Jumeirah Golf Estates Earth Course, Dubai, U.A.E.

First time I walked the Earth Course fairways was in november 2010, my wife still pregnant and we were both following Francesco Molinari at the Dubai World Championship.

Although still under construction I was impressed by the location and by the layout of the golf course itself. I really wanted to play that course and the next year I've been able to tee off with a local member.

When I played at Jumeirah Golf Estates everything around was still work in progress..the 131,000 sqft Mediterranean style Norman Clubhouse still under construction, and so were the Tuscany style villas along the course.

What a course!! Pristine, immaculate conditions, hard to believe I was playing in the middle of the desert surrounded but acres of sand dunes.

A long challenging 7706 yds Par 72 (77.7/140)  designed by Greg Norman and opened in 2009. The Great White Shark was inspired by the great parklands of Europe and North America, featuring generous and undulated fairways lined with olives trees, huge white sand bunkers (sand imported from North Carolina), several elevation changes, and very fast tricky and undulated greens.

Norman described the last four holes as "one of the most challenging and exciting miles of golf in terms of risk and reward." A dramatic test of 1703 yds you'll never forget: two challenging par 4s followed by a long par 3 where the green is located in the middle of a lake, and the final 651 yds uphill par 5 with a creek that runs right in the middle of the fairway letterally cutting it in two.

Take a look to some of the photos I took and you won't believe this golf course is located on the Arabian Desert. 

Can't wait to be back and play the other course of the property, the Fire Course.

http://jumeirahgolfestates.com/club/

#1 Hole 454 Yds Par 4

#1 Hole 454 Yds Par 4

#2 Hole 583 Yds Par 5

#5 Hole 407  Yds Par 4

#7 Hole 572  Yds Par 5

#12 Hole 476 Yds Par 4

#13 Hole 204 Yds Par 3

#15 Hole 371 Yds Par 4

#17 Hole 195 Yds Par 3

#18 Hole 651 Yds Par 5

#18 Hole 651 Yds Par 5

#18 Hole 651 Yds Par 5

#18 Hole 651 Yds Par 5 (and the new clubhouse completed)

Below some photos I took on November 2010 during the Dubai World Championship.

Hole 17's tee

Hole 18 from the back tee

..celebreting golf...

Me and Francesco Molinari

Almost at the green on the 18th...

A great photo of the 18th from behind the green