah Golf Club – led by Stephen Payne
3. My59 Ultimate Service Excellence: Trump International Golf Club, Dubai – led by Martin McDonagh
4. Sustainability Award: Dubai Hills Golf Club
5. Food & Beverage Team of the Year: Arabian Ranches Golf Club – led by Ryan Smith
6. Agronomy Team of the Year: Els Club, Dubai – let by Alex McDowell
7. Golf Operations Team of the Year: Jumeirah Golf Estates – led by Franco Botha
8. Ultimate Service Excellence: Emirates Golf Club
