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What's On
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- What's On
A guide to the best golf courses in the UAE
It's time to par-tee… The UAE's golf scene is unmatched – whether you're new to the sport or confident walking in the footsteps of golfing greats – there's a course for you. With summer fast approaching, book an early morning or nighttime tee (with some great discounted rates) and keep working on your swing all season long. The Earth Course, Jumeirah Golf Estates One of Dubai's most iconic golf courses is found at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Designed by acclaimed golf course architect Greg Norman, the par 72 Earth Course is recognised for its perfectly manicured fairways, challenging bunkers and water hazards. It's the backdrop for one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the calendar – the DP World Tour Championship, and as such has been played by champions including Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton. Golfers make their way around an 18-hole course designed to challenge and delight golfers of all abilities, teeing off from and returning to the Clubhouse, where facilities include The Crafty Fox gastropub and refined Italian eatery, Bussola. Rates from Dhs1,050. Book via the Viya app The Majlis Course, Emirates Golf Club Emirates Golf Club set the gold standard for golfing in the UAE when it was established in 1988 as the first grass course in the Middle East. In the decades that have followed, it's drawn sporting elite from across the globe to try their hand at its challenging layout, backdropped by the iconic Marina skyline. The 18-hole Championship golf course is a firm favourite of those who come to the emirates to play golf, thanks to its world-class facilities, lush fairways and deliberately placed bunkers. Rates from Dhs1,500. Book via the Viya app Yas Links Abu Dhabi Adding to the thrilling array of attractions found on Yas Island – including Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld, Yas Marina Circuit and Warner Bros World – is Yas Links. Recognised as the first Links Golf Course in the Middle East, the Kyle Phillips-designed course is consistently regarded as one of the world's leading golf courses. Located on the island's west shores, its world-class facilities range from the floodlight practice ranges to the state-of-the-art Toptracer range technology. Then there's the course itself – fast fairways, challenging greens and scenic views that command your attention as much as the game. Rates from Dhs620. Book via the Viya app Al Hamra Golf Club, Ras Al Khaimah Lending itself well to golfers of all abilities, add a round on the par-72, 18 hole championship golf course at Al Hamra to your Ras Al Khaimah bucket list. Designed by Peter Harradine, the course centres scenically around four interconnected water lagoons, with a collection of villas dotting the edges. Each hole comes with five tee options, and the whole course features 5 million cubic metres of sand that have been expertly shaped to create gentle elevation that ranges from one to eight metres across the course. With the region's short daylight hours, Al Hamra has created a composite 9-hole course combining holes from the front and back nines designed for night golf, perfect for an after-work game or simply enjoying a challenging environment to hone your skills. Rates from Dhs265. Al Zorah Golf Club, Ajman Since opening in 2015, Al Zorah Golf Club has established itself as one of the most scenic spots for golf fans in the emirates, nestled within the verdant Ajman mangroves. Golf legend Jack Nicklaus' company Nicklaus Design are behind the 18-hole championship layout, which features two lakes and 88 bunkers. Water levels shift with the tides throughout the day, paired with the stretching views of the mangroves, provides a serene location for a game with your mates. The two-teed driving range is the perfect place to warm up, while the golf club restaurant is the perfect place to fuel up after your round. Rates from Dhs375. Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club A shooting range, archery, escape rooms and paintball – there are lots of exhilarating attractions to blow off some steam at with a visit to this emporium of active fun. But the golf course is arguably the jewel in the crown. Another Peter Harradine-designed course, the fully floodlight 9-hole course is described as a pleasure to play but a challenge to par. There's an array of water features, generous fairways, and large, challenging bunkers to put you through your paces. Through the summer, off-peak, mid-week rates start from just Dhs95, making it one of the most affordable rounds you'll find. Rates from Dhs95.
