Whilst the main event is of course the golfing facilities, the padel provision is not far off. With 12 courts, four being undercover, Viya Padel at the Emirates Golf Club is the largest padel club in the city. The setting allows for stunning morning and evening sessions with incredible views of the Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Lakes Towers skylines and warm breezes sweeping across the courts, occasionally swaying your precision lobs off course.

On top of the golf course - and a further symbol of this bastion of Dubai sport’s willingness to continually evolve and stay ahead of the competition - the club also has a hugely popular Top Golf range, the only one in the city in fact. However, with the padel courts hugging the importantly placed boundary netting you should still be safe from your mate’s best attempts at perfecting their “draw” off the tee (if your golf is anything like ours, this would probably be better described as an aggressive hook). 

Rounding off the ball sports provision are the four state-of-the-art floodlit tennis courts and two glass-backed squash courts.

As is seemingly a requirement across the fitness and wellness-obsessed capitals of the world, padel clubs are not complete without all of the add-ons. For Emirates Golf Club, this means state-of-the-art fitness technology within its resident gym, personal training and fitness class offers, a luxury-style swimming pool, SensAsia Urban Spa, as well as rehabilitation programmes with UpandRunning Rehabilitation, Viya Fit at Emirates Golf Club offers the entire package.

Despite the club being spread over almost 500 acres, it is the proportionately tiny padel facilities that truly create the most noise. If you are near the courts, you can feel the enjoyment radiating from the players and coaches. And if your hearing is as selective as ours, all of the restaurant and bar chat seems to be about bandejas rather than green conditions. 

Think of Emirates Golf Club as a mainstay of Dubai’s ever-changing landscape. In the all-too transient world of Dubai, you might just count your blessings it is. 

So far, Emirates Golf Club is seemingly ticking all the high end padel club boxes. An important one of these, especially for us Àguilas folk, is the food and beverage on display. We appreciate both an understated beer and the occasional indulgence of an overpriced cocktail, but what really delights us is when both options are available within the same four walls. Surprisingly, at this exquisite club, that is exactly the case. 

Find yourself in the no thrills Spike Sports Bar and indulge in a range of globally-brewed beers and international sport (think of this as your spot for a relaxing beer). Alternatively, Jones The Grocer is your step up, offering fantastic post-match food along with a range of wines and vibrant cocktails. Still not enough? Treat yourself and your palate to the adventure that is Carine. This French-inspired venue oozes unpretentious charm and boasts an expansive terrace offering fabulous views of the golf course framed by Dubai’s skyline along the famous and seemingly never-ending Sheikh Zayed Road. With floor-to-ceiling windows, indoor diners can also take full advantage of the views.

Amalfi Iced Tea (FYI, it’s more dangerous than it sounds)

This isn’t a small operation and as expected, with it comes a sizeable behind-the-scenes team in addition to everyone you see on a daily basis. The venue is always beautifully maintained, ensuring that from the restaurant teams, ground staff and coaches you can always be sure to receive the help you require.

With 12 courts to choose from, you might think they have gone for quantity over quality. Not so. Each court is equipped with the traditional blue surface and elegant matching caging. Floodlights allow play to continue beyond the searing desert heat of the day and with the illuminated skyline closeby, this is truly the time to get on court. The courts are distributed across three slightly different spots, all within a few hundred meters of each other. The main row of eight consists of the four covered courts, with two pairs of courts tucked in around the tennis surfaces.

Top-level padel coaches are not easy to find in the new world of padel, but here at Emirates Golf Club, they attract the best of the best. The Academy provides a unique experience for beginner to advanced players through a host of lesson packages and programmes designed to grow your love of the sport. Their coaching team receives constant praise from regular players, and for good reason, with words like patient, fantastic and skilled consistently used to describe their coaching. The team is world-class at elevating the level of padel on show and always devote time to growing the game within new and excited players.

Whether you are growing tired of your usual playing partners or ready to use your racket skills to connect with like-minded individuals, the programme of events here is ready to integrate you fully into the UAE padel community. At the start of your padel journey, the club even offers free thirty-minute taster sessions to whet your appetite for this most addictive of sports. The next step is another free thirty-minute hit with a pro to complete your level assessment, giving you an accurate rating that allows you to enter tournaments, social events and matches with players of similar levels. This setup ensures evenly contested matches at their weekly social nights and ladies’ mornings. One of the most popular offerings is the “Battle With a Coach” option, where you and two other optimistic players can take on a match with one of the coaches. 

Additionally, the club hosts regular ultra-competitive tournaments, with the headline act being the Corporate Padel Classic. However, don’t be put off, if you are more partial to social padel, the Padel & Dine and Padel & Bubbles offers might take your fancy.

The Emirates Golf Club Dubai padel quarter-zip