A shock at the top, a newbie at the bottom and plenty of snakes and ladders action in between  highlight our 5th biennial ranking

By Kent Gray
“The next edition of our top 10 rankings in two years time promises to be an even harder club to get into.” The closing summation from our 2016 ranking didn’t do the difficultly of the impending initiation process justice. It clearly wasn’t impossible to break the monopoly as the new entry at No.10 in this year’s list illustrates.

But that the newbie ousted a proven European Tour venue in Doha Golf Club speaks to the truly world class concentration of courses in the region and the demanding task of trying to rank said quantity of quality. Indeed, less than a point separated the new 10 from the Qatar Masters venue and arguably the unluckiest club to miss out, Greg Norman’s brilliant new Ayla G.C. design in Aqaba, Jordan.

As noted in 2016, the Middle East is home to some of the finest golf on the planet, the spinoff of a region where visionary leaders embolden leisure investors who in turn entrust the world’s leading course architects not to mess up the blank desert canvases they are gifted. Few projects have disappointed, making the job of our expert panel of 23  (explained in detail on the next page and significantly boasting a female presence this time) as difficult as ever.

Awarded a mark out of 80 across seven scoring categories by each panelist, our top ranked course scored an average of 65.32, while No.10 came in at 59.88. Little more than three points separate the entire top five. In short, the Middle East’s best courses were extremely difficult to separate and just as tough to compare.

How do you measure a manicured hybrid of parkland and desert against a modern-day seaside links, or an inland links wannabe for that matter?

The best way is with Golf Digest’s impartial and internationally trusted formula.

It’s certainly comforting that the top-10 selected by our panel closely mirrors the elite 10 selected by you, our loyal readers, proving we can’t have gone too far wrong.

In addition to the regular Readers’ Choice list we’ve also continued our ‘Best’ section (see p80) with your scores tallied alongside the thoughts of the panel to find the best ‘Nine-holer’, ‘Clubhouse’, ‘Food and Beverage/Service’ and ‘Best value’ course.

Ultimately, we suspect few of the courses on the following pages will come as a surprise although their place in the new pecking order might. That’s okay – there is nothing more subjective in golf that the apples versus pears ranking of golf courses after all. You don’t have to agree with us. In fact, we actively ecourage your thoughts on our social media channels either way.

What we are unequivocal about is our summary of the 2018 list. With new Tiger Woods and Dubai Hills courses soon to come on line and others in the pipeline, the 6th edition of our top 10 rankings in 2020 promises to be even tougher to judge, making it an even more coveted club of which to belong.

How lucky we are to golf in the desert.

Meet the panel and how they ranked the courses
Check out the best in the Middle East
Readers’ Choice: Your favourites revealed
Top 10 Golf Courses in the Middle East 2016

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1) The Majlis, Emirates Golf Club  (click to go to the club website)
2016 Ranking: 3 • Design: Karl Litten (1988)
Dubai, UAE • Par 72 • Yards 7,301 • Total Score 65.32

David Cannon

By Luke Joy (Tour Professional)
The venerable Majlis, the inaugural Middle East Top 10 winner in 2009, will always have a special place in my heart as it was the location of my first start in a European Tour event. The course looks awesome off the tee and well placed bunkers and run-offs around the greens make it a real treat to play and a challenge for golfers of all levels. The course peaks around December/January when the European Tour swings into town (an annual marvel by agronomy chief Craig Haldane and his team) and when the grandstands are up, it’s a cracking walk up the 18th.

Karl Litten’s design provides great excitement, especially on the back nine where birdie opportunities abound if you are playing well. Conversely, you’ll be punished for a poor, misplaced shot, as it should be. A much warranted return to No.1 for the spiritual home of Middle East golf.

Luke Joy will tee it up in the 29th Omega Dubai Desert Classic from Jan. 25-28

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2) Yas Links Golf Club
2016 Ranking: 1 • Design: Kyle Phillips (2010)
Abu Dhabi, UAE • Par 72 • Yards 7,414 • Total Score 64.75

Kevin Murray

By Kent Gray (Editor, Golf Digest Middle East)
From the moment you are greeted by Old Tom Morris at the gate, right up until one of the friendly bag drop attendants in their Tam o’ Shanters helps you pack the sticks back in the car, Yas Links is a magical experience. The Andalusian style clubhouse is the first give away, oozing understated elegance and offering a window to the sea/mangrove views which serve as a stunning accomplice to Kyle Phillips’ truly world class golf architecture.  Yas may only be seven years young but the rumpled fairways, undulating greens and ball swallowing rough combine to remind of ancient British and Irish links, minus the lousy weather.

All aspects of your game are tested, especially if the breeze fills in on the layout’s particularly invigorating, homeward stretch where pars on any of the 16th, 17th and 18th (or a combination thereof) ensures your post round sun downer will be even sweeter.

There will be genuine dismay among Yas Links’ most loyal devotees that it has been dethroned as the Middle East’s No.1 for the first time in its history. It should be noted its score this year is virtually identical to its winning number from 2016 and sometimes you simply have to doff your Tam o’Shanter to a rival at the top of its game. Still, we suspect this is a match play set-back Yas simply won’t settle for so watch this space in 2020.  Better still, get yourself to Yas Island for an unforgettable golf  experience.

Kent Gray began covering golf in the Middle East since 2013 and has reported on the game globally since 1989

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3) Almouj Golf
2016 Ranking: 2 • Design: Greg Norman (2012)
Muscat, Oman • Par 72 • Yards 7,300 • Total Score 63.62

Bob McCaffrey

By Robbie Greenfield (Sports Radio Co-host)
Almouj Golf may not be quite as well-known as some of the other high-flying courses in this ranking, but that will soon change with its new status as a European Tour venue. Previously established as the grand finale to the Challenge Tour’s Road to Oman, Greg Norman’s layout has had a deserved promotion to the main tour and you can expect plenty of high praise from Europe’s best players when they arrive for the NBO Oman Golf Classic in mid-February.

This is a rugged, windswept brute of a layout, as challenging as it is beautiful. The opening hole features a green hidden among some typically impressive sand dunes but you don’t have to wait long for the first ‘wow’ moment, as the par 3 2nd provides sweeping views out across the Sea of Oman. The presence of the sea enhances this modern-day links, but it’s not the defining feature. Norman has crafted some enormous dunes and the last few years have added a rustic maturity to the native areas.

When the wind is up, which is most of the time, the par 3 14th has to rank among the most terrifying one-shotters in the region but it’s by no means the only do-or-die shot you’ll face here. We’re used to seeing the best players on the European Tour shoot the lights out, but don’t expect any record low scores when Almouj Golf bears its teeth.

Robbie Greenfield played as a marker for Darren Clarke during Jordan’s MENA Tour debut last year

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4) Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club
2016 Ranking: 5 • Design: Thomas Bjørn Redesign (1993)
Dubai, UAE • Par 71 • Yards 6,967 • Total Score 63.44

Steve Carr

By Luke Plumb (PGA Professional)
Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club is one of my favorite courses in the UAE. The course is laid out fantastically from start to finish with a great mixture of holes which put an emphasis on straight driving and accurate iron shots. The greens are always in stunning condition, running true and fast, which makes putting at the “Creek” testing but enjoyable. One of my favorite holes is the 6th with the Island tee box where you tee off from the middle of Dubai Creek.

You can’t talk about Dubai Creek without mentioning the finishing stretch. The 16th, a tough par 3, is certainly one you are happy to walk off with a par, followed by the amazing 17th and 18th holes. The 17th is relatively short but the tee shot is extremely tight with water up the left and bunkers waiting to swallow your ball on the right. You need to hit two accurate and solid shots to set up a birdie opportunity. The 18th is, quite simply, a fantastic hole and one of the best finishes in golf. You have a great view of Dubai Creek on your left however there is disaster awaiting at every corner. Similar to the 17th you need to hit two great shots to make the green in regulation. Any miss hit is likely to result in a double bogey. Playing back towards the iconic clubhouse gives the fantastic finishing holes a perfect back drop.

Luke Plumb is the new CEO of the UAE PGA

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5) Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
2016 Ranking: 8 • Design: Gary Player (2010)
Abu Dhabi, UAE • Par 72 • Yards 7,806 • Total Score 62.73

By Malcolm Young (PGA Professional)
Saadiyat Beach is always a pleasure to play, offering a memorable experience and challenge to golfers of every skill level. The design makes good use of its location, the gulf coastline coming into play on several par 3s and par 4s on both nines and giving the layout its  seaside character and links feel.

The mix of holes demand some well-placed tee shots, accurate irons and pin point wedges to score well whilst never feeling too demanding. Taking a lead from some classic designs, Gary Player entices you to be creative particularly around the greens which allow a variety of shots to be played.

The course has a very natural feel with the obvious standout holes being the combination of 16 and 17. The elevated position of the 16th tee lays out the demands ahead where only a well struck tee shot and accurate second will be worthy of a par. The tricky 17th is a true gem with a small target making it a perfect short par 3. Another great example of the design is the 10th where the short par 4 offers many options off the tee with a well-guarded green making it a perfect risk and reward hole.

From tee to green, Saadiyat Beach requires every club in the bag to score well. It’s always a pleasure to play with the natural terrain and roaming wildlife leaving a lasting impression.

