The Els Club Dubai
Ernie Els' first Middle East design opened at Dubai Sports City in October 2008, a par 72 stretching 7,538 yards that plays like a desert links: wide rolling fairways, big sculpted bunkering in the Australian sandbelt style and crowned greens that owe an open debt to Pinehurst.
Photo: The Els Club via Google.
The verdict
Dubai has no shortage of glossy resort golf, but The Els Club is the one the city's better players talk about as a design. When Ernie Els built his first course in the Middle East he borrowed deliberately from his favorite places: the broad, running fairways of links golf, bunkers flashed and sculpted like the Melbourne sandbelt, and greens with the crowned, repelling edges of Pinehurst No. 2. Links magazine named it the best new international course when it opened in 2008, and the bones have aged well.
It is a thinking golfer's course in a market that often sells spectacle. The fairways look enormous from the tee, yet the angles matter, and those turtleback greens quietly turn a flat 7,538 yard par 72 into a short game examination. Add consistently strong conditioning, public access and a clubhouse built around the Big Easy Bar & Grill, and you have one of the strongest all around tickets in Dubai golf, a natural pairing with the Majlis and Earth on a winter trip.
The Els Club Dubai at a glance
- Opened
- 2008
- Designer
- Ernie Els
- Type
- Desert links
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,538 yds
- Green fee
- To AED 895 (2026)
Designer, opening date, par and yardage verified June 2026: the course opened on 1 October 2008 as Ernie Els' first Middle East design, a par 72 of 7,538 yards at Dubai Sports City. The peak season green fee sits around AED 895 with summer rates considerably lower (2026, indicative); always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The opening stretch sets the tone: fairways the width of two city blocks that still reward the correct half, with desert scrub and that big flashed bunkering waiting for the careless line. Els resisted the urge to force water into every corner, so the course defends itself the old way, with wind, angle and ground contour.
The greens are the memory most golfers take home. Crowned and tightly mown at the edges, they shed the slightly mishit approach into collection areas where the choice between putter, bump and lofted pitch defines the score. It is the closest thing to a Pinehurst short game test you will find in the Gulf, and it is why the course holds up for a second and third play on the same trip.
Played into the evening light, with the Dubai skyline on the horizon and the wind picking up off the desert, the closing holes ask for two or three of the best swings of the day. Finish well here and the Big Easy terrace is a deeply satisfying place to settle the match.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Public access club; visitors book directly online or through operators year round |
| Green fee | Peak winter rates around AED 895, with shoulder and summer rates considerably lower (2026, indicative) |
| Booking | Book online via the club; prime winter morning times go early, so reserve ahead for October to April |
| On the day | Carts with course GPS are the norm; standard Dubai dress code; full practice facilities and academy |
| Getting there | Dubai Sports City, roughly 25 to 35 minutes from the Marina and Downtown by car |
| Best months | October to April; in summer take the earliest times and finish before the real heat |
Access and fee picture verified June 2026 from the club and booking platforms; rates move with season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
Most visiting golfers stay where Dubai is most fun: the Marina and JBR for beach and restaurants, or Downtown for the full skyline spectacle. Both put The Els Club within a 25 to 35 minute drive, which by Dubai standards is the doorstep, and both leave the nongolfers in the group with plenty to do while you chase Els' greens.
On a golf heavy week the smart move is to cluster the courses: The Els Club sits in the same corner of the city as Jumeirah Golf Estates and Dubai Hills, so two or three rounds can share one stretch of highway. Our Dubai golf holidays page lays out the combinations and the hotels that work for each.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near The Els Club Dubai.
Build a Dubai golf trip
We sequence Dubai's best courses around your dates, book the hotel that fits the group and cost the trip to the head. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge comes back with a plan, no obligation.
The Els Club Dubai questions
Who designed The Els Club Dubai and when did it open?
The Els Club Dubai was designed by four time major champion Ernie Els, his first course in the Middle East, and opened for play at Dubai Sports City on 1 October 2008.
What is the par and length of The Els Club Dubai?
The Els Club Dubai is a par 72 measuring 7,538 yards from the championship tees, with multiple tee options bringing it back to a friendly length for everyday play.
Can visitors play The Els Club Dubai?
Yes. The Els Club is a public access club and visitors can book tee times directly online year round, with the prime winter months selling fastest.
How much does it cost to play The Els Club Dubai?
Indicative 2026 green fees peak around AED 895 in the winter high season, with shoulder and summer rates considerably lower. Always confirm current rates directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening date, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.