Meet Rémi Bertoche: The French artist capturing the passion of golf on Dubai's fairways

Step into the world of Rémi Bertoche, a French artist who brings the vibrant energy of golf tournaments to life through his brushstrokes.

At the 2024 DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates, Bertoche was on the sidelines, capturing the essence of the action from a unique perspective.

A familiar face at the tournament for over 12 years, Bertoche has almost become a permanent fixture. He paints at a remarkable pace, often completing one canvas each day, positioning himself in the perfect spot long before the players tee off.

He first covered golf at the French Open of 2006 and his paintings have been commissioned by a vast range of celebrities and royalty including, among others, the King of Bahrain, the Prince of Monaco, Rickie Fowler and Rory McIlroy.

Bertoche’s art isn’t limited to golf. Throughout the year, he travels the world, creating works inspired by high-speed action at Formula One, MotoGP, surfing, and, of course, golf. His work allows fans to experience the excitement of these sports in a whole new way – through the eyes of an artist who knows how to turn movement into a masterpiece.

“My paintings are a unique mixture of fine art and abstract, which best captures the true atmosphere of an event,” he told Khaleej Times.

“I play golf with a handicap that fluctuates between seven and 12 and I have just under 61,000 followers on social media.

“I try to capture the ambience in my paintings and make the people who see them feel like they’re really here,” the Frenchman adds.

Explaining his daily routine he continued: “I come to the course before everybody because I like to feel the spirit of when the sunrise comes and I can walk on the course, feel the ambience.

“I like to cruise around in the morning to prepare for the day. During the day, I adapt my situation with the painting I have to do depending on what happens, ready to work fast,” he said.

“I do what I want, but this week I’ve been doing one painting per day. I sketch in the morning and put the paint on during the afternoon.”

Asked what happens to the paintings he produces – he responded: “The Tour keeps one and the others are for sale - sometimes they are auctioned for charity.