Emirates Golf Club guide: playing the Majlis in Dubai
The first grass course in the Middle East and home of the Dubai Desert Classic — the Majlis, beneath the Dubai Marina skyline. The courses, visitor access, when to go, and a Dubai golf trip.
Emirates Golf Club is the home of golf in the Middle East — the first grass course in the region when it opened in 1988, and the long-time host of the Dubai Desert Classic, the DP World Tour's 'Major of the Middle East'. Its Majlis Course is a lush, palm-lined oasis in the heart of Dubai, with the Marina skyline as a backdrop and an iconic tented clubhouse beside the 8th.
It's a members' club that warmly welcomes visitors, and it's a short direct flight from Europe — which, with the mild winter, makes it one of the world's great winter-sun golf trips. Here are the courses, how visitors play, when to go, and how to build a Dubai golf week around it.
Where
Dubai, near the Marina & Sheikh Zayed Road, UAE
Courses
The Majlis (championship) + the floodlit Faldo Course
Nearest airport
Dubai International (DXB) ~25–30 min; near the Metro
Best time
Peak Nov–Mar; summer 40°C+ — early-morning or night golf only
Karl Litten · 1988 · 18 holes · Desert resort · par 72
Host of the Dubai Desert Classic every year since 1989
The Middle East's first grass course and one of golf's most recognisable resort layouts — palm-lined fairways, water, and the Dubai Marina towers rising behind. Karl Litten's 1988 design has hosted the Dubai Desert Classic annually since 1989, with a roll of honour that runs from Seve Ballesteros and Ernie Els to Tiger Woods and four-time winner Rory McIlroy (Ernie Els shot a course-record 61 here in 1994).
The uphill par-4 8th beside the tented clubhouse and the water-guarded par-5 18th under the skyline are the signature holes. For visitors it plays as premium, immaculately conditioned resort golf — a buggy is essential in the heat.
The Faldo Course
Nick Faldo · Reopened 2006 · 18 holes · Desert resort · par 72
The club's second 18, redesigned by Sir Nick Faldo and reopened in 2006 — and the only fully floodlit 18-hole course in Dubai, so you can play into the night. In the fierce summer, night golf on the Faldo is the way locals keep playing.
How visitors play Emirates Golf Club
Emirates Golf Club is a members' club that warmly welcomes visitors — book tee times in advance (the official channel is the club's app and dubaigolf.com). An official handicap certificate is required (limits are cited around 28 for men, 36 for ladies), a soft-spike dress code applies (collared top, golf trousers/shorts), and buggies are standard given the heat. The Majlis is popular for tournament-quality golf, so weekend visitor access can be limited — confirm current policy when you book.
This is a winter-sun destination in the truest sense. November to March is peak — warm, dry days around the low-to-high 20s°C, and the best conditions of the year (it's also Desert Classic season, in January). Summer is brutal, frequently topping 40°C, so golf becomes an early-morning affair or moves to the floodlit Faldo Course at night. Book winter tee times well ahead.
Getting there
Emirates Golf Club is in the city, minutes from Dubai Marina and just off Sheikh Zayed Road, with the Metro close by. Dubai International (DXB) is about 25–30 minutes away, and Dubai is a short, frequent direct flight from the UK and much of Europe — a big part of why it works as a long-weekend golf escape.
How to play it
Emirates GC anchors a dense Dubai golf cluster: pair it with Jumeirah Golf Estates (the Earth course, home of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship), Dubai Creek, and Trump International Dubai, with Yas Links a day-trip away in Abu Dhabi. A winter week here can string together several tour-standard courses in shorts. Our golf in Dubai guide covers the wider scene and how to plan it.
What to pack
The kit this trip demands
Dubai golf means heat, glare and buggies — pack purely for sun and hydration, and leave the waterproofs at home:
Yes. It's a members' club that warmly welcomes visitors — book tee times in advance through the club's app or dubaigolf.com. An official handicap certificate is required, and buggies are standard given the heat.
What is the Majlis Course famous for?
It was the first grass golf course in the Middle East (1988) and has hosted the Dubai Desert Classic every year since 1989, with winners including Seve Ballesteros, Tiger Woods and four-time champion Rory McIlroy.
When is the best time to play golf in Dubai?
November to March — warm, dry and comfortable, and the season of the Dubai Desert Classic. Summer regularly tops 40°C, so golf becomes early-morning only or moves to the floodlit Faldo Course at night.
Do you need a handicap to play Emirates Golf Club?
Yes — an official handicap certificate is required, with limits cited around 28 for men and 36 for ladies. A soft-spike dress code applies; confirm the current requirements when you book.
How do you get to Emirates Golf Club?
It's in the city near Dubai Marina, just off Sheikh Zayed Road, about 25–30 minutes from Dubai International Airport (DXB) and close to the Metro. Dubai is a short direct flight from the UK and much of Europe.
