Renowned architect Robert Trent Jones Jnr has been commissioned by the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) to create a unique ‘tidal course’ on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island.

“Jones’ credentials are second to none, and are compelling when selecting a designer who can deliver a championship course which is informed by its natural environment and which also makes keen financial sense,” said Lee Tabler, chief executive officer of TDIC, the project’s developer.
Tabler noted the power of Jones’ capabilities can be judged by the fact all leading professional golf association tournaments – the PGA Tour, the Senior PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour, the Asian Tour, the PGA European Tour, Australian Tour, World Cup and the World Match Play Championships – have been staged on courses designed by Jones.
The course – the first to be undertaken in Abu Dhabi by the son of famed course architect Robert Trent Jones Sr – will be located in the resort’s Saadiyat Reserve District, whose landscape is characterised by dramatic tidal flats. Designs of the 175-acre course, part of a larger 321-acre Saadiyat Reserve golf resort destination, are nearly ready, with groundbreaking set for early this year.
Jones has been commissioned to produce a course which will flood in accordance with tidal movements around the island.
Meanwhile, TDIC is progressing well with the championship Saadiyat Beach Golf Course – the UAE’s first signature Gary Player course and the Gulf’s only ‘ocean’ course with several beachfront holes. The course is due to open in the third quarter of next year.