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Hickory’s Sports Bar and Restaurant

Posted by Lau

Scrummy chocolate dessert.

Where in Abu Dhabi:
Yas Links Golf Course
Yas Island
Tel: 02 810 7777

As I wrote in a previous post, W and I took up golf for the very first time here in Abu Dhabi.
This is why we tried Hickory’s at the beginning, but the lovely food and drinks are the reason why we keep going back!

Located inside the Yas Links golf course, this sports bar has several big screens around the venue. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed, and the clientèle seems to be a healthy mix of seasoned golfers and people just coming for the food and a couple of drinks.

We have been there several times, both on our own and with family and friends, and we really like it. The menu has plenty of choices, from burgers and salads to pasta and seafood, and they also have a lot of weekly promotions, such as ‘Monday English roast night’ or ‘Thursday curry night’.

I didn’t take photos every single time we went, but I should have, because the dishes always look so good! Below are some random snaps:

Rocket with char grilled vegetables, buffalo mozzarella and pesto drizzle.

Sun and Sands pizza (Margherita).

Five leafs salad with balsamic infused pears, garlic boursin cheese and oregano crisp.

Taco shell bowl with beef chilli.

Tex Mex tasting plate.

I love this drink! I always order it.

This is one of our favourite spots in Abu Dhabi: the food is always really yummy, there is a good selection of drinks and a full bar, and staff are always very helpful and attentive.

And I must say, eating there makes me almost forget how bad I actually am at golfing!!

Posted in Foodies

HSBC Golf Championships: – 2 days.

Jan 11

Posted by Lau

(photo © Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championships )

The Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championships, part of the European Tour tournament, is back in town for the ninth year.
From Monday 13th of January to Sunday 19th of January, the big names of golf will be battling it on the green of the Abu Dhabi Golf Club (here are the directions).

The first three days are not ticketed, and the entry is free for all, whilst young people under 18 can always enter for free, any day of the week-long event, as long as they are accompanied by a ticket-paying adult.

Those who are part of the Etihad Guest miles programs might want to check their account, as they are also likely to get free tickets, since Etihad is an official sponsor of this sport tournament.

Most of all, though, the theme days mean that on different dates, a lot of people belonging to different categories will enter for free:
Thursday 16th January: Mini Falcons’ Day Out = Free entry for all Mums and Children.
Friday 17th January: Ladies Day = Free entry for all ladies.
Saturday 18th January: A Splash of Red = Free entry for everyone wearing red.

Tickets are still available on Ticketmaster and can be either a one day ticket, or a season ticket, valid for the four days of the championships (prices from 37.50 to 50 AED).

Here is the complete schedule for the week-long event.

Golfing stars set to return to Abu Dhabi for this year include five-time Major winner and current world number 4, Phil Mickelson, former world number one Rory McIlroy, reigning US Open title-holder Justin Rose, Abu Dhabi’s record-breaking Global Golf Ambassador Matteo Manassero, world number 14 Luke Donald, and three-time Falcon Trophy holder Martin Kaymer. All will challenge reigning champion Jamie Donaldson for the title.

Since recently W and I have taken up golf, it will be real fun to see professional players in action for our very first time.
Also the off-course entertainment is supposed to be really good. This year apparently there is a new public Sky Box overlooking the 17th green, which will also sell refreshments. I assume it will be quite a crowded spot, but definitely we will try to pay it a visit.

More information: Official HSBC Golf Championships website

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Click HERE to read more about SPORTS in Abu Dhabi
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Posted in Sports

Learning golf in one week

Oct 26

Posted by Lau

A new challenge.

Playing any kind of sport against W (or board games, or video games or any competition, actually) means that I have to resign myself to a sore defeat, day after day.
He is one of those people who are just great at everything they try, whilst I am not as gifted, especially when it comes to sports!

Imagine my reaction when he suggested we take part in the Learn Golf in One Week course, at Yas Links Academy!
I had played golf a bazillion years ago, when I was a little girl, and I can still hear my dear friend F (which is an amazing golfer, by the way) laughing in my face all the way to the green.
I was not sure the results this time could be much different, but you know what? Life is for the living, so I said yes!

Evening practice.

The course is organised over a week, starting on Sunday, and it is taught by Craeg Deery, a professional golfer from the UK.
It starts from the basics, such as ‘how to hit the ball’, and patiently moves forward, at a very reasonable pace.

Hitting the ball sounds easy enough, but it actually takes time to learn how to hold the club in the right way, how to do the swings without twisting a muscle or two, how to position the ball to make sure it is actually going to go somewhere and so on.

After the first two lessons, we had two days of ‘rest’, however we were allowed to use all the club’s facilities for free and we were very much encouraged to go back and keep practising.
The final stage of the course saw us learning the differences between clubs, working on precision as well as distance, and playing a short game on the 9 Hole Academy Course.

So, did we learn to play golf in a week?!

Well, i think W did. He did amazingly well and I think the instructor was very pleased with him.
About me, I can’t say I could play Tiger Wood tomorrow, however I feel confident that I now know the basics, I improved a lot since I first started, and I was quite happy with my scores in the final game. Next time my friend F comes to visit me, I hope she won’t laugh as much as in the past!

In conclusion, I think golf, as every other sport, needs a lot of practice and dedication, but this class certainly made me want to play more, and made me curious and confident enough to step on a golf course knowing at least my irons from my woods.
Being a total disaster at sports, I think this experience has been really positive, and I would certainly recommend this course to anyone who is willing to try something new and enjoy the beautiful weather on this side of the world.