The Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship will mark a milestone for youth engagement when it returns to Yas Links, taking the total number of children and young people introduced to golf through community initiatives to over 10,000.
The reaching of this landmark, driven by joint community programs from the DP World Tour and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council alongside the Team Cup, coincides with the UAE’s Year of Family. Operating under the national tagline ‘Growing in Unity,’ the collaboration aims to provide long-term access to golf across Abu Dhabi, ranging from primary school introductions to career development opportunities within major event operations.
Youth development begins at the grassroots level through the Future Falcons Programme. Owned and operated by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Emirates Golf Federation, the program teaches children aged 4 to 16 the basic mechanics of swing, chip, and putt. Lessons are delivered through golf-focused hours, school visits, clinics, and activations at regional sports and community gatherings.
Participants can test their progress through the Future Falcons Skills Challenges. The grand final takes place at Yas Links during tournament week, giving junior players direct contact with professional golfers.
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| ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - NOVEMBER 07: Schools Visit; School; Kids; Village; Fan Village; Championship Village on day two of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2025 at Yas Links Golf Course on November 07, 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images) |
In addition, the tournament's schools programme, run in partnership with M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment Middle East, integrates golf into classroom settings. Assembly presentations led by the tournament team in the month preceding the event teach pupils about the sport and allow them to play during school hours. Visiting school groups attend the event live to view top-tier players, take guided tours of Yas Links, and access activities in the Championship Village.
Complementing these efforts, Viya Golf and Aldar launched a schools initiative last year in partnership with the Emirates Golf Federation. The program brought nine local schools on-site to Yas Links during tournament week for targeted coaching in the Golf for All Zone.
For older youth aged 16 to 19, the European Tour group’s Careers in Golf Programme—run in collaboration with the Golf Forum—targets underrepresented backgrounds to encourage industry diversity and inclusion.
The program offers workshops focusing on non-playing professions, including coaching, event management, and golf course operations. Attendees meet industry leaders and gain behind-the-scenes access to learn how a international tournament is organized and delivered.
Commenting on the youth milestone, Maria Grandinetti-Milton, Director of Sustainability at the DP World Tour, said:
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“Reaching 10,000 young people will be a proud moment for everyone involved in both events and there is no more fitting year to reach it than the Year of Family. Golf is a game families can share for life and our aim has always been to make that first step as easy as possible – whether that is a child picking up a club for the first time or a student discovering a career in the sport.” |
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| School assemblies led by the tournament team in the month before the event teach pupils about the sport and let them play golf during school hours. |
Organized by the DP World Tour and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship serves as the opening fixture of the DP World Tour Play-Offs. The top 70 available players on the Race to Dubai Rankings compete at Yas Links, with the top 50 progressing to the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
Headline players in this year's field include:
Looking ahead, the Team Cup—a three-day match play competition between Great Britain & Ireland and Continental Europe previously held at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort in 2023 and 2025—is scheduled to return in January 2027. Information and ticket bookings for the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship remain available via official channels.
