Play Date

You already know about the unique tidal flow system, the mangroves and the island tee boxes. Now it’s time to look more closely at the holes themselves at Al Zorah Golf Club, a project by Nicklaus Design that is managed by Troon Golf and open for general play on the ninth of this month. It was clear from our first visit in the summer that something exciting was developing here, but as the club have applied the finishing touched to the layout, Al Zorah has exceeded expectations.

The simple fact is, golf courses are judged primarily by the quality and variety of their holes, and no amount of clever features can change that reality. Yes, they can enhance it, but the holes have to be fun to play in the first place. And here, they are emphatically just that. The ground at Al Zorah is firm and bouncy, like a British links in summer, and while the club expect conditions to soften as the turf continues to mature, this set-up does inject a wonderful pace and variety into the shots here.

The occasional bare lie might scare those with less reliable short games, but this is compensated by the sheer variety of options on every pitch, from soft floaters to bump and runs.

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