Al Hamra Golf Club in Ras Al Khaimah hosted three Challenge Tour events between 2016 and 2018, and first joined the DP World schedule in 2022, when it was given the rare honor of hosting back-to-back events in February due to the cancellation of the Qatar Masters due to Covid restrictions. Starting with the RAK Championship going for the first time, and then having enough time to roll the greens and fix the slams in the RAK Classic for the following week, the two tournaments were well supported by the members of the tour, with Ryder Cup winner Nikolai Hoggard winning the tournament. Championship and rising Kiwi star Ryan Fox takes the spoils at the Classic.
My trip coincided with Al Hamra hosting the 2023 Ras Al Khaimah Championship, which also attracted a decent field, with Fox and Hoggard both returning to defend their honour, while a full ensemble of stars, including former Ryder Cup player Thorbjorn Olesen and three: was the main Ryder Cup champion and captain Former Ryder Cup Padraig Harrington in the starting line-up.
For the duration of our trip we stayed at the five star Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah which is a short drive and starting point from the golf club and also happened to be where the players are hosted so that was a great thing. Not only to invite you to a pre-event party with all the players, but also to sit down to breakfast every day and admire the golf greats.
Taking the Courtesy Cart to the Course On my training days, I’ve shared a ride with Thomas Bjorn and Padraig Harrington at separate times, which isn’t something you can do in most tournaments! I was also fortunate enough to be invited to play in the Pro-Am for this event, and was paired with rising German star Yannick Böll, who was not only fun to play with, but also a good tackler of the ball.
Our group enjoyed a memorable tour of the excellent Al Hamra course, which, as you would expect for a tour level venue run by Troon Golf, was presented in excellent condition. First opened in 2008, Al Hamra was designed by Peter Harradine, who is responsible for many of the best courses in the Middle East, including the National Course at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
Set on a largely flat piece of land, the holes are laid out around a series of lakes, and as such the water is thick on many of them, most notably on either side of the waterway in the Fifth Third. The 6th and 7th are the first ‘dry holes’ – a strong par 4 and a lovely short hole, and these open 7 holes, along with the 17th and 18th, also have evening golf spotlights and make a perfect 9-hole loop.
The very long par 5 and maximum distance of -4 takes you into the turn before the back nine begins with three very intimidating holes. The 10th and 12th are probably the two toughest 4s on the course, both with greens dangerously close to the lake, and they back a very scenic 3ft with greens standing out in the water.
There is some relief from the water over the next five holes and hopefully an opportunity to take a shot or two on the card. The tour ends on the very intimidating fifth level, threatening water all the way down the right side of the hole to the edge of the triple-layered green. It reminded me of a mirror image in the 18th position of Pebble Beach, with water all around the bottom left.
Sadly, despite our best efforts, our group didn’t win any awards, but we thoroughly enjoyed the day. Yannick just missed cuts in the main tournament, but has since gone on to finish second in events in India and Thailand, and rank high in the DP World Tour rankings, so thankfully his time with me hasn’t hurt his future prospects!
I spent the next two days charging back and forth on the shuttle between the luxurious surroundings of the Waldorf Astoria and the golf course, watching the pros in action. If you haven’t been to a tournament before, or even if you have, I highly recommend coming to this event, because I haven’t been to one where you can get so close to the action or where you can engage with the guys on such an intimate level. Dan Gavins of England won the event with a score of 17 less, and with the reduction approaching at 4 less, it shows just how good these guys are.
The Waldorf Astoria wasn’t too bad either, with 346 spacious and luxurious rooms and suites overlooking the Arabian Sea, eight elegant dining options, including buffet, seafood, steakhouses and Japanese restaurants, as well as a pool and beach bar. There are two large outdoor pools and you are less than a minute’s walk from the 350-metre private beach overlooking azure waters.
Being an hour’s drive north of Dubai, you could easily slip in a game in Al Hamra and stay at the Waldorf Astoria as part of a longer trip to the UAE, but I highly advise giving it more than a couple of extra days to discover what this unique region has to offer. In addition to another championship 18-hole course at the nearby Tower Links Golf Club, there is plenty to do in “Ras Al Khaimah,” as Emiratis know it.
