Emirates Golf Club

Emirates Golf Club, host of the PGA European Tour sanctioned Dubai Desert Classic and Dubai Ladies Masters, boasts two of the city’s finest must-see courses; The Majlis and The Wadi by Faldo, as well as a 9 hole Par 3 course, golf academy, a variety of restaurants and bars, gymnasium and tropical swimming pool.

The Emirates Golf Club is the traditional home of the European PGA Tour Event the Dubai Desert Classic, which pulls in the likes of Tiger Woods and Ernie Els. With its distinctive Bedouin tent-style clubhouse and hospitality stations, this challenging course is one of the best known in the region. If you want to experience the challenges that the pro’s are put through then the Emirates Golf Club is not to be missed.

The Emirates Golf Club does have two courses. The Wadi Course by Faldo is the more recent and was built under the watchful eye of Nick Faldo. The flagship course and the one the Dubai Desert Classic is played on is the challenging Majlis Championship Course. The course has a reputation for a challenging layout and it also plays very long. Now I may not be the biggest hitter, but on many of the par 4’s I found myself still having to hit 180-220 yards into the green after a good drive off the tee! The course is in a nice location, being surrounded by some amazing skyscrapers and large developments, but it is not as picturesque as say the Dubai Creek Course. As a result, no particular hole springs to mind as being spectacular, it is more the challenge of the entire round and the clever and long play you have to employ to get around.

The course has been carved out of the desert and you will find massive expanses of sand surrounding each hole making it truly feel like a desert course. However, there are also 5 man made lakes just to keep you on your toes and catch any stray shots!! All great courses must have a great finishing hole and The Majlis Course is no different. The Par 5 eighteenth has a 90 degree dog-leg, which might just tempt you to cut the corner off the tee. However, this is probably not worth it as even a great drive will most likely leave the green still out of reach. The green is protected by a gleaming lake and has the breathtaking view of the clubhouse just behind it.

If your round has left you feeling like your game could do with a little bit of improvement then the Peter Cowen Golf Academy is just what you need. A world-renowned teaching centre with world class facilities creates a great learning environment for players of all standards.