The Al Hamra Golf Club is hosting a DP World Tour tournament for the third time. After the first two tournaments in Dubai, the European Tour is making a stop in the northernmost of the seven Emirates as part of the International Swing, which is being organised for the first time this year. We make our way there and land in Dubai in less than six hours, and from there, we continue northwards by car in just under an hour.
Impressive architecture in a style typical of the country
Everything here is more tranquil than in the neighbouring Emirate of Dubai. No skyscrapers dominate the skyline, instead more normal sized buildings. One of the few exceptions is the five-star luxury hotel Waldorf Astoria, built in 2013 in the shape of an Arabian palace, which can be seen from afar.
An extensive renovation of the hotel, part of the Hilton Group, was completed just in time for the tournament. Several areas, including some new ones, now shine in new splendour. Its tastefully furnished 203 rooms and suites offer plenty of space and views of the sea or the golf course.
Our welcome at the hotel is extremely warm. As soon as we enter the lobby, we are overwhelmed by the magnificence and opulence of the palace and the hospitality of the staff. In the centre of the lobby sits a remarkable giant clock, a trademark apparently of every Waldorf Astoria hotel.
Our room is decorated in subtle colours whilst the bathroom, on the other hand, is a different story altogether with its black marble and golden mosaics. From the box seats on the terrace of our extensive room on the 7th floor, we enjoy a panoramic view of the second and third holes of the Al Hamra golf championship course.
Tournament with strong German participants
As accredited representatives of the press, we are up close and personal for the two final rounds of the tournament. Although admission is free, the reasonable number of spectators allows us to experience the golf professionals up close. The winner of the tournament is the Dane Thorbjørn Olesen, who prevails over his compatriot Rasmus Højgaard with a sensational 27 under par and is the proud recipient of the winner’s trophy. We follow these two and Frenchman Frederic Lacroix in the last flight on the final day from the start and are repeatedly impressed by the incredible length of their shots.
Olesen goes into the final round with a four-shot lead over Højgaard. He halved this lead on the second hole with an unexpected double bogey. At the eighth hole, both are level on 22 under par when the preliminary decision of the tournament is made. Højgaard misses his tee shot and makes an unexpected bogey on the par 5. Olesen, on the other hand, bangs his second shot next to the flag and holes out for an eagle. Out of the blue, he is three up again. Højgaard never recovers from this and finishes the tournament six shots behind his direct rival.
Five of the German professionals make the cut. Max Kieffer and Yannik Paul played outstanding final rounds of six and four under par respectively and shared a fantastic fourth place with three other players on 17 under par. Marcel Siem manages an eagle on the final hole, which catapults him up to tied 37th place, where Freddy Schott also finishes. Max Rottluff is tied 59th.
Golf Travel: A sporting challenge for all HCP classes
We play the par 72 course, designed by the internationally recognised golf course architect Peter Harradine, on the days following the tournament and can now see for ourselves what a great achievement the professionals have accomplished. Whilst they had 7,400 yards (the longest course in the UAE) to cover, we have 6,703 from the white tees and 5,815 from the red tees. Indeed five different tees offer a suitable challenge for every skill level.
The mostly flat course, which was established in 2007, continues to be in sensational condition during our rounds and everything is top-notch and well maintained. This makes golfing fun. The course is run by Troon Golf, a company that stands for top quality. We encounter wide fairways, huge bunkers and large, firm and fast greens.
Unsurprisingly, there is plenty of sand on a course surrounded by desert. A total of five million cubic metres were moved to build the course. The fine powder in the bunkers, next to the fairways and in the numerous waste areas makes playing from these a real challenge. The neighbouring development with mostly two-storey buildings in the typical local style is discreet and at a sufficient distance from the fairways.
The routing runs through four interconnected lagoons in the Arabian Gulf, which often come into play. This is the case for the first time on the third hole. On the right-hand dogleg par 5, the tee shot has to be played over the damp water, as does the shot into the green. For us, this hole is one of the most beautiful, also because it offers a great view of the Waldorf Astoria.
The other holes are mostly dead straight and allow for a good score.We also like the tenth, where we have to place our shots into the green perfectly over a frontal water hazard and a bunker behind it.
The 18th hole is the crowning glory of the round. The 576-yard, par 5 is accompanied by the bright blue waters of the lagoon over the entire right-hand side. The opposite side is lined with trees that reach right up to the huge bunker in front of the green. The slightly elevated green, which rises towards the back, allows an aggressive attack that can be rewarded with a birdie or at least a par.
Afterwards, we enjoy a refreshing beer on the terrace of the clubhouse. The building’s normality is impressive and it doesn’t stand out due to its size or unusual architecture.
Our evening round under floodlights is an interesting experience, even if it is not easy for us to get used to the unfamiliar circumstances at first.
The Al Hamra Golf Club attaches great importance to sustainability. It is the first golf club in the Middle East to be run completely plastic-free. It sets a new standard in this respect and thus contributes to the global environmental protection initiative.
Records by the dozen
After our laps, we enjoy the hotel’s own stretch of beach and the adults-only Sunset Beach Lounge with infinity pool. A promenade is being built between the beach and the hotel complex, connecting the neighbouring hotels and inviting walkers and joggers. From here, it will be even easier to watch an absolute highlight along the coast. Stretching for more than 4.5 kilometres, Ras Al Khaimah’s famous New Year’s Eve Fireworks displays have achieved several Guiness World Record titles for five consecutive years.
Like everything else in the hotel, there is plenty of space in the two pool areas and on the beach. The sun loungers and parasols are generously placed apart from each other and offer plenty of privacy. Everything here is also extremely well maintained and of a top standard.
Top culinary delights too
The Waldorf Astoria Hotel has eight restaurants, bars and lounges. The elegant Lexington Grill & Bar offers the finest Wagyu dry-aged steaks and seafood, the UMI serves Japanese delicacies, the brand new Azure serves Mediterranean dishes and the Beach Club Lounge has a little bit of everything. Everywhere we go, we encounter high quality, although this comes at a price, higher than what we are used to in Germany.
The attentiveness , friendliness and politeness of the entire staff is striking. We quickly become accustomed used to their constant smiles and the reserved, warm demeanour, which we would not want to miss.
Plenty of adrenaline on a ride into the depths
Another world record is held by the Jais Flight zipline on the nearby Jebel Jais in the Hajar Mountains. From the start at a height of just under 1,680 meters, you can plunge headfirst into the depths for almost three minutes at a top speed of up to 160 km per hour. With a length of more than 2.8 kilometres, it is the longest of its kind in the world.
To get in the mood for this adrenaline rush, the toboggan run located on the way up is ideal for reaching a maximum speed of 40 km/h downhill.
After these experiences, we stop at the highest restaurant in the United Arab Emirates, which is named ‚1848 by Puro‘ after its height above sea level. The view from here of the Hajar Mountains stretching out before us is sensational.
However, a stay in the mountains offers much more. Various trekking tours and survival training courses lasting from several hours to a full day are offered here. You spend the night in tents in appropriate camps. The annual Highlander adventure attracts a large number of enthusiastic nature lovers who push themselves to the limit in the rugged mountain landscape.
Ras Al Khaimah holds another unique experience, as it was here that pearls were dived for several thousand years ago. Today, the pearls are cultivated in a lagoon. We take a traditional boat from the harbour to the floating information centre of the Suwaidi Pearls Farm, where we learn all about pearl diving and cultivation. Suddenly, a huge flock of flamingos flies past us. The pearls obtained from the oysters here have a maximum size of 13 mm. We are lucky because in the one we are allowed to harvest, we find a small specimen that we can buy.
Haste is the order of the day
Our stay in RAK was a complete success. In addition to the golfing highlights, we got to know parts of the Emirate that we hadn’t expected, but we were absolutely thrilled by them. The unaccustomed tranquility and deceleration we encountered were a pleasure.
This may change in the future, as the construction boom has also started here. Tourism currently accounts for 5% of the gross national product. There are currently around 8,000 hotel rooms, but the aim is to increase this share to 30 % by 2030 and double the number of rooms. So let’s head to Ras Al Khaimah before things get too developed there and perhaps one day become just as hectic as in the neighbouring Emirate of Dubai.
Juergen Linnenbuerger, Cologne/Germany, February 2024