Malcolm Young is a former UAE PGA Championship winner

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6) Earth, Jumeirah Golf Estates
2016 Ranking: 4 • Design: Greg Norman (2009)
Dubai, UAE • Par 72 • Yards 7,675 • Total Score 62.71

Kevin Murray

By Callum Nicoll (PGA Professional)
It’s always special to play a course where we watch the best players in the world do battle each year. What makes the Earth Course so enjoyable on a day-to-day basis for me is the fact that it’s so aesthetically pleasing and always kept to a high standard. The definition of the fairways to the woodchip and the trees frame every hole, making each feel individual. While the fairways could be deemed generous, tee shots still have to be strategically placed to afford the best route into most pins and even though Earth hosts large greens, Greg Norman’s design really makes you think when hitting approach shots. Pins can easily be tucked away in difficult positions on the already tricky and undulating putting surfaces. There is an excellent variety of holes and this is most evident on what I regard as a particularly strong finishing stretch. Within the last five holes you have two different length par 4s, a par 3 surrounded by water and two par 5s including the last which can produce an eagle chance if brave enough, aka Henrik Stenson’s memorable three wood to the 72nd hole of the 2013 DP World Tour Championship.

Callum Nicoll is a multiple UAE PGA Order of Merit champion

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7) The Els Club
2016 Ranking: 7 • Design: Ernie Els (2008)
Dubai, UAE • Par 72 • Yards 7,538 • Total Score 61.14

Paul Severn

By Danny Jakubowski (PGA Professional)
You know you are in for a special day at The Els Club. What impresses me the most about the golf course are the nuances that may take a round or two to notice. Course designer Ernie Els has done an amazing job of bunker routing, creating risk-reward tee shots and approaches. As with many of his designs, Els has utilised clever undulations and elevations to protect par. The greens are always in perfect condition, tricky but fair, and a well struck and on line putt never deviates from its line. The great conditions are one thing, but having that beautiful clubhouse in view on holes 9 and 18 makes for a great setting to finish the round and enjoy a well earned drink after.

Danny Jakubowski is Group Director of Instruction at Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat Beach

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8) The National, Abu Dhabi Golf Club
2016 Ranking: 6 • Design: Peter Harradine (2000)
Abu Dhabi, UAE • Par 72 • Yards 7,334 • Total Score 60.36

Kevin Murray

By Karl Whitehead (PGA Professional)
What a venue Abu Dhabi GC is. Known the world over for it’s iconic clubhouse and as the proud host of one of the European Tour’s biggest events each year, it’s a real jewel in the crown for the UAE golf scene.

The National course is truly world class,  a reminder of which we get every January with the great feedback it receives from the world’s leading tour professionals.

On the eye it’s a stunning looking layout: beautiful landscape surrounds each hole and when overseeded in the cooler season, there is a striking contrast between fairway and rough. Add to this the nice variety of water features and some very strategically placed bunkers and the result is an outstanding golf experience.

What always stands out to me is the premium, and in turn reward, placed on driving the ball well.  Pretty much all the landing areas are at an angle and it therefore challenges both the eye and your shot shaping ability. If driving well, it can certainly become scoreable as the greens and run-offs are not overly demanding.

Delving into specific holes, the 9th and 18th always stand out and are topped off with the unique experience of playing towards the Falcon clubhouse. The par 3’s each have character and are great fun to play also. Mix in a world-class team and with the expertise of Troon and the overall club experience from start to finish is consistency top class.

Karl Whitehead is General Manager at The Els Club, Dubai

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9) Al Zorah Golf Club
2016 Ranking: 10 • Design: Nicklaus Design (2015)
Ajman, UAE • Par 72 • Yards 7,169 • Total Score 60.05

Kevin Murray

By Claudine Foong-Riggs (Golf Wellness and Performance Coach)
When I tee it up at any golf course, the aesthetics and energy of the course significantly influences how much I enjoy my round of golf. Al Zorah Golf Club, located in Ajman, and only a 30 minute drive from downtown Dubai, does not disappoint.

The Nicklaus designed golf course, is a peaceful and tranquil haven if you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. You can spend a few hours amongst the acres of naturally protected mangroves that feature an abundance of wildlife, which is unique to other courses in the UAE.

For the most part, the course exudes a sense of confidence off the tee, with generous fairways allowing you to hit driver at will. Nicklaus designed many of the tee boxes as islands set amongst the mangroves adding to the beauty of the design. Water comes into play on several holes and even more so when the tide is in. When the tide is out, some of those hazard areas become sandy waste land, providing you with a glimmer of hope. The fairways run firm but you can still take a clean divot on an iron strike. The greens are guarded by deep traps and have plenty of undulation, making judging your line a tricky test.

Overall, the course has a great balance of challenge and opportunity. Al Zorah is a course where unless you hit it into the water, you should always be able to find your ball. When the wind picks up, which it often does, you better know how to control your trajectory. However, regardless of your playing ability, the course features several tee boxes to provide the right level of difficulty.

Every time I’ve left Al Zorah, I’ve felt like I just had a mini holiday. The combination of nature, excellent design and first class service makes Al Zorah a course you will always love coming back to.

