UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah might seem daunting, but they really should be right at the front of your winter sun thoughts
Agolf break in the Middle East might seem like a step into the unknown, but for those thinking about a winter sun trip for the end of this year, you won’t find a better option.
You might never have been to the United Arab Emirates before and to think of planning a golf break there probably seems like a “Where do I start” moment, quickly followed by its dismissal as a possibility and an internet search for flights to Turkey, Cyprus or the Algarve.
All very fine options, as we detail elsewhere in this supplement. But if you want to guarantee sun on your back November to February. And you want to be lying on a beach or by a pool. And you want to return with a tan, you need to be thinking UAE, not Southern Europe.
The weather isn’t the only reason to be thinking about it either. Not at all. The courses are top class – if they were in Continental Europe, 10 of them would be in the Top 100 – the accommodation is second to none and the non-golf opportunities create memories that will last forever.
And, genuinely, one of the other reasons is that it is a low-hassle trip. Dubai can undoubtedly be busy and bustling but taxis are super cheap and there is never far to travel, so even if the traffic is heavy, it’s not a big problem.
Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah are more sedate and we wouldn’t discourage you from hiring a car in both. We always do when we visit.
The pictures on our television screens, newspapers and smartphones every January give northern Europeans shivering in our winters a snapshot of the luxurious golf holidays that await in the UAE, and the reality is every bit as good as those sun-kissed pictures suggest.
It is true that there is only half the year that you’d really want to visit, because otherwise it’s just a bit too warm. But happily those red-hot summer months are
when Europe is also warm.
So the UAE’S summer (same as ours) will be too hot for most. It’s only really for pool and beach lovers. But in the winter – October to March – it’s perfect for golf, with warm sunshine and a little breeze.
For most of us, the key reason to be going will be for the golf. The courses need to be good, but as we have already alluded to, they are. They’re not just of a high standard, they are also more varied in character than you might expect given the landscape is obviously reclaimed desert.
The majority are classic resort golf, with lush, green fairways winding between water and sand, but even they can vary considerably.
The leading courses of that type are led by Abu Dhabi GC’S National course, which hosts the European Tour event every year. It’s arguably the strongest technical |course in the Middle East and is always in magnificent condition with a really good variety of holes, including some that give you a real chance of a good score. With a wonderful on-site hotel in the Westin, you have the perfect base for a trip not just to Abu Dhabi (it has three courses, detailed below) but the UAE generally, for Dubai is only an hour away.
Then there are two terrific examples at Emirates GC – which has the Tourhosting Majlis and its sister course The Faldo – the aptly-named Dubai Creek and the Race to Dubai-hosting Earth at Jumeirah Estates. Dubai Hills and Trump Dubai are newer and a bit different – and none the worse for that.
Further north from Dubai (within an hour) are the emirates of Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah. In the former, Al Zorah sits beautifully among mangroves while there are three really solid courses in RAK.
Back in Abu Dhabi, Yas Links is a must play, a World Top 100 course by Kyle Phillips with majestic seaside holes and the kind of undulating terrain links lovers adore.
Saadiyat Beach, as its name suggests, is also by the sea and this Gary Player design is vintage holiday golf with some risk-reward holes, wonderful views and even gazelle roaming. It combines for that ‘glad to be alive’ feeling.
So, weather sorted, and also the golf. What else do you want? Activities off the course?
Well, there is nothing you can’t find here. The shopping malls are enormous, you can take an amazing jeep safari in the desert, take a trip up the world’s tallest building (Burj Khalifa), browse in a modern souk , run or cycle round the F1 track, or spend a day at Yas Waterworld or Ferrari World. There’s even a huge indoor ski slope in Dubai!
If you prefer a lazy day, savour an al fresco brunch (a UAE institution) or lie on the beach or by the pool. There are hundreds of restaurants, bars and clubs, especially on Pier 7 in Dubai or on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
All this sounds expensive, doesn’t it? Well, it can be – and eye-wateringly so. However, if you’re clever, you can make it seem good value given what you’re getting in return. The extra time and cost spent on your flights gives you guaranteed perfect weather and if you book those flights way in advance, you can get there for a surprisingly reasonable £300.
Then there are lots and lots of threestar hotels that are four-star by our standards, and you can find lots of good deals on green fees and food and drink, with the latter the easiest way to blow your budget.