We have written about the need for Egyptians to work in the golf industry. Until now, most Egyptians working in the industry have been men who started out at a young age as caddies in one of the old clubs – Gezirah Sporting, Mena House or Alexandria Sporting. These men have become golf teachers; very few make a good living at it.
But the top teaching pros in Egypt, the head greenskeepers (the professional person in charge of keeping the course in good condition), and nearly all of the club managers are from abroad. All are men. They often have university degrees, and have passed the rigorous requirements to join the professional golf associations in the countries where they come from. Most are excellent players, having played – or dreamed of playing -on the professional tours. They all have outstanding English-language skills, even if they are not native speakers.
What will it take for Egyptians to move into the top jobs in this rapidly expanding industry?
As with any career, it is always best to love what you are doing – in this case, the game of golf. Most top people working in golf play the game and do so quite well. Unlike football or basketball, one can play golf at an advanced age. Many golfers continue playing into their 80s and 90s, and even past 100. The handicap system makes it possible to compete, even though your game declines as your age increases and your physical skills diminish. As that consummate – and now 70-year-old – South African pro Gary Player once told me: Golf is the only sport you can play when you grow old and fat. I didn t take the remark personally.
Largely because of the encouragement of Katameya Heights Head Professional Gerard Bent, there is now an Egyptian Professional Golf Association. Within a few years, some Egyptians should be able to qualify as teaching professionals at the level of Europeans
A handful of university graduates joined the golf clubs in the late 90s and have now worked themselves up to responsible positions in Katameya, Mirage, Dreamland, and the tourist courses on the Red Sea.
One of the most intriguing stories of an Egyptian looking to golf as a lifelong occupation is about a young woman from Alexandria – Naela El Attar – who started playing golf at a very young age and is now seeking to make it a career. When we asked Naela to tell us the story of how she, at five years old, started to play golf, she nonchalantly answered, “Well, I used to play tennis. At five? Yes, at five.
But a relative drew her into the game of golf and it has been her passion ever since. “Every summer it was the beach and golf, Naela says of growing up in Alexandria.
Her dad, Dr Mohamed El Attar, who happens to be the current secretary general of the Egyptian Golf Federation, explained just how hooked Naela was on golf. “When she was six I bought her these junior clubs, really small clubs, while on business in the United States. She slept with them, brought them to bed with her every night.
Naela has become an excellent golfer, winning dozens of tournaments in Egypt. Recently she became the only Egyptian woman ever to win the All African Ladies’ Golf Championship
Now 21, Naela has just finished university and has moved to California where she is studying at the San Diego Golf Academy. Her intentions in San Diego, besides enjoying her first taste of international independence, are to learn as much as she can about the game, coaching, and organizing tournaments so that she can bring her knowledge back home.
“I want to get back and make golf more popular, she says of Egypt, “It’s booming here.
She knows what she’s talking about. As the young champion discusses the golfing industry here, mentioning the tourism draw of Upper Egypt and the Pyramids, it is obvious that her analysis of the country’s potential in this market is well thought out. She even shows a strong interest in hotel management, a very convenient enthusiasm considering its tie to golf and tourism.
“I love the idea of a good hotel and golf course together. . We have good courses in Egypt and we have an advantage because we can play all year round.
“I’m really lucky to know what I want to do in life, Naela says. “To be on a golf course every day is okay with me.
And so, it may come to pass that the first outstanding, well-educated, professionally trained Egyptian in the modern golf industry will be a woman.
