How to Start Golf in Dubai as a Woman: A Beginner's Guide

You do not need clubs, a handicap or a golfing friend to start playing golf in Dubai. You need one group lesson a week, comfortable clothes and a few weeks of practice. This guide walks you through the first steps: which lesson to book, what it costs, what to wear and what happens after your first season.

Why start with group lessons

Golf looks hard from the outside because nobody shows you the basics. A group lesson fixes that. A coach takes you through grip, stance and a simple swing. You practise putting and chipping before you ever hit a long shot, and you learn the etiquette that makes a golf course feel less intimidating.

Learning in a small group also takes the pressure off. Everyone in the group is at a similar stage, so nobody is watching your swing but the coach. That is the idea behind Chicks With Sticks: women-only lessons, so the first time you pick up a club you are among women learning the same thing.

Step 1: Pick the right level

Chicks With Sticks runs four lesson levels. If you have never played, start with one of the first two.

• Mixed Ability: a relaxed, social introduction for complete beginners, or anyone sharpening their core skills, in groups of up to 10 women. A good choice if you are booking with friends. It runs at Montgomerie Dubai (Emirates Hills) and at Yas Acres on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
• Beginner: the start of the Learning Pathway, in groups of up to 7 women. Each lesson covers three key skills (putting, chipping and range work) plus golf etiquette, drills and games. You get a Beginner Passport to tick off your skills. By the end of the pathway you have the skills to play on a course for the first time. Beginner lessons run at Els Club Dubai in Dubai Sports City.
• Intermediate: for women who have finished the Beginner Pathway or already have some on-course experience. It adds course play, decision-making and scoring.
• Advanced: for women who play Par 3 or full courses regularly, have their own clubs and hit the driver 150+ yards consistently.

Not sure? If you have never held a club, choose Beginner or Mixed Ability. You can move up once you have the basics.

Step 2: Know what it costs

Lessons are sold as a season package rather than one lesson at a time. A season is 5 weeks, with one group lesson a week, and includes access to practice facilities for the whole season.

Equipment is provided for Mixed Ability and Beginner lessons, so you do not need to buy clubs before you know you love the game. Own clubs are recommended for Intermediate and required for Advanced.

If you plan to keep going, annual membership (650 AED a year, running 1 September to 31 August) gives 10% off every lesson package and lets you book lessons before they go live. It also includes early-bird access to events and discounted green fees Monday to Thursday at The Els Club and the Arabian Ranches Par 3.

Step 3: Book at the right time

Booking for each season opens two weeks before the season starts, and popular time slots fill first. The current season runs from 26 October to 29 November 2026, and the next season begins on 11 January 2027. If booking is not open yet, register your interest on the lessons page and you will be told as soon as it opens.

Lessons run early in the morning and in the evening, which helps in the UAE heat. Beginner sessions at Els Club Dubai this season run on weekday evenings and on Monday and Friday mornings.

Step 4: What to wear and bring

• Clothes: anything comfortable you can move in. Activewear or golf-style clothing is perfect, and there is no need to buy a golf outfit for your first lesson.
• Shoes: trainers are fine. Golf shoes are a nice extra later, not a requirement.
• Clubs: provided for Mixed Ability and Beginner lessons.
• For the heat: a cap, sunscreen and a large water bottle, even for evening sessions.

Step 5: What happens in your first lesson

Expect a warm welcome, a short introduction to the coach and the group, and then straight into the basics. In Beginner lessons you cover three skills per session, usually putting, chipping and range work, with simple games that make practice fun. You will not be sent out onto a full course on day one. The pathway builds up to that.

Between lessons, use the practice facilities included in your season. Ten minutes on the putting green or a small bucket of balls on the range between sessions makes a visible difference by week five.

Step 6: Keep going after your first season

Most women who stick with golf do it because of the people they play with. Chicks With Sticks started in March 2021 as a WhatsApp group and has grown into a community of over 2,000 women across the UAE. Once you have a season of lessons behind you, our events, from Par 3 competitions to ladies' clinics, are the easiest way to play with others at your level.

When you have finished the Beginner Pathway, the next step is Intermediate lessons. They focus on course play, choosing the right shot and keeping score, so you can play on your own with confidence.

Ready to pick up a club? See this season's beginner lessons in Dubai or the Mixed Ability lessons in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.