Trump International Dubai

The verdict

Dubai has no shortage of glossy, resort-style golf, so a Gil Hanse design always promised something different, and Trump International delivers. Hanse, the architect behind the 2016 Olympic course in Rio and acclaimed restorations of classics around the world, built his only Middle Eastern course here, opening it in February 2017 at the DAMAC Hills community on the edge of the city.

Working with his long-time partner Jim Wagner, Hanse leaned into a more natural, links-influenced look than the region is used to, with rugged sand-flashed bunkers, firm playing surfaces and generous fairways that channel toward thoughtfully defended greens. At par 71 and 7,229 yards it has the length for tournament golf, while the strategy rewards the player who picks the right angle rather than simply the longest hitter. Add full floodlighting for night rounds and a clubhouse pitched at the top of the market, and it stands out as one of the most interesting and complete courses in the Emirates.

The holes worth the trip

The first thing you notice at Trump International is how natural it feels for a desert city course. Hanse let the fairways spill into rough-edged sandy waste and used wide corridors that tempt aggressive lines while leaving the cautious player a route home. The greens are the real defense, full of subtle internal movement and run offs that turn loose approaches into awkward up and downs.

The par 3s are varied and demanding, asking for everything from a flicked short iron to a long, committed strike to a green guarded by sand. Several of the par 5s are genuinely reachable for the bold, setting up the kind of risk and reward decisions that make a round memorable rather than relentless. Because the corridors are generous off the tee, this is a course you can attack, but the scorecard is protected by the angles into the greens and the short game tests around them.

Playing under lights in the evening, with the temperature down and the city glittering in the distance, is the signature Dubai experience here. It is a course that flatters good thinking as much as good ball striking, and one of the few in the region that a design enthusiast will want to study hole by hole.

Where to stay nearby

DAMAC Hills has its own on-site hotel and serviced living, which keeps you minutes from the first tee, while the wider city puts the full range of Dubai luxury within easy reach. Downtown, the Palm and the Marina all offer landmark hotels and are a short transfer from the course.

For a golf-led trip, Trump International pairs naturally with Dubai's other marquee layouts, so most visitors base themselves centrally and play several courses across a week. It is an easy course to build a Dubai or wider Emirates golf holiday around, on its own or alongside Abu Dhabi.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts for a Dubai golf trip.