Golf in Dubai

With a host of top championship golf courses, the tournaments hosted in the Emirates are widely viewed around the world. The Dubai Desert Classic, and Race to Dubai are amongst the top competitions, drawing big name players from both the PGA and European tours.

In Dubai the Emirates Course and Dubai Creek are the oldest and most established. In the early days they were located outside of the city but the relentless pace of development means that they are now encircled by skyscrapers in the heart of the metropolis. The Emirates features two full courses whilst the Dubai Creek Club has an 18 hole Championship course and a 9 hole, par 3 course.

The Els Club at Dubai Sports City followed swiftly afterwards, consisting of an upmarket housing complex, golf and a multi-sports facilities. There is a Butch Harmon Golf Academy on site, the first of its kind outside of the USA with state of the art computer and video equipment for swing analysis. The academy offers group and private coaching.

The Jumeirah estate is the latest addition to the Dubai golfing scene. Currently home to two courses, Earth and Fire, the plan for this vast golf and housing complex is to have four courses. The Earth course was built especially for the DP World Tour Championships, the finale to the European Tour’s Race to Dubai.

Green fees include golf carts with GPS, an ice box with water and usually free use of the driving range and practice facilities. In high season the courses operate a shotgun start in the early morning and then again in the afternoon to give some relief from the higher temperatures of the middle of the day. Some courses have flood lighting on some or all holes so you can play into the evening.