Dubai divides golfers. Some hear "desert golf" and immediately picture immaculate fairways, five-star everything, and courses they've seen on TV. Others hear the price and close the browser tab.
Both reactions are fair. Dubai is a premium golf destination — it's not cheap and it doesn't pretend to be. But if you go at the right time, book smart, and know what you're getting into, it delivers an experience that's different from anything in Europe. I'm going to walk you through exactly what a Dubai golf trip involves — the courses, the hotels, the costs, and the stuff nobody tells you.
The Courses
Emirates Golf Club — Majlis Course
This is the one everyone knows. The Majlis was the first grass course in the Middle East (opened 1988) and it's hosted the Dubai Desert Classic since 1989. If you've watched Tiger, Rory, or Seve play on TV in Dubai, this is where they played.
The course weaves through rolling terrain with native desert scrub, lakes, and palm trees. The 8th is the signature hole — a par 3 over water to an island green, about 165 yards. It's nowhere near as intimidating as it looks on camera, but the water still catches out anyone who gets cute with their club selection.
The 18th is a strong finishing hole — a par 5 that doglegs right around a lake, with the iconic clubhouse (designed to look like Bedouin tents) as the backdrop. If you par it, you'll feel like you've won something.
Green fee: approximately AED 900-1,200 (£200-265) depending on season. Yes, that's a lot. But you're playing a course that's hosted European Tour events for 35 years, in flawless condition, with a clubhouse experience that makes most UK clubs look like village halls.
Emirates Golf Club — Faldo Course
The sister course, redesigned by Nick Faldo in 2006. It's longer and more open than the Majlis, with a links-style feel despite being in the desert. The bunkering is severe — deep, steep-faced, and positioned exactly where you want to put your ball. The greens are faster than the Majlis and more undulating.
The Faldo is actually harder than the Majlis for most golfers. The 9th is a brutal par 4 — about 440 yards into the wind, with water down the left side and a narrow fairway. It's the hole where your handicap gets tested. Green fee is slightly less than the Majlis — around AED 700-950 (£155-210).
Jumeirah Golf Estates — Earth Course
This is where the DP World Tour Championship takes place every November — the season finale on the European Tour. It's a Greg Norman design that's maintained to an almost absurd standard. The fairways are like carpets, the greens are glass-smooth, and every bunker is raked to perfection.
The Earth course is long — over 7,700 yards from the championship tees, though you'll be playing from about 6,400. The 18th is one of the great finishing holes in tournament golf — a par 5 with water down the entire left side and the clubhouse looming behind the green. I watched Tommy Fleetwood eagle it in the DP World Tour Championship. When you stand on the same tee, you'll appreciate just how good that shot was.
Green fee: AED 850-1,100 (£190-245). Book through us and we typically get it 10-15% below the walk-up rate.
Trump International Golf Club Dubai
The name aside, this is a very good golf course. Gil Hanse designed it (same architect as the 2016 Olympic course in Rio), and it's one of the more creative layouts in Dubai. The bunkering is dramatic, the greens are large with interesting contours, and the course has more character than some of the older Dubai tracks that follow a more formulaic desert-and-lakes template.
The 15th is outstanding — a driveable par 4 with a green that sits behind a deep waste bunker. Go for it and you might make eagle. Get it wrong and you're looking at a tricky up-and-down for par. It's the kind of hole that makes you think, which is exactly what good course design should do.
Green fee: AED 650-900 (£145-200). Often the best value of the "big four" Dubai courses.
Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club
Right in the heart of the city, along Dubai Creek. This is a shorter, older course that some purists prefer over the big showpiece layouts. It's walking-friendly (unusual for Dubai), well-conditioned, and the views towards the Dubai skyline — particularly in the late afternoon light — are stunning.
The 8th plays along the creek with dhow boats drifting past. It's a moment that reminds you this isn't just another golf course. Green fee: AED 500-750 (£110-165).
