Day 1 — Arabian Ranches: Jet Lag, Doubts, and a Birdie on the Hardest Hole
Arabian Ranches Golf Club — Ian Baker-Finch & Nicklaus Design · Par 72 · Blue Tees Score: 94 (47-47) | Fairways: 86% | GIR: 22% | Birdie: Hole 14
I got to bed around 2am. The alarm went off at 7.
Four and a half hours of sleep, a body clock that thought it was the middle of the night back in Pittsburgh, and a tee time at 11:20am local — which my brain registered as roughly 2:20 in the morning.
This was not going to be a low round. I knew that going in. The goal was simple: get a feel for the course, the turf, and the desert golf experience. Enjoy the day. No expectations.
The Doubts
What I didn’t expect was how loud the doubts would be.
Standing on the range before the round, I was actually hitting it great. Pure strikes. Chipping was sharp. Even the bunker work felt good. But between warm-up and the first tee, the thoughts crept in:
How will I play with no sleep? How will I play on Bermuda grass — I’ve never played on it competitively? How will I play when the pressure is on? I didn’t practice at all last week…
Every golfer knows these voices. They show up uninvited, usually right when you’re trying to feel confident. The trick isn’t silencing them — it’s acknowledging they’re there and refocusing on the only thing that matters: the next shot.
Arabian Ranches. No water hazards, no sculpted bunkers — the natural desert does the talking.
The Round
I played with three other guys in the tournament group — all great company, all happy to be out in the Dubai sunshine instead of wherever winter was happening back home.
The driving was the story. I hit 86% of fairways — 100% on the front nine. When I found the fairway, I was launching 280-300 yard bombs straight down the middle. Some of the longest drives I’ve hit all year. The PXG Lightning MAX was doing its thing.
The problem? Six penalty strokes from the tee shots I didn’t hit straight. When you’re spraying it into the desert scrub at Arabian Ranches, there’s no forgiveness. No rough to catch it. No trees to bounce off of. Just desert.
Miss the fairway here and you’re reloading. The desert doesn’t negotiate.
Approach shots were the weakness. 22% greens in regulation tells the real story. I was in the fairway all day but couldn’t convert from 150-200 yards out. That gap — between a good drive and a green in regulation — is where the 94 lives. It’s where an 85 lives too, if I can tighten it up.
Putting was solid. No complaints there. When I was on the green, I was getting it done.
The Birdie
Hole 14. Par 4, 356 meters, handicap 2 — the hardest hole on the back nine.
I don’t remember exactly what I was thinking on the tee. Probably nothing. That’s usually when the best shots happen. Fairway. Green. One putt. Birdie.
On the hardest hole. On 4.5 hours of sleep. On Bermuda grass I’d never played before.
That’s golf. That’s why we do this.
The Scorecard
| Nine | Score | vs Par | Fairways | GIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front | 47 | +11 | 100% | 22% |
| Back | 47 | +11 | 71% | 22% |
| Total | 94 | +22 | 86% | 22% |
Highlights: 1 birdie, 4 pars Damage: 8 doubles, 1 triple, 6 penalty strokes
The Evening
After the round, we cleaned up and headed to the rooftop bar at the Radisson Blu Media City for the meet and greet. Old friends from last year, new faces, everyone rallying around the week ahead. The tournament starts tomorrow at Yas Links — a true links course on the Arabian Gulf.
Under Armour UA Drive Pro Clone Laced up and ready. Seven more courses to go.
The Takeaway
94 with a birdie, six penalties, and no sleep? I’ll take it. The swing is there. The driver is hot. The approach game needs work, and I need to keep the ball in play — but those are fixable problems.
More importantly: I showed up. After three cancelled flights, two airlines, an overnight in London, and 4.5 hours of sleep — I showed up, competed, made a birdie, and had a great time.
That’s what this trip is about. Not the score. The grind.
Tomorrow: Yas Links Abu Dhabi. Round 1 of the Skillest Pro-Am. Playing with Andy Carter. True links golf on the Arabian Gulf.
Let’s go.
This is Day 1 of the Desert Grind: 8 in 6 — eight courses across Dubai and Abu Dhabi at the 2026 Skillest Pro-Am. Follow the journey.
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