Golf in Egypt
Championship courses along the Red Sea, desert layouts within sight of the Pyramids, and reliable winter sun a short flight from Europe. The courses that matter, the regions, the seasons and how to plan it.
Photograph: Madinat Makadi Golf, Makadi Bay, via Google
Why golf in Egypt
Egypt is one of the best winter sun golf destinations within easy reach of Europe. When the courses of the north are wet and closing for the day at four, the Red Sea coast is warm, dry and reliable, and the golf is far better than most travelers expect. The headline names speak for themselves: The Cascades at Soma Bay was the first championship course in the whole of North Africa or the Middle East designed by one of the modern great triumvirate, Gary Player, El Gouna is a Fred Couples and Gene Bates design along the water, and Madinat Makadi at Makadi Bay has been voted the country's best at the World Golf Awards.
What makes it work for a trip is the all inclusive model. Most of the Red Sea courses sit beside large resorts where the food, the drink and the evening are already covered, so the per head cost is easy to fix and the value is exceptional. Add the desert championship courses of Cairo, where a golf trip can be paired with the Pyramids and the new Grand Egyptian Museum, and Egypt offers a week of warm, good golf and genuine sightseeing that few sunshine destinations can match.
The regions
The Red Sea coast
Hurghada and its neighbors, Makadi Bay, Soma Bay, El Gouna and Sahl Hasheesh, the strongest cluster, most attached to all inclusive resorts with the golf a short transfer away.
Greater Cairo
The desert championship courses of Allegria, Katameya Heights and Katameya Dunes, on the edge of the capital and easily combined with the Pyramids, the souks and the museums.
Ain Sokhna
The nearest Red Sea coast to Cairo, with resort golf at Stella Di Mare, a handy add on that pairs the capital's culture with a couple of relaxed coastal rounds.
The courses that matter
The Cascades at Soma Bay
The grande dame of Egyptian golf, the first championship course in North Africa or the Middle East by one of the great triumvirate, a Gary Player layout of dramatic elevation changes and Red Sea views on a desert peninsula.
El Gouna Golf Club
A Fred Couples and Gene Bates design threading between lagoons in the lively resort town of El Gouna, with mountain and Red Sea views, playable for holiday golfers yet a real test from the back.
Madinat Makadi Golf Resort
A John Sanford design at Makadi Bay near Hurghada, twelve of its eighteen holes overlooking the Red Sea, a multiple winner of Egypt's best course at the World Golf Awards and a fine all inclusive base.
Allegria Golf Club
A Greg Norman design on the western edge of Cairo that opened in 2010, using natural lakes, streams and rock to create what many rate the finest course in the country, the marquee round for a capital trip.
Katameya Heights Golf Resort
The desert oasis east of Cairo created by Yves Bureau in the early 1990s, twenty seven lush holes that helped start the Egyptian golf boom and remain a leading championship venue.
Katameya Dunes
A twenty seven hole desert layout at The Westin Cairo designed by Nick Faldo and Brian Curley, big, modern and immaculately conditioned, a strong pairing with Allegria and Katameya Heights.
Steigenberger Golf Resort, El Gouna
A second eighteen at El Gouna attached to its own resort, an easy, scenic round that lets a society spread across tee times on a Red Sea week without long transfers.
Stella Di Mare Golf Club
The standout course on the Ain Sokhna coast within reach of Cairo, a resort layout beside the Red Sea that adds relaxed coastal golf to a capital and culture trip.
Sahl Hasheesh Golf
Resort golf in the planned bay south of Hurghada, a developing destination that rounds out the Red Sea options for a longer stay along the coast.
JW Marriott Mirage City Golf
A parkland course beside the JW Marriott on the eastern edge of Cairo, a convenient city round for golfers basing themselves near the airport and the new Cairo developments.
Designers, opening years and awards verified June 2026 where stated. Some designers and years are omitted where they could not be confirmed. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| October to April | Warm, dry, comfortable playing temperatures | Prime winter sun season, the reason to come |
| May and September | Hot but manageable, quieter | Shoulder months with softer rates, play early |
| June to August | Very hot, especially inland at Cairo | Dawn tee times only, the cheapest of the year |
Egypt is at its best when northern Europe is at its worst, which is exactly why it has become a leading winter golf escape. Book the all inclusive resorts ahead for the Christmas, New Year and February peaks.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eighteen hole green fee | Around €55 to €95 | Lower in packages, higher at the marquee courses in peak |
| All inclusive week | Around €900 to €1,800 per person | Red Sea resort, several rounds, food and drink included, excluding flights |
| Cairo golf and culture | Around €1,200 to €2,500 per person | City hotels, the championship courses and the Pyramids, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
Egypt is an easy reach for golf. Hurghada International serves the whole Red Sea cluster, with the resorts of Makadi Bay, Soma Bay, El Gouna and Sahl Hasheesh a short transfer from the terminal, so a Red Sea trip needs little more than the resort shuttle and the occasional taxi between courses. Cairo International opens the capital's desert courses and the Pyramids, and the coast at Ain Sokhna is around a two hour drive from the city. Within the resorts everything is close together, while a Cairo trip is best handled with a private driver given the city's traffic.
Where to stay
On the Red Sea, choose the resort that owns the course you most want to play, since most golf here is attached to an all inclusive hotel and staying on site makes the tee times and the board seamless. Makadi Bay, Soma Bay and El Gouna each pair a championship course with strong five star resorts. In Cairo, a hotel near the New Cairo courses keeps Allegria, Katameya Heights and Katameya Dunes close, while a base near the Pyramids or the Nile pairs the golf with the sightseeing. Book the resort hotels well ahead for the winter peak, and let one planner line up the right base for each leg.
Plan your Egypt 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.
Egypt golf questions
When is the best time to play golf in Egypt?
October to April is the prime season, warm and dry with comfortable playing temperatures on the Red Sea and in Cairo, which makes Egypt one of the best winter sun golf destinations within easy reach of Europe. Midsummer from June to August is very hot, so early tee times are essential if you travel then.
Where is the best golf in Egypt?
The Red Sea coast holds the strongest cluster, with El Gouna, Madinat Makadi at Makadi Bay and The Cascades at Soma Bay all near Hurghada and most attached to all inclusive resorts. Greater Cairo adds the desert championship courses of Allegria, Katameya Heights and Katameya Dunes, often combined with the Pyramids.
How much does a golf trip to Egypt cost in 2026?
Egypt is excellent value and largely sold as all inclusive packages. Indicative 2026 green fees run from around €55 to €95, and an all inclusive week on the Red Sea with several rounds typically lands between €900 and €1,800 per head excluding flights. Always confirm directly before booking.
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The Tee Sheet
Winter sun openings, the trips our concierge is quietly building and the booking windows worth moving on early. Every other week.