Saudi Arabia has emerged as one of the most unexpected and compelling golf destinations on earth. A decade ago the Kingdom had fewer than a handful of courses open to visiting players. Today, from the highway-edge fairways of Riyadh to a world-class links threading through Red Sea mangroves, the country hosts international tour events, championship layouts designed by leading architects, and a pipeline of new courses tied directly to Vision 2030’s tourism ambitions. If you are planning a trip — and the Saudi Arabia Travel Guide 2026 covers everything you need before you land — golf belongs on the itinerary.

This guide covers every course a visiting golfer can reasonably access, from the flagship championship venue that stages LIV Golf annually to the quieter compound layouts that give the game an almost colonial club feel, alongside the brand-new island course that opened in late 2025 and has no direct precedent anywhere in the Gulf.

Why Golf Is Growing So Fast in Saudi Arabia

The numbers are striking. Golf Saudi — the government body that manages the sport under the Public Investment Fund — now oversees five public-access facilities and has underwritten a portfolio of international tournaments worth hundreds of millions of dollars in prize money. The PIF Saudi International on the Asian Tour has a $5 million purse. LIV Golf Jeddah has offered $25 million in total prize money in recent seasons. The Aramco Team Series (now rebranded the PIF Global Series) has doubled its purses to $2 million per event.

This is not coincidence. Golf sits at the intersection of several Vision 2030 objectives: international sports hosting rights, luxury tourism, year-round hotel occupancy, and global soft power. The Public Investment Fund has invested directly in LIV Golf and bankrolled the construction of Shura Links, the first island golf course in the Kingdom. When Saudi Arabia bid for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, golf infrastructure was part of the broader sports tourism argument underpinning the pitch.

For visiting golfers, the practical consequence is that courses have improved dramatically, tee times are increasingly bookable online, and the hospitality — from caddies to clubhouses — meets expectations set by the UAE. Prices remain lower than Dubai comparables in most cases.

The Best Golf Courses in Saudi Arabia

Royal Greens Golf & Country Club — King Abdullah Economic City

Royal Greens is the course that put Saudi Arabia on the global golf map. Designed by Dave Sampson of European Golf Design and opened in 2017, it occupies a GEO-certified 18-hole, par-72 layout of 6,900 yards within King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) — the planned mega-city on the Red Sea coast roughly 100 kilometres north of Jeddah.

The course plays harder than its yardage suggests. The 470-yard 6th hole, a dogleg-left par four, is the most demanding on the card, but it is the closing stretch along the water that defines the experience. The 15th fairway bends towards a green sited just metres from the beach. Then comes the 16th — a par three of 120 to 180 yards depending on the tee position, with a 15,000-square-foot green set directly on the Red Sea shoreline, flanked by deep bunkers and exposed to coastal winds that can swing club selection by two numbers in either direction. No hole in Saudi Arabia is more photographed or more discussed among visiting golfers.

“One of the best courses in the Middle East — the closing holes along the water are genuinely world-class.” — TripAdvisor visitor review, 2025

Royal Greens has hosted LIV Golf Jeddah with a $25 million prize purse, the Aramco Team Series Ladies European Tour event, and the Saudi International on the Asian Tour. It is a public-access course and visiting golfers can book tee times directly through the Royal Greens website at royalgreens.net. Green fees are not published with fixed tariffs — contact the pro shop for current rates, which have typically been in the SAR 350–600 range for 18 holes including a buggy.

Getting there: KAEC is approximately 100 km north of Jeddah on the Coastal Road. Taxis and ride-shares from Jeddah take around 75–90 minutes. Several hotels operate within KAEC itself, or stay in Jeddah and make a day trip of it. The Corniche is only 90 minutes away by road.

Riyadh Golf Club — Riyadh

Twenty minutes from central Riyadh off the Qassim Highway, Riyadh Golf Club is the capital’s premier public-access course and the facility managed directly by Golf Saudi. The 18-hole, par-72 layout stretches to a measured 6,800-plus yards from the back tees and plays through generously irrigated fairways with mature tree lines that make it feel substantially cooler than the surrounding desert.

Green fees are SAR 325–495 (approximately USD 87–132) for 18 holes depending on the day and season — weekend rates at the upper end. The club is open to all visitors, seven days a week, and offers a full-service clubhouse with diverse dining, a gym, spa, and locker rooms with jacuzzi facilities. A buggy is available for hire. The pro shop is well-stocked and lessons are available from PGA professionals.