Claudine Foong-Riggs is a former Symetra Tour pro and regular golf fitness contributor to Golf Digest Middle East

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10) Trump International Golf Club, Dubai
2016 Ranking: New Entry • Design: Gil Hanse (2016)
Dubai, UAE • Par 71 • Yards 7,300 • Total Score 59.88

Kevin Murray

By Robbie Greenfield (Sports Radio Co-host)
It may not be on the coast, but the Trump International Golf Club Dubai is actually the closest thing you’ll find to a traditional links course in the Middle East. It’s one of the few courses in this region that allows you to take the terrestrial route, and the undulating terrain shaped by Gil Hanse adds an entirely new dimension to the playing experience. If, like me, you reach for your putter at the first conceivable opportunity, you will enjoy this golf course.

The UAE’s newest 18-hole course has other hallmarks of a classic links design. Holes one and nine are bisected by a snaking wadi, but the opening tee shot is nonetheless among the most inviting of any course that features on this list. The giant green complex on the 1st, which flows seamlessly into the adjacent eighth green, encapsulates this Hanse design. Your targets may be generous on the Trump course, but woe betide you if you wind up in the wrong spot. The closely cropped tight lies demand a high degree of skill with a wedge and this course plays firm and fast, which is what this game should be all about.

The best stretch of holes lie on the front nine, from the par 3 5th to the short uphill par 4 8th that plays back towards the imposing clubhouse. Hanse wanted this to be a fun experience, and in allowing golfers to get the ball in play off the tee before challenging them with a varied array of different approach shots, he has done just that. And for a layout that’s barely one year old, we can expect plenty of improvement as both the course and its surrounding development continues to mature.

Robbie Greenfield has been covering golf in the Middle East since 2005

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•  MEET THE 2018 PANEL
•  READERS’ CHOICE 2018
•  THE BEST IN THE MIDDLE EAST 2018
•  TOP 10 GOLF COURSES IN THE MIDDLE EAST 2016
•  TOP 10 GOLF COURSES IN THE MIDDLE EAST 2020

The post Top 10 Golf Courses in the Middle East 2018 appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Talk about keeping it in the family. Just hours after his U.S. Open winning brother Brooks Koepka grabbed the first round lead at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, little bro Chase snared a share of the $350,000 Ras Al Khaimah 2017 Golf Challenge lead.

Chase rattled off five birdies in a four-under 68 at Al Hamra G.C. to join overnight leader Jurrian van der Vaart (France) atop the leaderboard through 36-holes of the European Challenge Tour’s penultimate stop of 2017.

“I heard about Brooks’ round in China so I just wanted to make sure I made a birdie on the last hole to make sure I’m on top of the leaderboard as well!” Chase told EuropeanTour.com 

Related: Brooks Koepka leads WGC-HSBC Champions after 64 in Shanghai

“It’s a good day to be a golfer called Koepka, but there’s not too many bad days to be a Koepka! Certainly not this year anyway.”

Making it look easy

5 birdies dropped for @ChaseKoepka today as he moved to 10 under and into the #RAKGolfChallenge lead pic.twitter.com/JoVJzpvf72

— Challenge Tour (@Challenge_Tour) October 26, 2017

Brooks’ path to his maiden major at Erin Hills in June came via the Challenge Tour with the American winning four times before graduating to the European Tour in 2013. Chase has had five top-5 finishes in this year’s Road to Oman so is guaranteed to emulate his older brother by making it to the main tour and could do it with even more style as victory in RAK would give him a shot at the Challenge Tour title at next week’s €420,000 NBO Golf Classic Grand Final at Almouj Golf in Muscat.

“I’d love to top the rankings,” the 23 year said. “I think in order to do that I’ll need to win one of these last two events so that’s my goal. It’s been a great year anyway but if I can hopefully play well this weekend, I might be able to get that first win.”

Chase came close to winning the Challenge Tour’s “major”, the Kazakhstan Open last month, only to be pipped in a playoff by current order-of-merit leader, Tapio Pulkkanen. The Finnish golfer was in a share of 41st place at Al Hamra overnight.

“I’d love to win,” Chase, sixth in the moneylist entering RAK, continued. ” I was really looking forward to possibly getting that first victory in Kazakhstan – I actually didn’t get off to the greatest of starts there but I found my way into a play-off and it just didn’t quite happen. I feel like my game has been great for a while now. I missed the cut two weeks ago but I actually felt probably the best I’ve felt all season going into that week, which was quite strange.

“Then last week I thought I played my best golf of the year and I finished 20th, that’s just the way golf works I guess. This week, nothing’s really changed, I’m still playing really good golf and now the scores are there too.”

The post “It’s a good day to be a golfer called Koepka” appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The $1.75 million NBO Golf Classic will be played Feb.15-18 at Almouj Golf (pictured) amid The Wave Muscat development the week proceeding the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters at Doha GC (Feb.22-25).

