Travel bucket list idea:
Yas Links Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Last updated: 21 March, 2024
Weaving its way up and down the coast of Yas Island, Kyle Phillips’ wonderful links design is the best in the UAE because it doesn’t try to be more than the sum of its parts. No fake waterfalls, no outrageous features, just 18 holes of classic golf that finish with three of the very best holes in the region.
Every hole is designed with strategy in mind, with plenty of well bunkered dog legs, multi-tiered greens and fescue (grass) rough that’s ready to grab any stray balls that come its way.
There’s a touch of the Kingsbarns in Scotland about it, until you look up and see the distinctive shape of Ferrari World in the distance. There’s even a nine-hole course with floodlights, for some nighttime golf!
Logistics
Price from: £120
Minimum age: 0
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: -
Getting there & doing it
Yas is part of the Troon network of golf courses, which also includes Saadiyat and the famous Abu Dhabi Golf Club. There are good deals to be had with combo tickets for all three. Stay at the salubrious St Regis Saadiyat, 20-minutes away, where you could also play the Saadiyat beachfront course.
When to do it
The course is open all year round, seven days a week. Summertime (July and August) is unpleasantly hot, so get out early – preferably by 6am. Winter is the most popular time to play, so book your tee times in advance. Midweek is more expensive than weekends.
