TEEING OFF ON 17 ACRES ...OF SAND!
Yas Links in Abu Dhabi has a windaffected shoreline dotted with dangerous pin positions and an understated clubhouse.
In glorious Emirates winter sun, the sporting world gathers here to compete in the Abu Dhabi Invitational charity weekend. Earlier this year Paul McGinley led out pro golfers including Ian Poulter and Thomas Pieters to play against sporting legends such as Mike Tindall, Jimmy Anderson and Brian Lara. Golf-mad Ronan Keating performed at the gala dinner.
Near the international airport and opened in 2010, Yas was designed by Kyle Phillips who, conjured magical fairways out of flat desert scrub. Bunkers are strategic rather than invasive, their no-expense-spared sand part silica imported from Germany.
Here, huge sloping greens test your nerve to the max. In terms of risk/reward, Yas’s final two shoreline holes are make or break. ‘I love that,’ said Tindall, a 10 handicapper. ‘Who wouldn’t? I’m not here to play safe golf.’
I next move on to Saadiyat Beach Golf Club on Saadiyat Island, a Gary Playerdesigned course that offers 17 acres of sand, starting on hole one. Seventeen acres is a lot of sand, enough to cover half the fairways and block off easy access to most of the greens.
You may not spot the rare hawksbill turtles breeding in the rough but dolphins play in the sea beside the sixth fairway.
Saadiyat Island is Abu Dhabi’s cultural heart and the first Louvre outside Paris opened there last month.
While Yas and Saadiyat are excellent new courses, the premier course is still the Abu Dhabi Golf Club, which will celebrate 20 years of championship play in 2019.
A huge concrete falcon gazes out from the roof of the clubhouse over 27 lush holes.
The club’s status as host to a European Tour championship event every January guarantees immaculate greenkeeping. Both Yas and Saadiyat would dearly love to steal the prestigious fixture but the great bird of prey, wings at full stretch, talons hooked into a giant golf ball, sends out a – powerful message of intent.
If you prefer more of a real desert golf experience, a visit to Al Ghazal, Abu Dhabi’s allsand course, is an eye-opener, although pleasure is not guaranteed: balls hit off stones, grit or small squares of artificial turf fly off at random, with extensive sweeping required after each step to restore the status quo.
If you’re that fond of sweeping, try curling. If not, a holiday with tee times on the three grass courses is perfect.
A four-night B&B stay at Yas Rotana costs from €878pp with yourgolftravel.com (0044 800 043 0481). Includes three rounds of golf (Yas Links, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club & Abu Dhabi Golf Club) and return British Airways flights.