Where to Stay
Address Montgomerie Dubai — From £1,200pp (5N/3R)
A five-star hotel attached to the Montgomerie Golf Club (another solid course). Modern, well-located, with a good pool and several restaurants. It's slightly outside the main tourist strip, which keeps the prices lower than the beachfront hotels. At £1,200pp for 5 nights and 3 rounds, this is our most accessible Dubai package.
JA The Resort — From £1,650pp (5N/3R)
A sprawling resort on Jebel Ali Beach with three hotels, nine restaurants, a marina, and its own 9-hole course. The JA feels like a self-contained holiday village. It's 30 minutes from Emirates Golf Club but the resort itself has so much to offer that many guests don't want to leave on their non-golf days. There's a shooting range, horse riding, water sports, and one of the best hotel beaches in Dubai.
Jumeirah Beach Hotel — From £2,500pp (5N/3R)
The luxury option. Right on the beach, next to the Burj Al Arab, with views that make you want to take a photo every five minutes. The hotel was refurbished recently and the rooms are stunning. If you're going to Dubai and you want the full experience — beach, skyline, five-star service — this is it.
At £2,500pp, it's serious money. But you're combining one of the world's best-known hotels with three rounds of world-class golf. For a special birthday, anniversary, or corporate trip, it makes an impression that people remember.
The Pricing Reality
| Package Level | Price (5N/3R) | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Good | From £1,200pp | Address Montgomerie, 3 rounds at mid-tier courses |
| Better | From £1,650pp | JA The Resort, 3 rounds including Emirates Majlis |
| Best | From £2,500pp | Jumeirah Beach Hotel, 3 premium rounds |
Flights to Dubai are typically £300-500pp return from Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, or Birmingham. Emirates, British Airways, and flydubai are the main carriers. Flight time is about 7 hours.
Budget about £50-80pp per day for food and drinks on top of the package (unless you're half-board). Dubai isn't cheap for dining out, but the hotel restaurants are generally excellent and you can eat well at the course clubhouses without breaking the bank.
Dubai
Address MontgomerieBest Time to Go
October to April. That's the window. Outside of that, it's 40°C+ and you'll be cooked before you reach the 9th hole.
The sweet spots are November and March. November has the DP World Tour Championship buzz — courses are in peak condition and the weather is about 28°C. March is slightly warmer (30°C) but the prices are a touch lower because the European golf season is starting and attention shifts back to the Algarve and Spain.
Avoid December 20 to January 5 — that's peak tourism season in Dubai and hotel prices double.
The Night Golf Experience
This is something you can only do in a handful of places in the world, and Dubai is the best of them. Several courses — including Emirates Golf Club (Faldo course) and Trump International — offer floodlit golf in the evenings.
Playing 9 holes under lights at 8pm, with the Dubai skyline glowing in the distance, is genuinely one of the most unusual golf experiences you'll have. The floodlighting is excellent — you can see everything clearly, the ball tracking is fine, and the temperature drops to a comfortable 22-24°C. It costs about AED 350-450 (£80-100) for 9 holes. I'd recommend doing it once — it's a talking point you'll have for years.
Corporate and Group Appeal
Dubai is our most popular destination for corporate golf trips, and it's obvious why. The "wow factor" is real — when you tell clients or colleagues you're taking them to play the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, the venue where the DP World Tour Championship is decided, it makes an impression.
The hotels are geared up for corporate groups with meeting rooms, team-building activities, and group dining options. We can arrange branded tee gifts, nearest-the-pin markers, and personalised scorecards. It costs a bit more to set up, but the ROI on a well-run Dubai corporate golf trip is significant.
We organised a corporate trip for 16 people from a financial services firm last February. JA The Resort, three rounds including Emirates Majlis and the Earth course. The MD told us afterwards: "Three clients have signed new contracts since that trip. The golf course is where relationships get built." He's booked again for 2027.
Multiple hotel options. World-class courses. We handle every detail.
Get a Free QuoteRing us on 01277 284284 or get a quote at golfplanetholidays.com. We'll match you with the right hotel and courses for your group and budget. Dubai trips take a bit more planning than a week in the Algarve — let us handle it.