(All photos by Clyde Henderson, MD)
Setting goals is a keystone to achievement in life. Whether it be in relationships, work, golf, or other recreation, having a milestone gives you motivation and focuses your persistence. Golfers know that perseverance, honesty, hard work, and study are tenets that allow one to achieve in life. Having completed playing golf in all fifty states in 2009, I decided that my next golf goal would be to play golf on all seven continents.
I knocked off two of my then remaining three continents just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Asia was my only remaining continent to be played. Although I and many others played a lot of golf in the USA during the pandemic, traveling to Asia was a journey for which I was not comfortable. I spent my time honing my game in the face of age-related skills deterioration and writing multiple articles about COVID-19. The US national emergency for this dreadful pandemic ended on May 11, 2023. With the pandemic over it was time to travel and complete the Seven Continents golf quest.
One of my fellow golfers suggested Dubai, the chief business city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as a potential location for a future couple’s golf vacation. I was all on board particularly since I was not the coordinator of this trip! My wife of many years was very interested in this part of Asia, as opposed to East Asia. So, we traveled to Dubai in the winter of 2025. This time of travel allowed us to escape the cold of midwestern USA winter and yet avoid the oppressive summer heat of the Arabian Peninsula, where the oil-rich UAE is located. This trip was a five couples golf and sightseeing venture which contained plenty of both.
We arrived late on a Sunday night hitting the links on the world-renowned Emirates Golf Club, Majlis Course. This 18-hole gem is the site of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. This first grass course in the Middle East has lush fairways, strategically placed sand traps, and plentiful water penalty areas. The course will consume the golf balls of the golfer who is understandably distracted by the amazing architecture and sounds of this city of over three million people.
There are flood lights on the layout for the night golf which is a major draw for the 104+ degree average daytime summer temperature. Bucket list satisfied within 24 hours of being on the ground in Dubai! Our five golfers played four rounds on four different world-class courses during our weeklong stay. Every player’s scores showed the results of winter rust and the lack of course familiarity. My personal golf highlight was holing out a 43-yard bunker shot for a birdie!
One thing that attracts me to our game is that it allows us to travel and see the world. The United Arab Emirates is an awesome place for golfers and those who do not play. It is a relatively young country founded in 1971. There are thirteen golf courses in Dubai and seven in the capital city of Abu Dhabi. I redundantly mention the architecture, for emphasis, since Dubai is the home of the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. It stretches 2,717 feet into the sky with an incredible observation deck on floors 124 and 125. Other technological innovations and marvels are skyscraper hotels, office buildings, and residencies.
Massive man-made islands which are replete with gated communities and massive beaches are phenomenal feats of imagination and engineering genius. Opulent government buildings, mansions, museums, and mosques are major parts of the culture and amazing attractions for visitors. Despite being oil and natural-gas rich, renewable energy (wind and solar) plays a significant role. Massive desalination facilities (one is the 3rd largest in the world) provide the water necessary for society and the lush golf courses. Suffice it to say, being there to play golf allowed for an overall tremendous experience.
I started playing golf at age 17, on a whim, in Chuck Taylor basketball shoes. Lessons learned in golf have enriched my relationships and career. I have been blessed to become a world traveler most of the time playing golf. Being granted the health and the resources to have played golf in all fifty states and all seven continents is something for which I am truly thankful. The next goal is being figured out!
LIKE THIS STORY? Let us know by leaving a comment below:
Subscribe to The African American Golfer’s Digest NEWSLETTER and follow us Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
Clyde Henderson, MD — Golfing Antarctica, The White Continent in the “2020 Antarctica Nubian Open”