Khaleej Times
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
One Shot at a Time: Anca Matheiu's journey from Tiny Tot to chasing big dreams in Dubai
At just 16, Anca Mateiu is living a golfing journey that many only dream of. Born and raised in Romania, now thriving in the UAE, her story is powered by raw talent, deep passion, and an unshakable ambition. It all began when she was just three or four years old when her father placed a golf club—two sizes too big—into her tiny hands and encouraged her to give it a try. "They were regular clubs, too big to handle but I felt a spark and everything just went from there," she recalls with a smile. That first swing marked the start of something special. 'In the beginning, it was about playing for my dad because he got me into it. That was important to me.' That early start laid the groundwork for where she is today. Anca is the 2025 Ladies Club Champion at Emirates Golf Club, proudly represents the UAE National Team on international stages like the Pan Arab and GCC Championships. She's also the 2021 Romanian National Junior Girls Champion—a nod to her roots and a reflection of how far she's come. Thriving on Dubai Fairways But it's her time in Dubai that has truly accelerated her growth. 'It's been life-changing,' she says. 'In Romania, I didn't have the opportunity to play that much golf. But over here in Dubai, I've really been able to play the game as much as I can.' The access to world-class facilities, experienced coaches like Marion Duvernay and the ability to train all year round have all contributed to shaping her game. Anca trains across three premier courses—Emirates, Jumeirah, and Dubai Hills—while balancing her studies at Kings' School, practice, and tournaments. Though the schedule is demanding, she remains grounded. 'I try not to think too much on the course. I just take it one shot at a time and stay in the moment,' she explains. 'If I get ahead of myself, things don't happen the way I want them to. So I always focus on my routine and aim for the best possible outcome.' This mindset, along with her unwavering work ethic, has set her apart—not just as a talented golfer, but as someone deeply passionate about the sport asshe pursues her aspirations 'I'd love to turn pro. It's been my dream,' she says with conviction. 'I want to play golf for the rest of my life.' Pathway to Turning Pro Her goal is to join the LET Access Tour, and with the continued support of the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF), she hopes that day will come sooner rather than later. Anca holds deep appreciation for those who have championed her journey, especially General Abdullah Alhashmi, Vice Chairman of the EGF. 'He's been incredible,' she says. 'The support from him and the EGF has helped me focus and improve. It's made a huge difference.' When asked where her allegiance lies—Romania or the UAE—Anca responds thoughtfully. While she hasn't made a definitive decision about which country she wants to represent long-term, she shares that her ties to both are meaningful. 'More UAE right now,' she says. To young girls in the Middle East dreaming of a golfing future, Anca has a clear message: 'There's so much on offer in Dubai. If you're serious about golf, you have to devote a lot of time to practice. As cheesy as it sounds—try to get one percent better every day. Stay focused, keep practicing, and improvement will come.' Family Keeps Her Grounded But more than that, she emphasizes the value of having a solid support system. 'You need people around you who understand what you want from the game. When you don't play well, or things don't go your way, your team—especially your family—is what keeps you going.' Anca Matheiu is not just one of the UAE's finest young golfers—she's a symbol of what passion and purpose can achieve. With her eyes set on a professional career and a heart full of dreams, every shot she takes now feels like a step toward the future she's always imagined—living her dream on the Pro Tour.
Khaleej Times
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Thrilling finishes and stellar play mark EGC's Ladies Monthly Medalford competition
Emirates Golf Club welcomed 37 lady members of the latest edition of its Ladies Monthly Medalford Competition, held on the iconic Majlis Course and proudly supported by Nikki Beach Dubai Resort & Spa. The event featured impressive performances across all divisions, with several standout rounds and closely contested finishes. Won Jeong Lee claimed top honours in the Silver A Division, delivering a composed and consistent round to finish with a net score of 68 (-4). Her front nine was particularly strong, with five net birdies on holes 1, 4, 5, 8, and 9. Glory Xavier, a veteran who plays in the Ultimate Golf Challenge (UGC), secured the runner-up position with a net 73, prevailing on countback. Her round was highlighted by an excellent back nine, including a net eagle on the 10th, followed by birdies on holes 12 and 18. Apoorva Gandhi took third place, also with a net 73, after a strong start that featured net birdies on holes 4 and 8. The Best Gross Score of the day went to Jayshree Gupta, who returned a solid gross 79. Her steady play across the course was a model of consistency. Delaney Leigh captured the Silver B title with a net 70 (-2), bolstered by three net birdies on the front nine at holes 2, 4, and 6. Haide Wright followed closely behind with a net 71 (-1). Her strong back nine included birdies on holes 12, 13, and 17, securing the runner-up spot. Wendy Robinson placed third with a net 75, also decided by countback. Her performance was highlighted by a net eagle on hole 12 and a run of three birdies on 14, 15, and 16. In the Bronze Division, Janice Adey led the field with a net 70 (-2), recording birdies on holes 1, 4, 5, and 9, along with a net eagle on hole 2. Veronika Podgorsek claimed second place with a net 71, also determined on countback. She impressed on the front nine with birdies on holes 2, 3, 5, and 9, and an eagle on the challenging 8th. Chantelle De Villiers finished third, also with a net 71, starting her round strongly with net eagles on holes 1 and 7, and a birdie on the 3rd. Maura Duggan, a member of The A Team in the Ultimate Golf Challenge (UGC) produced the top Stableford performance of the day, finishing with 37 points, highlighted by five net birdies on the front nine, including holes 1, 3, 4, 6, and 8.
