Trump International Golf Club
Recommended
About
A links-inspired masterpiece whose undulating topography sets it apart from other Dubai golf courses
A welcome addition to the Dubai golf scene in 2016, Trump International Golf Club Dubai is the brainchild of designer Gil Hanse, creator of the Rio Olympic Golf Course, who has come up with something of a masterpiece here. Although not technically a links course, the undulating fairways, generous open spaces and clever use of contouring mean that the Trump International Golf Club Dubai bears a definite resemblance to an old-school Scottish course.
While Trump International Golf Club Dubai is a fun golf course to play, it's tough to score well the first time around. It's only after a few rounds that you'll start to get to grips with its myriad of tricky challenges, as the nooks, crannies and hollows of this special course gradually make themselves understood. However, the joy of encountering this spectacular course for the first time definitely outweighs the odd blemish on your scorecard.
The front nine holes at Trump International are framed by villas and apartments while the second set of nine holes—floodlit to allow for a late finish—is surrounded by a housing estate, while this backdrop may not be appeal to everyone, the superb quality of the course itself more than makes up for it, and if you squint a little you can imagine that the apartment blocks are grandstands, giving certain holes a stadium feel.
The Front Nine
The first plays uphill to a fairway of rolling waves that collide into two large mounds just short of the tabletop green. Reaching the green and staying on it are two different things here, with the putting surface sloping away down to a series of hollows that can ensnare even the most promising of approaches.
The long, snaking par-5 that follows, with its undulating fairway that narrows en route to heavily contoured green that juts out into a man-made lake, is proof enough that you're playing a special course.
There's no bunkers at the longish par-3 that follows, but your tee shot must flirt with water en route to yet another green with some serious contouring, and that's followed by the hardest hole on the course, a 498-yard par-4 that twists and turns through the sandy wasteland and requires a long drive over both water and the barranca to stand a chance at reaching the green in regulation.
The 5th offers some respite. It's a long par-3 that favours a draw into yet another undulating green, but there's some welcome room for error here, with the banking on the right helping anything short feed towards the putting surface.
The tee shot at the 7th is particularly daunting, with the perfect shot needing to clear the barranca that runs all the way down the left side of a fairway that itself slopes towards danger. The second is played downhill to a ridged, two-tier green that's guarded short and left by a cluster of bunkers. You should be proud of a par here.
The 8th is a driveable par-4 with a gorgeous, rolling fairway that leads to a small, well-guarded green that moves quickly from back to front, while par-5 9th plays back towards the clubhouse, its initially generous fairway narrowing around lake as it winds its way towards another two-tier green, this time protected by a series of hollows and a bunker just in front.
The Back Nine
There's more of the signature links-style undulations on the 10th, a tough par-4 that usually plays into the wind, while the contouring of the fairway at the 11th usually works in your favour, tending to feed anything slightly off line back towards the centre of the fairway. Go too far off line however, and you'll be struggling from the sandy wasteland that runs all the way up the right hand side to the deceptive green.
The par-4 12th clocks in at an eminently driveable 287 yards, offering even the average golfer the chance to be putting for eagle if the ball catches enough of a downslope to make it up the bank in front of the green, but even if you're short you should have a shot at birdie as there are no sand traps in evidence.
The same can't be said for the final par-5 on the course, the 599-yard 13th, where twin pot bunkers wait in the middle of the fairway for any lay-ups, and the green itself is surrounded by a semi-circle bunker that can easily unnerve you into going too long, from where getting up and down is a real challenge.
The 15th is a bunker-free short par-3 where the challenge is avoiding the sharp run-offs left and right of the green, while the doglegging 16th requires finding a meandering fairway and playing a blind approach to a tricky, raised green.
The last two holes are a real highlight. The 17th is a 156-yard par 3 that plays from an elevated tee to a postage stamp green that rises elegantly from the surrounding native wasteland and makes for an intimidating target, while the best advice you can get before tackling the 425-yard par 4 that completes the round is quite simple: don't go left.
With the hole doglegging around a man-made lake running from tee to green, this is easier said than done, not least because there's equal pressure not to go right, as doing so only brings the water in play for a tricky approach that will have to contend with the fact that the landscape slopes away towards the drink. It's a fun, but nervy ending, and many a bogey here will feel like a triumph.
The Facilities
As you would expect from a new golf course in Dubai, the facilities at Trump International Golf Club are excellent. The large clubhouse boasts a terrace restaurant with international menu, casual sports lounge, fitness centre and swimming pool. There is also a pro shop, golf academy, driving range, chipping facility and putting greens. Including a round here on your Dubai golf holiday will certainly not disappoint.
Reviews
I truly enjoyed all the services including the restaurant
I played the Faldo course, Earth Course, Dubai Creek, Arabian ranches but I like the Trump course the best. Tip top condition and the fastest greens of all the courses.Grass and sand
The course is OK, but compared to other courses in Dubai, nothing to highlight here. Pretty unemotional. Clubhouse is nice, though, and the restaurant is very good.Fantastic course
Found it more challenging than in looked, which was caused by all the undulations. Greens were lightening fast at nearly professional speeds, which proved very challenging.Course Info
Key Facts
Notable Awards
Amenities
Scorecard Summary
Tee | Par | Length | CR | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Black | 71 | 7229 yds | 73.6 | 133 |
Gold | 71 | 6839 yds | 72.0 | 129 |
Blue | 71 | 6406 yds | 70.0 | 125 |
Red (W) | 71 | 5119 yds | 68.4 | 119 |
Technical Difficulty
Handicap Requirements
There are no handicap requirements at Trump International Golf Club.
Prices
Green Fees
01 Jun 24 - 31 Aug 24 | Mo - Th | Fr - Su |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Holes + Shared Cart | from | from |
01 Sep 24 - 30 Sep 24 | Mo - Th | Fr - Su |
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| 18 Holes + Shared Cart | from | from |
01 Oct 24 - 30 Apr 25 | Mo - Th | Fr - Su |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Holes + Shared Cart | from | from |
Equipment Hire
Item | Price |
|---|---|
Club Hire TaylorMade Stealth clubs; 1 sleeve of TP5 balls included | |
Shoe Hire Adidas-branded golf shoes |
Course Location
Address
Nearby Airports
Nearby Attractions
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Weather Forecast for Trump International Golf Club
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