The
Montgomerie Dubai
The Montgomerie, Dubai’s championship golf
course was designed by Colin Montgomerie in association with Desmond
Muirhead. The course covers 265 acres
which consist of 123 acres of turf, 49 acres of man-made lakes (a total of 14
lakes), 93 acres of landscaped gardens and is scattered with 81 large
bunkers.
The course provides the player with undulating "links land" style fairways with generous landing areas which challenge and intrigue all levels of player. Although large in size, the greens can be very misleading, especially as they are consistently rolling above 9.5feet. Plenty of shape throughout the greens can result in some very trying putts.
One of the signature holes is the par 5
fourth, dubbed the Snake hole for its saddle back fairway which doglegs towards
the green, with two bunkers behind forming the eyes of the snake. Further on,
the par 5 ninth, with water down the left, is a tough finish to the opening
half. The par 3 thirteenth, a hole
designed in the shape of the UAE, boasts a 360 degree teeing area around an
island fairway and green, allowing for a completely different golf hole to be
played every time. However, it is the par 5 eighteenth that offers a more
classic test. At 656 yards it is a monster and, with water protecting the front
of the green, it defies even the best player to hit the green in two.
The Montgomerie, Dubai offers two very different seasons of golf. During winter, the golf course is over-seeded whilst the summer season has the course back to a full stand of Bermuda grass. The turf growth is vigorous during the summer resulting in a very challenging rough.
Although The Montgomerie, Dubai has evolved
into one of the Middle East’s most luxurious and desirable golfing destinations
in recent times, the key to its success has always remained contingent upon the
quality of the golf course that would become the focal point for one of Dubai’s
most exclusive residential communities, Emirates Hills.