Dubai: Explorer Pass with Burj Khalifa and Desert Safari
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It is well known that golf has always been a sport for the rich, and in a city like Dubai where wealth oozes from every corner, it would be a paradox not to have the opportunity to play it.
In Dubai, as always, things are done on a grand scale, which is why no less than seven golf clubs have sprung up, some of which also host major world championships and, needless to say, are the best you can find around the world. It is possible to play in a unique setting, and all clubhouses have unique architecture, whether futuristic, colonial or classic.
There are many opportunities to play golf in Dubai, whether for the ordinary person travelling for pleasure or business, or for the champions of the sport, who each year compete on the city’s perfect courses to try and win the Dubai Desert Classic.
Since 1989, Dubai has hosted the Dubai Desert Classic, a tournament that has become one of the most important in the world, won by players of the calibre of Ernie Els (who, with three victories in 1994, 2002 and 2005, is the golfer who has won it the most times), Tiger Woods, Rory Mcllroy (who won the tournament at the age of 19 years and 273 days, becoming the youngest player to win it) and Mark O’Meara.
The tournament is undoubtedly the biggest in the Middle East, both in terms of competition and in terms of the overall event: the figures speak of almost 40,000 spectators, with over 11,000 registered on Sunday.
But for those wishing to tread the green lawns of Dubai’s greens for a day of relaxation and fun (or to discuss business with colleagues) there is nothing better than choosing one of the city’s seven golf clubs, each of which has courses of varying length and difficulty.
The Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club is an 18-hole course located near Creek Park on the Bur Dubai side, overlooking the Creek, the arm of the sea around which the city of Dubai has developed.
It is a beautiful course, and its artificial day lighting allows players to play even at night until 10pm. The Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club is home to the city’s first golf school, which offers instruction to people of all ages using the latest materials and technology.
Next to the golf course, a yacht club houses luxury boats and speedboats, while for those who just want to spend a day in the company of Dubai’s jet set, there is nothing better than a dip in the pool or a workout session at the Health Club Gym 2000, followed by a sundowner at the splendid bar.
TheEmirates Golf Club is located 20 kilometres from the city centre of Dubai, in the Dubai Internet City district, 10 minutes from the junction for Jumeirah Beach just along Sheikh Zayed Road and can also be reached by metro, getting off at the Nakheel stop. The facility comprises two golf courses of 18 holes each, the Majlis and The Wadi.
The Majlis is the original home of the Dubai Desert Classic and is the main course of the Emirates Golf Club. It was built in the middle of the desert in 1987, and was the first grass golf course in the entire Middle East. It takes its name from the word “majlis”, which means “meeting point” in Arabic.
The second golf course at the Emirates Golf Club is The Wadi. It was opened in 1996 and was christened with this name, which means ‘the valley’ in Arabic. Passing between holes 7 and 8, one immediately understands why, as the landscape takes on the shape of a valley, with undulating meadows and hills.
Another of Dubai’s 18-hole golf courses, the Nad al Sheba has an exclusive golf school run by four British golf professionals, offering instruction to people of all ages and levels, as well as the opportunity to take part in intensive training to learn the rudiments of the sport in just one week.
The Nad al Sheba is located not too far from Downtown Dubai, just behind the Meydan Racecourse, the stadium where horse races are held in the city.
The Al Badia Golf Club is located a short distance from Dubai International Airport, and its clubhouse was designed by the renowned Wimberley Allison, Ton & Goo, or WATG, with a decidedly futuristic design. It houses four restaurants, two bars, a luxury spa, an event space and sports shops.
The Al Badia Golf Club is managed by the prestigious Intercontinental hotel chain, which has built a luxury hotel a short distance from the course, and is the heart of the Dubai Festival City district. Its golf course has 18 holes and was designed by Robert Trent Jones II.
The Address Montgomerie Dubai is a golf club located in the heart of the Emirates Hills luxury residential district, not far from the Dubai Marina area. It has an 18-hole golf course and a bar and restaurants open every day of the week.
The Address Montgomerie Dubai has become one of the most luxurious golf courses in the Middle East, with a grass and course quality that is second to none. Adjacent to the golf course is the eponymous hotel, a luxury hotel belonging to The Address chain with, of course, every imaginable comfort.
Just as The Address Montgomerie Dubai represented the heart of Emirates Hills, the Arabian RanchesGolf Club represents the heart of Arabian Ranches, another of the city’s most exclusive neighbourhoods.
It is located outside the standard boundaries of Dubai, about 20 kilometres drive from Dubai Marina and over 30 kilometres from the airport, quite far from the coastline and the city’s main attractions. Its clubhouse was built in the Spanish colonial style, and has a bar and a restaurant with a terrace from which one can enjoy a splendid view of holes 9 to 18.
The Arabian Ranches Golf Club also has a golf school led by three golf professionals, with an area reserved for learning the rudiments of the swing, one for approaching the hole and a parallel three-hole course for beginners.
The last of Dubai’s seven golf clubs is located near Palm Jebel Ali, the second of the palm-shaped islands that adorn the city’s coastline. It is located within the Jebel Ali Golf Resort, in an area that unfortunately has little in the way of tourism. It is flanked on one side by Palm Jebel Ali, which is far from complete, and on the other by the Dubai Harbour, a free zone that is very important for the city’s economy but frankly not so much for tourists.
In any case, the Jebel Ali Golf course is nine holes and was designed by Peter Harradine. It opened in 1998 and over the years has hosted the best players in this discipline. Each hole is carefully decorated with exotic trees and desert flora, and there is a saltwater lake that becomes an obstacle on five of the nine holes.
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
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