By Kent Gray
Greg Norman’s vision for Fire has finally been realised, or at least will be when the European Tour’s newest stop is beamed around the globe next week.

The 65-year-old former world No.1 has hailed the elevation of the lesser known (outside of the UAE at least) of his two Jumeirah Golf Estates designs to European Tour status.

Fire will play host to the new $1.2m Golf in Dubai Championship from Wednesday- Saturday next week ahead of the 12th edition of the Race to Dubai’s season-deciding DP World Tour Championship on Earth.

Two-time Open champion Norman couldn’t be happier Fire will get the recognition he’d planned all along.

“To have the opportunity to showcase the diversity and contrast of the two courses at Jumeirah Golf Estates in a televised setting is something I’ve hoped for all along, and I think it will be an exciting couple of weeks’ of golf for Dubai and the golfing world,” said Norman.

“We designed both the Earth and Fire courses with the potential for tournament play in mind, so it’s very exciting to have the Fire course join the Earth on the European Tour rotation.”

The par-3 2nd hole on Fire.

While the top players have learned the nuances of the Earth course over the last 11 years of the DPWTC, Norman believes the Fire course poses a much different challenge – but one that will be receptive to low scoring if the correct strategy is maintained.

“The Fire plays more like a links course, so there are more options for playing the ground game and using the contours, especially when the conditions are firm and fast,” said Norman.

“The wider corridors allowed us to create a variety of different angles and shot-making opportunities, so while it may appear less intimidating than Earth, the course still requires a great deal of thought and execution to score well.”

Norman, who has designed courses in Oman, Jordan and Egypt, understands how important the Middle East is to the golfing world and is delighted to have played a part in helping the game grow in the region.

“I’ve always thought there was tremendous potential for the game of golf in the Middle East since I first came to Dubai as a touring professional in the 1990s, so it’s extremely rewarding to see the two courses I’ve designed at Jumeirah Golf Estates becoming such an integral part of taking that growth to new heights – it’s a huge part of what drives my passion for golf course design,” he said.

Attendance at both events will be for invited guests only. Golf fans can follow the action on the Dubai Sports channel in the UAE.