Here is the thing most people get wrong about Ras Al Khaimah: they think you have to drive to Dubai or Abu Dhabi for a serious round of golf. You do not. RAK is home to a championship course that has hosted the DP World Tour, plus a second 18 hole layout threaded through a protected mangrove reserve. Whether you are a single figure handicapper chasing a tour standard test or someone who has never held a club, this is your complete 2026 guide to golf in Ras Al Khaimah.
We have built this as the golf chapter of our wider guide to sport and fitness in Ras Al Khaimah, so once you have sorted your tee time you can plan the rest of your active week here too.
Al Hamra Golf Club: the championship course
If RAK golf has a flagship, this is it. Al Hamra Golf Club is an 18 hole championship layout in Al Hamra Village, designed by Peter Harradine and opened in 2007. It became an official DP World Tour venue in 2022, the first championship course in the Northern Emirates to earn that status, and it has stayed at the top table since. This is the course locals and visitors picture when they think of golf in Ras Al Khaimah, and it lives up to the billing.
Al Hamra Golf Club
Al Hamra Village. 18 hole, Par 72 championship course designed by Peter Harradine, opened 2007. DP World Tour host venue. Floodlit night golf on a separate nine, The Academy by Troon Golf, driving range, pro shop, club hire and The Bay sports bar. Tee times and rates at alhamragolf.com.
The course
The numbers tell you it means business: a Par 72 that stretches to roughly 7,400 yards from the back tees, with five tee options on every hole. That last detail matters more than the headline yardage. It means a first timer and a low handicapper can play the same course on the same day and both have a fair game. The routing weaves around four connected open water lagoons that blend into the Arabian Gulf, so water comes into play often enough to keep you honest, and the whole thing is as good to look at as it is to play.
The tournament pedigree is real. Al Hamra hosted back to back DP World Tour events in 2022, the Ras Al Khaimah Championship and the Ras Al Khaimah Classic, and the Championship has returned every year since through 2023, 2024 and 2025. Before that it ran the European Challenge Tour for three years from 2016 to 2018. It is also one of the more environmentally minded clubs in the region, billed as the first fully plastic free golf club in the Middle East.
Green fees and booking
Green fees shift by season, time of day and day of the week, the way they do at every UAE course, so check current rates on the official website before you book rather than trusting an old number. You can book a tee time directly through alhamragolf.com, and the club also lists slots on the Playtomic app. Visitors are welcome, you do not need to be a member to play, and annual memberships are available if RAK becomes your home course. Club hire and a pro shop are on site, so you can travel light and still tee off.
WOW-RAK Expert Tip: Twilight and night golf slots are usually the best value of the day, and the cooler late light is far kinder than a midday round. If you are watching the budget, book an evening tee time rather than a morning one.
Night golf
This is the clever bit, and it is genuinely one of the best reasons to play here. Because daylight is short for much of the year, Al Hamra runs night golf under zero pollution LED floodlights, using a composite nine built from holes on the front and back of the championship course. It is the perfect after work round, and the club runs themed evenings through the week, including a midweek community night and a family night where juniors can play alongside paying adults. Golf under the stars with the Hajar Mountains as a silhouette is a proper bucket list experience even if you only do it once.
Night golf rates and which evenings are running change by season, so confirm the current schedule and prices on the club website before you head over. The line up has recently included a Tuesday community night and a Saturday family golf night, but treat that as a guide rather than a guarantee.
The Academy by Troon Golf
Never swung a club? Al Hamra is one of the easiest places in the Northern Emirates to actually start, rather than just talk about starting. The Academy by Troon Golf runs structured programmes for every age and ability under PGA teaching professionals, including:
- A Ladies Academy with a weekly group coaching session, open to all ages and abilities.
- A Junior Academy split by age, from Tiger Cubs aged 5 to 8 through to Young Masters aged 9 to 16, plus a wider junior development programme.
- A mixed adult group for men and ladies learning together.
- One to one lessons with video analysis and launch monitor ball flight data, available six days a week.
Lesson and academy pricing is set out clearly on the club website by programme, and the packages run on fixed week blocks, so check current academy rates and the latest timetable there before booking.
WOW-RAK Expert Tip: If golf is a maybe rather than a yes, do one individual lesson or join a single group clinic before you commit to a full block or a membership. You will know within one session on the range whether the bug has bitten.
The Bay
Every good round earns a 19th hole. The Bay is the club’s sports bar inside the clubhouse, with an outdoor terrace that looks straight out over the 18th green of the championship course. Recently refreshed inside, it runs daily happy hours, themed nights with live entertainment and full menus from breakfast through to late, so it works whether you played, came to watch the sport on the big screens or just turned up for the view.
The Bay
Al Hamra Golf Club clubhouse, Al Hamra Village. Sports bar with a terrace overlooking the 18th green, daily happy hours, fully licensed bar, big screens and themed nights.
Read more: The Bay sports bar at Al Hamra Golf Club.
Facilities and other sport at the club
Beyond the course, Al Hamra packs in a driving range, putting and chipping practice areas, a pro shop, club hire and its own gym. It is also the home of RAK’s main padel scene, with indoor courts run in partnership with Alif Sports, so a golf club membership here plugs you into more than just the fairways.
Read more: padel with Alif Sports at Al Hamra Golf Club.
