Golf in Dubai
The original desert golf capital and still the most polished winter golf escape in the world, where floodlit championship layouts, two DP World Tour events and five star everything sit within thirty minutes of each other. The courses that matter, the seasons and how to plan it.
Photograph: Emirates Golf Club- Majilis Course., Zsolt Sásdi, via Google
Why golf in Dubai
Dubai invented modern desert golf. When the Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club opened in 1988 as the first grass course in the Middle East, it turned a stretch of sand into one of the game's glossiest destinations, and the city has never looked back. Today a travelling golfer can play a run of genuinely top tier courses, two of which host DP World Tour events, all within a short drive of the hotels, the beach and the restaurants. The conditioning is immaculate, the service is faultless and the whole thing is built for the visitor.
It is, above all, a winter destination. From October to April the weather is close to perfect for golf and Dubai becomes the reliable sunshine option for northern Europeans and the wider region, with the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and the season ending DP World Tour Championship to time a trip around. The flip side is the summer, when temperatures soar past 40 degrees and golf retreats to dawn tee times and floodlit twilight rounds at steep discounts. Pair the golf with the city and it is as easy and luxurious a trip as the game offers.
The areas
Emirates Hills and the original belt
The heart of Dubai golf around Emirates Golf Club, home to the Majlis and Faldo courses and the wave shaped clubhouse, the historic core of the scene and an easy base near the Marina.
Jumeirah Golf Estates
The residential golf community on the city's southern edge, with the Earth and Fire courses and the season ending DP World Tour Championship, a self contained golf address with its own clubhouse and hotel.
Dubai Sports City and Damac Hills
Inland to the south, the Els Club at Dubai Sports City and Trump International at Damac Hills, two of the strongest modern courses in the emirate, a short drive from downtown.
Deira and the Creek
The older side of the city around Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, with its landmark sail shaped clubhouse on the water, close to the airport and the historic quarter.
The courses that matter
Emirates Golf Club, Majlis
The first grass course in the Middle East and the longtime home of the Dubai Desert Classic, a Karl Litten desert design framed by lakes and dunes. The closing par 5 eighteenth is one of the most recognisable finishing holes in tournament golf.
Jumeirah Golf Estates, Earth
A Greg Norman design that hosts the DP World Tour Championship, the European tour's season finale, stretching beyond 7,600 yards through tree lined fairways and a grandstand finish. The most championship pedigree of any course in the city.
Trump International Golf Club Dubai
A Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner design opened in 2017, the first new eighteen hole course in Dubai for seven years, with bold bunkering and floodlights for night golf. A modern, muscular test at Damac Hills.
The Els Club Dubai
Ernie Els's first design in the Middle East, a links inspired layout with big greens, deep bunkers and waste areas. Named best new international course on opening and a regular fixture among the emirate's best.
Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
A landmark since the early 1990s, set on the water beside its sail shaped clubhouse and remodelled into a modern championship course. Close to the airport and the old city, an atmospheric round in the heart of Dubai.
Dubai Hills Golf Club
A polished parkland course that opened in 2019 in the Emaar community below the Burj Khalifa skyline, with wide, generous fairways and a striking clubhouse. One of the newest and most playable rounds in the city.
Designers and host history verified June 2026. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| November to March | Warm, dry and sunny, courses in peak condition, the tour events in town | Prime season, book the marquee tee times and hotels early |
| October and April | Hotter but still very playable, fewer crowds, better value | Strong shoulder months either side of the peak |
| May to September | Extreme heat, often above 40 degrees, golf at dawn or under floodlights | Off season, deep discounts but early tee times only |
The high season lines up with the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates, both worth timing a trip around if you want to spectate as well as play.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Marquee green fee, high season | Around AED 700 to AED 995 | The Majlis and the championship courses, cooler months |
| Strong course or summer rate | Around AED 400 to AED 650 | Shoulder season and the wider field, far less in the summer heat |
| A long weekend, all in | Around $2,000 to $4,500 per person | 3 to 4 rounds, 4 or 5 star hotel, transfers, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. Dirham fees swing sharply between the cool high season and the summer. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
Dubai is one of the most connected cities on the planet, with Dubai International a direct hub from almost everywhere and the newer Al Maktoum airport to the south. The courses are spread across the city but none is far, and a thirty minute transfer covers most pairings, so many golfers rely on hotel cars and taxis rather than a hire car. Distances are short, the roads are fast and modern, and the whole trip is built around the visitor, which makes Dubai about as frictionless a golf destination as exists. Abu Dhabi, with its own strong courses, is little more than an hour down the road for those who want to add to the itinerary.
Where to stay
The base is a question of taste rather than logistics, since everything is close. The Marina and Jumeirah Beach hotels put the original Emirates belt and the beach on the doorstep, while staying out at Jumeirah Golf Estates wakes you up beside the Earth course. Downtown hotels near the Burj Khalifa pair the golf at Dubai Hills with the city's shopping and dining, and the Creek side hotels suit a quieter, more old Dubai feel near the airport. Let one planner match the hotel to the courses you want and the kind of trip, golf first or golf plus city, you have in mind.
Plan your Dubai 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.
Dubai golf questions
When is the best time to play golf in Dubai?
October to April is the prime season, with warm, dry, sunny days and the courses in peak condition, which is why Dubai is one of the world's premier winter golf escapes. November to March is the busiest window and lines up with the tour events. May to September is extremely hot, often above 40 degrees, so play is limited to early tee times and twilight.
Which is the best golf course in Dubai?
The Majlis at Emirates Golf Club, a Karl Litten design from 1988 and the longtime home of the Dubai Desert Classic, is the historic number one. The Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, a Greg Norman design that hosts the DP World Tour Championship, is its main rival, with Trump International and the Els Club close behind.
How much does a golf trip to Dubai cost in 2026?
Indicative 2026 green fees at the marquee courses run from around AED 475 to AED 995 in the cool high season, with the Majlis at the top end, and fall sharply in the summer. A long weekend with a four or five star hotel, transfers and three or four rounds typically lands around $2,000 to $4,500 per head excluding flights. Always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Desert course openings, tour week build up and the winter booking windows worth moving on first. Every other week.