Tiger Woods to design new Dubai golf course

The first big project associated with the golfer in Dubai, planned for Dubailand, became one of the biggest casualties of the property downturn and was never built.

Trump World Golf Dubai will be set within Akoya Oxygen. Pictured is an earlier rendering of Akoya Oxygen with an unnamed golf course. Courtesy Damac

DUBAI // Tiger Woods plans to take another swing at golf course development in Dubai after his first drive ended in the bunker.

The golfing superstar will design the new 18-hole championship golf course in Dubai to be built by Damac Properties and operated by The Trump Organisation.

“Tiger Woods is one of the most famous and iconic sportsmen in the world who will bring his design expertise and worldwide playing experience to this amazing development,” said Ziad El Chaar, managing director of Damac Properties.

But the first big project associated with the golfer in Dubai was never built.

The Tiger Woods golf course planned for Dubailand became one of the biggest casualties of the property downturn.

Launched in 2007 by Tatweer, the developer of Dubailand, it should have been finished about five years ago. But work ground to a halt in the wake of the 2008 property crash, where 100 luxury villas were planned in addition to 75 mansions and 22 buildings being marketed as “palaces”.

Since then Woods has designed projects in Mexico and the United States. His first course to open for play will be El Cardonal in Mexico, which is scheduled to open before the end of the year.

He said: “I’ve been fortunate to play great golf courses all over the globe, from the original links courses in Scotland to the famous parkland courses in America and the distinctive layouts on the sandbelt of Australia. I hope to bring elements of those great courses and others to the Trump World Golf Club Dubai with the end result being a course that golfers will want to play again and again.”

Set within the 55 million sq ft Akoya Oxygen, the ‘Trump World Golf Club, Dubai’ will include what the developer claims will be some of the highest premium, residential developments in Dubai overlooking the course.