What do legendary British comedy duo, Ant and Dec, four-time F1 World Champion, Alain Prost and little old me all have in common? The answer most certainly does not involve high fame or rich golfing ability, I can assure you - I'm quite confident I let the group down (badly) in that regard.
Instead, it's that we all experienced the breathtaking new clubhouse at Al Zorah Golf and Yacht Club in Ajman earlier this year - the first GEO-certified establishment in the area. We didn't go together, I should quickly point out, but instead happened to briefly cross paths during late March.
Officially opened in February, just in time to host a successful HotelPlanner Tour event - won by Italy's Renato Paratore - Al Zorah GC's fresh jaw-dropping structure is both eye-catching yet subtle and sits proudly at the golf course's highest point.
The positioning and grandeur of said clubhouse makes it the obvious crown jewel in Al Zorah's golf complex. Neatly tucked away inside the spacious multi-purpose building, guests can make use of a chic lobby, dining area, boutique-style pro shop, meeting rooms, changing rooms and gym as well as the beautiful patio or balcony which overlooks the outdoor pool.
Located on the outskirts of Ajman, a 30-45-minute drive up the coast from Dubai International Airport, Al Zorah possesses the ideal level of tranquility without feeling isolated from the major city hubs nearby.
As well as entertainers and racing drivers, golf-enthused cricketers and soccer players are also known to have stopped by in a bid to enjoy the serenity this authentic slice of the UAE has to offer.
If you're looking for the luxury of Dubai but with a slightly more peaceful tone, Ajman and Al Zorah are the places to go.
Another key element to the site's appeal is its award-winning golf course and one million square feet of surrounding mangrove forest, with Ajman neatly tucked in behind. Best experienced from the clubhouse balcony, it's the kind of view which gives you a clearer picture of what a golfing nirvana might look like, especially during the golden hour.
Opened in 2015, the par-72 course is a Jack Nicklaus design which examines every part of your game courtesy of 88 bunkers, two lakes and a host of elevation changes. It was named the Middle East's Best Golf Course at the 2024 World Golf Awards and - unsurprisingly - was far too tough for this mid-handicapper. But then again, most places are...
My favorite hole was the long par-4 ninth. The view up towards the clubhouse is simply sublime and almost makes you forget what a long and tough hole you have in front of you. For what it's worth, I think the two nines are the wrong way round and the course should finish with said view, but I won't argue with the experts and Al Zorah is a wonderful place to play nonetheless.
A vital part of the aforementioned wonderment involves the comforting blanket of mangroves which wrap around much of the golf course. The shrubs are particularly important to Al Zorah as the circa 400,000 plants with roots in the ground store vast amounts of carbon and thrive in a climate most other timber could barely cope with.
Central to the Golf and Yacht Club's passionately-executed sustainability initiative includes the doubling of that current number, and thanks to the dozen or so more that our group of 12 added, it has already made steady progress.
Said trees and multiple interconnected natural lagoons are also home to a plethora of various wildlife species, from birds to fish and small mammals. The changing tides, which stretch from the nearby Persian Gulf, help enrich life in the area and ensure wildlife lovers can enjoy their trip as much as the avid golfer. The moving waters also give two contrasting looks to large parts of a course which is already incredibly special.
In the coming months and years, Al Zorah plans to greatly expand its nature reserve while continuing to operate ecological initiatives four times a year. As someone who not only loves golf but is incredibly conscious of the environment and climate change in particular, Al Zorah's attempt at striking this balance provides me with a huge amount of comfort.
And as if I had any doubt, the golf club's quest to put the natural environment first was perhaps summed up when I enquired whether the increasingly-popular night golf would be implemented at some point in the future. Al Zorah's General Manager, Philip Henderson, told me that aside from the club's 350m floodlit driving range, golf would not take place after sunset while he was in charge as the excess light and noise pollution would upset the very ecosystem he takes such great pride in overseeing.
After sampling almost everything that the golf club had to offer - including the immense food and a much-needed on-course lesson with the club's gem of a pro, Charlie Dell - we headed back to the outstanding Oberoi Hotel, just a five-minute drive away and down far quieter roads than the ones we had painstakingly navigated when departing the airport.
Stay-and-play rates at the Oberoi, which include breakfast at the hotel and 18 holes at Al Zorah, start from AED405pp per night, an absolute snip when you consider the quality of the accommodation on offer.
Ocean view apartments with more than enough space to house a family, two restaurants, the longest pool in the UAE (75m) and a private beach are just some of the luxuries on offer at this sublime location.
While I can't guarantee that you will bump into any celebrities while you're there, I can promise that Al Zorah possesses a wonderful mix of privacy and style which will make you feel like a star. It's an absolute must-visit in the United Arab Emirates and somewhere I will remember forever.
For more information, visit the Al Zorah website.
