There’s a certain badge of honour that comes with teeing it up in Dubai in August – and few events wear it more proudly than the Red Hot Open at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Played annually on the Earth course – the Greg Norman design best known as the home of the DP World Tour Championship – the Red Hot Open leans into the season rather than fighting it. All 106 players in this year’s field, a full house of members and visitors, played from the forward tees, a setup designed to take some of the sting out of 18 holes in peak summer conditions. The shorter course delivered on its promise of low scoring, but make no mistake: with temperatures at their August fiercest, this was still a proper examination of heat management as much as golf.
Downham delivers when it matters
Nobody handled either better than Carl Downham. The 2026 JGE Men’s Captain claimed the Gross title with 41 Stableford points – a gross 67 – built on a superb back nine of 22 points, four under gross across the closing stretch.
He needed every one of them. Tom Stephenson, the reigning JGE Club Champion and Amateur Open Champion, pushed him all the way, finishing just a single point back on 40 in a Gross Division that was closely contested from start to finish.
“I was delighted to come away with the win against such a strong field,” Downham said afterwards. “The Earth course is in fantastic condition, especially considering the extreme heat at the moment. A massive thank you goes to the agronomy team for all of their hard work.”
He’s not wrong about the surfaces. Keeping a championship venue in tournament shape through a Dubai summer is one of the more thankless jobs in Middle East golf, and the Earth course’s condition drew praise across the field.
Countback chaos in the Net Division
If the Gross battle was tight, the Net Division was practically a photo finish. All three podium places were decided on 39 points, with countback required to separate them.
Seamus Cross of Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club emerged with the Net title, edging out JGE’s Rabab Alhaj in second and Lewis Morgan in third – Morgan’s place also settled on countback. Three players, one score, and the finest of margins: about as competitive as club golf gets.
In the Ladies’ competition, Megan Dunbar (EGF) took the honours with an excellent 38 points, while the Nearest the Pin prizes – contested on the sixth and 17th – went to Mattias Rejman (JGE) and Mikey Wilson respectively. On-course competitions and Stableford prizes were sponsored by Suited and Booted.
“The Red Hot Open produced some fantastic scoring and multiple countbacks, especially in the Net Division, which shows just how competitive the event was,” said Cameron McWhinnie, Golf Services Manager at Jumeirah Golf Estates. “It was great to welcome a full field of members and visitors in August, and we hope everyone enjoyed the challenge of the Earth course.”
Summer golf in Dubai, done right
The day wrapped up with a prize presentation in the Ballroom – air conditioning presumably never more gratefully received – as players gathered to toast the winners across all divisions.
A full field in the depths of August tells its own story. Summer golf in the UAE has become a genuine fixture of the club calendar rather than an off-season afterthought, and events like the Red Hot Open – with sensible tee setups, early starts and a strong social finish – are a big part of why. On this evidence, JGE’s summer showpiece isn’t going anywhere.
2026 Red Hot Open – results at a glance
Gross Winner: Carl Downham (JGE, 2026 Men’s Captain) – 41 points (gross 67)
Gross Runner-up: Tom Stephenson (JGE) – 40 points (CB)
Net Winner: Seamus Cross (Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club) – 39 points (CB)
Net Runner-up: Rabab Alhaj (JGE) – 39 points (CB)
Net Third: Lewis Morgan (JGE) – 39 points (CB)
Ladies’ Winner: Megan Dunbar (EGF) – 38 points
Nearest the Pin: Mattias Rejman (JGE, hole 6); Mikey Wilson (hole 17).
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