Golf Digest publishes first ever Middle East course ranking
The world’s No.1 golf publication names a brand new No.1 course
1st July 2009
In a first for the region, the Middle East edition of Golf Digest has this month published an official ranking of the 10 best courses in the Gulf. The Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club was named No.1 by Golf Digest’s panel of expert judges, with the region’s other two European Tour venues, Doha Golf Club and Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s National course taking second and third place respectively.
Golf Digest magazine has long been respected as the preeminent authority on golf course ratings worldwide, launching the first ever ranking guide in 1966 when it published its now biannual list of America’s Greatest Courses. Many international editions of the magazine now publish their own domestic rankings, but this is the first time that courses in the Middle East have been officially rated.
“Having launched the magazine at the end of last year, we thought this was the perfect time to publish our first ranking of the Middle East’s top 10 courses,” said Golf Digest ME’s editor, Robbie Greenfield. “There are three very high profile courses due to open here in six months time so it will be very interesting to see what impact they have on the rankings next year.”
“All golfers love to discuss their favourite courses, and we realise that opinions are always highly subjective, but we’re hoping this list adds some fuel to the debate and provides an invaluable point of reference for both domestic golfers and those visiting from abroad,” he added.
Expert judges on the panel included Mark Gregson-Walters, a Golf Digest teaching professional with over 12 years experience working in the region and Nick Tarratt, the director of the European Tour’s international headquarters, based in Dubai. They were joined by Leisurecorp’s senior golf course development manager Bob Knott, Golf Digest’s publisher Anthony Milne, editor Robbie Greenfield and selected reader Peter Hedley.
Twenty-one years after the first grass course opened for play in the Middle East, there are now nearly 25 golf courses and while the economic downturn has inevitably disrupted and delayed plans for future courses, the long-term future for the growth of golf in the region remains positive. “The Middle East has established a growing influence within the global sphere of the game, culminating in the launch of the Race to Dubai, that belies the small numbers of domestic golfers and golf courses,” said Greenfield. “And it is the consistent quality of our courses here that has helped the region forge an ever-strengthening bond with the European Tour.”
