Golf in the Middle East was never supposed to look this lush. Desert landscapes don't naturally lend themselves to fairways and greens, but somewhere along the way, engineering excellence and ambitious audacity led the region to build some of the most striking courses on the planet. From Dubai's glittering skyline to the Red Sea coast, here are the courses defining the game in this part of the world. Majlis, Emirates Golf Club — Dubai, UAE
Few courses announce themselves quite like Majlis. Designed by Karl Litten and built on land donated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, it made history as the first grass course in the Middle East. The 18-hole layout weaves through natural desert flora, and on several holes, Dubai's skyline sits right there in the background. Yas Links — Abu Dhabi, UAE
Named after the Bani Yas clan of the 19th-century Al Maktoum dynasty, Yas Links holds its own kind of distinction as the only true links course in the entire region, hugging the shores of Yas Island with the Arabian Gulf as its backdrop. Away from the noise of Abu Dhabi city, the layout is demanding, the views are generous, and it was the first club in the UAE to introduce Toptracer technology for those serious about improving their game. Earth Course, Jumeirah Golf Estates — UAE
Home to the European Tour's DP World Tour Championships, the Earth Course doesn't feel like the Middle East. Arguably, that’s entirely the point. Greg Norman designed it with the great parklands of North America and Europe in mind. Rolling terrain, water features, a generous helping of bunkers, and a surprising amount of wildlife. Royal Greens Golf & Country Club — King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia
Opened in September 2017, Royal Greens sits on the Red Sea coast and plays to a par 72 across just over 7,000 yards. Designed by European Golf Design and managed by Troon Golf — the world's largest operator of competition-grade courses — it's a course built for serious play in a setting that makes it hard to focus on your scorecard. Ayla Golf Club — Aqaba, Jordan
Ten minutes from King Hussein Airport and a short drive from Petra and Wadi Rum, Ayla Golf Club earns its place on this list for more reasons than just the golf. Set within a 4.3 million m² waterfront development, tucked between the Red Sea and striking mountain terrain, the club features a Greg Norman-designed 18-hole championship course — the first of its kind in Jordan. There's also a 9-hole Par 3 Academy course, and both layouts are fully floodlit. Night golf here isn't a gimmick. The Royal Golf Club, Montgomerie Course — Riffa Views, Bahrain
Designed for fast, firm conditions, the Montgomerie Course delivers a links-style experience in the middle of the desert — a combination that shouldn't work as well as it does. The championship 18-hole layout is complemented by the nine-hole 'Wee Monty', and both share a signature characteristic: enormous, dramatically contoured greens with wide, open approaches. The back nine of the Montgomerie and the full 'Wee Monty' are floodlit, making evening rounds as much a part of the experience as anything else. Al Mouj Golf — Muscat, Oman
Four miles of Sea of Oman coastline. That's what Al Mouj is working with, and it uses every metre of it. Part of a broader resort development by Majid Al Futtaim Properties and the Sultanate of Oman, the course is visually striking throughout — but the 11th hole is something else. A par three played against open water, it demands precision from the back tees, where a long iron or fairway wood is the only way to find the green. Al Mouj also made history in February 2018, hosting the inaugural NBO Open — the country's step up from the Challenge Tour to the main European Tour. Dutchman Joost Luiten edged England's Chris Wood to lift the title. Golf du Palais Royal d'Agadir — Souss Massa, Morocco
This one is harder to access than most. A Robert Trent Jones Snr design tucked inside the walls of the Royal Palace, Golf du Palais Royal d'Agadir doesn't appear in any Moroccan golf directory. It's private, it's guarded, and for most golfers, it remains out of reach. Which, in its own way, makes it more interesting. Soma Bay Golf, Hidden Coves — Egypt
Opened in December 2025 around 50km south of Hurghada, Hidden Coves is still finding its feet — currently playing as a nine-hole layout, with the full 18 expected to be complete by late 2026 or early 2027. Designed by Tim Lobb, the back nine alone measures 3,053 yards and plays differently to the established Gary Player Championship course next door. Natural coves, coastal winds, sand dunes, wadis, and water features all factor into rounds here. Sustainability was built into the blueprint from the start: Paspalum turfgrass was chosen specifically for its low water and fertiliser requirements. The Golf Club of Lebanon — Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon
Established in 1923, the Golf Club of Lebanon is one of the oldest in the region. The 18-hole, par 71 championship course sits north of Beirut's international airport and shares its home with a full sporting complex — tennis, squash, basketball, swimming, billiards. The course itself has been reshaped considerably over the years: new fairway layouts, mature trees, a purpose-built lagoon for irrigation, and both sand and grass bunkers. It's a club that has quietly evolved while everything around it has changed.