Dubai Hills Golf Club
Recommended
About
Voted "World’s Best New Golf Course" in 2019 and fully deserving of that accolade
Located just 15 minutes from the centre of Dubai, Dubai Hills Golf Club is an immaculate championship standard golf course that instantly established itself in the top echelon of Dubai golf courses once it opened for play in 2018. Recognised as the "World’s Best New Golf Course" at the 2019 World Golf Awards, it's an outstanding, eminently playable layout that features a harmonic mix of flat and hilly terrain, man-made water hazards and some spectacular views of the Burj Khalifa.
The Front Nine
After a gentle par-4 with a wide fairway and an uphill approach to a generous putting surface, followed by a very pretty par-3 requiring a carry over a sandy valley of shrubs to an elevated green, things just keep getting better and better.
The unusual 3rd offers a classic risk/reward conundrum: go straight for supplementary sliver of fairway in front of the green, or play it safe down the left to the plateaued fairway followed by a wedge over the sandy wasteland on your approach. The former option is fraught with danger, so consider yourself warned. Either way, the undulating paspalum green makes no promises of safely getting down in two.
By the time you reach the 5th tee, which plays directly towards the Burj Khalifa and will have most of us reaching for a camera, you know you're in the midst of something special. Ideally your drive at the 540-yard par 5 will carry the pair of bunkers sat menacingly the middle of the fairway, leaving you to decide whether to attempt to carry another mid-fairway sand trap of lay up short and accept reaching the green in regulation.
The 6th is a dreamy, driveable par-4 that plays uphill to a backdrop of villas, and despite a cluster of fairway bunkers and a heavily contoured green, it's a decent opportunity for a birdie. You might give back a shot if you fail to carry the bunker in front of the 7th green, a challenging dogleg par-4, while water comes into play for the first time on the meandering par-5 8th, running all the way up the right hand side.
At an epic 604 yards, your ambitions should be limited to safely reaching the putting surface in regulation, and your best bet is to stay left, for obvious reasons. Not too far left though - you don't want to leave yourself with a tricky downhill chip to a quick green with water lurking behind the hole. The front nine at Dubai Hills Golf Club ends with an achingly beautiful par-3 requiring a long carry over water, but those lacking confidence can play this as a par 4 by making use of the bailout area to the right.
The Back Nine
After the turn the course feels more like a desert-links affair, with its open feel and the waves and mounds that make up the fairways and rough. If you can thread your way through the narrow gap between the cluster of bunkers just short of the 10th green and you should be in good shape, but there's no equivalent safe passage past the bunker complex just short of the putting surface at the long par-5 11th, where most of us will be laying up and taking the aerial route into the green.
The 13th is a heavily-bunkered par-3 with a lone tree guarding the left hand side, while 16th offers more split-fairway fun as you try to stay out of the sandy wasteland that splits the lush green of the paspalum turf in two. The best drive plays to the right of the divide, from where the three bunkers short of the green provide less of a threat, but go too far right and there's water lurking.
The 17th is another par-3 with a nervy water carry required, and even playing this as a par-4 is a challenge, and finding the long narrow bunker that snakes alongside the green is often the lesser of two evils. The last is a very challenging par-4 that requires two mighty, accurate blows to stand a chance of reaching the peninsula green.
There's actually more room to play with than there seems, but unless you connect well with your approach you'll find trouble of some sort. Holing out in front of the inevitable onlookers from the clubhouse isn't easy either, as some heavy contouring can force you to be putting at odd angles relative to the hole. Make par here and you'll definitely have earned that post-round beer.
The Facilities
The large Arabian-themed clubhouse is impressive, with the reception feeling like a 5-star hotel and a range of options for food and drink, including a sports bar and a lovely veranda area from where you can enjoy others attempting to tame the bumps and hollows of the 18th green. Green fees include GPS-equipped carts with bluetooth speakers, tees, pencils, and access to the practice range, and represent good value for money given how impressive the course is.
Overall, we highly recommend booking a tee time at Dubai Hills Golf Club if you're planning a golf holiday in Dubai.
Reviews
Wonderful in every way
Beautiful course, fun to play. Condition was great and as I was alone they put in a ball with two very friendly members, Nick and Tom. We had a great time.Good recreational golf course
It is a relatively new golf course, not as challenging as Arabian Ranges, but interesting to play. It is in good condition and has very fast greens. Food quality is very good, and there is a good vino list.Excellent condition
Today, this is a well-maintained course with excellent and fast greens. I recommend visiting the course; prices are relatively low for Dubai.Course Info
Key Facts
Notable Awards
Amenities
Scorecard Summary
Tee | Par | Length | CR | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Black | 72 | 7283 yds | 74.8 | 138 |
Blue | 72 | 6785 yds | 72.5 | 134 |
Silver | 72 | 6093 yds | 69.2 | 128 |
Red (W) | 72 | 5513 yds | 71.5 | 126 |
Technical Difficulty
Handicap Requirements
There are no handicap requirements at Dubai Hills Golf Club.
Course Location
Address
Nearby Airports
Nearby Attractions
Courses Nearby
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Weather Forecast for Dubai Hills Golf Club
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