The Doha tournament was traditionally sandwiched between the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and $3 million Omega Dubai Desert Classic but the two UAE events, as has been widely reported, are now scheduled back-to-back from Jan. 18-21 and 25-28 respectively.

For the past four seasons the NBO Golf Classic has been a European Challenge Tour event, the last two the secondary circuit’s season-ender and climax to the “Race to Oman” series. There is yet no word on a replacement decider or season-long “Race” for the Challenge Tour although it raises the prospect of Ras Al Khaimah, currently the circuit’s penultimate event, stepping up.

Muscat joins the Philippines Golf Championship (March 15-18) and the Belgian Knockout (May 17-20) as new events on the 2018 European Tour which will visit 30 countries and again include eight Rolex Series event, each with a minimum prize fund of US$7million. Morocco’s The Trophee Hassan II in Rabat, which enjoys close links with the MENA Tour, is scheduled for April 19-22.

Related: Ryder Cup star Thomas Pieters to host European Tour knockout event in 2018

With Abu Dhabi and Dubai proceeded by the Jan. 12-14 EurAsia Cup (an important Ryder Cup rehearsal) and leading into the Maybank Championship (Feb. 1-4), also in Malaysia, elite fields are again assured. It will be tougher for Muscat and Doha to attract the same calibre of players however as they are sandwiched between the  ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth, a popular addition to the schedule last season, and the $10 million WGC-Mexico Championship which makes a second early season sojourn to the Middle East unlikely for higher ranked players.

The 2018 Race to Dubai will again climax at Jumeriah Golf Estates where the $8 million DP World Tour Championship will celebrate its 10th anniversary from Nov. 15-18.

Keith Waters, the European Tour’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “We are delighted to be able to announce three new events as part of the 2018 European Tour schedule, providing vital playing opportunities for our members.

“It also combines diversity, visiting 30 different countries on the Race to Dubai, and innovation, through varied formats such as the new Belgian Knockout and GolfSixes alongside more traditional strokeplay events, including the eight Rolex Series tournaments.”

See the full 2018 European Tour schedule here

The post Muscat event added to 2018 European Tour schedule as the Desert Swing is split in two appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Representing Team Boyo Malaya, Mokhaza (pictured above with Titleist cap alongside Onside Sports Steven Munro) and Razak carded a seven-under-par 65 around Almouj Golf course in Muscat to win the betterball strokeplay event by two shots.

Tenzin Tsarong and Fiaz Riaz (Team Mohamed Riaz) finished second but it was a close run thing on countback with five other teams also signing for -5, 67s.

Mokhaza and Razak will be joined at the 36-hole final at Dubai’s Jumeirah Golf Estates by Almouj’s gross winners, Allan Middleton and Lynn Casey (pictured right in main image above). Playing for “Still Game”, Middleton and Casey posted an even par 72 to earn their place in the City Tower Real Estate Cup division on the Earth course at JGE from December 16-17, 2017.

The post Almouj duo Mokhaza and Razak qualify for XCGC appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

If they weren’t putting out of a bunker on the 8^th (and no, that’s not a misprint) for a net birdie, they were making five gross ones and scrambling for some unbelievable net gains and par saves on a day when the wind whipped off The Creek and kept the scoring honest.

After kicking on from back-to-back birdies to start their round, it eventually all added up to a net 63, eight under par, and a two-stroke victory over Graeme Doy and Steve Ramsden (Toon Army). The reward was the first of four places in December’s 36-hole XCGC grand final on Earth at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.

Three-handicapper Sindhu contributed four birdies on his home course while Shewakramani, visiting from Emirates GC with his handy 21-handicap, dovetailed expertly, like when he holed that sandy putt on the 8^th after both “Golf Tigers” had found the right-hand bunker off the tee.

“We had a lot of fun and we were very lucky. I think the golfing gods where with us today,” said Sindhu who was playing with Shewakramani for the first time in the 19^th XCGC despite regularly partnering the EGC 21-handicpper in other events.

“I think the new format this year [betterball stroke play off full course handicap] definitely demands a combination of a higher and low handicapper but we were very lucky to play this well.

“We never thought we could go so low but we’ll take that. The 36-hole final on Earth, that’s a special course, one of our favourite courses in the UAE, well presented, so we’re really looking forward to it.”

Shewakramani and Sindhu played so well – a gross 70 – that they almost qualified via the XCGC’s new City Tower Real Estate Cup division which rewards the days lowest gross pair with a place in the grand final.

That honour went to Creek members Michael Nielsen and Edoardo Galeppini who signed for a two-under 69.

Gross winners Michael Nielsen (second from left) and Edoardo Galeppini with Xerox Emirates boss Chris Govier

Scratch-handicapper Galeppini and Nielsen, who plays off 7.6, will play in their fourth Xerox grand final and happily so eyeing gross glory.

