Golf Course Scouting Report: Jumeirah Golf Estates (Earth Course)

The Race to Dubai is finally culminating in - you guessed it - Dubai. The DP World Tour Championship takes place this week, and the winner of the season-long Race to Dubai will be crowned on The Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Opening in 2009, The Earth Course is a wild and visually intimidating Greg-Norman design. At over 7700 yards, it is extremely long and features unique greens with narrow finger-like protrusions that create virtually impossible hole locations. It is always interesting to watch the world's top golfers contend with these challenges as sand and water await the slightest off-line shots.

Overall: 7.40 - The Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates is a second-shot golf course of in-your-face visual intimidation demanding extreme precision, particularly on the back nine.

Memorable Holes: 9.0

As I discuss on my podcast, Linksworms, The Earth Course has many standout holes with exotic green shapes and enormous deep bunkers reminiscent of Augusta National. The best examples of this come at the par threes and the water-filled finishing holes, but there are a few other highlights throughout the round. The 626-yard 14th, for instance, is a very good par five with water lurking to the right of a green surrounded by bunkers. There are also a number of holes, such as the par-four 12th and par-five 18th, that are framed by the imposing Dubai skyline. The Earth Course is quite a dramatic layout.

Interest: 7.0

The previously mentioned shapes of the putting surfaces keep golfers on their toes throughout the round. We see this right out of the gate on the first three holes as the greens contain different crevices guarded by bunkers. The par-four 15th is particularly interesting as it involves some strategy off the tee; only 371 yards, the landing area is surrounded by bunkers including in the center of the fairway. The second shot plays uphill to a very long green with many entirely different hole locations.

Par Threes: 7.0

The short holes at The Earth Course are long and very difficult. They begin at the mammoth 245-yard fourth with a green surrounded by bunkers; this green features a shallow finger protruding on the left side. The 186-yard sixth is the shortest hole on the course and plays entirely over water; the water also comes into play just long and left of the green. The 13th hole measures 204 yards and hosts one of the wackiest greens on the course; it is shaped sort of like a three-pronged boomerang with three narrow tentacles extending to the left, front right, and back right. The final par three is the 195-yard 17th; the island green at this stressful hole looks like a T-bone steak and is surrounded by shaved runoffs that lead down to a watery grave.

Difficulty: 6.5

Although set up much differently than last week's Yas Links, The Earth Course is another example of target golf. The fairways are relatively wide, and the professionals are so accurate with short irons and wedges that they will be able to navigate the severe greens and hazards at Jumeirah Golf Estate. This course looks to be a bit more difficult than Yas Links because of its length and exacting green complexes. Nevertheless, we should expect to see a winning score around 20-under par as we typically have at the DP World Tour Championship in recent years.

Finish: 7.5

Another aspect similar to last week, the final three holes are the best part of The Earth Course. The 16th is a terrifying 486-yard par four that doglegs to the right; positioning is key off the tee as shots that drift to the right result in an obstructed view of the green due to a tree that sits just off the fairway. You'll want to see the green on this hole since it wraps around a lake with the very shallow right half actually sticking out into the lake. The aforementioned par-three 17th is also no picnic.

The par-five 18th is a quality finishing hole; a whopping 651 yards, this dogleg right is most definitely a three-shot hole when played from the tips. A beautiful little creek runs down the right side and cuts into the fairway, splitting it into a left and right side before snaking in front of the green. Players will need to decide how far to hit their second shot and which side of the fairway to play to in order to both avoid the creek on the layup and give themselves the best opportunity to put the third shot close. This huge hole creates an intriguing and strategic finish to the round.

For the criteria used to determine these ratings, please click here.