Dubai Creek back in golf’s global gaze for 2026 DP World Tour opener

After a 24-year absence from the DP World Tour schedule, Dubai Creek Resort served as the backdrop to a dramatic finish to the inaugural Dubai Invitational in 2024.

Trailing by one shot to Rory McIlroy on the 18th tee, Tommy Fleetwood carded a closing birdie to claim a one-shot victory as his final-round playing partner paid the price for finding water off the tee to finish in a tie for second.

Two years on, the Ryder Cup duo – and South Africa’s five-time DP World Tour winner Thriston Lawrence who finished as joint runner-up – are again part of a strong field for the first event of the International Swing.

A former host venue of the Dubai Desert Classic in 1999 and 2000, Dubai Creek – a European Tour Destination – is back in golf’s global gaze this week, with its closing hole again likely to be the scene of much intrigue.

But the 423-yard par four, where players face the danger of the Creek to the left and a water expanse to cover for their approach shot, is just one of several holes which have helped Dubai Creek become one of the most recognised courses in the Emirate since its opening in 1993.

From a golf course perspective, while a new irrigation system has helped from an agronomy standpoint, much remains as it was for the inaugural edition.

The main exception is that long rough has been introduced to the right of the 17th fairway, a hole where the Creek guards the entire left side of the fairway.

“We had seen that for a few of the professionals, the safe miss on 17 was to aim towards the tenth green,” said David Taggart, Dubai Creek Club Manager.

“To try and avoid putting internal out of bounds, we've introduced quite a lot of long rough to the right of the 17th fairway and that has had the added benefit of protecting the tenth hole, a fairly short par five.

“There was a very safe miss long of the green at ten. So again, that long rough is extended through there.”

For a course measuring 7,059 yards - the shortest so far this season on the DP World Tour - it was perhaps apt that Fleetwood, a player recognised globally for his iron play, triumphed.

The Englishman was second in Approach – Strokes Gained two years ago, picking up on average 2.23 shots against the rest of the field.

Is it too simple to suggest this is a course where precision is more important than distance?

“I wouldn't go that far, but I would certainly say it levels the field a bit,” said Taggart.

“Maybe we'll learn more this year, but I think with those longer hitters, it doesn't tend to reward you everywhere.

“We're really pleased with how the golf course set up last time. It wasn't overly narrow, tricked up, but the rough was quite deep. So, the rough is [again] very, very penal out there.

“It's always been a golf course that you can put a good number together as long as you're in the right spots and you don't necessarily have to overpower the golf course to be rewarded.

"I think the 13th hole is a really good example of that. It's perhaps one that doesn't necessarily get all the plaudits, but it's a fairly reachable par five.

"I've seen Rory hit driver, five iron in there, but because the green is firm and the surrounds are all shaved off around the green, there's not much reward for taking it on in two.

"Therefore, [many] were laying up short and wedging on just to be in control of their golf shot.

"So, little design quirks like that around the course just mean that you're not always rewarded for taking everything on from a distance perspective.

"The tenth is another example. The way the water just pinches in on the tenth right at about 310 yards means that a lot of the professionals were going five wood [and] five wood to the tenth green as opposed to hitting driver and coming in with a long iron.

"So, there are opportunities to get the driver out and bully the course a bit. But equally, I think the way the course is designed still means that those that can place their way around are rewarded also."

Featuring a Pro-Am format, similar to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the Dubai Invitational sees a 72-hole strokeplay DP World Tour tournament (no cut) played concurrently with a three-day team Pro-Am from Thursday to Saturday, with Sunday featuring professionals only.

There are 3,500 Race to Dubai points on offer to the professional field, who are competing for a $2.75 million prize fund.

Last time around, Fleetwood won with a winning score of 19 under, but Taggart believes a lower total will be required with many of the field having experience of playing the course two years ago.

“The weather seems set fair again," he said. "While there is a breeze [so far this week], it’s not our usual.

“So, I would be surprised if we kept the score below 20 under of this year. I think the the pros know their way around this year, they've had a good look at it.

"I think they'll know how to plot their way around a bit better. I wouldn't be surprised to see 23, 24 under win the tournament again.

"That is all weather dependent. If the wind blows, then 15 under would be a good score.”

Taggart added: "I'll see a lot of passionate long-serving members of the club and the overwhelming sort of thought process before the event started last time was that the course was going to get bullied and we were all nervous that we're going to see 30 under par at the end with the event and it wouldn't stand the test of time because it is fairly short by modern standards.

"But it was really gratifying to see the course ask the same questions of the professionals that it asks of most golfers when they play it. And so, it stood up from that perspective."

While the rough is the major defence, along with fast greens, the role water plays is impossible to ignore.

In total, there are ten holes in which water is in play, with the Creek influencing play on at least four holes, while several artificial lakes enhance the challenge of others.

During the second round two years ago, McIlroy found the water twice off the tee on the eighth to score a quadruple-bogey – which proved pivotal in his runner-up finish.

“It’s a really smartly designed golf hole,” said Taggart.

“It's a really, really attractive flag to someone like Rory. It's hard for him to resist that because the pin is tucked in that back left corner.

“But all the while you do that, the water continues to be in play. The safe shot there is always a held-off fade to the back right of the green and hope that you can take it on and hope you can hole a long putt.”

Arguably the most recognised feature of the course is the sixth tee box, perched out on a floating jetty, and brought in when the course underwent a redesign led by European Golf Design and advised by Thomas Bjørn between 2003 and 2007.

Ranked the sixth hardest hole two years ago, players will likely either face a wedge or a mid-iron for their approach shot, depending on strategy.

“What visually looks like a wide landing zone, the way we prepare the golf course sees the fairway cut all the way to the water on the left.

“So, if you miss the centre line by even five yards with a draw, what can look safe will actually go wet.

"[The water] shouldn't come into play, but where it sits in your mind mentally does just affect the decisions that you make.”