“We have played quite well in finals without getting anywhere close to be honest…so this is a good initiative,” said Nielsen before Galeppini continued.

“There are not many tournaments in Dubai where you actually go to the final with a gross prize so its very nice,” Galeppini said. “We are really looking forward to it because every year we have qualified we’ve had a lot of problems for the net.”

The Greg Norman-designed Almouj Golf course in Muscat, Oman hosts the fourth round of the XCGC on May 13 before the series, celebrating its 19^th season this year, returns to the UAE on May 25 at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

For more info and entry options, visit www.xeroxcgc.com

The multi-award winning Xerox Corporate Golf Challenge, which again returns to South Africa in 2017, is set to announce several new venues this year. Golf Digest Middle East is proud to be the series’ official media partner. Key sponsors are IG and City Tower.

19^th Xerox Corporate Golf Challenge – Round 3
Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, May 4, 2017

Net qualifiers
63 – Suresh Shewakramani and Ashok Sindhu (Golf Tigers)
65 – Graeme Doy and Steve Ramsden (Toon Army)
68- Chris Darnley and Andrew Smolak (Divot Mix)
69 – Bayer Khan and Qais Qureshi (Mashreq)

City Tower Real Estate Cup
Gross qualifiers
69 – Michael Nielsen and Edoardo Galeppini (Rickmers/Cigisped)

The post From the Creek to the XCGC final via some magical golf, including a birdie from a bunker…with a putter appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

A new entry and a new no.2 are the big stories in our fourth biennial ranking of the best courses in the Middle East on a list of the highest quality
By Robbie Greenfield

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he Middle East has always been a golf destination that punches well above its weight. When top European Tour players speak in glowing terms about the courses and the facilities here, they’re not just trotting out some well-worn line. They really, really mean it, and our exclusive images for this new Top 10 ranking will illustrate precisely why.

Using the tried and trusted Golf Digest methodology, we have ranked the best courses here with the combined insight of 28 expert panelists, but that doesn’t mean you’re supposed to agree with us. This is a celebration of golf courses that as a collective whole must undoubtedly rank among the finest concentrations in the world.

Below you will find the new top 10 list, along with a personal take on each course from a different member of our expert panel.

Related: Top 10 Golf Courses in the Middle East 2018
Meet the panel and how they ranked the courses
Check out the best in the Middle East
Readers’ Choice: Your favourites revealed
The UAE’s hardest golf holes

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1) Yas Links Golf Club
2013 Ranking: 1  •  Design: Kyle Phillips (2010)
Abu Dhabi, UAE  •  Par 72  •  Yards 7,414  •  Total Score 64.80

By Jake Shepherd (Tour Professional)
The main attraction of Yas Links is how naturally beautiful it looks. I know they moved a lot of earth in construction, but Yas looks likes a piece of land that could have been there for hundreds of years. It has got an authenticity to it that hits you from the moment you drive through the gates, and it has maintained that almost quaint feel that you find with some of the classic British and Irish links courses. For individual shot value, it just has so many memorable shots. The par 3 17th is hands down my favourite hole in the UAE, closely followed by 16. Yas is a bucket list course, probably the only one in the UAE that could be considered a true trophy course. It reminds me of Whistling Straits, and for me, is every bit as good.
Jake Shepherd won the inaugural MENA Golf Tour Order of Merit in 2011

2) Almouj Golf
2013 Ranking: 4  •  Design: Greg Norman (2012)
Muscat, Oman  •  Par 72  •  Yards 7,300  •  Total Score 64.27

By Robbie Greenfield (Editor, Golf Digest Middle East)
Almouj Golf was a new entry at No.4 in our 2013 ranking and this time around it ascends two places, only narrowly missing out on the top spot. Those who haven’t played it could be forgiven for being sceptical, while those who have are in almost unanimous agreement: this is an absolute belter of a golf course. There are no gentle crescendos on this Greg Norman design. The location is spectacular, but the great thing about Almouj Golf is it would be fantastic even without the coastal setting, too. The sea enhances this rugged modern links, but it’s not its defining feature.
Robbie Greenfield has been covering golf in the Middle East since 2005

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3) The Majlis, Emirates Golf Club
2013 Ranking: 2  •  Design: Karl Litten (1988)
Dubai, UAE  •  Par 72  •  Yards 7,301  •  Total Score 64.03

By Matt Turner (Tour Professional)
I was a junior member at Emirates Golf Club growing up, and when I look back now I realise how spoilt I was to call the Majlis my home course. Layout-wise, it’s got to be the best in the region for me. Even if you play the course once or twice, you don’t really forget any of the holes. Nothing is the same, visually, all the par 3s are outstanding. The par 4 eighth hole for me (pictured) is one of those iconic landmarks in global golf. As far as golf courses in the UAE goes, it’s the only one that holds that kind of truly iconic appeal for me.
Matt Turner is the first (and to date, only) locally-based amateur to make the cut in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic

