Fun Fact: The city of Dubai has more active construction cranes than other city in the world. It stands to reason that they would have some active golf courses as well. I set out on the 15 hour flight across the globe to find out.
My first order of business after arriving in Dubai was to confirm the existence of the tall buildings. In a city where 100 story skyscrapers are the norm, one building towers above the rest. At 163 stories, the Burj Khalifa is the world’s tallest building. For New York City residents, that is nearly twice the size of the Empire State Building.
Burj Facts
Can be seen from 95 kilometers away
The elevator travels at a speed of 60km/hr
Alain Robert climbed the outside of the building in 6 hours
Tom Cruise climbed on it for Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol.
Two guys named Fred and Vincent jumped off the top of the building.
It takes 3 months to clean the windows from top to bottom.
After some sight seeing it was time to turn my sights back to ground level and start the business of exploring Dubai’s golf courses. I visited 8 golf courses on my visit to Dubai. I can confidently recommend each one of these as an excellent addition to any Dubai golf agenda. They are presented in no particular order below.
We shall begin with the most recognizable golf course in Dubai, the Emirates Golf Club. The Majilis course boasts some of the most impressive skyline golf views in the entire world. It is pure magic to pound a drive and watch it fall across the cityscape backdrop. With the exception of 1999 and 2000 the Majilis course has hosted the Dubai Desert Classic since 1989. Some of golf’s finest champions have hoisted the trophy in the desert. It was time for me to join the likes of Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, and Rory Mcilroy.
I certainly would not have won any trophies with my play during my visit to Emirates Golf Club, but the point of the round is to enjoy the experience. Be sure to bring your camera on the 8th and 18th holes as the most dramatic skyline scenery presents itself.
While the $400 green fee is just about as steep as the buildings that surround the golf course, you can argue that these once in a lifetime views are worth it for the traveling golf tourist.
After taking a week to let the experience in Dubai sink in, I am able to confidently state that my favorite golf course in Dubai is the Els Club. This golf course checks the boxes hard for me.
Firm, fast, yet receptive greens.
Striking views and sweeping sky line vistas.
Varied, yet challenging golf holes.
Friendly staff and world class service.
Just about everyone that I ran into during my visit to the UAE regarded the Els Club as the very best in Dubai and it was easy to see why everyone was so enamored with the golf course. The mix of challenge and opportunity makes for a well balanced round of golf. That level of justice and equity is difficult to achieve on a golf course and the Els Club does a wonderful job at finding the small area where fun, challenge, and fairness intersect.
Flying under the radar in Dubai is Arabian Ranches. This desert style layout is a rare joint effort from Jack Nicklaus and Ian Baker Finch. The golf course does a splendid job of taking advantage of the natural terrain and incorporates the sandy waste areas very nicely. A wayward shot will require skill to recover but you are rarely out of play at Arabian Ranches.
Every good ranch needs a ranch fence.
The Dubai sunrise opens up a fresh day of golf at Arabian Ranches.
It may be ironic that there are very few hills to climb at Dubai Hills but that doesn’t matter much at all. The golf course is one of my favorites in Dubai. The playing conditions were close to perfect and the greens were fast yet receptive.
I met up with my old friend, Bella Angel at Dubai Hills. After going to the wrong golf course initially she joined our crew on the short par 4 6th hole. The 6th hole also happens to be the very best on the golf course. This short par 4 offers a ton of options off of the tee with a green that will keep you interested until you find the bottom of the cup.
Gazelle crossing on the 11th tee box
The finishing hole at Dubai Hills.
Bella and The Burj
The Track at Track Meydan flips the script on your typical golf course experience. The fully floodlit 3600 yard 9 hole golf course is open for play until 11pm. No more hustling to get your round in before the sun goes down.
The fun vibe goes up 6-7 strokes with a casual atmosphere that encourages all types of golfers to come as they are and just be themselves on the golf course. It’s a fun and pressure free way to enjoy the game.
The world’s longest hotel overlooks the Meydan racecourse
The Track derives its name from the Meydan racecourse that it shares a boundary with. The racing season includes a calendar of nine domestic race meetings at Meydan, each carrying a purse of up to AED 1 m or about $272,257.
The Dubai skyline is once again on full display during your visit to Montgomerie Dubai. This design is a collaboration between Colin Montgomerie and Desmond Muirhead. Muirhead’s credits include the Dinah Shore course at Mission Hills and Nicklaus’ Muirfield Village. Montgomerie’s credits include being one of the most accomplished players to never win a major.
In addition to being a serious test of golf, Montgomerie Dubai also features one of the best driving range views that I have encountered. The golf course also offers a Troon Academy to help with all aspects of your game.
The views on the range at Montgomerie Dubai are hard to beat.
My favorite photography experience from Dubai was at Al Zorah Golf Club. Since drones are currently banned in the UAE, we had to get creative on ways to achieve some height on the photography situation. Enter the man lift! As I rose above the skyline in my own personal selfie stick, the fantastic landscape was presented with a familiar but slightly elevated view. Please enjoy this collection of fine man lift imagery below.
This Jack Nicklaus design weaves its way through a forest of mangrove trees that will keep you honest off of the tee. As the water levels rise and fall with the shifting tides, the views will change dramatically throughout the day.
For my visit to Al Zorah, I had the pleasure of golfing with some of the employees. Even though the golf course is 1st rate, it comes in a distant second place to the quality of the staff.
Just north of Dubai is one of the world’s most magnificent hotel / golf combo experiences. The Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah provides one of the premier hotel experiences in the UAE. From the moment you pull around the circle drive you will be treated with opulence at every turn.
Had I suddenly become royalty? Was I secretly elected to be some sort of prince? These are the questions that I asked myself as I explored my junior suite with an expansive view of the Arabian Gulf. The Waldorf Astoria has a way of making it’s guest feel like nobility. Amongst the hotel’s many amenities is a wide range of dining options. I wisely selected UMI as my option for an evening and enjoyed my favorite meal in the UAE.
As an added bonus, the Waldorf’s back yard is a golf course. Al Hamra officially became a DP World Tour stop in 2022 when it hosted the inaugural Ras Al Khaimah Championship. The 7,325 design isn’t just open during the daylight hours as it offers a unique 9 hole routing that is lit by floodlights. Day or night at Al Hamra, It’s always time for championship golf!
Like any good golf trip, you leave wishing for more. I left several notable courses un-golfed and based on my research these would be a respectable addition to any Dubai golf trip.
Dubai Creek
Jumeirah Golf Estates (Fire & Earth courses)
Emirates Golf Club (Faldo Course)
It was also suggested to me by many folks that a trip to Abu Dhabi is well worth the 1:22 drive for the following courses.
Yas Links Abu Dhabi
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
Abu Dhabi Golf Club