Across Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Europe, championship golf courses have steadily embraced a model that extends beyond the traditional 18 holes and clubhouse formula.
On-course villa accommodations – once a novelty – have become an expected amenity at destination courses, catering to golfers who want immersion rather than proximity.
The Middle East has been watching. And now, with grassroots participation across the region up 223% since 2012 according to the R&A’s Global Participation Report, and more international visitors choosing the UAE as a golf destination, operators are responding.
Dubai Creek Resort’s move to introduce Solenna Villas represents the first time a UAE facility has fully committed to the integrated accommodation model. The 18-villa collection, curated by Park Hyatt Dubai, sits directly within the fairways of the 32-year-old championship course.
Each residence spans 200 to 225 square metres, featuring private plunge pools, dedicated 24-hour butler service, and immediate access to the course, driving range, and practice facilities. A private central putting green serves as the heart of the enclave, reinforcing the integration between accommodation and play.
Chris May, CEO of Dubai Golf, frames the March 2026 opening less as innovation and more as evolution.
“Solenna Villas have been some time coming,” says May. “It’s part of the resort upgrade and our consistent progress and evolution in getting better and improving everything that we have to offer.
“We felt there was a gap in the market in Dubai as there wasn’t really any accommodation that was really intimate and on the golf course. It’s the perfect place to stay for a golfer, and the accommodation quality matches what our customers are expecting. We expect them to be very busy, very popular and something unique in the market.”
The timing reflects confidence backed by data. Dubai welcomed 15.7 million international visitors in the first nine months of 2025 – a 5% year-over-year increase, according to Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism figures. Sporting and lifestyle tourism has driven significant portions of that growth, while facilities like Topgolf, located at Emirates Golf Club, have demonstrated sustained appeal, attracting 650,000 guests last year and averaging more than 60,000 balls hit daily.
Dubai’s shortlisting among the world’s best golf destinations at the 2025 World Golf Awards, alongside the country hosting multiple DP World Tour events including the Dubai Invitational (15-18 January) at Dubai Creek Resort, suggests the sector has clear momentum behind it.
Adapting to demand
That momentum has brought welcome challenges. Tee times across Dubai’s courses reflect the surge in popularity, with advance booking becoming increasingly important – a reality May acknowledged during an October appearance on Dubai Eye radio. The emirate’s population has grown approximately 5-6% annually in the post-COVID period, and golf participation has grown faster still.
“We’ve never seen play levels like this,” May says. “Members are playing more golf. The general public are wanting to play more golf. In peak season, you really need to book ahead of time, a little bit more, perhaps, than you have done in recent years.
“People are understanding that. The golf courses are pretty busy, so you do need to book ahead in order to make sure that you definitely get the number of rounds that you want to play if you’re coming to visit from overseas.”
For international visitors or residents planning extended golf-focused stays, coordinating accommodation and course access separately can add complexity to the experience. Book a hotel, secure tee times independently, arrange transport, repeat across multiple days.
Integrated on-course accommodation addresses this naturally. Guests staying at Solenna Villas receive streamlined tee time access as part of their villa booking, simplifying the planning process. The configuration also includes a private central putting green exclusively for villa residents – a practice facility available without advance booking, steps from the accommodation.
Evolution
Dubai Creek Resort carries weight in the regional and international landscape – it’s the only golf club featured on any nation’s banknote globally. The sail-shaped clubhouse remains instantly recognisable. The course, now 32 years old, has hosted elite competition and welcomed many of golf’s biggest names over the years, including Rory McIlroy, Seve Ballesteros, and Colin Montgomerie to name a few.
“We’re very lucky to have one of the most recognisable and iconic clubhouses globally,” says May. “The golf course is absolutely unique. It’s still the most popular golf course for international tourists in the country, largely because of its unique ambience. It’s right on the water of the Creek. You’ve got the amazing clubhouse, you’ve got an amazing team that give you a great welcome – it’s always been special.”
That heritage comes with expectations. Hosting the Dubai Desert Classic in its early years helped put Dubai Creek on the international map. The return of DP World Tour competition through the Dubai Invitational – which two years ago featured McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood in a memorable final-group showdown – has repositioned the venue within the professional circuit.
But relevance requires continuous adaptation. Beyond tournament hosting, Dubai Creek has invested in new practice facilities and is now introducing Solenna Villas as the accommodation piece of that evolution – bringing integrated on-course living to the region for the first time.
“I think this will give Dubai something that will match and perhaps better most of those that are already existing in the world,” May suggests, citing properties in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Europe that have successfully implemented similar models.
For a market that has expanded significantly over the past decade – evidenced by the 223% surge in regional participation – the introduction of integrated on-course accommodation marks another step in its evolution.
As construction nears completion ahead of the Q1 2026 opening, Dubai Creek Resort positions itself not as pioneer, but as regional adapter of a proven international formula. In a sector built on incremental advantages and experiential differentiation, that may be exactly the right approach.
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Main Image: Dubai Golf
