flares

Probably of zero interest to non-golfers among us but Yas Links taking European Tour event from Abu Dhabi Golf Club is big news.

https://www.europeantour.com/europea...-championship/

Personally I found Yas Links easiest of the three Championship courses in Abu Dhabi - although the last three holes are a challenge for an amateur. The pros should go low round there.

scrubbedexpat141

That is big news in fairness.

The ADGC had managed to get that tournament big though, the village, the bars, the bits around the course - in fairness, it had turned into an event we'd never miss and made the effort to go to. I'm sure they're gutted to lose it.

Yas Links though, different course, different proposition, more exciting scenery on telly and maybe more interesting golf. It's a wonderful course, last three are horrible (215yd par 3 into wind? Driver it is) but will be good to see pros play it.
I'm trying hard to think but there's not loads of space around the course in different areas to have big villages / fan areas etc. Might make it more about the golf which isn't a bad thing (despite what I said earlier).

flares

There's a par-3 course that'll probably get mullered to get a fan village in there.

And it can get breezy in January so it could be a challenge. Still if conditions benign it'll be a putting competition.

scrubbedexpat141

Spoke to a friend who’s in the know.
ADGC has been sold and they’ve given up the tournament for a year to change grass.

Set up at Yas will be terrible, two main stands apparently and as you suggest, they’ll tear it apart. He played with a middleish European player who shot 8 under from the tips whilst just having a laugh.