Emirates Golf Club: 38 years of pioneering golf in Dubai

Emirates Golf Club holds a very special place in the history of Dubai

Last updated: January 23, 2026 | 08:08

2 MIN READ

Emirates Golf Club occupies a unique place in Dubai’s sporting history, having played a defining role in shaping the emirate’s rise as a global golf destination. Opened in 1988, it became the first grass golf course in the Middle East, a landmark achievement that reflected Dubai’s early ambition to develop world-class sports infrastructure on what was once desert land.

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March 7, 1987: Construction work underway at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, as the region’s first grass golf course begins to take shape.

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June 1, 1987: Emirates Golf Club under construction. Just a year later, the club made further history by hosting the region’s first professional golf tournament, the Dubai Desert Classic in 1989. The event quickly gained international status and proved instrumental in positioning Dubai on the global sporting map.

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March 8, 1988: Then Pakistan President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq struck an impressive 240-yard drive down the fairway to officially open the 18-hole Emirates Golf Club in Dubai.

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Jan 15, 1990: The centrepiece Bedouin tent–shaped clubhouse at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai.

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October 5, 1992: An aerial view of Emirates Golf Club in Dubai.

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1994: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (then Defence Minister), Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, presents the Dubai Desert Classic winners’ trophy to South African golfer Ernie Els during the presentation ceremony at Emirates Golf Club, Dubai.

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March 2, 1997: Australian golfer Richard Green in action during the Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club, Dubai.

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1998: An aerial view of Dubai Marina. Emirates Golf Club.

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March 3, 2001: Spectators watch play during the third round of the Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club, Dubai.

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March 4, 2002: Golfers take part in practice sessions ahead of that year’s Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club, Dubai. Welsh golfer Ian Woosnam is seen on the far right.

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As the club evolved, its facilities continued to set regional benchmarks. The Majlis Course, Emirates Golf Club’s flagship championship layout, gained worldwide recognition for hosting elite competition. The later addition of the Faldo Course, the Middle East’s first fully floodlit championship course, introduced night golf and further distinguished the venue.

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February 5, 2007: Tiger Woods of the United States waits for his turn to putt during the Dubai Desert Classic, played on the Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club, Dubai.

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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland competes during the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic 2022 Golf Championship at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, on January 30, 2022.

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Andy Sullivan of England tees off on the 8th hole during the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the Majlis Course at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai on January 19, 2024.

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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts on the 5th hole during the first day of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai on January 22, 2026.

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