By Rick Young
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, DUBAI
When South African professional golfer and World Golf Hall of Fame member Ernie Els was commissioned to design a five-star golf course on a flat expanse of Middle East desert terrain, he was given only one directive: Use whatever means and resources necessary to achieve your vision. The project was to be part of a $3 billion infrastructure investment at Dubai Sports City.
With a blank cheque handed to him as the budget, this meant the four-time major champion (two US Opens and two British Opens) was limited by only one thing—his architectural imagination.
Twelve years later, what grade does “The Big Easy” (as Els is often referred to, given his imposing physical stature and fluid golf swing) give his signature design in the UAE?
“It’s a five-star experience every step of the way,” Els says. “I couldn’t be more proud of the course we’ve created and how it has set a new benchmark for first-class golf in the region. Our philosophy was to offer the best of everything. The Els Club’s facilities are outstanding and the clubhouse is as good as I’ve seen anywhere in the world.”
Using hints of his native South African homeland throughout, Els introduced a number of features that he’d admired during his own touring experiences to his design. His passion for links golf in the UK, the bunkering at Australia’s Royal Melbourne and Pinehurst No. 2’s rolling North Carolina-based fairways provided inspiration for the building of what Els calls a true “desert links.”
“The course has become a favourite among local and international golfers,” he claims. “Our all-year round conditioning of the course is first rate and the clean, crisp playing surfaces are literally Augusta-like in quality. That’s why many of the European Tour players now make it a go-to destination.”
A true desert links
Notable amid two nine-hole loops (out and back) on the 7,538-yard, par-72 Middle East layout are the seventh and 15th holes—on either side of a pair of lakes. And the ninth hole is a masterpiece that brings you up to the lavish multi-million dollar clubhouse.
Generous off the tee, Els allows your driver to be slightly wayward but challenges golfers to hit accurate second-shot approaches. He also places a premium on a strong short game to negotiate the smooth but undulating Bermuda greens. Breaks of 10–15 feet are not uncommon. Contrasting sandy waste areas with native grass vegetation gives the course strong visual appeal, but beware—these strategically unkempt areas come into play often, including right up to some of the green sites on the par-threes. And they can be tough to negotiate.
Keeping your ball on the short grass to avoid Els’ steeply faced bunkers is a big key to success. So too is choosing the correct set of four tees. Playing at a comfortable yardage goes a long way to striking a proper balance of fun and challenge here. Even better players might want to check their ego a little before stepping up to a yardage that could get the better of them.
The Els Club Dubai has won numerous awards since it opened. The Troon Golf-managed facility was named Best New International Course by Links Magazine in 2008 and has garnered several best course distinctions for the region, to go along with many more devoted to the clubhouse. Stop by after your round for a cold drink in the appropriately named Big Easy Bar & Grill. And for anyone needing a lesson, the club is also home to the first ever Butch Harmon School of Golf outside the USA.
“It’s truly a timeless, world-class golf experience for players of all levels,” Els says of the site, where his clubs are safely stored in locker no. 1. “It’s classy, comfortable but not overly formal or pretentious. That, to me, is the secret of any great golf club.”
elsclubdubai.com
Award-winning golf writer/author Rick Young is one of Canada’s most trusted voices on golf and matters related to the golf industry. A founding member of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada, Young’s articles have appeared in a variety of publications throughout North America.