Riyadh Golf Club stepped up as the host venue for LIV Golf Riyadh in 2025, signalling its growing stature among the Kingdom’s flagship sporting venues. The site sits comfortably between a morning round and an afternoon in Riyadh’s city centre neighbourhoods — the drive back into Al Olaya or Diriyah takes under 30 minutes.

Booking: Online tee times are available through Golf Saudi’s central booking platform at golfsaudi.com.

Dirab Golf & Country Club — Riyadh

Dirab holds a distinction that matters to golf historians: it was the first 18-hole championship course built in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Located about 40 kilometres southwest of central Riyadh, the par-72 layout at 7,280 yards is longer than Riyadh Golf Club and plays over undulating terrain that is unusual for central Arabia — the site was chosen partly for its natural topography.

Green fees here are the most accessible of the major Riyadh courses. Weekday rates start from SAR 200 (approximately USD 53) for 18 holes, rising to SAR 435 on weekend peak periods. Buggy hire is additional at SAR 58. Juniors receive discounts. The club runs a driving range with 16 bays, a dedicated putting green, and a chipping area. The clubhouse restaurant serves both grab-and-go options and full dining menus.

Dirab is open to the public seven days a week and handles a mix of expat members, visiting golfers, and corporate groups. Its location makes it slightly less convenient from central Riyadh than Riyadh Golf Club, but for golfers who want serious length and well-maintained conditions at the best-value green fee in the capital, it earns its following. Contact: +966 55 578 9190 or [email protected].

Shura Links — The Red Sea (Shura Island)

Shura Links is Saudi Arabia’s most dramatic new golf course and the one most likely to define the Kingdom’s place in global golf tourism over the next decade. It opened on 30 September 2025 on Shura Island within The Red Sea megaproject — a vast archipelago development 500 kilometres north of Jeddah backed by Red Sea Global.

The course was designed by Brian Curley, one of the architects who has built a reputation for linking golf seamlessly with landscape rather than imposing on it. The par-72 layout stretches to over 7,400 yards from the championship tees, with multiple tee positions providing genuine variety for players of all abilities. Eighteen holes wind through native mangrove stands and across sweeping coastal dunes before arriving at Red Sea shoreline holes that draw direct comparisons with the great links of Scotland and Ireland.

The LEED Platinum-certified clubhouse was designed by Foster + Partners. The surrounding resort development includes the SLS The Red Sea, The Red Sea EDITION, and InterContinental The Red Sea resorts, with Faena, Fairmont, Four Seasons, Jumeirah, Raffles, and Rosewood properties following through 2026. Shura Links is accessible exclusively to resort guests, making it a genuine luxury travel experience rather than a public-access course — golf here is sold as part of a wider destination stay.

Tee times and rates are bookable through golfscape.com. Green fees had not been published at a fixed tariff at the time of writing; resort packages typically bundle accommodation and golf rounds together.

Arizona Golf Resort — Riyadh

A compact but well-maintained 9-hole layout at par 34 and 2,090 yards, Arizona Golf Resort sits within the Arizona Compound on Riyadh’s north side. It is a gated residential compound facility, which means visitors must book ahead and arrange compound entry through the pro shop before arriving at the gate.

Green fees are approximately SAR 322 for a round (effectively covering 9 holes, though doubling back for 18 is common), with buggy hire available for SAR 58. The course is short enough to walk comfortably. For golfers staying in north Riyadh or expats living on adjacent compounds, it provides quick access when a full 18-hole round is not logistically feasible. Contact: +966 1 248 4444. Book ahead and ask for a gate pass.

Rolling Hills Golf Club — Dhahran, Eastern Province

Rolling Hills Golf Club in Dhahran is the Eastern Province’s best-maintained 18-hole course, a par-72 layout at 6,687 yards built and maintained within the Saudi Aramco residential compound. The course uses approximately 2 million gallons of reclaimed water per day for irrigation — a sustainable engineering solution that keeps the fairways genuinely green in conditions that would kill an unirrigated lawn within weeks.

The important caveat: Rolling Hills is a private member club for Saudi Aramco employees and dependents. Visiting golfers cannot simply turn up and pay a green fee. Access requires either a member invitation or registration for one of the club’s organised tournaments, which are periodically open to outside competitors. Rolling Hills hosted the Aramco Invitational on the Asian Development Tour in 2024, demonstrating that the course is championship-standard when conditions call for it.

For golfers who have expat contacts at Aramco — and there are tens of thousands of them in the Dhahran, Dammam, and Al Khobar corridor — an invite here is a genuine privilege worth arranging. The Al Khobar travel guide covers the wider Eastern Province for golfers visiting the region.

Golf Tournaments in Saudi Arabia

LIV Golf Jeddah at Royal Greens

LIV Golf Jeddah has been one of the signature events on the Saudi sporting calendar since LIV’s launch, contested at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City. The $25 million total prize purse — with $4 million going to the individual winner — makes it one of the richest regular tournament stops in world golf. The event draws the full LIV roster including Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Joaquin Niemann, and the Saudi-backed International Series of teams. Niemann won the March 2024 edition at Royal Greens with a score of -17.

For spectator visitors, LIV Golf Jeddah is a remarkable sporting experience — the coastal setting at KAEC, the access to pro-am practice rounds, and the comparatively relaxed crowd atmosphere make it a very different event from a major tour stop in Europe or the United States. Check the LIV Golf schedule at livgolf.com for confirmed 2026 dates and ticket information. The LIV Golf Saudi guide covers the spectator experience in detail.

PIF Saudi International — Asian Tour

The PIF Saudi International is the Kingdom’s flagship Asian Tour event, offering a $5 million prize fund with $1 million to the winner. In recent seasons it has moved between Royal Greens and Riyadh Golf Club. The 2024 December edition was contested as the finale of The International Series — the Asian Tour’s premium global series — and drew over 40 of the world’s best players. It is a stroke-play event with a team element and qualifiers competing alongside LIV Golf regulars.

PIF Global Series (Women’s Golf)

Women’s professional golf has made Saudi Arabia a central destination on the global calendar. The PIF Global Series — formerly the Aramco Team Series — is a five-event, $13 million season on the Ladies European Tour jointly backed by PIF and LET. Saudi Arabia hosts two rounds: the PIF Saudi Ladies International in Riyadh in February (with a $5 million purse at the finale) and an autumn Riyadh event in November. Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul won the 2025 February edition by four shots. England’s Charley Hull claimed the November individual title.

Planning Your Golf Trip: Practical Advice

When to Go

The window for comfortable golf in Saudi Arabia runs from October through April. During this period, daytime temperatures range from 15°C to around 30°C across most of the country — genuinely pleasant conditions, with December, January, and February being the coolest and most consistent months for an all-day round.

Avoid June through September entirely. Central Riyadh regularly hits 45°C to 50°C (113°F to 122°F) in July and August, and even the coast offers minimal relief. Most courses reduce operations significantly in summer or operate only in early-morning slots. The risk of heat illness from a full round in those conditions is real. Even October and April carry warm afternoons — book tee times for 7am or 8am starts.

Visa and Entry

Saudi Arabia issues tourist e-visas to citizens of around 60 countries via the official visa platform. The Saudi Arabia Visa Guide 2026 covers every entry type in full, including the multiple-entry tourist e-visa, the free-on-arrival option for certain nationalities, and the Nusuk hajj and umrah visa categories. Golf tourists from the UK, US, EU, Australia, and most G20 countries have no difficulty obtaining a tourist e-visa online within minutes.

Dress Code on and off the Course

On the course: standard smart golf attire is expected. Collared shirts, tailored shorts or trousers, and golf shoes are the norm at all major courses. Tank tops and beachwear are not appropriate. Women should wear sleeved tops; the country’s relaxation of dress rules for tourists applies broadly but golf club standards tend toward conservative.

Off the course in the Kingdom generally: men and women are no longer required to cover fully in public, but modesty is respected. Shoulders and knees should be covered in public areas outside the resort perimeter. Resorts and compounds operate under more relaxed rules. Alcohol is not available at courses or anywhere in the Kingdom — hydrate with water and sports drinks, especially in the morning.

Booking and Getting Around

Tee time booking at Golf Saudi-managed courses (Riyadh Golf Club and others) is available through golfsaudi.com. Royal Greens takes bookings through royalgreens.net. