Emirates Golf Club (Faldo Course)
Recommended
About
A visually-stunning Faldo design that's even more magical under the floodlights
Originally opened in 1996, The Faldo Course at Emirates Golf Club benefited from a much-need redesign by its namesake in 2005, who opted to maintain the character of the original whilst transforming it into an authentic championship-standard track. Although it still plays second fiddle to its more heralded sister course, the Majlis, it has established itself as a firm favourite, and playing a round at night under the lights has become an essential part of the Dubai golf experience.
The course bears many of the hallmarks of Faldo's design career, not least in the design of the bunkers and tee boxes, and in the words of the man himself should be regarded as a 'thinking man's course'.
The Front Nine
The first fairway, which sits like an island of verdant green in a dry riverbed, shouldn't be too hard to find from the tee, but the approach is fraught with danger given sand awaits anything short or right, as well as anything left and unlucky.
If you can avoid the substantial bunker short and left of the second green, your scorecard should be in reasonable shape as you take on the par-5 3rd. A fairly benign tee shot to a wide fairway is followed by the inevitable risk/reward proposition: lay up short or try to thread your ball past the bunker that sits just in front of the green, without rolling into the lake that lurks to the right.
The 4th is a real beauty, a shortish par-4 with ample bunkering and a fairway that narrows as it approaches the green. Unless you are very long off the tee and able to hit the most perfect fade known to man, you're best off taking the conservative approach and accepting the need to play a tricky approach into a green that just out into the lake to the right.
The 5th hole is even better, a 555-yard par-5 with water all along the right hand side and a fairway and pinches and widens. Your second is likely to be a medium iron to the second segment of the fairway, with an intoxicating wedge over water and a pair of greenside bunkers to follow.
Avoiding a sand trap en route to the 6th green requires careful planning, not least avoiding the lone tree that sits on the right side of the fairway. The approach is a real challenge, ideally played as a fade that carries the pair of bunkers just short of the green and runs up the slope without falling into the clutches of the deep bunkers to the right. There's water waiting for anything even further right as well as anything long, as the green slopes away sharply behind the hole.
Another fade is called for off the tee of the 7th, which once again requires an accurate approach with sand to the left and the lake awkwardly jutting into the fairway just short of the putting surface, while the 8th features twin greenside bunkers have doubtless resulted in many a dropped shot.
The front nine ends with probably the finest illustration of this being a course for the thinking man. A short par-4 at just 363 yards from the back, it involves a tee shot over water to a fairway that splits in two around the second of the lakes that feature on this hole. The landing zone to the right is more generous, but you're forced to essentially lay up of the tee, as a watery grave awaits anything too long.
If you choose to go left, you're trying to find a narrow sliver of fairway between the trees on the left and the water to the right. It's not easy, but with the perfect fade you could find yourself very close to the green, and facing a much easier proposition than the tough approach over water demanded of those who chose the more conservative option off the tee.
The Back Nine
The back nine of the Faldo Course at Emirates Golf Club starts with a shortish par-5 where there's little chance of reaching the green in two. With massive bunkers in front and behind of the green, there's no chance to run a long second onto the putting surface, and you'll need the control you only get with a short iron to avoid sand on your approach.
At the softly doglegging par-4 that follows, the green is surrounded on two sides with water and protected on a third side by a deep bunker. There is a clear route to the green, but not much margin for error. Likewise at the par-3 12th, where anything short will find sand, and anything even shorted will be wet.
The fairway of the excellent 13th weaves back and forth between clusters of trees, at least one of which you'll be forced to carry to have a shot at par. The green is very well protected by bunkers on three sides, but there is a route for long, rolling second to sneak onto the putting surface safely.
On the par-4 14th, the lake that sits directly in front of the green means a good tee shot is imperative as carrying the water whilst stopping short of the bunker at the back of the green requires the kind of control that's tough to extract from a long iron. The fairway wraps around the lake to the right, so high-handicappers are likely to want to play the hole like a par-5.
The 15th is mercifully free of water, but a series of massive bunkers cause their own set of problems, while the hole that follows is another of those par-5's where you should probably resist the temptation to try to pick your way between the twin greenside bunkers to reach the putting surface in two.
Two more massive bunkers flank either side of the green at the long par-3 17th, while the round ends with a tricky par-4 where the sandy landscape occasionally jags into the fairway from the right, leaving only a narrow strip of safety. The undulating green itself makes for a narrow target, nestled as it is between a triplet of bunkers to the left and water to the right. You'll have to work hard to avoid ending your round with a blemish, but even if you don't make par it's such a great finishing hole that you won't mind at all.
Summary
As the only 18-hole course in Dubai that allows playing under floodlights, an evening tee time here is highly recommended. The greens take on a neon hue, the skyline of Dubai looks amazing, and your camera roll will fill up with photos of an event that will live long in the memory.
The extensive facilities at the large clubhouse feature two restaurants, a cafe and a sports bar, as well as a pro shop, driving range and golf academy, but it's the two courses at Emirates Golf Club that really shine, and we recommend including at least one round at the Faldo Course, ideally under the floodlights, on any Dubai golf holiday.
Reviews
WOW - evening floodlight golf is a must play experience
Brilliant course with lots of thinking off the tee and fairway, blue tees challenging but rewarding. Staff and facilities are excellent, food and clubhouse Spike sports bar brilliant, range free.Night is fun although knowing the course before playing would help.
The course was in good condition. The greens were true and receptive but very slow. I would recommend playing the course during the day if you want to understand the course layout. It is difficult to see everything under the lights. Fun experienceBeautiful Day on the coutse
I played the Faldo course yesterday and was impressed with the course and amenities. I rented clubs and really wished I had brought my own. Marshall’s did a good job of trying to keep the groups in front of us on a decent pace, even though it felt slow at times. We played for about 4 hours. I hope I get the opportunity to return and play the Majlis course.Course Info
Key Facts
Notable Awards
Amenities
Scorecard Summary
Tee | Par | Length | CR | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Black | 73 | 7348 yds | 76.0 | 139 |
Blue | 73 | 6916 yds | 74.1 | 135 |
White | 73 | 6201 yds | 70.8 | 129 |
Red | 73 | 5443 yds | N/A | N/A |
Technical Difficulty
Handicap Requirements
There are no handicap requirements at Emirates Golf Club (Faldo Course).
Prices
Green Fees
01 Sep 23 - 31 May 24 | Mo - Th | Fr - Su |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Holes + Shared Cart | from | from |
| 9 Holes + Shared Cart | from | from |
01 Jun 24 - 31 Aug 24 | Mo - Th | Fr - Su |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Holes + Shared Cart | from | from |
| 9 Holes + Shared Cart | from | from |
01 Sep 24 - 31 May 25 | Mo - Th | Fr - Su |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Holes + Shared Cart | from | from |
| 9 Holes + Shared Cart | from | from |
Course Location
Address
Nearby Airports
Nearby Attractions
Courses Nearby
)
)
)
)
)
)
Weather Forecast for Emirates Golf Club (Faldo Course)
)
)
)
)
)
)