What’s it like... to play the Earth Course

Charles Whebell

• Last Updated: November 20. 2009 8:14PM UAE / November 20. 2009 4:14PM GMT

The first thing that crosses your mind as you stand on the first tee of the Greg Norman designed Earth Course in Dubai is “well, if most of the holes are like this, the course won’t be as difficult as I had been led to believe”.

To be quite honest, for the professionals, if the weather is good, the course shouldn’t be that difficult.

Just a drive down the middle, find the fairway, which isn’t that hard as most of the fairways are quite wide and there is hardly any rough to speak of, and you should get a straightforward long iron to the green. As a member of the first foursomes to actually hit a ball in anger on the course, I found the fairways on every hole a dream to play from. Wide and divot free, they give even a high handicapper a chance. But beware, for us ordinary club players things do get more difficult.

But, for the professionals? I think they will find the course a bit of a breeze. Many of the holes are protected by deep wide bunkers, but the sand is so soft they are reasonably easy to get out of. I found myself splashing out of the bunkers my approach shots found – and I found more than a few of them – to be easier than escaping from the bunkers at my local course in England, so for the pros they should be a complete doddle.

Indeed, as I stood contemplating my third shot at the 486-yard par four 16th I overhead a number of caddies, who were measuring the course leading up to the big tee off for the Dubai World Championship on Thursday, saying that, with a large lake to the right of the green they might advise their player to hit to the bunkers – taking out any risk of going in the water – and offering a simple splash out on to the green.

I decided to take their advice. My third (for a pro it would his second) went into a bunker on the left, I splashed out to within 10ft or so but missed the putt and had to be content with a six. If I can do that then a pro should birdie the hole or, at the very least, par it.

I had heard horror stories about the 17th, the 195-yard par three island hole.

However, two of our foursome – unfortunately I was not one of them – found the centre of the green. Again, a top professional should find this “target golf” a simple matter – wind permitting.

All in all, the course looks beautiful and played like a dream.

Amateurs will find it a pleasure, but I have a feeling that Rory McIlroy, Lee Westward et al, will find it far easier than most courses they will play in Scotland.

Charles Whebell is deputy sports editor of The National. He played the Earth Course, home of the Dubai World Championship, at a media open day on Monday.