Qatar, on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, is an emerging golf destination with wonderful hotels and beaches, desert safaris and world-class courses.
The nation has a desert climate with hot summers and warm winters. From October to April temperatures are cooler, between 20 and 28 degrees, perfect for playing golf. During the summer months temperatures can soar, but the country’s two main golf complexes, Doha Golf Club and Education City Golf Club, offer floodlit night playing options.
Doha Golf Club
Doha Golf Club, the original grass golf club in Qatar designed by Peter Harradine in the mid-1990s, is home to the Qatar Masters on the DP World Tour. Located in north Doha, the Qatari capital, on the shores of the exclusive West Bay Lagoon, it overlooks the famous Pearl Qatar development, an artificial residential island of nearly four square kilometers.
The course measures a huge 7,437 yards from the back tees, but there are plenty of tee options for all levels of golfer. The layout makes good use of the desert landscape with holes peppered with natural rock formations, plentiful bunkering and water features. 10,000 trees, shrubs and cacti were also planted when the course was built. Along with the championship course, there’s a nine-hole floodlit layout which measures 2,808 yards. Named the Academy Course, it’s the perfect track for less experienced golfers to learn the game.
Education City Golf Club
Education City Golf Club in Doha features an 18-hole championship course, a floodlit full-length six-hole course with seven tee options, and a floodlit nine-hole par-3 course, all designed by Jose Maria Olazabal. The desert-style main course, built to USGA standards, opened in 2018 and hosted the 2020 and 2021 Qatar Masters. While Doha Golf Club is a true desert-style course, Education City is a modern, strategic course built around 12 man-made lakes with much more vegetation.
The club also has its Centre of Excellence which provides state-of-the-art practice facilities, a driving range, a high-tech learning and performance academy and a luxurious clubhouse. The entire complex was designed with youngsters and non-golfers in mind, hoping to encourage both to take up the sport, while the combination of courses provides a world-class playing experience.
Sand Courses
Aside from the two grass courses, Qatar is home to two sand courses, Dukhan Golf Club in the town of Dukhan on the western coast, and Mesaieed Golf Club around 30 miles south of Doha. At both, the fairways are desert and the greens are called ‘browns’ which is a mixture of sand and oil that has been compacted and rolled. Players carry their own piece of astroturf which they play off from areas marked as fairways, for a memorable and unique golfing experience.
Opening in 2025…
Corinthia Gewan Island is poised to become one of the best places in Qatar to stay and play golf. A brand new luxury hotel spanning an impressive 13,000 square metres, it’s situated next to The Pearl Qatar and sits on its own island of reclaimed land. It features 110 rooms, three restaurants, a luxurious spa, a beach club – and a brand-new golf course.
The course is aimed at both inspiring new golfers and improving current players. It’s a fully floodlit nine-hole par-3 course spanning 850 yards from the back tees, set amidst lakes and bunkers. Gewan Golf Club, beautifully flanked by the azure waters of the Arabian Gulf, also has a cafe and a rooftop garden with incredible views across Qatar’s gleaming skyline.