Khaleej Times
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
How Rory McIlroy went from teen golfer in Dubai to champion
He arrived in Dubai protectively hugging his golf bag, a head of unruly curls spilling from under his cap. He was 16. A boy among pros, still too young to drive a car but already talking like a champion. The Palm Jumeirah was on the cusp of completion — a bold island experiment jutting into the azure Arabian Gulf. A fitting place for a teenager fearless enough to believe he could be great. Rory McIlroy didn't come to the desert with silverware in mind. He came with something far rarer: clarity and a determination to become the best golfer in the world. Dubai gave him space — to hit balls until his hands burned, to practice without the weight of tabloids breathing down his neck. He spent countless hours at Jumeirah Golf Estates, fine-tuning his swing on the Earth Course, and sharpened his competitive edge at Emirates Golf Club, where he would later claim his first professional win. There were no expectations here — just endless desert fairways and a city still learning how to stand tall, like him. At night, he walked the Marina with headphones plugged in, lost in the sounds of Kings of Leon, U2, and Coldplay. In the mornings, he'd beat the sun to the tee box, long before it got too hot to think. It was in Dubai that Rory first won as a professional. Not just tournaments, but the mental game — how to travel alone, how to tune out the noise, how to trust the work when nobody's watching. There's something about learning that in the desert, where everything is earned. Nothing is handed down. Dubai is a city built from ambition — and maybe that's why he thrived. Fast-forward to April 13. The old cap was gone. The curls had been tamed. But when Rory walked off the 18th at Augusta there was something in his smile that felt familiar — like a flicker of that boy who once hit flop shots into the wind on an empty Dubai fairway. As the final putt dropped and the crowd erupted around the 18th green, Rory dropped to his knees. His heartbeat beating longer than expected, chest rising in one deep, deliberate breath. It wasn't a celebration. It was an exhale — the release of a burden 17 years in the making. For a moment, it looked as if he were staring through the gallery, beyond the trees of Augusta, into some distant memory only he could see — a driving range in Dubai, perhaps, or a quiet evening on the Palm, years before the world learned his name. Then, the faintest smile broke across his face — warm and knowing. The kind of smile that says: You have no idea how far I've come to get here. And when he finally raised his arms skywards in acknowledgment, after the famous green jacket was wrapped around his strong shoulders, it wasn't a sign of triumph — it suggested he was humbled. Like a man saluting the game that had made him, tested him, and — at long last — let him win the trophy he had waited for: the Masters. Rory had just become one of the few to win all four majors — the sixth man in history to complete the career Grand Slam — almost two decades after he spent four formative years tucked away in the stillness of Dubai. No headlines. No green jackets. Just mornings on the range, and a kind of quiet that allowed his game to find its voice. It's always been a place to and reminisce about my career because I really feel like it's where everything started. My first sponsor was from Dubai. My first win was there (2009 Hero Dubai Desert Classic at the age of 19)." 'I think back to those days more often than people would imagine,' McIlroy said once. 'There was no noise. Just golf and time. It felt like my own little laboratory. It was so open, so quiet. I could just hit balls until the sun went down and nobody cared. I loved that. 'The arc of my career and Dubai in general have tracked each other pretty consistently along the way. I remember my first Desert Classic in 2006 as an amateur and all the great experiences that I've had in Dubai and the friends that I've met,' he added. 'It's always been a place to and reminisce about my career because I really feel like it's where everything started. My first sponsor was from Dubai. My first win was there (2009 Hero Dubai Desert Classic at the age of 19)." Seven-time UAE National Champion Ismail Shariff was one of his closest friends – the pair spent a lot of time talking to each other about life in general and mental strength. Ismail would say that he discovered that Rory had always been a little misunderstood. Not just a golfer, but a thinker. Not just a winner, but a worker. 