How to Play Emirates Golf Club
The Majlis is the rare bucket list course you can simply book and play. Home of the Dubai Desert Classic and the first all grass course in the Middle East, it sits in the heart of the city and takes public bookings the year round. The catch is demand: prime winter tee times go weeks ahead. Here is exactly how to get on, when to book, what it costs, and what to expect on the day.
Photo: Emirates Golf Club, Majlis Course, via Google, by Zsolt Sasdi.
The short answer
Emirates Golf Club has two championship eighteens, and the one you have come for is the Majlis. Karl Litten laid it out in 1988 as the first all grass course in the Middle East, a par 72 of around 7,300 yards threaded through manicured fairways, lakes and stands of palm with the Dubai skyline rising behind. Since 1989 it has hosted the Desert Classic, now the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour, and the closing par 5 18th to the tented Majlis clubhouse is one of the most recognizable finishing holes in the game.
Unlike many marquee courses, the Majlis is genuinely public. You do not need a member to get on, you book a confirmed tee time in advance and pay a green fee. That accessibility is also the challenge, because in the cool winter season every visiting golfer in Dubai wants the same morning slots. Book early, be flexible on the day and time, and the round is yours. The Faldo course alongside it is floodlit for evening golf and is the easier of the two to secure at short notice.
How to book, when to play, what it costs
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Public access championship course; visitors book a confirmed tee time in advance, no membership needed |
| How to book | Through Dubai Golf directly, the club booking desk, or an approved tee time partner or trip planner |
| Green fee | Indicative 1,000 dirhams or so per round in peak winter, much lower in summer and at twilight (2025 to 2026) |
| Buggy and caddie | Buggy usually included with the rate; forecaddies available; carts mandatory at busy times |
| Best season | November to March for cool, dry mornings; June to September is hot, so play early or twilight at lower rates |
| Booking window | Reserve prime winter morning slots weeks ahead; weekends are the hardest to secure |
Designer, opening year, par, yardage and hosting history verified June 2026 from Emirates Golf Club and leading course databases; green fees are indicative for the 2025 to 2026 season and vary by day and channel, so always confirm current rates and availability directly before booking. Ask us to hold a Majlis tee time.
The course and what to expect
The Majlis plays as a proper resort championship test rather than a desert target course. The fairways are generous and immaculately conditioned, but water comes into play across the back nine and the greens are quick and subtly contoured. From the regular tees it is a fair, enjoyable round for a mid handicapper; from the back it stretches to a full tournament length that the Tour pros take apart each January.
The signature stretch is the closing run. The par 3 7th plays over water to a green ringed by sand, and the par 5 18th, reachable in two for the long hitter, sweeps back to the Bedouin tented clubhouse that gives the course its name. Majlis means a place to meet, and the finish is built for a gallery. Take the camera, because the contrast of green fairway, blue lake and the towers of the Marina behind is the photograph that sells Dubai golf.
For the trip, pair the Majlis with the floodlit Faldo course for an evening nine, or build a wider Dubai and Abu Dhabi itinerary around it. The city is compact, the courses are excellent, and the winter weather is as reliable as golf travel gets.
Dress code, etiquette and the day
The dress code is standard upmarket resort golf. Wear a collared golf shirt with tailored shorts or trousers and soft spike golf shoes. Denim, gym wear, swimwear and collarless tops are not allowed on the course, and the clubhouse and its restaurants keep a smart casual expectation, so pack accordingly. Shorts should be tailored golf shorts rather than cargo or beach styles.
Arrive in good time to use the excellent practice facilities, settle the buggy and any caddie arrangement at the pro shop, and start at your booked time, since the tee sheet runs full in season. Pace of play is managed, the staff are polished and helpful, and the whole operation is geared to visiting golfers. In the heat, take plenty of water and consider an early or twilight slot from late spring into autumn.
Where to stay nearby
Emirates Golf Club sits between Dubai Marina and the Sheikh Zayed Road corridor, so almost any Marina, Media City or Downtown hotel puts you within a short transfer of the first tee. Marina and Jumeirah Beach bases suit golfers who want the beach and the restaurants after a round, while a Downtown base keeps you close to the Majlis and the wider city.
For a golf focused stay, build around the courses and let the lodging follow. Dubai pairs naturally with Abu Dhabi for a fuller tour, and the short, simple drives mean you never lose a morning to the road.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Emirates Golf Club.
Plan a Dubai golf trip
We secure the Majlis tee times, pair them with the best of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and book the lodging around the golf. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Emirates Golf Club questions
Can visitors play the Majlis at Emirates Golf Club?
Yes. The Majlis is a public access championship course and welcomes visitors who book in advance through Dubai Golf or an approved tee time partner. It is one of the most in demand tee times in the Gulf, so prime winter morning slots go weeks ahead and weekends are the hardest to secure. Always confirm current availability directly before travelling.
How much does it cost to play Emirates Golf Club?
Peak winter green fees on the Majlis run to an indicative 1,000 dirhams or so per round in the 2025 to 2026 season, with summer rates and twilight times considerably lower. Buggy, and often a forecaddie, are included or added depending on the rate. Fees change by season and booking channel, so always confirm the current rate directly before booking.
What is the dress code at Emirates Golf Club?
Standard upmarket resort golf attire: a collared golf shirt, tailored shorts or trousers, and soft spike golf shoes. Denim, gym wear and collarless tops are not permitted on the course, and the clubhouse has its own smart casual expectations. Confirm the current policy when you book.
Which course at Emirates Golf Club hosts the Dubai Desert Classic?
The Majlis hosts the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, the long running DP World Tour event first staged in 1989. It was the first all grass course in the Middle East and remains the headline layout, with the Faldo course alongside it as the floodlit second eighteen.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par, yardage and hosting history verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.