Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Championship golf has come a long way from humble beginnings. This week sees golf's oldest championship, The Open, take centre stage once again.
The Open, or the British Open to give it its common name, began way back in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Eight players took part over three rounds of the 12-hole course to decide the first Open Champion, with Willie Park Senior prevailing in a close contest.
How times have changed: when Padraig Harrington lifted the Claret Jug at Royal Birkdale last July a worldwide TV audience of millions tuned in to witness the drama unfolding during the final round. Spectators flocked to the course in their tens of thousands to witness the action and soak up the atmosphere first hand. It is now a global sporting event up there with the best.
This year the great championship returns to Turnberry, Scotland and the Ailsa Course for the first time since 1994. The Ailsa Course is currently ranked as Britain's number one golf course by two leading golf publications, and is consistently rated as one of the world's best.
After heavy use as an airfield during the Second World War, golf course architect, Mackenzie Ross, was commissioned to redesign the Ailsa and it re-opened in 1951 as the spectacular links you can see today.
Whichever way you look at the Ailsa Course, it is both spectacular and dramatic in every sense. Whether you're staring down the narrowest of fairways with bunkers either side, or contemplating a 200-yard carry over the rocks to reach a distant target, the course will favour those that make the right decisions in all conditions.
The Ailsa has been closed since November to give greenkeeping staff the opportunity to make improvements to the course which, as well as adding another 247 yards, will serve to place more emphasis on well thought-out and accurate shot-making.
The Ailsa hosted its first Open in 1977 and produced arguably the best Major championship finish that has ever been seen. Tom Watson beat Jack Nicklaus by one shot in a contest which would become known at the "Duel in the Sun." From that moment on, Turnberry, and its Ailsa Course, would retain a place in the heart of every golf fan.
The championship was staged twice more in 1986 and 1994 producing great champions in Greg Norman and Nick Price and its return to the roster is a welcome one after a break of 15 years.
This year's championship is an intriguing one with so many players in form and would-be contenders coming into the mix to challenge for the auld Claret Jug come Sunday afternoon. Tiger Woods, as usual, will start as a hot favourite especially after his win last week at the Memorial Tournament.
So who is going to challenge? Double defending champion Padraig Harrington is having a miserable year, but the Open may trigger him back into form. Paul Casey and Ian Poulter provide the strongest home challenge, along with the new kid on the block, Rory McIlroy. The Americans will be out in force and Tiger aside, Kenny Perry, Hunter Mahan and Anthony Kim are all playing some superb golf. My money though would be going closer to home - Scandinavia to be exact. It is high time one of the long list of world class players from the north delivered a much awaited major title. With Robert Karlsson suffering from an injury, the likes of the Hansens or Soren Kjeldsen are likely contenders. Henrik Stenson though will be amongst the favourites and I think he will be a strong contender this week. So sit back, relax and let the greatest championship in golf unfold before you this weekend. It should be a cracker!
