Emirates Golf Club opened in 1988 with the Majlis, the first grass championship course in the Middle East, and it is still the address most golfers think of first in Dubai. The Dubai Desert Classic arrived the following year as the European Tour’s first event in the region, and it has been played here ever since. A second 18, the Faldo, is lit from end to end, so you can tee off after the heat has gone. With two championship courses and Dubai Marina minutes away, it is the simplest club in the city to build a golf week around.
Emirates Golf Club green fees and tee times.
Visitors are welcome on both courses. Tee times and prices sit in the Viya app, Dubai Golf’s booking platform, which shows dynamic rates by date and pays up to 10% back in rewards. You can also use the bydubaigolf.com online tee sheet, call reservations on +971 4 417 9800 or email ereservations@dubaigolf.com. There is no public rate card, so prices only appear when you search a date. A valid handicap certificate is mandatory, with maximum indexes of 28 for men and 36 for women. The green fee includes a shared cart, except during the walking season set by the golf operations team, and an hour on the range before you play. Peak rates apply on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.
The courses at Emirates Golf Club.
The Majlis
The original 1988 layout and home of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic each January. Par 72 and 7,301 yards from the back, with water on the 7th and 18th and the hardest stretch at the 5th and 6th. It is the course most visitors come for, so it fills first at weekends, and it is handed over to the DP World Tour around tournament week.
The Faldo
Opened in 1996 as the Wadi, from the Arabic word for valley, then redesigned by Nick Faldo in 2005 and relaunched under his name in October 2006. Par 72 and 7,052 yards, with wadi waste areas, rocks guarding the 1st green and a 206-yard par-3 2nd. LED floodlights cover all 18 holes; the club’s 2019 lighting launch put last play at midnight on weekdays and 10.30pm at weekends.
The round, in perspective.
The Majlis is a par 72 of 7,301 yards, and its tour pedigree shows on the first tee: the opener has been lengthened so that a drive needs to carry almost 280 yards to clear the left fairway bunker. The 5th is rated the hardest hole on the course, and many regard the 6th, with its narrow green, as tougher still. The short 7th asks for a carry of just under 170 yards over water, and the 18th turns 90 degrees left around a lake that has decided plenty of Desert Classics. Ernie Els’s 61, set on 27 January 1994, remains the course record. Seve Ballesteros, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are all on the honours board. Expect sandy waste areas off the fairways and greens with subtle borrows.
Make the trip work.
Save the Majlis for a weekday morning between November and March, and keep the Faldo for an evening when you would rather avoid the sun altogether. The dress code is enforced: collared golf shirts, and no T-shirts, denim, gym kit, swimwear, cargo shorts, sandals, national dress or metal spikes. Club hire costs AED 255 for 18 holes and AED 150 for nine, and shoe hire AED 90, all including 5% VAT. The par-3 academy course and Trackman range help on arrival day, and Topgolf Dubai shares the site if non-golfers want a lighter evening.
The club sits in Emirates Hills, just off Sheikh Zayed Road between Dubai Internet City and Dubai Marina. Dubai International (DXB) is roughly 30 km away, around 30–45 minutes by taxi depending on traffic. Al Maktoum International (DWC) at Dubai South is a similar distance in the other direction. Taxis and ride-hailing apps are the easiest way to travel with clubs.
The club has no hotel of its own; its villas are a residential community. Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence are a few minutes away and give you the beach, restaurants and the tram. The Westin and Le Méridien resorts at Mina Seyahi are among the closest beach hotels, and Palm Jumeirah suits a resort week with golf on the side. A Marina base also keeps Jumeirah Golf Estates within about 20–30 minutes, so two clubs can share one hotel.
Make a trip of it.
Jumeirah Golf Estates, home of the DP World Tour Championship, is the natural partner a short drive south. Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, Dubai Golf’s other city course, runs a weekday twilight deal: tee off from 2.30pm, pay the nine-hole rate and play until dark. Yas Links and Saadiyat Beach in Abu Dhabi are within about 90 minutes for a two-emirate trip. Off the course, spend a morning in the old quarter around Dubai Creek and Al Fahidi.
Find your season.
November to March is the main season, with warm, dry days and the busiest tee sheets. The Hero Dubai Desert Classic takes over the Majlis each January, so check dates before you fix a trip then. From June to September, early starts or floodlit evening rounds on the Faldo are the comfortable options.
Can visitors play the Majlis at Emirates Golf Club?
Yes. Non-members can book the Majlis on most days through the Viya app, the online tee sheet or the reservations team. You need a valid handicap certificate with an index no higher than 28 for men or 36 for women. Access is restricted around the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January.
How much does it cost to play Emirates Golf Club?
Dubai Golf does not publish a rate card. Prices are dynamic and appear in the Viya app when you choose a date, with peak pricing on Friday to Sunday and public holidays. The fee includes a shared cart and an hour on the range. Prices on the official site are in dirhams and include 5% VAT.
Can you play night golf at Emirates Golf Club?
Yes, on the Faldo Course, which has LED floodlights on all 18 holes. The club describes it as the only fully LED-lit 18-hole course in Dubai. When the lights were installed in 2019, play ran until midnight on weekdays and 10.30pm at weekends.
What is the dress code at Emirates Golf Club?
Wear a collared golf shirt with golf shorts, a skirt or trousers. T-shirts, denim, sports or gym clothing, pool wear, cargo shorts, sandals, national dress and metal-spiked shoes are not allowed. Staff will ask anyone incorrectly dressed to change before they play or practise.
Last checked 4 October 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
