Yas Links Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, UAE

www.yaslinks.com

Are we in Scotland or in Abu Dhabi? 

That is what me and my three golf buddies wondered as soon as we passed Yas Links gates.

Rolling hills, undulated and challenging greens, coastal sea breeze, pot bunkers and hided fairways bunkers, the typical flora of the traditional scottish links habitat, an Old Tom Morris statue, a golf course designed on a sandy soil. 

Every element of Yas Links made us think of Scotland. 

Only the sheep grazing in the fields were missing.

After Saadiyat Beach and Abu Dhabi GC, we played Yas Links the last two days of our Abu Dhabi golf trip, the hottest days too with highs well above 90°F.

The golf course is located on Yas Island a few miles from Abu Dhabi downtown, adjacent to Ferrari World and to Yas Marina F1 race circuit.

A few hotels are located nearby the course and if you are staying on one of those, and play YL, a complimentary golf cart will come to pick you up right at the front door of your hotel.

The clubhouse is magnificent, with its Andalucia style and its rustic and warm interiors.

Yas Links is an extraordinary golf course, for its unique location, running two miles along Yas Island coastline, for its design, for the emotions and the sensation this layout is capable to transmit to the player, and of course for its superlative customer service.

YL is 7,414 yds long from the back tees (141/75.9), featuring five sets of tees, and being a true test for every golfer .

The design is amazing, with several sensational holes. The 3rd, 9th, 14th, 16th are four par 4s running along the coastline. The 8th, 13th and 17th are three overwater par 3s, requesting accurate tee shots. 

And the 18th, a dramatic finishing hole, a par 5 beast of 646yds from the tips whit the coastline running all along the left hand side of the fairways and often played into the wind.

Kyle Phillips, after gems such as Kingsbarns and The Grove, created another masterpiece, considered one of the best golf courses in world.

The traditions of the game rebuilt in the UAE.

I felt honored to play this golf course, and a little proud too considering I played there probably the best golf of my life.

Yas links since its opening in 2010 received numerous accolades.

Among them

• 70th best golf course of the world
• Best Golf Course in the Middle East - Golf Digest
• 24th Best Golf Course Outside of America by Golf Digest USA.
• Declared World Top 100 Courses in to the influential Golf World rankings for 2011
• Placed 5th in a Golf Magazine USA 'Top 20 New International Golf Courses of 2010' ranking.
• Ranked 2nd by one of the Middle East's most prominent newspapers, The National, in its Top 10 professional level Golf Courses of the World - just behind the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, the historical home of golf.

Enjoy some great photos of this marvelous golf course. 

View of the double green of the 12 and 15 from the Radisson Blu top floor

Old Tom Morris welcomes you

The Clubhouse entrance

Entrance of the clubhouse lobby

View of the Andalucia style clubhouse from the 18th hole

Clubhouse interiors

Yas Links Golf Academy

Members Driving Range

#1 Hole 378 yds Par 4

#2 Hole 534 yds Par 5

#3 Hole 442 yds Par 4

Yas Links Clubhouse and behind Yas Marina Circuit from the 3rd fairway

#3 Hole 442 yds Par 4

#4 Hole 212 yds Par 3

#7 Hole 591 yds Par 5

#7 Hole 591 yds Par 5

#8 Hole 186 yds Par 3

#9 Hole 481 yds Par 4

#10 Hole 394 yds Par 4

#11 Hole 577 yds Par 5

#7 Hole 591 yds Par 5

#12 Hole 484 yds Par 4

#13 Hole 154 yds Par 3

#13 Hole 154 yds Par 3

#14 Hole 359 yds Par 4

#14 Hole 359 yds Par 4 

#14 Hole 359 yds Par 4

#16 Hole 420 yds Par 4

#17 Hole 201 yds Par 3

#17 Hole 201 yds Par 3

#18 Hole 646 yds Par 5

Teeing off on the 18th

#18 Hole 646 yds Par 5

#18 Hole 646 yds Par 5