'He's more introspective than people give him credit for,' said Ismail, when Rory He raised his arms, four fingers outstretched, not boastful but bold — indicating four wins in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. 'Rory wasn't just a champion that day — he was a normal person still chasing perfection, still hungry, and still writing his story swing at a time.' Ismail recalled the moment he first sensed it — that quiet gravity Rory carried, the kind that set him apart from the very beginning. 'There was something in him,' he said, voice searching his memory. 'He wasn't like the others. He'd hit a poor shot and fall into silence, not frustration. And then, almost as if speaking to the wind, he'd ask a question — not about the mechanics, not about form. But about meaning. 'It was never just the perfect swing he was chasing. It was understanding. And that, Ismail knew, was the mark of something rare — a mind not content to play the game, but to know it, to feel its deepest currents and to master it.' History will remember the stories, the trophies, the stats and the records. Critics will also ponder if he can build on this incredible Masters' triumph, which was also his first Major win since 2014, and replicate the form that once made him only the third golfer after Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods to win four Majors by age 25. But maybe the real story is simpler — about a teenager who once stepped off a plane in Dubai hoping to find himself. And somewhere between the skyscrapers and the golfing fairways, he did.
Khaleej Times
18-03-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Birdie-birdie finish propels Samawi to victory in Jumeirah Golf Estates Amateur Open
Rami Samawi (The Els Club) capped off a stellar performance with a birdie-birdie finish over the Earth course to win the 2025 Jumeirah Golf Estates Amateur Open. He shot a final round of 70, sealing his victory with a total score of 212, four under par. The event was played over two rounds on the Fire course, with the final round on the Earth course. Samawi earlier shot rounds of 72 and 70 for his 54-hole total of 212, four under par, to claim the win. Samawi was well-positioned heading into the final round, sitting at two under par with the leaders at four under. He played a solid front nine with a score of 37. On the back nine, he stumbled with a bogey on hole 12 but bounced back to even par for the round with a birdie on hole 14. A brilliant birdie-birdie finish on holes 17 and 18 allowed him to cross the finish line by the narrowest of margins, one shot ahead of Viktor Kofod-Olsen (Emirates Golf Club) and leading female Anca Matieu (Emirates Golf Club). The top DP World Tour professionals would have been proud of his finish in front of an appreciative crowd of fellow players. Defending champion Thomas Stephenson (Jumeirah Golf Estates) shot level par for the tournament, finishing tied for seventh. Other players in the mix, also on level par, included Jay Mullane (Jumeirah Golf Estates) and Oscar Craig (TFA, Jumeirah Golf Estates). On one over par were Mo Craig (TFA, Jumeirah Golf Estates) and Ahmad Skaik (UAE). In the Net Division, Deniz Sapnaz from Turkey, with a handicap of 3, claimed victory with rounds of 70, 71, and 69, finishing six under par. He beat the improving and impressive UAE National player, Faye AlBlooshi, who had three steady rounds of 70, securing the silver podium position. Cameron McWhinnie, Assistant Golf Services Manager at Jumeirah Golf Estates, commented, 'We have witnessed some excellent golf at our Jumeirah Golf Estates Amateur Open, our flagship tournament on our domestic club calendar. What a finish we have seen with 11 players all within five shots of the champion – it was really anyone's to win over those last few holes. Well done to all the winners and all those who played – it was a special few days for us all.' The Golf Genius password for all results is JGEAO25. Results (Par 70) - Gross: R. Samawi (The Els Club, Dubai): 72, 70, 70, 212 V. Kofod-Olsen (Emirates Golf Club): 69, 73, 71, 213 A. Matieu (Emirates Golf Club): 72, 69, 72, 213 S. Mullane (UAE): 71, 68, 74, 213 J. Selvaraj (EGF): 72, 70, 73, 215 A. Hess (The Els Club, Dubai): 68, 73, 74, 215 Net Division: D. Sapnaz (3, Turkey): 70, 71, 69, 210 F. AlBlooshi (5, UAE): 70, 70, 70, 210
