Dubai Creek GC

Dubai Creek GC sign

Dubai Creek

The original golf course at Dubai Golf & Yacht Club was designed by Karl Litten, who also designed the par 3 course.

The main course opened for play in 1993.

On the 26th of January the club hosted the inaugural Dubai Creek Challenge to commemorate the opening.

Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Ernie Els and Isao Aoki were invited to compete.

Brian Johnson designed the amazing clubhouse with sails on the roof!

The Dubai Classic was held at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club in 1999 and 2000 (won by David Howell and Jose Coceres respectively).

In the period 2003-2007 the property was redeveloped to include the Park Hyatt hotel and residential villas.

This lead to a redesign of the course by European Golf Design with Thomas Bjorn assisting.

Course

Dubai Creek GC- hole 6 tee shot

Dubai Creek GC- hole 6 pier top tee

On a predominantly flat site, the course is largely defined by the water hazards- who could forget the likes of holes 5, 6, 17 & 18?

My one grumble would be that the first cut of rough can be troublesome in places where a ball inches from the fairway can sit right down below the surface of the rough and take ages to find..

There is nothing worse than needlessly slow golf.

But overall Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club is a pleasure to visit and a privilege to play golf.

Notable Holes include:

- hole 1, a strong dogleg par 4 opening hole with water carry off the tee and another lake lurking near the green.

Dubai Creek GC- hole 1

- hole 2, a strong par 4 with water to contend with on both the tee shot and the approach

Dubai Creek GC hole 2

- hole 5, a picturesque shorter par 3 with a striking city backdrop. With a big bunker at the front and lake at the rear the green is very well protected.

Dubai Creek GC- hole 5

- hole 17, a short par along the lake shoreline. The proximity of the lake enhances the narrowness of the land areas. It is a gorgeous, but very scary hole!

Dubai Creek GC- hole 17