Fantastic golf courses, year-round sunshine, excellent beaches and world class hotels have transformed Abu Dhabi into one of the world’s leading golf vacation destinations.
All Square has planned the perfect itinerary for your trip to the modern, cosmopolitan capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Suggested arrival airport: Abu Dhabi International Airport
1. Abu Dhabi Golf Club
Getting there
Abu Dhabi Golf Club is just a 15 minutes’ drive from Abu Dhabi International Airport.
The golf course
Host of the HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship presented by EGA on the European Tour, the National course at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club provides one of the best golf experiences in the Middle East. Leading designer Peter Harradine has carved out 18 exceptional holes with perfectly manicured fairways from the surrounding desert. The Falcon clubhouse is a must-see and there’s an enjoyable nine-hole option at the Garden course. There’s also floodlit golf with tee times up to 9pm. Close to the airport and the city centre, Abu Dhabi Golf Club is an essential element of your golf trip to the UAE.
Suggested accommodation
Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa: A great stay-and-play option, this five-star gem is located right on the course and combines luxury and opulence with a round at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Room prices start at €115 per night and go up to €300.
2. Yas Links
Getting there
Yas Links is less than a 20 minutes’ drive from Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
The golf course
Yas Links, set on the western shores of Yas Island, is ranked by All Square as one of the top 100 golf courses in the world and the best in the Middle East. It’s a superb Scottish-style seaside links course where each one of the 18 holes has views of the ocean. Designed by the renowned Kyle Phillips, it also has one of the best finishing stretches in golf, with the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi theme park and the Yas Marina Circuit, home to the Formula 1™ Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, in the background. Facilities include a nine-hole course, luxurious clubhouse and golf academy.
Suggested accommodation
W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island: Perhaps the most spectacular hotel in Abu Dhabi, the W Abu Dhabi is a five-star architectural wonder located in the centre of the Yas Marina Circuit, home to the Formula 1™ Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Room prices start at around €115 per night and go over €450 during the high season.
Home to the Fatima Bint Mubarak Open on the Ladies European Tour, this is another must-play course. Designed by legendary golfer Gary Player, it was the Arabian Gulf’s first seaside course when it opened in 2010, with several holes commanding views of the ocean. The clubhouse’s Hawksbill restaurant – named after the endangered turtles that nest on the beach – has lovely views of the city skyline.
Suggested accommodation
Park Hyatt Hotel: For those teeing off at the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, the five-star Park Hyatt Hotel is an exclusive sanctuary located on a 9km stretch of beach on Saadiyat Island, right next door to the golf course. Room prices start at around €250 per night and go over €400.
If you have time…
For a unique test of golf, there’s also the Al Ghazal Golf Club, one of the world’s best sand courses where the greens and fairways are made of compacted sand. For a nine-hole option, Abu Dhabi City Golf Club is also worth visiting. Located right in the heart of the city, it offers night-time floodlit golf at one of the world’s best urban courses.
