Staff WriterIf golf’s future had a postcode, it might just be in Saudi Arabia. This week in London, Golf Saudi and the Kingdom’s powerful sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), lifted the curtain on an ambitious new initiative: PIF Future Fairways — a sweeping vision to reshape golf course development, technology, tourism, and sustainability all in one go.
Set to be showcased across PIF Global Series events throughout 2025 and beyond, PIF Future Fairways isn’t a vague concept or a slide deck packed with buzzwords. It’s a tangible roadmap.
At its heart are three elite courses — Shura Links, Laheq Golf Course, and Trojena Northern Golf Course — each set within some of Saudi Arabia’s most striking natural terrain.
Together, they paint a picture of golf’s future that’s part sci-fi, part Eden—tech-savvy enough to impress Elon Musk, green enough to make David Attenborough nod in approval, and polished enough to make the Ryder Cup feel underdressed.
Why It’s More Than Just Fairways and Greens
PIF Future Fairways goes far beyond a routine landscaping initiative with a clubhouse tacked on—it serves as a flagship of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, marking a strategic shift from oil-based revenues to golf-driven tourism and hospitality-led growth.
This isn’t just golf; it’s golf with a diplomatic passport, a tourism engine in Titleists, and an economic growth strategy wrapped in a soft fade.
PIF Future Fairways represents more than golf; it’s about creating new landscapes of experience.
This isn’t hyperbole. With international tourist arrivals up 102% since 2019 and Saudi Arabia now the world’s fastest-growing tourism market by revenue, golf is becoming a vital part of the Kingdom’s soft power play—and PIF is putting its considerable muscle behind it.
Course One: Shura Links — The Red Sea’s New Coastal Classic
Located on Shura Island, Shura Links is a full-bodied tribute to traditional links golf with a luxury twist. Developed by Red Sea Global and designed by Brian Curley of Curley-Wagner Design, the 7,601-yard championship course is framed by mangroves, coral dunes, and a horizon that ends in blue water. It’s less a course and more an island within an island.
The routing is a clever dance: holes 4–7 hug the Red Sea shoreline, while the finishing stretch from 14–18 offers sweeping, open-water views. A dramatic 18th brings players beneath a Foster + Partners-designed clubhouse — set to become a landmark in its own right.
Opening: September 2025
Par: 72
Operator: Golf Saudi
Features:
- Platinum TE Paspalum grass, ideal for saltwater resilience
- A two-acre putting course, built for fun, families, and finesse
- Sustainable Toro irrigation, engineered for water conservation
- A 3.5km causeway connects Shura Island to the mainland, placing it 30 minutes from Red Sea International Airport
- Surrounded by 11 luxury hotel brands including Four Seasons, Raffles, Rosewood, and Edition
This isn’t a resort course with delusions of grandeur—it’s a legitimate contender to host major tournaments in the future.
Course Two: Trojena Northern Golf Course — Where Golf Touches the Sky
If Shura Links is a love letter to the sea, Trojena Northern Golf Course is carved straight from the clouds. Perched over 300 metres above sea level in the NEOM Highlands, this course—designed by McDowell & Dusenberry—will be the first alpine-style golf destination in the Middle East.
Set amid canyons, cliffs, and rock outcroppings, the course descends from a minimalist starter’s hut at the top of the mountain to The Cloud, a modernist clubhouse suspended in the peaks. The visuals are cinematic; the play is strategic. And with temperatures around 10°C cooler than the Red Sea coastline, it’s playable year-round.
Par: 71
Yardage: 7,063
Opening: TBD
Highlights:
- Cool-season grasses — a regional first, suited to high altitudes
- Native plant restoration and AR-based course education
- Comfort stations with hospitality at holes 10 and 15
- A routing designed for creative shot-making, not brute power
- Part of NEOM’s wider adventure-tourism and wellness infrastructure
In short, Trojena isn’t just a golf course—it’s an experience that sits at the intersection of nature, architecture, and next-gen hospitality.
Course Three: Laheq Golf Course — Desert Simplicity, Elevated
Laheq doesn’t shout. It whispers. And in golf design, that’s often the mark of something timeless.
Set along the Red Sea coast, with desert mountains as a backdrop and coral outcroppings underfoot, Laheq Golf Course is a minimalist’s dream. With no formal bunkering and wide fairways shaped by natural sandscapes, it feels as though it has always been there.
Developed by Red Sea Global and designed by Brian Curley, this 7,327-yard layout prizes the ground game. Players will need a full repertoire of trajectory and creativity, especially as breezes shift across the open coastline.
Opening: Est. 2028
Par: 71
Championship Yardage: 6,679
Notable Features:
- Minimal turf footprint, maximum natural immersion
- Platinum TE Paspalum grass and Toro irrigation for sustainability
- Integrated with eco-attractions and nearby luxury resorts
- Designed for walkability, simplicity, and visual drama
Where Shura seduces and Trojena dazzles, Laheq grounds you—literally and metaphorically.
Beyond the Greens: Why This Matters for Saudi Golf and Tourism
The Kingdom’s golfing ambitions are rooted in hard numbers. Saudi Arabia is planning to more than triple its number of championship-level courses by 2030. These three venues represent just the beginning.
In 2022 alone, over 50,000 Saudis were introduced to golf through clinics and school programs. Between 2019 and 2023, the number of registered golfers in the country grew by 30%. Golf isn’t a niche sport anymore—it’s a growing part of the national identity.
The PIF Future Fairways platform will also appear at marquee international events such as:
- PIF Championship – Centurion Club, London (August 8–10, 2025)
- Aramco Houston Championship – Golfcrest Country Club (September 5–7, 2025)
- Aramco Shenzhen Championship – Mission Hills, China (November 6–8, 2025)
These tournaments act as both stages and billboards for Saudi Arabia’s investment in the game—an international pitch to players, fans, investors, and the next generation.
Final Thoughts: Saudi’s Shot at Golf’s Future
Let’s call it what it is: PIF Future Fairways isn’t window dressing. It’s a full-stack overhaul of how golf can be imagined in a rapidly changing world. From sunlit islands to cool mountaintops, each course is purpose-built to be more than a playground for tourists—they’re cultural statements, economic engines, and sporting blueprints.
For a country moving at the speed of ambition, this is golf not as it was, but as it could be.
And if they get it right, don’t be surprised if the next generation of great golf pilgrimages includes the words: “Pack for the Red Sea.”
