Earth by Greg Norman
The Earth course is a fitting home for the Dubai World Championship. A sharply-defined, sculptured course inspired by the great parklands of Europe and North America, Earth paints a magnificent pastiche of rolling terrain and rushing water. Indigenous flora and fauna underpin the natural environmental balance, while lush, garden-like vegetation and traditional, swift-flowing water features create an oasis of natural beauty. Grass covers not just the playing surfaces, but the peripheral landscaping as well, giving Earth a verdant quality unique in the Middle East.
Rarely has a course received more attention from its creators, improving through frequent visits from the developers of Greg Norman Golf Course Design, The European Tour, Jumeirah Golf Estates and Greg Norman himself. Few courses have ever been under so much scrutiny prior to opening as the eyes of the golf world trained upon it as it prepared for its maiden round in the Dubai World Championship 2009.
Never before has a course been closed to the public for so long, awaiting its debut. Fully grassed since April 2008, Jumeirah Golf Estates gave Earth an unprecedented two full seasons to mature before the Dubai World Championship began in November 2009. Until then, intensive maintenance ensured that the fairways of Earth had the look and feel of an established course but with conditions more pristine than most professional players will have experienced in their careers.
| Hole | Par | Yards | Metres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 454 | 415 |
| 2 | 5 | 583 | 533 |
| 3 | 4 | 452 | 413 |
| 4 | 3 | 245 | 224 |
| 5 | 4 | 407 | 372 |
| 6 | 3 | 186 | 170 |
| 7 | 5 | 572 | 523 |
| 8 | 4 | 461 | 422 |
| 9 | 4 | 499 | 456 |
| OUT | 36 | 3859 | 3528 |
| 10 | 4 | 437 | 400 |
| 11 | 4 | 401 | 367 |
| 12 | 4 | 476 | 435 |
| 13 | 3 | 204 | 187 |
| 14 | 5 | 626 | 572 |
| 15 | 4 | 371 | 339 |
| 16 | 4 | 486 | 444 |
| 17 | 3 | 195 | 178 |
| 18 | 5 | 620 | 567 |
| IN | 36 | 3816 | 3489 |
| TOTAL | 72 | 7675 | 7017 |