Among the personal highlights was a trip to the nearby desert for a sunset dinner at The Beautiful Sonara camp. Set in the heart of the dunes, it has everything you could ask for, including some fun activities to keep you entertained before dinner. Whether it is short
Camel rides, falcon feeding, sand boarding or live music – it was all watching the sunset. When the camp lit up, it was time for a three-course dinner, accompanied by some unique live entertainment including a captivating fire show and acrobatics. This was not the harvester.
While it was a very peaceful end to the night watching the sun set over the dunes, the same couldn’t be said for the adrenaline packed activities I experienced the next day. The Waldorf Astoria is about an hour’s drive from the stunning Waldorf Astoria Jebel Jais, the highest peak in the Hajar mountain range that offers stunning views from the top of the summit. It’s also home to the world’s longest zip-wire experiment, and on the road bus, our group started to look a little nervous when what was in front of us came to light.
The zip line, Jais Flight, is a 1.8-mile top-down – or rather, side-by-side zip line – soaring through jagged mountain peaks and swooping through deep valleys and roads below. Standing on the top platform, it is certainly a daunting prospect, but simply an experience that cannot be missed. If you’re traveling horizontally in a tangerine jumpsuit while strapped down to a stretcher-style harness at speeds of up to 80 mph for about three minutes is your idea of fun, be my guest. It’s impressive in other ways, but once you get past that initial fear and open your eyes, the views across the circular valleys are awe-inspiring, while the adrenaline rush is off the charts.
Once our heart rate stabilized and our stomachs were back to somewhere close to where they normally should be, we enjoyed a great lunch at 1484 by Puroa mountaintop restaurant named for its elevation meters above sea level which provides more of those great views and some great food – although I gave the oyster dish a miss while I waited for things to settle in my tummy.
As if ziplining wasn’t enough adrenaline for a day, after lunch has somewhat digested, it’s time for the latest activity, Jais Sledder. It’s a sled on a monorail that reaches speeds of 30-40mph – although it feels much faster as you sit so close to the ground – that propels you down the Hajar Mountain range on a winding 1.8 kilometer course. While it may not be as annoying as a zipline, it’s still a must-have if you love seeing the whites of your knuckles as you’re holding on for dear life while your cart circles around hair-raising bobby pins. And like a zip line, it only takes a couple of minutes before it ends, but the memories will stay with you for much longer.
One of the other great experiences of my trip, though a little less stressful than the high wires, was visiting a local pearl farm. Located in the old fishing village of Al Rams, about 20 minutes from our hotel, we boarded a traditional pearl fishing boat and headed to the lagoon to learn about the innovative scientific techniques used in cultivating cultured pearls in modern times and learn about how Emiratis use to dive for natural pearls. We found out Al Suwaidi Pearl Farm, which was located on a floating pontoon, while our knowledgeable guide helped us harvest handfuls of oysters and open them to see if there were any Arabian pearls inside – which there were! Finally, it was a great few hours on the water and a wonderful insight into a centuries old business that is still thriving today in Ras Al Khaimah.
Although it has long been a popular weekend getaway for weary Dubai citizens, Ras Al Khaimah seems designed to attract adventurous travelers from all over the world thanks to its unique blend of natural wonders and man-made thrills both on and off the golf course. . And that seems certain to be fast tracked by the imminent opening of a new island off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah. Scheduled to open in 2026, the island will be a massive entertainment and hospitality complex operated by Las Vegas-based Wynn Resorts, featuring a 1,000-room hotel, 10 restaurants, and, according to the latest reports, the first licensed casino in the area. If it pays off, it will truly be a game changer for Ras Al Khaimah and its future on the world stage.
Serving
Room rates at Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah start at £217 per night. For reservations visit hilton.com
He plays
Al Hamra Golf Club, green fees from £110 for 18 holes, alhamragolf.com Tower Links Golf Club, green fees from £70 for 18 holes, Towerlinks.ae
attractions
Check out all of our adventures and attractions rasalkhaimah.com
He flies
Emirates Airlines offers flights from
United Kingdom to Dubai International Airport (emirates.com). From there it is an hour drive to Ras Al Khaimah