Dubai Hills

Gary Johnston of European Golf Design is the architect behind Dubai Hills, which has made a big splash in the region since opening in 2018.

Johnston's design incorporates the in-vogue philosophy of generous fairways – a couple must be close to 150 yards wide – to help everyone get the ball in play but the closer to the green the more exacting it is.

It is interesting and fun, with plenty of variety to the holes – a failing of several older Middle East courses.

Located close to the heart of the city, and just 15 minutes from Dubai Desert Classic venue Emirates GC, the front nine is in our view the premier half.

It is full of strong holes and sits a little lower than the residential units that surround much of the course because more material was cut out of the existing land to shape the holes. In total, a million cubic metres of earth was moved

As a result, there is more of an amphitheatre feel to its holes and a little more movement in the fairways.

A gentle opener and a nice par 3 get things underway before a risk-reward par 4 of 320 yards at the 3rd. It is a cool hole with a lot of movement in the green, which is typical of the surfaces here.

There is bags of room up the left but an angled bunker separates fairway from green to make things awkward. A strong ridge across what is one of Dubai Hills' largest greens means if you get on the wrong level, you are very much entering three-putt territory.

The dogleg 4th asks for a medium-to-short iron approach from another generous fairway and then comes the strongest stretch visually and strategically.

The 5th is a straight-up-the-hill par 5 and will be viewed as the signature hole, with the Burj Khalifa in the background; it is apparently a fine sight played early morning or late afternoon with the Burj catching the sunrise or sunset light.

The 6th is another short par 4, just 310 yards from the back tee and how you approach it is likely to be dependent on the wind.

There's another strong ridge across the green and already you realise that the front pin position can be the toughest at Dubai Hills, because if you get above the hole with your approach it is so slippery from there.

The 7th sees a long bunker snake up the right side, which Johnston latterly pondered turning into a lake after seeing water standing in it after some rare overnight rain in Dubai.

The 8th asks you to find one of tighter fairways with water along the right all the way to the green and in play on every shot.

It's a great driving hole for all standards because strong players can try to cut off as much of the hole as possible whereas higher handicappers can happily aim away from the water at the distant left-side bunkers.

Water is actually in play on the last two holes on both nines, with the 9th and 17th long par 3s over water. The latter is an especially fine-looking short hole, the slim green hard next to the water on the right – so even if you bail out left you then have a nervy chip towards the water.

There's a strong par 4 to finish, with drive bunkers followed by an approach to a lakeside green. Chris Bertram