Golf is a game which seems to have originated in the green, rolling hills of Scotland. Until about two decades ago, golf was mostly confined to those countries which in some way had ties to the United Kingdom. Now though, tee times are much in demand from Dunblane to Dubai.
The oldest golf club in the emirate, the Dubai Country Club, opened in 1971, with play on sand fairways and oiled putting surfaces known as “browns.” The Dubai Desert Classic, part of the PGA European Tour, is without a doubt the event that helped Dubai rise to prominence on the world golfing scene. Dubai’s early “browns” have been replaced by magnificent “greens” at venues such as the Emirates Golf Club, The Montgomerie Dubai, Arabian Ranches Golf Club, the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, the Four Seasons Golf Club, and the Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa. Additionally, several new designs from Tiger Woods, Greg Norman and Ernie Els are already under construction by Tiger Woods Dubai, Jumeirah Golf Estates and Dubai Sports City.
And it is not just the world’s top professionals who regularly head to the emirate’s lush fairways. Year-round sunshine, five-star hospitality and a cosmopolitan environment, added to the collection of world-class golf courses, make Dubai the 21st century destination of choice for many discerning golfers.
Golf in Dubai (www.golfindubai.org), established in 2005, is at the forefront of promoting the game in the emirate. Golf in Dubai organizes the Dubai Desert Classic and the Dubai Ladies Masters and is responsible for staging amateur and professional golf tournaments internationally and within the UAE. The website also provides a central reservation system for all the clubs offering inward custom-made golfing holidays including tee times and accommodation.