Course help in Dubai/Abu Dhabi

[David Jones]

Every year my friends and I go somewhere for 4 rounds of golf to win a much coveted claret jug.  We are based in Europe but have occasionally been further afield.  Last year we got in North Berwick, Muirfield, Renaissance and Archerfield the week of the Scottish Open which was great fun.


For various reasons we have to go earlier next year - probably January and February and can't travel more than a few hours from Northern Europe.  We are looking at the UAE and from a bit of research the 4 best courses which fit seem to be -


Abu Dhabi - National
Abu Dhabi - Yas Links
Dubai - Earth Course
Dubai - Emirates Majlis


Does anyone have any experience there which would say we shouldn't include any of those for whatever reason or we are missing something great?  I have read a couple of older threads here and there are no obvious alarm bells and Yas sounds interesting. We are 2,4, 9 and 14 handicappers.


Thanks for any help!

[Adam Lawrence]

Yas Links is the best in the area by a long distance. The brand new Nicklaus Al Zorah course looks interesting, it plays in and around mangrove swamps which should be wet when the tide is in and dry when it's out -- sort of a tropical Brancaster in that sense, probably only that sense.


I quite liked the Els Club but I saw it when first open, when it was a pretty authentic open desert experience. I suspect there's a lot more buildings around it now.

[Michael Graham]

David,

My brother went out to Dubai and Abu Dhabi a few years ago for a few days of golf. We played: The Majlis, Abu Dhabi GC, Saadiyat Beach and Yas Links.

Yas was by a good distance the best course we played. The Majlis and Abu Dhabi are both also really enjoyable. Having th Dubai skyline as a backdrop to many of the holes on the Majlis is quite something. We played Saadiyat in something like 37 degrees Celsius. This was in mid October. By the 15th I was coming down with sunstroke. There's almost no shade on the course. Definitely take temperature into account when you are planning your trip. January/February is an ideal time of year to visit. We stayed in Abu Dhabi and got a taxi into Dubai which was easy enough.

[GLawson]

The Falco Course at Emirates is a full 18 that you can play completely under lights.  Not as good as neighboring Majilis but worth the experience.  Dubai Creek is also fun with a tee box that juts into the creek.

[David Jones]

Perfect, thanks for the replies.  It sounds like we are on the right track.  Only thing I'm not sure about is whether to swap the Earth course our for another one in Dubai, maybe the Creek, but will watch the tour event next week and remind myself of the Earth.


Am slightly intrigued by a tropical Brancaster.........!

[Tom Kelly]

Another vote for Yas Links.


Els was not bad when I played a couple of years ago but a slightly bizarre setting. It was essentially in the middle of an abandoned building site with half built or empty villas all around the course. The work looked to have stopped due to the economic climate so it was like an odd ghost town. No sure what the situation is now but not exactly picturesque back then. The course was decent though.


I'd also recommend the floodlit golf on the Faldo course, I just played 9 holes but it was a cool experience. The par 3 there is quite fun too.

[Thomas Dai]

Once upon a time UAE golf was like this -




Then they started to build this -



....which from 1988/9 become this -



....which has now morfed into this -



atb