Arabian Ranches

Arabian Ranches Golf Club opened in February 2004 and this was Ian Baker-Finch's first collaboration with Nicklaus Design. Previously the area was grazing land for camels and gazelle, and Baker-Finch – who knows a bit about links courses having won at Royal Birkdale in the 1991 Open – has turned Arabian Ranches into a reasonable facsimile of a links course… or as near as one could get in the deserts of the Gulf.

The topography was not ideal for a golf course, but the architect resisted the temptation to move huge volumes of soil (only 80,000 cubic metres was moved). The result is a nicely crafted course that flows well through the 247 acres of desert; 66 acres of which are grassed and 55 acres of which are planted with desert vegetation. Shots that miss the immaculate grass of the fairways and greens often enter the ‘sandy wasteland’ with its indigenous shrubs and bushes.

The course underwent a five-month renovation at the end of 2019, when all the greens were replaced by Desert Landscape, a part of the Dubai-based Desert Group company. Agronomist Sean Kingsley for Emaar Hospitality Group supervised the replacement of greens and collars with a new USGA-standard rootzone before replanting with Platinum TE paspalum grass.

The course has five sets of tees – Championship, Tournament, Medal, Society & Ladies/Juniors – so it’s suitable for all levels of golfer. There's a floodlit driving range, Par 3 academy course and three onsite professionals.

The club and the huge Arabian Ranches community development of thousands of homes is owned by The Emaar Group who also have the renowned nearby Montgomerie on their portfolio. The Arabian Ranches Golf Club has become the focal point of the community and as such is as near to a traditional members club as you're likely to find in Dubai.

A little known fact is that within the Spanish Colonial-style clubhouse, there are 11 en-suite guest rooms for stay and play visitors who don't want to stay at the big tourist hotels on the beach.