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4) Earth, Jumeirah Golf Estates
2013 Ranking: 3  •  Design: Greg Norman (2009)
Dubai, UAE  •  Par 72  •  Yards 7,675  •  Total Score 62.81

By Scott Sullivan (General Manager, ProGolf International)
Personally, I think Earth is the best manicured course in the Middle East, certainly all-year round and the week of the DP World Tour Championship it’s just perfect, which is a huge plus for me. What I like about the layout is there’s a lot of vegetation – it feels like a mature golf course. It’s totally different to anything else in the Middle East. Visually, Earth is stunning, and a little intimidating in places as well. Although the central fairway bunkers look imposing, a lot of them aren’t really in play. I like that because it makes you think twice, you’re not just standing up and trying to bomb it down an open fairway.
Scott Sullivan is the current Arabian Ranches club champion

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5) Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club
2013 Ranking: 7  •  Design: Thomas Bjørn Redesign (1993)
Dubai, UAE  •  Par 71  •  Yards 6,967  •  Total Score 62.31

By Trevor Marshall (Tour Professional)
What I love about The Creek is the fact it’s a bit more of an old-style golf course, it’s not a ‘bash driver’ type of golf course. You’ve got to use anything from a rescue to a driver off the tee, but that being said there is a lot of risk and reward out there if you are willing to challenge it. Obviously, the Creek’s finish gets talked about a lot, it’s both spectacular and demanding. In tournaments you’re invariably playing it into the wind and on 18 in particular, there’s just no margin for error. On most holes you can get away with one poor shot. You can’t afford to hit one here.
Trevor Marshall is a three-time runner-up on the MENA Golf Tour

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6) The National, Abu Dhabi Golf Club
2013 Ranking: 5  •  Design: Peter Harradine (2000)
Abu Dhabi, UAE  •  Par 72  •  Yards 7,334  •  Total Score 62.15

By Steven Munro (PGA Professional)
For me, the National is probably now the best-conditioned course in the UAE. Having caddied at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship last year for Tianlang Guan, it goes without saying that during that week the course is impeccable, but what impresses me is the quality of its conditioning all year round. The agronomy team have a little-and-often approach to course maintenance, which I think is proven to work very well. In terms of the course, I think it’s a fantastic layout and there are some very challenging stretches. But in general play, the National isn’t overly penal for amateurs. There are no surprises out there, you see everything in front of you on the golf course – I think that’s a big reason why the tour players love it.
Steven Munro captained the professional team in the 2014 Dubai Golf Trophy

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7) The Els Club
2013 Ranking: 9  •  Design: Ernie Els (2008)
Dubai, UAE  •  Par 72  •  Yards 7,538  •  Total Score 61.79

By Clarke Lutton (Tour Professional)
The Els Club is appealing to a wide range of players because it’s got a lot of variety. Its condition is always fantastic, truly incredible. You’ve got to hit good shots, especially on the greens, because if you don’t putt well you’re going to struggle a lot of the time. It’s very much a second shot golf course for the pros. It’s very generous off the tee, but if you don’t hit the right approach shots into the greens you can find yourself in a lot of trouble. You can short-side yourself so easily around this course. The configuration of the swales and basins makes chipping tricky because every green is raised.
Clarke Lutton won the 2015 MENA Golf Tour’s Citizen Classic at The Els Club

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8) Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
2013 Ranking: 8  •  Design: Gary Player (2010)
Abu Dhabi, UAE  •  Par 72  •  Yards 7,806  •  Total Score 60.48

By Callum Nicoll (PGA Professional)
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club is visually very beautiful. Everything is right in front of you. You can see all your landing areas from the tees and the fairways. The shaping at Saadiyat is what makes it eye-catching and the wispy grass in the native areas has really matured over the last few years. From the tee, everything comes towards you, with all the hazards and features accentuated. This makes Saadiyat a very straightforward golf course. It also unquestionably has some of the best looking holes in the Middle East. The two par 4s that play towards the sea, five and 16, are hard to beat in terms of panoramas, while the two par 3s on the beach, six and 17, are really pretty as well.
Callum Nicoll is a multiple UAE PGA Order of Merit champion

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9) Doha Golf Club
2013 Ranking: 6  •  Design: Peter Harradine (1998)
Doha, Qatar •  Par 72  •  Yards 7,374  •  Total Score 60.40