Tower Links Golf Club: the mangrove course
RAK’s second course is one of the most distinctive in the country. Tower Links Golf Club sits on the edge of RAK City, designed by Gerald Williams and open since 2004. It is an 18 hole, Par 72 layout measuring around 7,098 yards from the back tees, and its calling card is the mangrove reserve: as many as 11 of the 18 holes weave through protected mangrove wetland that is home to fish and birdlife, with the Hajar Mountains framing the horizon. Several holes ask you to carry water or salt marsh to reach the fairway or green, which makes for a genuinely different, natural test compared with a manicured resort course.
It is a fully operational members and visitors club. There is a driving range, putting and chipping greens, a dedicated teaching tee, a pro shop, the Links restaurant, the Bunker Lounge and Grill and a spa. Each hole has four tee boxes, so like Al Hamra it caters to every standard from beginner to scratch. Visitors are welcome and you can book a tee time directly through the club website.
Tower Links Golf Club
RAK City, on the edge of the mangrove reserve. 18 hole, Par 72 course designed by Gerald Williams, open since 2004. Driving range, teaching tee, PGA academy, pro shop, restaurant and lounge. Green fees and tee times at towerlinks.ae.
Green fees vary by season here too, so check current rates on the official site before you book. Tower Links also runs a golf academy with PGA professionals, a private teaching tee and a short game area, with coaching available seven days a week for individuals and groups of all ages.
Learning to play: academies and juniors
One of the quiet strengths of golf in RAK is how beginner friendly it is. Between the two clubs you have a serious amount of coaching firepower for an emirate this size.
- Total beginners and ladies: the Ladies Academy and mixed adult group at The Academy by Troon Golf at Al Hamra are built for people starting from zero, in a relaxed group setting.
- Juniors: Al Hamra’s junior programmes run from age 5 right up to 16, so there is a pathway for kids whether they are just having a swing or are genuinely keen.
- Improvers and serious players: one to one lessons at both clubs use PGA professionals, and at Al Hamra the private sessions add video analysis and launch monitor data to actually fix your swing rather than just hit balls.
Whichever you pick, confirm the current timetable and pricing with the club before booking, as programmes run in fixed blocks and the schedule moves with the seasons.
Practical tips for golf in RAK
Best season to play
The prime golf season in Ras Al Khaimah runs from October to April, when the weather is comfortable through the day. In the hot months from May to September the smart play is early morning or, better still, a floodlit night round at Al Hamra. The DP World Tour visits in winter for good reason, the conditions then are about as good as golf gets.
Dress code
Both clubs expect standard golf attire: a collared shirt, tailored shorts or trousers and proper golf shoes with soft spikes. Leave the gym vests, denim and football shirts at home. If in doubt, dress as you would for any UAE club and you will be fine.
How to book a tee time
Book directly through each club’s website, alhamragolf.com or towerlinks.ae. Al Hamra tee times also appear on the Playtomic app. Weekends and winter evenings fill up, so book ahead rather than rocking up and hoping, especially around tournament weeks at Al Hamra.
Getting there
Al Hamra Golf Club is in Al Hamra Village on the coast, easy to reach from the Al Marjan and Al Hamra hotels and a straightforward drive from Dubai up the E311 or E611. Tower Links is closer to the city centre on the RAK City side, near the mangroves. Both have ample parking. If you are coming up from Dubai for the day, see our guide on the best things to do in Ras Al Khaimah so you can build a full day around your round.
Plan your golf trip
So, golf in Ras Al Khaimah: a DP World Tour championship course at Al Hamra, a one of a kind mangrove layout at Tower Links, floodlit night rounds, two solid academies and a sports bar overlooking the 18th to finish. For an emirate this compact, that is a serious golfing offer. Pick a course, book a tee time this week and go and find out for yourself.
Want to fill the rest of your trip? Golf is just one chapter of our full guide to sport and fitness in Ras Al Khaimah, which covers everything from padel and karting to hiking the Hajar Mountains.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, two. Al Hamra Golf Club in Al Hamra Village is an 18 hole, Par 72 championship course that has hosted the DP World Tour since 2022. Tower Links Golf Club in RAK City is a second 18 hole, Par 72 course built around a mangrove reserve. Both welcome visitors.
Green fees vary by season, day and time of day, so check current rates on the official website at alhamragolf.com before booking. Twilight and night golf slots are usually the best value, and the club also lists tee times on the Playtomic app.
Yes. Al Hamra runs night golf under zero pollution LED floodlights on a composite nine made up of holes from the front and back of the championship course. The club runs themed nights through the week, so check the current schedule and rates on the club website before you book.
Absolutely. The Academy by Troon Golf at Al Hamra runs a Ladies Academy, a mixed adult group, junior programmes for ages 5 to 16 and one to one lessons with PGA professionals. Tower Links also has a PGA run academy with coaching seven days a week for all ages and abilities.
There are two full 18 hole golf courses in Ras Al Khaimah: Al Hamra Golf Club and Tower Links Golf Club. Al Hamra also offers a separate floodlit nine for night golf using composite championship holes.
The prime season runs from October to April, when daytime conditions are comfortable. In the hotter months from May to September, play early morning or take advantage of floodlit night golf at Al Hamra.
