The Els Club
Recommended
About
A hugely enjoyable but very challenging desert links course from the Big Easy
Opened in 2008 and immediately heralded as the Best New International Course by the prestigious Links magazine, the Els Club Dubai is yet another of Dubai's rich cannon of must-play courses. It's a luxury affair from start to finish, from the impressive clubhouse and 5-star service to the immaculate condition of a course that can best be described as a desert links course.
Els has taken inspiration from the bunkers of Royal Melbourne, the greens of Pinehurst No. 2 and the wide, rolling fairways that typify Scottish links courses to create an unforgettable experience. It's a long course at 7,538 yards from the black tees, and the lushness of the fairways, a verdant green against the sandy waste areas that define the shape of each hole, means it plays longer than that.
Throw in a series of greens that resemble an upturned spoon and it's clear that the average golfer has a real challenge on their hands. But if you can avoid worrying too much about your scorecard and relish a challenge fit for the very best, there's lots of fun to be had on this magnificent, immaculately maintained course.
The Front Nine
Scoring well at The Els Club Dubai generally requires accuracy off the tee, as cleverly placed fairway bunkers are a recurring theme. At the 449-yard opener, it's actually the sand trap right in front of the green that'll cause the most problems, as you're likely to have a long iron in hand for your second shot.
The second is easier, a long par-3 over sandy wasteland to a generous green, but there's no easy ride on the second par-4 on the course. Multiple sand traps either side of the landing zone require a perfect fade to avoid, and there's only a tiny gap between the cluster of greenside bunkers through which to thread your second.
The fifth is a memorably sand-heavy par-5 dogleg left, with no less than 7 bunkers (and a lone tree) trying to dissuade anyone from cutting the corner. Even if you can safely find the fairway, there are still 8 (!) more bunkers in play, and often the best you can hope for is to end up in the grassy hollow just short and right of the putting surface.
Water first comes into play on the 441-yard par 4 7th, a man-made lake running up the left side of the fairway, and as you'd expect there are a pair of twin bunkers ready to punish anyone playing too conservatively. Your best bet here is to hope for a dead straight drive and hope that the flag isn't on the left of the green. If it is, you'll face a very challenging approach regardless of where your first shot ended up, although with a controlled draw and a bit of luck you may be able to skirt around the greenside bunker whilst keeping your ball dry.
At the last hole of the front nine, you'll encounter a plaque that informs you that you are now entering "The Lion’s Den", which is the Els Club equivalent of Amen Corner or the Bear Trap. It's a fitting epithet, as the trio of holes from 9 to 11 are as tough as anything in the Middle East.
The 9th is an uphill, 507-yard par 4 where any chance of scoring well requires that your drive clear both the pair of deep fairway bunkers and the lone tree in the middle of the fairway. If the wind is against you, you might as well give up any hope of par, as any short approaches will find themselves in the deep hollow just short of the green.
The Back Nine
At the 10th, a fade off the tee is your best bet for avoiding the sand traps either side of the doglegging fairway, while the putting surface is so long and narrow that even making the elevated green in regulation can leave you some significant distance to the hole. The final hole in the series is a 209-yard par 3 with twin bunkers either side of a lightning-fast green that you'll struggle to find if the wind is against you, as it often is.
The next three holes are an easier prospect: a short par-4 with an approach to a green surrounded by sand, a long par-5 where staying straight should bring rewards, and a long, doglegging par 4 with a relatively tame six bunkers to contend with. If you can pick up a shot or two through this stretch, you'll have your work cut out not to give them back on the 15th, one of the hardest holes on the course.
A monster of a par-4 at 489 yards from the back, an accurate tee shot is required to stay out of the bunkers to the right and the lake that runs all the way up the right hand side of the hole. If you can avoid sand from the tee, there are no more bunkers to contend with but the lake remains a real threat on what will no doubt be a long approach to a green that's riddled with subtle breaks. A par is a fantastic score here.
The driveable par-4 16th offers some light relief with a genuine birdie opportunity, but there's risk in trying to reach the green as the contouring of the fairway tends to feed anything less-than-perfect into one of the usual smattering of bunkers.
There's no avoiding the need to carry the massive sand trap just short of the green at the very long par-3 17th, so you're best off just pretending it isn't there rather than letting it psych you out, while the last is an epic 619-yard par 5 that, somewhat shockingly in light of everything that has come before, only features three bunkers. One of them is dead centre of the fairway however, so there's still time to reach for the sand wedge one more time before holing out on the final green.
Summary
Away from the course, there are extensive practice facilities, including a floodlit driving range with six greens to aim at and a short game area with two greens and three full-size bunkers. The elegant clubhouse features luxury locker rooms, a well-stocked pro shop and two restaurants: The Big Easy, a bar and grill as unpretentious as its namesake, and 261, purveyor of what many believe to be the best egg & bacon roll that Dubai has to offer.
While there is no shortage of world-class courses in Dubai, the 18 holes at the Els Club Dubai offer an unforgettable experience, as long as you can stomach a scorecard with the odd blemish or five. No golf holiday in Dubai can be considered complete without snagging a tee time at this world-class course.
Reviews
Very professionally ran club. Immaculate throughout with great staff.
I would say this is the best course in Dubai. Absolutely immaculately maintained. Very testing course whichever of the 4 tees you choose to go off with raised slick undulating greens protected by steep bunkers. Absolutely brilliant courseGreat course in amazing condition.
One of the best courses I have ever played. The course is challenging but fair. It was in immaculate condition, although they started fertilizing the greens early in our round and most holes had fertilizer which affected putting a bit. Usually every course has a few bad holes, but I didn’t find that here. I highly recommend playing here if you are visiting Dubai.A tough course, but enjoyable.
The Els Club course was challenging and unexpectedly open, given that it is surrounded by villas and close to skyscraper buildings. We enjoyed our round, despite the fact that the greens were fast and difficult and the rough was the fluffy type of grass that clings to the club! The many bunkers were well situated and none of us escaped them for long. The aprons to the greens had been recently tined, which caused an additional couple of problems. We felt well looked after by the staff, the changing rooms were immaculate and we liked our after-round snacks.Course Info
Key Facts
Notable Awards
Amenities
Scorecard Summary
Tee | Par | Length | CR | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Black | 72 | 7538 yds | 75.7 | 138 |
Blue | 72 | 6828 yds | 72.5 | 133 |
White | 72 | 6242 yds | 70.0 | 125 |
Red (W) | 72 | 5343 yds | 70.4 | 123 |
Technical Difficulty
Handicap Requirements
There are no handicap requirements at The Els Club.
Prices
Green Fees
23 Oct 23 - 31 May 24 | Mo - Th | Fr - Su |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Holes + Shared Cart | from | from |
01 Jun 24 - 30 Jun 24 | Mo - Th | Fr - Su |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Holes + Shared Cart | from | from |
01 Jul 24 - 30 Sep 24 | Mo - Th | Fr - Su |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Holes + Shared Cart | from | from |
01 Oct 24 - 31 Oct 24 | Mo - Th | Fr - Su |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Holes + Shared Cart | from | from |
01 Nov 24 - 28 Feb 25 | Mo - Th | Fr - Su |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Holes + Shared Cart | from | from |
01 Mar 25 - 31 May 25 | Mo - Th | Fr - Su |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Holes + Shared Cart | from | from |
Course Location
Address
Nearby Airports
Nearby Attractions
Courses Nearby
)
)
)
)
)
)
Weather Forecast for The Els Club
)
)
)
)
)
)