Teeing Up Dubai: What to Know Before You Go
November 14, 2025
By Jason Scott Deegan, GolfPass
For most American golf travelers, Dubai might as well be the moon.
More U.S. golfers need to understand that Dubai isn’t too far, too exotic or too unattainable for a golf vacation. Dubai, located in the United Arab Emirates, is reachable by a non-stop flight from 12 different U.S. cities: New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas (Forth Worth), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington D.C. and Orlando. UAE sits on the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
The flight from New York to Dubai is roughly 12 1/2 hours – which most people might interpret as too long to be on a plane – but consider this: I regularly fly up to 11 hours nonstop from San Francisco to play golf in London or Dublin, so it’s not really all that much farther. Dubai is definitely high on my bucket list, and I think it should be on yours, too.
Dubai is not only home to some of the world’s most famous courses, imagine all the experiences you’ll be immersed in while enjoying the Middle Eastern culture, architecture, people and restaurants in one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities. Those are the 19th hole stories I want to hear, not more drivel about playing links golf in the rain. Name-dropping courses you’ve played in Dubai … now that will catch any golfer’s attention.
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