In 2020, when the Hero Dubai Desert Classic was played the week after the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, a player casually remarked to the tournament’s executive director, Simon Corkill, how difficult it was to be on the road and find a good laundry.
The 53-year-old Aussie, who is all ears for such offbeat comments, went back into his office and entered it into his little notebook. Most importantly, he made sure something was done about it.
When the players and caddies returned for the 2021 edition, the tournament created a laundry service for them. Just bring your dirty clothes to Emirates Golf Club and hand them over at the designated area. They will be back the next morning, washed and ironed.
A seemingly small service, but the laundry drop-off became a massive hit among the players.
Then there was the time when the tournament unveiled its impressive media centre in 2021 at a prime location – overlooking the conjoined ninth and 18th green of the Majlis course.
Corkill and his team were obviously proud of the new offering when I informed him of one shortcoming. As the sun moved towards the back of 18th green, the floor-to-roof glass windows let in a blinding light from noon onwards, making it difficult for the journalists to look at their computer screens.
The next year, it led to a design change. The media centre was pushed back a tad, making space for a lovely viewing and lounging area, and the awning on top of it blocked the sunlight getting in.
It’s just the way Corkill and his team operate. They are always looking for “touchpoints” (his favorite word) that can elevate the experience of every stakeholder involved.
This year, among the many new things the Hero Dubai Desert Classic had to offer was a sprawling Mental Fitness & Recovery Zone for players and their caddies, families, and entourages.
In association with the DP World Tour, the tournament had started the initiative in 2024, but this year they upscaled it to a level that probably made it the best at any tournament.
When PGA Tour player Grayson Murray tragically took his own life on 25th May last year, it strengthened Corkill’s resolve to do something substantial on mental wellness.
The tournament took over the spacious SensAsia Urban Spa at the club and offered a range of services including mental fitness training, sleep chambers, mindfulness sessions, and a menu of nourishing brain-boosting dishes. A virtual reality zone was set up with targeted programs, and trained mental health counselors were available for one-on-one consultations. It also included an area where players could draw or paint.
Rory McIlroy, who two weeks ago was attempting to become the first player to win the Rolex Series event three years in a row, did not use the facility, but he was impressed with what he heard about it.
“I haven’t used it. But it’s long and stressful days out here at times for the players and caddies,” said the world No. 3 and four-time major champion from Northern Ireland. “All these facilities are obviously created for the players, and I think anything that can help, whether it’s, like, decompressing after a long day or getting mentally ready to go out and tackle what could be a long day, that’s a great thing.
“They do this on the PGA Tour, but it’s more like a recovery facility targeting the physical aspects. It does not quite cater towards the mental well-being side of things, which is becoming so important.”
England’s Tommy Fleetwood, considered one of the most chilled players on the golf course, said even he had to resort to psychologists and meditation when he was going through a tough phase in 2016. Such initiatives were of paramount importance, he added.
“I always think when you’ve struggled, which everybody goes through at some time in their career, your physical abilities probably come back before your mental side does,” said the world No. 11, now a resident of Dubai.
“I think it’s a great addition. We all probably need a bit of advice on how to switch off at times. Mental wellness has become an important part of sport and life and it’s cool to see this tournament being proactive about things like that. It’s definitely something that we would welcome more in tour events throughout the year.
“Both DP World and the PGA tours have been amazing when it comes to physical facilities. We always get physios and trainers, the gyms. But that mental aspect of it is something that’s probably a little bit behind. We haven’t done anything like this before, and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic has.”
The feedback from the players who used the facility was very positive, said Corkill.
“From my point of view, I would love to see mental fitness and recovery zones as common as good range balls,” said the man at the helm of Falcon Golf (promoters of the Dubai Desert Classic) for the past six years after spending 22 years with IMG in their London and Sydney offices.
“In all these years of being involved with golf, I have seen how players feel the pressure and how it hits everyone ”
Simon Corkill
“You will hear no end of it if a player shows up at the range and doesn’t receive good practice balls. In five years, I hope that players arrive at a venue and ask, ‘Where’s the mental fitness zone?’ That’s a small goal for us.
“We are a Rolex Series event on the DP World Tour, and we pride ourselves on being one of the elite global events. We started small with the mental wellness facility last year and had already planned to expand on it. And Grayson’s death really made us think we were on the right path.
“In all these years of being involved with golf, I have seen how players feel the pressure and how it hits everyone – whether they are top stars on the verge of winning a tournament, or someone who has been struggling with his game. And it is not just felt by the players, but also by their caddies, families and the whole team they have.”
A large staff manned the wellness zone, led by Dr. Andrew Murray, chief medical and scientific officer for the DP World Tour, and Dr. Phil Hopley, the well-known sports psychologist from the UK-based Cognacity. They were supported by Dubai’s Dr. Wesley Kew of Lighthouse Arabia and additional staff.
Dr. Murray added: “The Hero Dubai Desert Classic and the DP World Tour have led the way in enhancing health and performance in professional golf. Corkill and his team wanted everything to be enhanced this year. They were very clear that they wanted it to be the best Mental Fitness & Recovery Zone that the players have ever been to.”
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Top: The players' wellness centre at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic includes sleep chambers, mindfulness sessions, and a virtual reality zone.
Christopher Pike, Getty Images