With golf in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia having only been introduced in 1949, on what was a sand golf course called Rolling Hills Country Club in Dhahran, it’s stunning to see the speed at which the game has taken off, and the way the country has got into the swing of things.

The golf push we are seeing in Saudi is part of a larger “Vision 2030” strategy, campaigned by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with golf being a part of bolstering the kingdom’s entertainment and tourism offerings.

There are three professionals in Saudi Arabia who have had a first-hand part of the growth. Othman Almulla, the country’s first professional golfer and his counterparts Faisal Alsalhab and Saud Alsharif who have both a year under their belts as professionals.

Golf Digest Middle East sat down with the trio, as they talked through the route, vision and journey the Kingdom is taking within the game of golf.

“To see how the landscape of golf in the region and the Arab world has changed dramatically has been A) super exciting to be a part of and B) super fortunate to be a part of these opportunities that we have been given,” said Almulla.

Othman Almulla – (Harry Grimshaw)

“I think we can see year in and year out the growth. It’s amazing to see the opportunities myself and my two fellow Saudi professionals, Faisal and Saud are getting. We are being given opportunities to playing on the Challenge Tour and on the Asian Tour against some amazing golfers.”

“Golf opens doors and possibilities to show that it is a career path – growing up for me and my friends football was our path, golf wasn’t,” said Alsalhab.

“But now, what the government is doing with Vision 2030, the Ministry of Sports and all the federations that are getting involved, it is such a big opportunity for every youth in Saudi to show they can do something different.”

Almulla continued, “I think we are always looking for the immediate change and a lot of the things that are being put in place now will have a dramatic effect in 10 years from now.

“Yes, we do have our own personal goals and things we want to achieve in our own game but I think it’s important to know that it’s a long term game that we are all playing.”

“A lot of countries that have developed golf have had the game for 100 plus years, whereas just the transformation we have had here in Saudi Arabia in five years, it has been unbelievable. So I’m excited to see where the next five years will take us.

“We have us three professional male golfers, so hopefully some of the Saudi national ladies will follow suit and take advantage of the game with the help of the Ladies European Tour and having events like the Aramco Saudi Ladies International, this will then also hopefully inspire more of the Arab population take up the game.”

Othman might be classed as a ‘veteran’ in the game, even though he is only 37-years-old, himself alongside Faisal and Saud still get the buzz of their home Open to look forward to in April.

The Saudi Open presented by the Public Investment Fund is being staged for the fourth time at Riyadh Golf Club, on a course that has undergone major changes by the team at Golf Saudi, with Riyadh Golf Club as their HQ, in being transformed to stage the Asian Tour’s US$1 million tournament.

Riyadh Golf Club

This year’s Saudi Open will infact see the strongest Arab playing field amassed for this most recent leg on the 2024 Asian Tour schedule. 12 spots will be distributed amongst the top Arab players based on their World Amateur Golf Ranking and Official World Golf Ranking, chosen through their performance at top events across the region to give them the opportunity to compete in Riyadh.

“I am definitely looking forward to it,” said Alsalhab. “It’s the event that you want to do well in. 

“You are playing your home course and you have family and friends there so you want to do well for them – and you want to show new people that they can support you and maybe pick up the sport as well.

“They have pulled back some tees and built some tee boxes. They can get the greens running super quick. The overseed has come through so the rough is up and they’ve even built a new clubhouse.”

Saud Alsharif – (Harry Grimshaw)

Despite turning pro at the age of 23, Saud Alsharif is the youngest Saudi professional out of the trio, as he looks to thrive on the tournament pressure come April, “The Saudi Open is obviously in its third edition of the event on the Asian Tour,” said Alsharif.

“I have a tremendous amount of pride representing the green and white every week wherever I might be playing in the GCC and around the world. But this week when we are on home soil, there will of course be pressure.

“The golf course is progressing tremendously. It’s looking more like a championship golf course and a lot of credit goes to the Golf Saudi team and the people in charge. So they have done a great job.”

Othman emphasised Saud’s comment, “I’m so excited to be a part of it and to compete in Saudi Arabia. We have some amazing golf courses, and I can’t wait for us to excel at home and do things for everyone to be proud of.

“I think it’s of a little taste of what’s to come. We have a lot of hugely exciting developments all around the country. One of my partners NEOM have some incredible golf developments that are going to be revolutionary, but to see the steps that Golf Saudi has taken in developing one of our older golf courses in Riyadh Golf Club, which has a place in a lot of our hearts has been really cool.

“Yes, there are new courses to come, but we don’t want to forget the heritage of Saudi Arabian golf, yes it’s not very old but it’s our heritage and it’s where we started playing golf so it’s cool to see the development of that golf course.”

It’s hard for the whole world not to notice what Saudi is doing in golf. With the backing from the likes of the Public Investment Fund, Golf Saudi and the Arab Golf Federation, they now host multiple big money tournaments in which the world’s best golfers travel to the Kingdom to take part in.

LIV Golf Jeddah, the PIF Saudi International, Aramco Team Series, Aramco Saudi Ladies International Presented by PIF, Saudi Open Presented by PIF and the Aramco Team Series Riyadh are the standout events in which the Kingdom. The future looks big.

“I 100% don’t think I would have had the opportunity to turn professional or play in the big events that I did at the time had I not had Golf Saudi and the Arab Golf Federation supporting me,” said Almulla.

“I’m not sure when, but it’s only a matter of time before the next champion golfer will come from the Arab region. You need to have opportunities and that’s what they are providing, and I really believe that the future is bright for Arab golf.

Faisal Alsalhab – (Harry Grimshaw)

Faisal agreed, “What’s in store for Saudi golf, I don’t think anyone is ready for it.

“We have seen how well the Middle East has done for golf in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Qatar etc and now it’s Saudi’s turn, and I think it’s going to surprise a lot of people.

“Golf is still very new in Saudi Arabia, but the numbers have tripled of Saudi’s participating in the sport. The media in Saudi Arabia is now covering the sport which is a huge thing for our economy, and there are big things for the game of golf in Saudi Arabia so it’s exciting to be a part of that journey,” Almulla said.

“To be able to show people and give them an opportunity to reflect on an athlete from their home country who speaks the same language as them, has the same upbringing and same culture as them, and to see them playing on the world stage – maybe not achieving things that people are expecting just yet, but you have to take these steps to get there.

“You have to participate first, make cuts, have top finishes and then you start winning.” 

Main Image: Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour