Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club

It may have arrived five years after Emirates Golf Club, but in many ways Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club is just as woven into the fabric of the emirate’s golfing history. This is a course that oozes charm, from its iconic clubhouse that stands like an imposing white Arabic sail on the banks of the Creek, to the classic layout itself.

Dubai Creek is shorter than the city’s more modern courses, but it is no less challenging thanks to the plentiful abundance of water hazards.

Accuracy is rewarded over length here, with tree-lined fairways that call for strategic thinking off the tee.

Club selection is crucial because reaching for your driver is not necessarily the best approach on the Creek’s varied collection of par 4s, especially when you reach the stunning sixth tee. Built on to a jetty that stands above the waters of the Creek, there is water left here as well, and the smart play is lay up short of this and hit a longer shot in.

There are no weak holes on European Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn’s redesign, but the finishing two stand out. Playing directly along the bank of the Creek and towards the iconic clubhouse, they are as dangerous to a scorecard as they are pretty. Seventeen is a short par 4 with a back tee that juts out over the water, and 18 raises the tension further with water on both sides! Even the pros gulp over this final tee shot, but there’s no better way to finish a round here than with two well-struck shots to the heart of the green.

Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club was originally designed by UK architect Brian Johnson and opened in January 1993 to world acclaim. It has been host to numerous tournaments and events, including the Dubai Desert Classic on two occasions. The course record of 63 is jointly held by Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke.

This is a historic venue where new Dubai meets old, and should be an essential part of any golfer’s itinerary.

On the premises: