Harradine Golf has completed the subgrading phase of the Mudon Golf Course in Dubai, UAE. The company will now head into phase two of the project.

The new course proved a challenge from the start, with difficulties arising from the origination of the master plan.

"The layout is quite unusual as the urban planners designed the complete master plan, including the golf course layout, without the aid of a golf course architect," said Peter Harradine. "This unfortunate situation led to three distinct pockets within the project which had to be 'filled up' with golf. Protracted negotiations with Dubai Properties and the urban planners led to an equitable and mostly satisfactory compromise."

The par 72 course has a total length of 6,936 yards from the back tees and will feature a distinct, historical Arabian theme. The eighteenth hole in particular stands out. It is a dogleg par five, and offers a direct play over a large lake to reach the green in two shots for a possible finishing eagle.

The theme for the development is based on five Arabian cities (Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus and Marrakesh) in their traditional urban form, with residential areas based on typical courtyards resembling historic Arabian city centres.

This article first appeared in issue 14 of Golf Course Architecture, published in October 2008.