Updated on November 10, 2026
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What is the best golf course in Dubai and the UAE? Yas Links, in Abu Dhabi, ranks No. 1 in both of the most recent regional rankings. In Dubai itself, the Trump International is ahead of The Els Club and the Emirates Golf Club, home of the Dubai Desert Classic. Seven of the twelve courses in our ranking are in Dubai.
Top photo: Hole No. 9 at The Els Club in Dubai. Kevinj1223, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The 12 Best Golf Courses in Dubai and the Emirates: The Rankings
12 courses shown.
| Rank | Course | Location | Top 100 2025 | Golf World 2025 | Golf Digest 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yas Links | Yas Island, Abu Dhabi | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | Trump International Golf Club Dubai | Damac Hills, Dubai | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 3 | The Els Club Dubai | Victory Heights (Dubai Sports City), Dubai | 5 | 3 | 6 |
| 4 | Emirates Golf Club (Majlis) | Emirates Hills (Al Thanyah 3), Dubai | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| 5 | Jumeirah Golf Estates (Earth) | Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai | 3 | 7 | 5 |
| 6 | Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club | Ajman | 8 | 4 | 7 |
| 7 | Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club | Deira, Dubai (on the banks of the Creek) | 6 | 9 | 3 |
| 8 | Saadiyat Beach Golf Club | Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi | 7 | 10 | 4 |
| 9 | Dubai Hills Golf Club | Dubai Hills Estate (Mohammed Bin Rashid City), Dubai | 9 | 8 | — |
| 10 | Abu Dhabi Golf Club (National) | Abu Dhabi | 12 | 6 | — |
| 11 | Jumeirah Golf Estates (Fire) | Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai | 11 | 11 | — |
| 12 | Al Hamra Golf Club | Ras Al Khaimah | 10 | 13 | — |
Ranks among UAE courses only. Consensus rank = average of the Top100GolfCourses 2025 and Golf World 2025 ranks; Golf Digest 2022 shown for reference. Click a column header to sort.
Where are the golf courses in Dubai and the Emirates?
Click on a number to view the golf course, then click on its name to read its profile. Base map © OpenStreetMap.
How We Ranked the Golf Courses in Dubai and the Emirates
There are no recent rankings specific to the Emirates: we have used the two most recent regional rankings, Top 100 Golf Courses in the Middle East (November 2025) and Golf World Middle East and North Africa (February 2025), keeping only the UAE courses and renumbering them. The consensus rank is the average of the two; a course missing from one list is given the rank after the last UAE course listed (18 for Top100, 21 for Golf World). Ties are broken by Top100. The 2022 Golf Digest Rankings is displayed for informational purposes. This ranking is reviewed annually.
The Rankings in Detail
Architects and years of opening: official websites of the courses and the ranking lists cited, accessed on November 10, 2026; no information is provided when the source does not specify it. Photos under a free license via Wikimedia Commons.
1. Yas Links 🇦🇪
Rankings: Top 100 2025 1 · Golf World 2025 1 · Golf Digest 2022 2
Kyle Phillips’ links course, nestled among the dunes and mangroves on Yas Island, ranks No. 1 in the United Arab Emirates in both rankings and is the only course in the Middle East to make Top100GolfCourses’ global top 100 (96th). It has hosted the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship since 2022.
2. Trump International Golf Club Dubai 🇦🇪
Rankings: Top 100 2025 2 · Golf World 2025 2 · Golf Digest 2022 8
Designed by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, it opened in 2017 at Damac Hills: Dubai’s first new 18-hole course in seven years. Ranked 2nd in both rankings.
3. The Els Club Dubai 🇦🇪
Rankings: Top 100 2025 5 · Golf World 2025 3 · Golf Digest 2022 6
Ernie Els’ desert course, opened in 2008 in Dubai Sports City and managed by Troon Golf; both nines return to the clubhouse.
