Since 2019, the DP World Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship has been one of the most prestigious of the season after it was elevated to a Rolex Series event.
In 2024 it was destined to generate even more attention than usual, with the tournament becoming the first of two season-closing Play-Offs before the traditional conclusion with the DP World Tour Championship at the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.
However, even though the DP World Tour now has a UAE double-header as its season finale, the host of the first of its Play-Offs events owes as much to courses almost 5,000 miles away as its Middle East location.
In 2022, it was announced that the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship was leaving its regular home of Abu Dhabi Golf Club to head to Yas Links, which is situated on Abu Dhabi's Yas Island.
The course was designed by Kyle Phillips, the man responsible for a modern-day Scottish classic, Kingsbarns. Yas Links, which opened 10 years later, takes plenty of inspiration from the rugged beauty of the earlier masterpiece as well as other famous British and Irish links courses.
Yas Links is rich with rolling fairways, clever strategical bunkering, challenging green complexes and breathtaking views of the sea to offer a sublime mix of tradition and contemporary design.
The closing three holes are particularly special. The par 4 16th has water running along the left side, a huge bunker guarding the right of the fairway and bunkers around the green.
The par 3 17th is arguably the best of the lot, and it's all carry over the water from tee to green. Finally, the 18th is a par 5 with the water along the left of the fairway.
If it all sounds as though Phillips somehow pulled off the implausible task of creating an authentic Scottish-style links experience against the backdrop of the Arabian Gulf, it’s because he did, making the course very unique for the region and one that has to be experienced to be believed.
Luckily, members of the general public can. Depending on the time of year, green fees range between around 880AAD (approximately $217) and 1100AAD (approximately $300) if tee times are booked via the Viya Golf official website.
