Welcome to your FREE January edition of Golf Digest Middle East for 2026.
A new year begins the only way it should in this part of the world, with elite golf front and centre in Dubai. As the calendar turns, the Hero Dubai Desert Classic once again sets the tone for the season, bringing the global game back to one of its most iconic stages.
Rory McIlroy returns to Emirates Golf Club as World Number Two, marking 20 years since he first teed it up here as a teenage amateur in 2006. He leads a world-class field that includes Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and the very best of the DP World Tour, all chasing early momentum on the Majlis course.
Dubai resident and former champion Rafa Cabrera Bello walks us through three of the Majlis’ defining holes, sharing the decisions that matter most when the pressure is on. Alongside him, Emirates Golf Club Senior Teaching Professional Tom Ogilvie breaks those same holes down from an amateur’s perspective, offering practical advice you can take straight to the course.
Ryan Fox is making his 10th start in Dubai and reflects on a tournament that helped shape his career, as well as his long-standing involvement with Arena, giving him a rare behind-the-scenes view of what it takes to deliver one of the Tour’s flagship weeks.
Elsewhere in the region, we look ahead to the Dubai Invitational at Dubai Creek Resort, where course upgrades and firmer greens are set to provide a fresh challenge. We look back at the transformation of Bahrain’s Riffa Golf Club to what it is today as the Royal Golf Club, while 14-year-old Qatari talent Daniil Sokolov prepares for his third appearance at the Qatar Masters.
Saudi Arabia continues to grow its presence in the game too, with Qiddiya City set to host the Faldo Series, led by Sir Nick Faldo, plus all the latest updates from the Arab Golf Federation.
Beyond the Middle East, we dive into golf’s coolest records, revisit Walter Hagen’s famous 54-hole journey along England’s south coast, and take a look inside Bud Cauley’s bag. As always, there are tips and insights throughout the issue designed to help you play better golf straight away.
From all of us at Golf Digest Middle East, we wish you a happy, healthy and inspiring start to 2026.
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