4. Emirates Golf Club (Majlis) 🇦🇪
Rankings: Top 100 2025 4 · Golf World 2025 5 · Golf Digest 2022 1
The first grass course in the Middle East (1988), designed by Karl Litten. It hosts the DP World Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic, except in 1999 and 2000, when the tournament was held at Dubai Creek.
5. Jumeirah Golf Estates (Earth) 🇦🇪
Rankings: Top 100 2025 3 · Golf World 2025 7 · Golf Digest 2022 5
The Greg Norman Course has hosted the Race to Dubai finale, the DP World Tour Championship, since its inaugural edition in 2009. Ranked 3rd on the Top 100 list.
6. Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club 🇦🇪
Rankings: Top 100 2025 8 · Golf World 2025 4 · Golf Digest 2022 7
A Jack Nicklaus-designed course nestled among the mangroves in Ajman, which opened in late 2015. Ranked 4th by Golf World.
7. Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club 🇦🇪
Rankings: Top 100 2025 6 · Golf World 2025 9 · Golf Digest 2022 3
Located along the Creek in Deira, this course—which opened in 1993—is easily recognizable by its sail-shaped clubhouse. It has hosted the Dubai Invitational since 2024.
8. Saadiyat Beach Golf Club 🇦🇪
Rankings: Top 100 2025 7 · Golf World 2025 10 · Golf Digest 2022 4
A Gary Player-designed course that opened in 2010 on Saadiyat Island, billed as the first seaside course in the Persian Gulf. It hosted a Ladies European Tour event in 2016, 2017, and 2019.
9. Dubai Hills Golf Club 🇦🇪
Rankings: Top 100 2025 9 · Golf World 2025 8 · Golf Digest 2022 —
The newest addition to the top 10 (2018), designed by European Golf Design in the heart of the Dubai Hills Estate neighborhood.
10. Abu Dhabi Golf Club (National) 🇦🇪
Rankings: Top 100 2025 12 · Golf World 2025 6 · Golf Digest 2022 —
Peter Harradine’s course, host of the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi Championship from 2006 to 2021; its clubhouse is shaped like a falcon with outstretched wings.
11. Jumeirah Golf Estates (Fire) 🇦🇪
Rankings: Top 100 2025 11 · Golf World 2025 11 · Golf Digest 2022 —
Greg Norman's second course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, which opened in January 2010.
12. Al Hamra Golf Club 🇦🇪
Rankings: Top 100 2025 10 · Golf World 2025 13 · Golf Digest 2022 —
In Ras Al Khaimah, Peter Harradine's fairways wind around four lagoons. The course hosts the DP World Tour's Ras Al Khaimah Championship.
Where can you play golf in the Emirates?
Dubai includes seven courses from our ranking (Trump International, The Els Club, Emirates, the two Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai Creek, Dubai Hills), Abu Dhabi three (Yas Links, Saadiyat Beach, Abu Dhabi Golf Club), Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah one each. Clubs in the Dubai Golf and Viya Golf networks use rates that vary by date and time, so we do not publish green fees.
See also
The Countries with the Most Golf Courses
The 15 Best Golf Courses in Spain
The 15 Best Golf Courses in South Africa
The 15 Best Golf Courses in Thailand
The 10 Best Golf Courses in Mauritius
The 15 Best Golf Courses in Japan
The 15 Best Golf Courses in Portugal
Top 100 Golf Courses in the WorldFrequently Asked Questions About Golf Courses in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates
What is the best golf course in Dubai?
In Dubai itself, the Trump International Golf Club ranks No. 1, ahead of The Els Club and the Emirates Golf Club. For the United Arab Emirates as a whole, Yas Links in Abu Dhabi ranks No. 1.
Where is the Dubai Desert Classic held?
On the Majlis course at the Emirates Golf Club, except in 1999 and 2000, when the tournament was held at Dubai Creek.
Where is the Race to Dubai final played?
The DP World Tour Championship has been held on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates since 2009.
What is the best golf course in Abu Dhabi?
Yas Links, the No. 1 course in the Emirates and the only course in the Middle East ranked among the world's top 100 by Top100GolfCourses.