By Robbie Greenfield (Editor, Golf Digest Middle East)
One of the first rounds of golf I ever played in the Middle East was on the championship course at Doha Golf Club. Coming from southeast England, the land of short, tree-lined Harry Colt layouts, I found the test on this host venue for the Qatar Masters to be somewhat challenging, to say the least. For a start, this is a long, long golf course. It’s the kind where you reach what you think is your best drive of the day and then find yourself squinting into the distance in an effort to make out the flagstick. It’s also exposed, and windy. If you don’t have your pro ball flight dialled in (I didn’t) then you’re liable to visit many interesting spots. The designer, Peter Harradine, cites Doha as the best site he’s ever had to work on in the Middle East. That’s due to natural rock formations that Harradine fought to keep as an integral feature of the course. Needless to say, he was right.
Robbie Greenfield has been covering golf in the Middle East since 2005

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10) Al Zorah Golf Club
2013 Ranking: New Entry  •  Design: Jack Nicklaus (2015)
Ajman, UAE  •  Par 72  •  Yards 7,169  •  Total Score 58.44

By Shaun McGuckian (Golf Writer & Editor)
The childlike sensory overload that comes with new ’toys’ hits you as soon as you roll out across the wooden gangway to Ajman’s newly-opened Al Zorah Golf Club. Its mangrove and tidal setting immediately feels exotic and different to other courses in the UAE and, despite its infancy, it already plays like some of the finer parts of Yas Links and The Els Club. The par threes are superb. Real thinkers. If you can get through those with minimal damage done, then there are plenty of birdie chances to be had, but you have to earn them as this course can quickly punish casual shots. Normally, we only play with shiny, new things until something else catches our attention. I don’t think that’s going to be the case with Al Zorah.
Shaun McGuckian is a former Editor of GolfPunk magazine

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MEET THE PANEL  •  READERS’ CHOICE  •  THE BEST IN THE MIDDLE EAST
•  THE UAE’S HARDEST GOLF HOLES

The post Top 10 Courses in the Middle East appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

A luxury twist to Muscat’s golfing double-header
By Robbie Greenfield

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For the UAE-based golfer, Muscat is making an increasingly strong case as a front rank golfing getaway choice. It’s close enough to be reached via a short hop on Fly Dubai, yet far enough away to offer an escape from the norm. Oman is different with a capital D. Neither of its two top golf courses are remotely like anything you will play in the emirates, and nor is the magnificent Chedi hotel like any five-star property in the UAE.

You may not quite get the slick, polished golfing experience that is so expertly served up in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but both Almouj Golf and Muscat Hills possess considerable charm and a rugged quality, while at the same time featuring two wildly different playing experiences.

Greg Norman’s Almouj Golf is the undisputed king of this coastline, having arrived with a bang on Golf Digest Middle East’s official Top 10 course ranking last December at No.4. The easiest comparison to make would be with Yas Links in Abu Dhabi, but there are certainly some key differences. The manmade dunes on Greg Norman’s creation are even more imposing than Yas’, and its exposed location makes Almouj the breeziest course in the Middle East. Still less than two years old, the club have already hosted a Challenge Tour event and the playing surfaces, while spongy in places, are continuing to mature into a linksier test.

We took an early morning Friday flight from Dubai late last month and had already made time for a tasty breakfast and a bucket of range balls before pegging it up on the first tee at 11am. It really is that easy. Of course, it helps when your transport from the airport to the course arrives in the form of a Chedi-branded Mercedes, just one of the customised services the hotel offers to the ever-growing number of golfers heading to Oman.

As part of the ‘Tee off in Style’ package running until the end of the year, golfers can make use of the Chedi’s renowned Spa and Health Club. In the company of the frighteningly athletic Health Club manager, Milos Padjeski, our group discovered the full, depressing limitations of our levels of flexibility, together with muscles and joints we never knew we had, during a stretching routine designed to increase balance and mobility.

Almouj Golf is the undisputed king of the Muscat Coastline.

You’ll need all the help you can get on both Almouj Golf and Muscat Hills, because neither venue is too kind on the type of wayward shots we were hitting. At the former, deceptively thick rough and even more impenetrable native areas provide an excellent hiding place for a Pro V1, while the dramatic rocky wadis at Muscat Hills are not the place to go foraging after that skewed approach shot.

In the UAE, taking a cart can feel like a guilty pleasure at times, but on this terrain you may not make it back to the clubhouse without one. Muscat Hills’ layout makes great use of several impressive ravines, with the 10th green seemingly carved out of the front of a jagged wall of rock.

After a pair of golf courses that pack a physical punch, the incredible tranquility of the Chedi is the perfect respite. Landscaped gardens, soft lighting and the understated class of the Asian-inspired architecture combine to make this 21-acre hideaway the ultimate in luxurious privacy. Choices abound, from a variety of pools including the longest anywhere in the Middle East (at 109 metres) to a full range of dining options.  the Japanese cuisine at the Long Pool was mouthwateringly good, which is just as well since none of us had enjoyed the rare taste of a birdie.

The post Stay & Play: The Chedi / Almouj Golf / Muscat Hills GC appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.