text Virginia Mammoli
The 5 best golf clubs in Dubai
During your holiday in the UAE, discover the most luxurious golf courses where you can play
When one thinks about Dubai, the first image that comes to mind is its very tall skyscrapers. This creates an amazing contrast with the desert that surrounds it, but perhaps it is even more surprising to discover its large green areas. In all parts of Dubai, you will find beautiful parks and gardens, extremely well kept and often full of attractions, waterways and ponds. Real natural oases in the heart of this hectic city surrounded by desert. Among these, there are also the excellent courses of Dubai’s exclusive golf clubs which in 2022 allowed the city to be awarded the title of ‘The Middle East’s Best Golf Destination’ at the World Golf Awards. Below we will review the five best golf clubs in the city. But first, here is our tip: choose your starting time so that you can finish around sunset; seeing the sunset from one of the city’s golf courses is a magical experience.
EMIRATES GOLF CLUB
Emirates Golf Club’s flagship course is the Majlis, the first grassy golf course in the Middle East and the location of the Dubai Desert Classic tournaments. Many top golfers have played on this golf course, including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlRoy who won his first professional tournament here, and Ernie Els, the golfer with the highest number of victories in this tournament. This challenging par-72 course with a distance of 7,301 yards was designed by architect Karl Litten and features 18 original holes located within and around the dunes of a beautiful natural site bordering Dubai. The course is home to hundreds of species of indigenous plants and animals, and it is also enriched with beautiful winding fairways and seven freshwater and saltwater lakes. The Faldo Course – called ‘The Wadi’ from the Arabic word meaning ‘valley’ – also has 18 holes and is open day and night. It takes its name from the legendary golf player and six-time major winner Nick Faldo who redesigned it in 2005. Finally, The Academy Course with 9 holes is a very well-kept course designed for golfers of all levels.
The MajlisDUBAI CREEK GOLF CLUB
The Dubai Creek Resort includes the iconic Dubai Creek Golf Club and the 5-star Park Hyatt Dubai hotel (awarded as the World’s Best Golf Hotel 2022 at the World Golf Awards). Thanks to its location along the banks of the city’s famous river, playing in this golfer’s paradise will feel like a spectacular journey through Dubai’s amazing landscape. Its well-kept fairways, surrounded by lines of date palms and coconut trees, the enchanting water hazards and shrubs give a tropical feel to The Championship Course (more than 7000 yards). A very challenging hole is the 18th hole with water on the left and a long bunker on the right which is also bordered by water. Instead, the 9-hole course of the Dubai Creek Golf Academy, open from 7am to 10pm, is ideal for beginners but also for more experienced players who want to improve their short game. Finally, a well-designed mini-golf course offers all golf enthusiasts the opportunity to have fun and challenge themselves. It also features a majestic clubhouse, inspired by the sails of a traditional Arab dhow.
Dubai Creek Golf ClubJUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES
This prestigious golf club features two courses. The first, the Earth Course, hosts the DP World Tour Championship, the final event in the ‘Race to Dubai’ and the European Tour season. The design of this course was inspired by the great European and North American parks. It features undulating fairways, shiny white bunkers and numerous lakes with a variety of wild animals, all surrounded by ochre red soil. The Fire Course, designed by Greg Norman to blend in with the natural landscape of the desert, can be a ‘hot’ challenge for golfers of all abilities. The grass glitters with gold in the sunlight and, away from the spotless playing surfaces, the undulating surface of the course is dotted with large terracotta bunkers, all surrounded by lush flora. Each teeing area offers a unique perspective and great variety which increases the players’ interest and challenge, while the position of the bunkers has been carefully studied to catch all the wrong shots, forcing players to play carefully.
Jumeirah Golf Estates, Fire Course THE ELS CLUB
The best golf course in Dubai according to the 2022 World Golf Awards. Located within the Dubai Sports City centre, the Els Club is an 18-hole championship golf course, spectacularly designed by legendary golfer Ernie Els who included all his favourite features here: bunkers inspired by the Royal Melbourne, greens that recall Pinehurst No. 2 and wide, undulating fairways. The Bar & restaurant 261 pays homage to the great champion and his record of 72 holes reached in the PGA Tour during the 2003 Mercedes Championship, while for meat lovers there is the Big Easy Bar & Grill. The Country Club is a 5-star leisure facility which features an urban-chic gym and two swimming pools.
The Els ClubTRUMP INTERNATIONAL GOLF CLUB
Located on the edge of the desert which borders the city, the Trump International Golf Club of Dubai is a top-tier destination for golfers of all levels. The course has been designed to be in perfect harmony with the desert climate and offers a unique and challenging experience. Players must carefully plan the strategies to use throughout the 18 holes of the course with various levels of difficulty increasing gradually. You can hone your skills at the Trump Golf Performance Academy, improve your game at 9-hole par-3 course designed by Gil Hanse where you can play until late at night, or practise at the Indoor Golf Swing Studios. The spectacular clubhouse of almost 3,000 square metres is the largest in Dubai.
