At a time when everyone is looking forward to their next big travel adventure, Dubai and Abu Dhabi can deliver. And it all starts – or ends – with world-class golf.
This is a place where even winter brings perfect conditions for golf, combined with a diverse range of golf courses designed by some of the biggest names in the sport and an un-matchable off-course offering, Dubai is the perfect destination for a golf holiday.
Dubai has true golfing heritage and pedigree – dating back to 1989 and the launch of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic – with everyone from Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo to Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy regularly competing and visiting the destination.
In 2023, the golfing year begins and ends with world-class events, starting with the 32nd edition of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in January, before The Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic takes centre stage in November as some of the world’s best female players compete under floodlights with stunning views of the illuminated Dubai skyline.
The golfing grand finale is the world-renowned DP World Tour Championship, the climax of the European Tour season and final round of the Race to Dubai, featuring the game’s biggest names. For this alone, Dubai should be on every golfer’s bucket-list.
Dubai is also home to a diverse range of golf courses, designed by the very best in the world including Greg Norman, Ernie Els, Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo, Gil Hanse, Ian Baker Finch, and Karl Litten with many more courses in the pipeline.
One&Only Royal Mirage lives up to its name, by letting the guests feel like “the one and only”. This luxury resort, on the shores of Dubai’s beautiful coastline and within close proximity to the city centre, is something very special. This resort is a gift to even the most discerning guest !
You’ll be staying in grand luxurious Superior suites, with free access to the Gold Club lounge, and the hotel offers multiple gourmet restaurants, spa and fitness, and 4 swimming pools.
The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf & Spa Resort is one of the best hotels that Abu Dhabi has to offer, with views of the impressive Abu Dhabi Golf Club and with its impressive clubhouse right next to the hotel.
You’ll be staying in ”Garden Suites” with private terraces, and direct access to the driving range. This hotel has several exquisite restaurants, spa and fitness, and several swimming pools.
Arrival in Dubai and private transfer to the One&Only Royal Mirage.
Brunch followed by a round at Trump International (18 holes). Welcome dinner at restaurant “Tagine” at the hotel.
Emirates Majlis (18 holes) followed by lunch. After the lunch you’ll play Emirates Faldo (18 holes) in the afternoon
Jumeirah Earth (18 huller) followed by lunch. After the lunch you’ll play Jumeirah Fire (18 holes) in the afternoon.
Check-out from One&Only Royal Mirage at noon, transfer to The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf and Spa Resort (approx. 1 hour with a VIP bus). Upon arrival and check-in at the hotel, lunch at restaurant ”Fairways”.
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club (18 holes) followed by lunch.
Yas Links (18 holes) followed by lunch
Abu Dhabi Golf Club (18 holes) followed by lunch. Farewell dinner at restaurant ”Sacci” at the hotel
Check-out from the hotel at noon and private transfer to Dubai International Airport.
An 18-hole links style course offering a one-of-a-kind experience for golfers of all skill levels.
Gil Hanse is one of the world’s top course architects and the Trump Golf brand one of the world’s best operators, so it should come as no surprise that together they have created something special.
Trump International may be one of Dubai’s newest courses, but it plays like a throwback. Exhibiting many of the traits of the in-vogue architecture philosophy that has dialed back on difficulty, Hanse has focused on playability and fun. He has also designed a layout that caters for golfers who prefer to walk rather than take a cart, with each hole flowing into the next. There is no rough here, so tees flow into fairways and fairways flow into greens – a nod to the great British links. So, too, are the humps and hollows that surround many of the green complexes.
At the heart of the layout is a clubhouse that has become an instant classic, even by Dubai’s lofty standards. Equipped with two restaurants, an infinity pool and gym, the roof is shaped like a planetary ring and changes aspect from different vantage points on the course.
New golf courses always attract attention, but Trump International, Dubai, has done so for all the right the reasons.
The Majlis Course has developed a worthy reputation worldwide as a testing layout for even the best golfers. The course features hundreds of indigenous species of flora and fauna, beautifully complemented by meandering fairways and seven fresh and saltwater lakes. The Majlis, the first grass course in the Middle East, takes its name from the Arabic word for ‘meeting place’. One of the most prominent features on the course is the Majlis building itself positioned between the 8th and 9th holes and a Dubai landmark since 1988.
Emirates Golf Club’s second championship golf course, the Faldo Course, which opened in 1996, was named ‘The Wadi’, taken from the Arabic word for ‘valley’. Redesigned in 2005 by golf legend and six-time major winner Nick Faldo, the course now combines a stunning visual design with the nuances and challenges of any championship course in just the right measure, providing visitors an exceptionally enjoyable golfing experience. A natural wadi running the length of the course comes in to play without being classified as a hazard, and along with Faldo’s trademark tees and bunkers are combined with the naturally rugged terrain to create a unique golfing experience.
Inspired by the great parkland courses of Europe and North America, Jumeirah Golf Estates Earth Course is home to the DP World Tour Championship. Dubai sets the scene for an incredible experience. The rolling fairways, brilliant white bunkering, and deep red ochre landscape are framed by a plethora of trees and shrubs making each hole picture perfect. The abundance of nature is reflected in the many lakes, throughout the experience, which are home to a myriad of wildlife. The journey is concluded where the last 4 holes play alongside or over water culminating in a meandering creek running the full length of the final hole.
Framed by a wide variety of captivating flora, carefully selected to reflect the overall theme and to enhance its natural setting, Jumeirah Golf Estates Fire Course is in complete harmony with its surroundings. The undulating topography, with its considerable protrusions, creates a more challenging level of play. Rustic, and so visually stunning as to captivate even those who do not golf, the Fire Course demands a well-thought-out strategy. Going directly at the flag may not always be the best approach, which gives Fire a strong sense of classic links-style play.
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, with its Gary Player designed course, is one of the world’s most captivating golfing projects. The Troon-managed Saadiyat Beach Golf Club harnesses the stunning natural beauty of Saadiyat to create an unparalleled experience, made all the more rewarding with spectacular views of the Gulf’s glittering blue waters fringed by pristine white sands.
As the Arabian Gulf’s first beachfront course, it provides a breathtaking variety of golf experiences with every hole having its own unique character. The course has been designed with sensitivity to the surrounding natural environment and in compliance with strict environmental guidelines.
This stunning course is set against breath-taking views of the Arabian Gulf, whilst providing an ultimate test of your golfing ability. Featuring rolling fairways, strategically placed pot bunkers and sloping run off greens, the course is not for the faint hearted and is a stern challenge for lower handicaps. Each varied hole, including five tee positions, contains a new obstacle to face, providing a unique golfing challenge. Yet due to the varying tee position, golfers of less ability can still enjoy this magnificent course. The Yas Links offers a golfing experience that passionate golfers could only dream about. Extending across 7,450 yards, this superb 18-hole layout was constructed over three years, reshaping two miles of coastline and used nearly two million cubic meters of sand to cap the course.
Abu Dhabi Golf Club is home to 27 holes of Championship golf. The National, Abu Dhabi’s 18 hole Championship course, provides a tough but fair challenge and from 2005-2021, was home to one of the European Tour’s most popular events, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA, A Rolex Series Event.
With lush fairways, strategically placed bunkers and immaculate greens, the course has been described as a “fantastic course” by leading representatives of the golfing press.
Lars has a very international background from the hotel, restaurant, and event management industries, and has lived in Denmark, UK, France, and Germany, and speaks all these languages more or less fluently. Lars is also a passionate golfer (hcp. 7,4) and has arranged multiple golfing trips over the years for both smaller and bigger groups. Lars will be the host and golf concierge on all Eagle Club Travel’s trips.
