Abu Dhabi, UAE
When we think of golf getaways in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai often steals the spotlight. But if you venture just a short distance away, you’ll uncover another gem in the Persian Gulf: Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s capital city. Abu Dhabi has been making waves in the golfing world and boasts a lot more than just pristine greens.
I spent 3 days in Abu Dhabi, here’s a glimpse of how I made the most of my time exploring sustainable golf courses, architectural wonders, top-ranked links, and even the desert dunes.
Day One: Tee Off on the Sands at Al Ghazal Golf Club
My Abu Dhabi golf journey began with a twist – a round at Al Ghazal Golf Club, a sand golf course. With fairways defined by stakes and a whole new golfing strategy, playing here was an adventure in itself.
First stop was an 8:00am tee time at Al Ghazal Golf Club, a sand course. Yeah, I didn’t know sand courses existed either, but I was overjoyed for a new golf experience.
I carried a small piece of artificial grass for when I was in the fairway. You see, the fairways were identified by stakes and if you were outside of the stakes then you would play the ball as it lies. At first, I thought I was going to be confused because there were too many new concepts to remember, but just like golf I took it hole by hole, shot by shot, moment by moment.
There were new golf terms, for example, the “greens” were now called the “browns” and there was a whole new strategy to walking and putting on them.
Naturally, my first question was ‘what are the browns made of?’ The simple answer, the browns are created by compacting rolled and treated (with used oil) sand. It may sound confusing, but I promise it’s worth experiencing.
Click here to see all the action and sights from this course on my YouTube channel.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Most visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque during the day, but I could only fit it in my schedule at night, and wow, it exceeded my expectations in every way. This is the largest mosque in the UAE and as a “day-time” realtor working with developers, I can appreciate its architecture consisting of three different styles.
Day Two: Yas Island Adventures
Yas Island may sound familiar to you because the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has been hosted here since 2009. I stayed at the W Hotel with a balcony view right above the track and got to see the track being resurfaced just a month before the big race.
Yas Links is considered to be the first links course in the Middle East and ranked at no.1 in the UAE (Top 100 Golf Courses). The greens here are immaculate, and the course has even hosted prestigious events like the Special Olympics World and the DP World Tour’s HSBC Championship.
Okay, back to golf…
The course plays along the Persian (Arabian) Gulf and you’ll spot parts of Ferrari World, the Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi’s skyline, etc. The conditions of the course were outstanding, you won’t find a blade of grass out of place. With greens rolling as true as they can roll, you’ll hopefully be stroking your putter well and dropping putts right on line.
Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi
After a round at Yas Links, I explored the awe-inspiring Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi, a testament to architectural brilliance and cultural collaboration between the UAE and France. The stunning architecture alone is worth a visit.
For a full debrief on this day’s activities, check out this vlog on my YouTube channel.
Day Three: Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and Desert Excursions
On the third day, I tackled Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, a Gary Player-designed masterpiece that sits right on the beach. To no one’s surprise, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club comes as a top ranked course in Abu Dhabi.
This course, with its lush fairways and challenging design, hosts the prestigious Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Open, named after a remarkable advocate for women’s rights in the UAE. She is referred to as the ‘Mother of Sheikhs’ and ‘Mother of the UAE’, awarded by many United Nations organizations for her role in women’s rights.
In the afternoon, I traded golf clubs for camel rides and sand dunes. Exploring the desert was an unforgettable experience, from thrilling sand dune bashing to camel farm visits. Be sure to add this to your Abu Dhabi bucket list.
Desert Excursions
Although I was more familiar with desert excursions in Dubai, I explored the desert life in Abu Dhabi and I was not disappointed. We started off with some sand dune bashing, which is super fun and can be a huge thrill for about 25 minutes. Definitely a bucket list activity…but after 30 minutes of bashing the dunes, my stomach was not happy.
We were then taken to a camel farm, which are an important part of Emirati culture that dates back to its roots. Camels were said to be God’s gifts to the Bedouin, as these animals often made life in the desert possible, providing everything from transportation, to clothes and food. Nowadays, camels are a symbol of the local culture, as well as an attraction for tourists to ride.
After the camel farm, we went on to a campsite to enjoy authentic food and entertainment. The photos and words can only convey so much. To get a better visual, click here for my YouTube video.
Golf in the United Arab Emirates is a curious golf trip for anyone. I hope this blog shed some light on different activities you can take part in during your Abu Dhabi travels.
Teeing off in wonders ⛳️
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