Chris May has been at the forefront of golf's remarkable rise in the Middle East for more than 25 years, helping to shape Dubai into one of the world's leading golf destinations.
As CEO of Dubai Golf, he oversees iconic venues including Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, while overseeing a business that spans world-class golf, hospitality and leisure.
At the 2026 PGA International Members' Meeting at Angsana Laguna Phuket, May will share his insights on leadership, business growth and creating exceptional customer experiences.
Ahead of the event, he discusses Dubai's evolution, the importance of innovation, and why international collaboration and professional development remain vital for PGA Members.
You arrived in Dubai in 1999, when the city and its gold industry looked very different. What did you see in Dubai at that time that convinced you it could become one of the world’s leading golf destinations?
In 1999, Dubai was very different. I had never been to Dubai at that point, and the only people that I did know who had been to Dubai were some European Tour professionals that played in the Desert Classic.
I spoke to a good friend of mine who played in it quite a few times and said, what did he think of coming out to Dubai? I had an opportunity to come out and work at the Creek as the
Assistant Manager, and he said, ‘Chris, it would be a fantastic place for you to go for a couple of years’. It’s a growing place, very hospitable and the weather is pretty good there in the winter compared to the weather in Europe.
I came out for the interview, and I was lucky enough to get the job. I started at the Creek in 1999 and my first week of work was the Desert Classic in 1999 that was won by David Howell, and so it was a very exciting week to have as your first week of work. That set the tone for what Dubai was going to be like until today, 27 years later.
It’s continued to evolve and change, but being honest, back in 1999, I could never have envisaged what Dubai has become. I think when I look back to 1999, not very many people that I knew had been to Dubai.
That is very different now. When I first moved here, my wife came out six months after I first started and she had a job in the pre-opening and opening team at Burj Al Arab - that building definitely put Dubai on the map and still does to this day, and obviously, many other buildings have followed.
Our golf clubhouses at Dubai Creek and Emirates Golf Club have become globally recognised as being iconic buildings in the city. It’s amazing how the city has grown and developed and now it is not only a true global golfing destination, but a true world class tourism destination with amazing experiences, amazing hotels, amazing restaurants, amazing retail and an amazing airline in Emirates that has been integral in all of that growth.
Looking back over almost three decades in the region, what have been the defining moments in the development of golf in Dubai, and where do you feel your leadership had the greatest impact?
One of the reasons why I’ve stayed here for as long as I have is a very dynamic working environment. It’s changing all the time. It’s an amazing attitude here - a can-do attitude to make things happen, consistently evolve and improve, look at doing things differently which is a very motivating environment to work in.
The city has been through some amazing change and when I first came, there were three golf courses - then all of a sudden, 27 years later, the UAE has over 25 golf courses, so it’s amazing to see that growth and development and the whole of the UAE turned into an amazing golf destination.
We’re very lucky to host a number of golf tournaments in the UAE with the Dubai Desert Classic - and then the season ending race to Dubai with the DP World Tour Championship, and the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship and more recently, the Dubai invitational – all of those events attract truly world class fields and really have been instrumental in putting the UAE on the map.
The best players in the world often play in them, whether its Rory McIlroy, whether it’s Tiger Woods, we’re very lucky to have the support of the best players in the world playing which really help focus the global golfing world’s attention on this part of the world.
The success of the early golf courses with Dubai Creek and Emirates Golf Club really set the tone for that growth - I still think they lead the market in many ways, we’re investing a lot in Dubai Creek with full hotel refurbs and hotel rooms on the golf course.
We’re redoing the pro shops, the locker rooms, so it’s nice to see it continuing to evolve and invest in the facilities, so that they stay at the forefront of the industry for the future. That’s one of the things that I’m most proud of - the whole team here.
38 years after the first grass golf course was built in Dubai, Emirates Golf Club is probably still the leading and premier golf club in the region and leads the market which is quite some achievement when you consider the amount of growth and development that’s happened in the city, and to be relevant 38 years later is something that is a big achievement and goes down to the many people which have been involved in the operations and continue to deliver amazing experiences and amazing service to our members and guests.
Pictured: Angsana Laguna Phuket
Dubai Golf has helped establish venues like Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club as recognised facilities. What does it take to keep venues of that stature relevant in such a fast-moving and competitive market?
Dubai Golf, and in particular the venues at Emirates and Creek, have been very important in establishing Dubai as an internationally recognised golf destination. In the early days, it was quite difficult to get tourists to come and take the UAE seriously with only a few golf courses, but over the last 15/20 years, that's changed a lot.
All of the golf courses we have are very high standard, great quality playing surfaces, great service and experiences to be had. Together now, you've got a lot of choice of different golf courses that you could play, whether it's more of a links style, parkland course or some of the newer golf courses that have come along.
They each present a different challenge, and something different from the other golf courses. It’s important to keep investing and developing in the older facilities, and keep them relevant, and I think we've managed to achieve that very well at venues like Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek.
But those venues have continued to evolve, whether it be adding flood lights or developing the restaurant concepts within them, and adapting to the changing needs of customers, members, and guests in terms of their expectations, the service delivery, and the quality of food.
When I look back to one of the things that changed most in this country since I arrived, the restaurant industry is one that has changed dramatically, and probably most in that 27 years.
When I first came, I don't think there were too many world-class restaurants in the city of Dubai or Abu Dhabi at that time, and 27 years later - now there's a really vibrant restaurant scene in Dubai and Abu Dhabi that rivals any other major destination in the world.
You've got pretty much all the best chefs in the world that have a restaurant here, and the options that you have, whether it be locally developed chefs that have opened here, or brands that have come in from overseas, the quality of food and the experiences is really second to none, and to achieve that growth and development change in 25 years is outstanding.
You are often described as one of the most influential figures in golf club management in the Middle East. What leadership principles have guided you from your early career to your role as CEO of Dubai Golf?
If I look at the industry in this part of the world, I've probably been here the longest - in terms of leadership. In the first couple of years that I was here, the educational opportunities for development and growth were not where they should be, so fortunately, an opportunity arose through the Club Managers Association of America, and then latterly, the Club Managers Association of Europe, which I joined and made an effort to go through the exam procedure and the education procedure through the management development program of CMAE, and became the first certified club manager in the region.
I’m pleased to say a few other people have now achieved that accolade, which is great. And in Europe, we now have over 130 certified club managers. That number is much greater in the United States, but that's the benchmark of the industry to have that qualification, so it was great to have that, and education is really important to keep relevant in the market.
We’ve supported the CMAE education over the last decade and I think we’ve hosted 30 or 40 Management Development Programmes in the region, attracting people from the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and MENA (Middle East North Africa) region, from Asia and Europe to come out and develop themselves, to look at the industry here and it’s an opportunity to meet people, but I think that’s probably one the areas where I feel has helped me to develop my education.
In terms of management style, I think it's showing that you're willing to do any job and to be out there and be visible. Our business is all about people, so being around your team, and the members and guests that we have is really important.
Being present and visible is really important, and setting a good example for others to follow, and encouraging others to try different things, and not worry too much about failing once, and at least to not repeat it.
It is something that I've always encouraged with my team, and with our teams here, we've got some really competent individuals. The other thing is ensuring that you surround yourself with really great colleagues who can take the operations to the next level.
You career has combined club management, major event delivery, hospitality, customer experience and business growth. How did you build the breadth of knowledge needed to lead across those areas?
It's interesting looking back on my career, where I've developed as an individual, as a manager, and a person, and I think Dubai has played a big part in that, because some elements of my knowledge and experience when I arrived in Dubai were not what were needed, but I've grown and been exposed to a lot more things than I would have done if I stayed in Europe or elsewhere.
The golf events stand out as things that have constantly evolved and developed, and I’m now proud to say all the golf tournaments that we host in the region are truly world-class golf events with world-class hospitality experiences that compare to anything globally, whether it's in golf or even outside.
When I look back at the UAE, when I first arrived, it was always a very hospitable place. Service was great, but that's on a world-class level now, and in our wider company of Wasl, we're exposed to many other hotel brands, whether it's Mandarin Oriental or One&Only or Hyatt and Park Hyatt, you're really at the top end of the hotel industry there, and so learning from the hospitality industry, the hotel industry, and the restaurant industry is really important in the golf industry.
We've done a huge range of things, from some of the events that we've hosted beyond golf with gala dinners for up to 5.000 people, and concerts and events, whether it be Elton John concerts for 15,000 people, Robbie Williams concerts.
You learn a lot when you do those events, so it's been fun and interesting, and continues to keep me motivated to achieve more and encourage the rest of our teams to challenge themselves and deliver bigger events and better events.
The experience that I've had here has really helped me develop as an individual in extending the knowledge I have based on the experiences that I've had in the UAE, which have been second to none.
Dubai has become a global example of how golf can support tourism, events, lifestyle, business and community. What lessons from Dubai’s growth do you think other international golf markets can learn from?
I think the growth of Dubai and the UAE is a great example to many other tourist areas or potential destinations looking to grow, and it really is a very coordinated effort, from what I've seen, whether it be from the local tourism organisations to the airlines to the hotels to the retail to the clubs. Every aspect is really coordinated and work together as one.
The events are important in delivering that. The business community as well - it really brings everything together, all of the key attributes of the UAE, whether it be in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, to really bring everything together. You can achieve some pretty amazing things when you look at what the assets are and working as a team.
You're generally going to have some challenges along the way but I think when you have challenges in this part of the world, they're dealt with in a really positive way, and there's always a really impressive bounce back from any situation, and with the COVID scenario four or five years ago, this part of the world came out of that in a really positive way, and has been overachieving in many ways since that period, and is a really good example of proactive leadership, quick decision-making, and being able to pivot quickly as a country and as a city has proven to be very highly beneficial for the growth of Dubai as a destination.
"I think that any forum that brings people together from around the world is something that's positive. I think there's so many positive things that can be taken from a gathering, such as the PGA International Members Meeting" - Chris May
You specialise in creating a world-class customer experience. In your view, what separates a good golf facility from a truly world-class one?
In the operations, we've spent a lot of time and effort on looking at the experiences that we deliver across the board, whether it be on the golf course, in our restaurants, the experiences as a member, the experiences as a guest, and really looking at all the touch points whether they're coming for the very first time or perhaps a member that might visit five times a week, each of those visits is important, and it's really important that all of our team understand their role in that.
We have a great culture training program, which we've been doing for the last decade, which is really important for us and all of our team, just to understand what everyone is doing, understand what you really need to be doing, and also the impact on the customer, the guest, the member.
If you do your job well, there's a very good chance they're going to come back again, recommend our club, our restaurant, our gym, our paddle courts, our top golf, whatever it might be, to their friends and to other people in their circle, and that brings long-term success, so it's really those experiences, those memorable moments, creating those special experiences.
We've now got a great team across all of our clubs that really focus on delivering those experiences for members and guests that really connect individuals to the club and make the clubs something very much more special than just venues, so it's really all down to the people, and we're very lucky to have some amazing colleagues in our team, and who deliver consistently on a day-to-day basis amazing experiences for visitors, members, and guests at our club.
You have seen the industry evolve from traditional club operations into a broader leisure, hospitality and entertainment business. How should PGA Members adapt if they want to lead rather than keep pace?
When you look at the development of the clubs in Dubai, I think they did start as traditional golf clubs, and they've become highly successful commercial operations with worldwide recognised golf tournaments hosted on them, and significant restaurant operations and entertainment business that we've just moved into in the last five years with Topgolf.
That development and that evolution to changing demands in the market and changing needs and requirements of members and guests is really important to listen to and to see and to predict and be ahead of the market rather than following the market.
When I look at some of the things that we've done, whether it be put flood lights on our golf courses, develop our restaurants to some of the best restaurants that you'll find in a golf club anywhere in the world, to Topgolf, to the implementation of paddle - we put the first publicly available paddle court into Dubai 15 years ago, we now operate over 29 courts throughout the country.
I think we're the biggest paddle operator in the country, and it's something that we're very proud of, that we were right at the very forefront of the industry when it started off as something very small, and I think it's just one small example of doing things differently, but I think it really all comes back to core business, where golf is our core and it’s really important that we remain relevant and remain at the pinnacle of the golf industry in this part of the world and beyond, and really challenge our team to be looking at the operations, looking at all the details, and continuing to evolve and continuing to be better than we were last week, and the week before, and last year, and learn from other industries, learn from other operations, whether it be other hospitality organisations, just to see how we can do things a little bit differently.
I think one other thing that's very important in all of our lives now is tech. We implemented a member app five years ago, the Viya app, which now has 60,000 active users in Dubai. It drives significant business to our operations. We developed that app ourselves, we're in control of it, and that is a key element and a key driver to growing our business moving forward. In terms of recommendations, it's looking at how you can be different from others and how you can impact change and remain at the forefront of the industry over time.
You have been a strong advocate for professional development and for the role of PGA Members within Dubai Golf and Viya Golf. Why are PGA Professionals so important to the long-term health of the golf industry?
I think development as an individual in this industry is really important. Professional development through education, through travel, through seeing different operations and understanding what's successful in one market may not be a good fit for another market, but pick up all the good ideas, then some of them will be relevant to your organisation.
I think I would encourage anyone to seek out a career internationally, because I think it opens your eyes to different opportunities, different possibilities, different cultures, which I think is incredibly healthy for the industry, and really to develop individuals to a further level.
PGA Professionals are very important in our industry. Golf is the core, and PGA pros are right at the forefront of that. One of my previous bosses referred to the golf professionals as the rock stars of our industry, and certainly the golf professionals are very influential individuals, and great golf professionals are absolutely invaluable for that connection between growing golfers, improving golfers, from beginners to golfers that will consider being members of clubs and encouraging them to ultimately become brand advocates, and understanding the values of this amazing game that we're involved with - some amazing life skills can be learned through golf, and PGA Professionals are invaluable in educating new golfers, in particular, and junior golfers into golf etiquette, and the lessons in life that you can learn from this amazing game.
Pictured: Chris May
Many PGA Members attending the International Members’ Meeting will be considering careers overseas. What advice would you give to someone who wants to build an international career in golf but is unsure where to begin?
I would highly recommend any PGA Member attending the International Members Meeting - travel is really important in widening your horizons to see different opportunities, but also an event like this gives you the opportunity to meet other like-minded individuals, and will put you into situations where you have the chance to discuss and put yourself in a position to be considered for any roles that may be coming up and create a good impression with any potential employer, so it's something that I think is a very healthy thing to do, even if it's just to pick up new ideas and new ways of doing things and look at things differently.
The International Members Meeting gives you an opportunity to do that, but also to meet many other people who are already enjoying careers overseas, and can help them grow as individuals, and it's a great starting point if it's something that you're considering doing,
Your influence has not only been about managing golf clubs, but also about helping shape Dubai’s reputation as a golf destination. What responsibility comes with being a leader whose decisions can influence an entire market?
I think it’s a great responsibility, and something that I don't take lightly to have the role that I have. I first of all enjoy it greatly, and the role stimulates me and motivates me to continually improve and develop myself, but also the teams around me, and I think it's just working in this environment, there is an amazing attitude of getting things done, making things happen, and you feel that you're part of the team UAE, the team Dubai, the team Abu Dhabi.
Everyone is working in the same direction, and when that happens, you can achieve amazing results, and it's incredibly motivating to be in that team environment where you feel that you are making a difference not only to the team that you're working with but perhaps to the golf destination itself and being part of that development of the UAE as a golf destination.
Just feeling a part of that and feeling that you have some influence is really important, and it's something that actually does happen in this part of the world where you are listened to by various people in other support areas and other stakeholders who value your knowledge, value your experience, and you might not always be right, but you will always be listened to, and I think that’s really important.
The PGA International Members Meeting brings together PGA Members and industry figures from around the world for learning, networking and professional development. Why is this the right platform for you to share your story, and what do you hope Members take away from your session?
I think that any forum that brings people together from around the world is something that's positive. I think there's so many positive things that can be taken from a gathering, such as the PGA International Members Meeting.
It's something that I would encourage anyone to be part of, and I look forward to joining everyone for the first time and this time in Thailand later in the year, and networking with many of my colleagues who I've worked with for a long time, and some more recently, but it'll be a great opportunity to share best practice and share some of the new things that are happening, some of the things that are trending in our industry, some of the challenges, and some of those solutions as well.
All in all, it’s a great few days that will be very worthwhile for everyone taking part. I'm looking forward to October and meeting everyone down in Thailand.
