By Joy Chakravarty
Most players in the field for next week’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship will be playing the Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club for the first time.
Just like some of the most iconic golf courses in the world, the Majlis Course stands out due to its propensity for thrilling finishes when it hosts tournaments. The various dog-leg holes and the strategically placed hazards make it a cerebral golf course that needs to be decoded properly to put up a good score.
Some no-brainer must-dos on the course can be determined with one look at the scorecard. The front nine of Majlis is a par-35, while the second nine is a par-37 with three par-5s. A low score requires a solid front nine and then an explosive finish. Some other things come only with experience – like the knowledge of the swirling wind that almost always hovers above the par-3 seventh hole.
There is also Dubai, a city built on a desert. There are plenty of attractions for visitors. From the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, to the unique experience of dune bashing in the desert and sky-diving over the exotic Palm Jumeirah.
We consulted with four Dubai experts – four players competing from the UAE at this year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur – if they can offer any advice to visiting players.
What’s the key to doing well at Majlis course?
Ahmad Skaik: It depends on how the course is set up. Usually, the rough is very thick. So, I’d say finding the fairway is very important. When you hit the rough, you’d be happy just to advance the ball back into the fairway. But if the rough is not much, then the long hitters have an advantage, because they can cut some corners and will be left with shorter irons into the greens.
Sam Mullane: Hitting the fairway. If you are hitting the rough, good luck to you. I mean the Bermuda grass literally grabs your clubface and twists it.
Rayan Ahmad: I’d agree with Sam. If you hit the fairways, you will definitely be up there. And it is also important which side of the fairway you are missing. Like, on the eighth hole, if you miss the fairway and are in the sand on the right, there are craters everywhere. You are not going to have a shot. Same goes with the right side of the 12th hole.
Jonathan Selvaraj: I also think green reading is a big part, especially with how grainy these greens can get towards the afternoon. You can get some weird breaks, so just be aware of that.
What is your favorite hole at the Majlis Course?
Ahmad Skaik: I love the 18th hole. It’s not my favorite hole on the course, but I just love coming down the 18th because of the history of seeing so many great golfers do amazing things on that hole. I’d always hit a driver there, which is not easy for a left-hander because I have to produce a big cut. Then, depending on the wind, I may go for the green, or lay up. My favorite 18th hole moment was when Rory McIlroy beat Patrick Reed (2023 Hero Dubai Desert Classic).
Sam Mullane: I’d probably say the second hole. Okay, I just like hitting the fairway with my three-wood, and then just flicking a wedge to, like, five foot and tap it in. I love to make a birdie on that hole. I have seen the professionals driving that green, but even if I hit a good driver, I’d be left with 60 odd yards. So, I can’t go for that green.
Rayan Ahmad: I think Sam stole my answer, but just to be different, I like the third hole. Hit a good drive, and then hit my second into the front bunker, and then get a nice up-and-down for birdie. You would like to be on the green, but that’s a bit tough. So, yeah, get into the greenside bunker, which is easy to manage.
Jonathan Selvaraj: My favorite is the 17th hole, because it’s a nice, short par 4. It’s drivable and you’d regularly see guys like Rory going for it. But it’s a very difficult line to hit that far right over those trees. I think some of the Asia-Pacific Amateur players, if they have the distance, they can have a go for it. But if you have a good tee shot, it is a very straight-forward chip.
What is the one big mistake you can’t make at the Majlis Course?
Ahmad Skaik: I’d say taking hole Nos. 6-9 lightly. That’s a tough stretch of back-to-back holes that demands your complete attention. The tee shots are demanding and the second shots are demanding. If you play these holes to par, you’ll actually gain shots over the rest of the field.
Sam Mullane: Not spending enough time on the putting green. These greens are very, very tricky to read. I still have trouble, even though I have played the course so many times. I’d definitely be spending a lot of time on the putting green, that’s for sure. And if you don’t, you’ll see repercussions.
Rayan Ahmad: I don’t really know the answer to that. I guess, you have to be on your game all the time. There are places on this golf course you just can’t go, like the right of the eighth fairway and trying to cut across the dogleg on the 13th and going too far left.
Jonathan Selvaraj: I am thinking more generally…like you can’t get too aggressive on that front nine. Really bad things can happen. It’s a very punishing test. After the second and third holes, there aren't many easy breaks. The last four holes – Nos. 6-9 – are not easy by any stretch of imagination. Because the back nine is so different, it requires a different mental approach. You have to be more aggressive.
Which is the one place on the golf course you recommend taking a selfie?
Ahmad Skaik: No place better than the tee on the eighth hole. I mean, the background of the Dubai Marina buildings is stunning.
Sam Mullane: Obviously, the eighth tee. Not just a selfie, I’d also recommend that players take a slow-motion of their swings from behind, hitting the ball towards the skyline.
Rayan Ahmad: The eighth tee, without doubt.
Jonathan Selvaraj: I don’t think there will ever be any disagreement on this. The eighth tee.
Which restaurant would you recommend in Dubai?
Ahmad Skaik: We are spoiled for choice in Dubai when it comes to good food. I am not a picky eater, so I like everything. But I recently had steak in a place called Hunter and Barrels in nearby Emirates Hill. It really was one of the best steaks I’ve eaten. It’s pricey, but if you can afford it, you must try it.
Sam Mullane: I’m going to go with Nando's. It’s a chain and there is one very close to the golf course. And the thing to order there is half chicken, with lemon and herb sauce alongside plain wedges and garlic bread. It’s fabulous.
Rayan Ahmad: I will recommend the Indian restaurant, Gazebo. For people who are coming from outside, I’d order the standard butter chicken with naan or rice. They do it really well.
Jonathan Selvaraj: I live in Abu Dhabi, but whenever I am down here, I try to visit Miniguette on Hessa Street, which is not very far from the golf course. You get unlimited wings and unlimited slides as well.
One Arabic phrase that you think makes life easier in the Middle East?
Ahmad Skaik: I think ‘Salaam waleikum’ (pronounced sal-aa-m wall-e-kum) is a good one because that’s how we greet each other. It means may peace be upon you. And the other one would be ‘kayfa halak’ (pronounced kai-fuh hull-akh), which is asking the other person as to how they are doing.
Sam Mullane: Mine is ‘inshallah’. It means ‘if God is willing’. If you ask a taxi driver if you’d reach the golf club by a certain time, the chances are that he’d say inshallah.
Rayan Ahmad: I think one word that will help visitors is ‘laa arif’, which means ‘I don’t know’. The other word that they should know is ‘shukran’, which is ‘Thank you’.
Jonathan Selvaraj: My favorite Arabic phrase is actually the same as Sam, but for a very different reason. Especially for golfers and what we have to go through, it’s a reminder that in this sport, where so much is based on luck, it is up to God’s will ultimately. You can say inshallah whether you make a birdie or a bogey. It just helps you relax on the golf course.
