The Best Golf Courses in Qatar
Qatar is a compact, high quality winter golf destination built around two world class venues. The Qatar Masters host at Doha Golf Club and the modern Olazabal design at Education City, ranked with the verdict on each, the designers and indicative 2026 green fees.
Photograph: Doha Golf Club, Doha Golf Club, via Google
How we chose
Qatar is not a numbers game. The country has two principal golf venues rather than a long roster, but both are genuinely good, and the quality is what earns Qatar its place on the winter golf map alongside its larger Gulf neighbours. We have weighed the design and condition of each course first, then its tournament pedigree and how rewarding it is for the travelling golfer, from the established desert drama of Doha Golf Club to the modern, water laced challenge of Education City. Because Education City offers three distinct layouts on one site, we have given its short and par 3 courses their own place rather than pretend Qatar holds courses it does not.
The result is a short, honest ranking that doubles as the plan for a Qatar golf trip. Doha Golf Club, the long standing host of the Qatar Masters, sits at the top on pedigree and presence, with Education City close behind as the newer, strategic alternative and the better all round complex for volume of golf. Both sit within easy reach of the city's hotels, so a visiting golfer can play a strong, compact trip over a long weekend, often paired with neighbouring Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Bahrain across the Gulf.
The ranking
Doha Golf Club, Championship Course
The leading course in Qatar and the longtime host of the Qatar Masters on the DP World Tour, a Peter Harradine desert design opened in 1996 at West Bay Lagoon. A true desert layout of generous floodlit fairways framed by dramatic limestone rock outcrops and saltwater lakes, playing to a par of 72 over roughly 7,400 yards. The tournament history and the bold desert setting make it the must play round in the country.
Indicative 2026 green fee premium in the cool high season, lower in summer. Always confirm directly before booking.Education City Golf Club, Championship Course
The modern rival to Doha Golf Club, a Jose Maria Olazabal design opened in 2019 at the heart of Education City and the host of the Qatar Masters in 2020 and 2021. A par 72 of around 7,300 yards built around a string of man made lakes with far more vegetation than the older desert courses, it is a strategic, well conditioned championship test and the centrepiece of the best golf complex in the country.
Indicative 2026 green fee premium and seasonal. Always confirm directly before booking.Education City Golf Club, short and par 3 courses
Alongside its championship eighteen, Education City offers a floodlit six hole short course with seven tee options and a floodlit nine hole par 3 course, both Olazabal designs. They make Qatar an unusually flexible golf base, ideal for an evening round after the heat of the day, for mixed ability groups, or for squeezing in extra holes around a championship round. A genuine point of difference for a short Qatar trip.
Indicative 2026 green fee modest and seasonal, floodlit evening play available. Always confirm directly before booking.Designers, opening years and tournament history verified June 2026. Qatar has two principal golf venues, Doha Golf Club and Education City Golf Club. We rank honestly rather than pad the list. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
When to go and how to pair it
Qatar plays as a winter sun destination. The prime season runs November to April, with warm, dry, sunny days perfect for golf, which is why the Qatar Masters is staged early in the year. From May to September temperatures climb past 40 degrees and play retreats to early mornings and floodlit evenings at lower rates. With only two venues, Qatar is best treated as a long weekend rather than a week, and many golfers pair it with a few days across the Gulf in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Bahrain, all a short flight away, to build a fuller multi country golf trip. Doha's hotels and the airport sit close to both courses, so the logistics are easy.
Plan your Qatar golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Qatar golf questions
What is the best golf course in Qatar?
Doha Golf Club, a Peter Harradine design opened in 1996 and the longtime host of the Qatar Masters on the DP World Tour, is the country's leading course, a true desert layout of floodlit fairways framed by towering rock outcrops at West Bay Lagoon. Its main rival is the modern Education City Golf Club, designed by Jose Maria Olazabal and opened in 2019, which hosted the Qatar Masters in 2020 and 2021.
How many golf courses are there in Qatar?
Two principal venues. Doha Golf Club has an 18 hole championship course and a floodlit nine hole academy course, while Education City Golf Club holds an 18 hole championship course, a floodlit six hole short course and a floodlit nine hole par 3 course, all designed by Jose Maria Olazabal. Between them they give a visiting golfer a strong, compact desert golf trip in and around Doha.
When is the best time to play golf in Qatar?
November to April is the prime season, with warm, dry, sunny days ideal for golf, which is why the Qatar Masters is played early in the year. The summer months from May to September are extremely hot, often above 40 degrees, so play retreats to early morning and floodlit evening rounds at lower rates. Always confirm directly before booking.
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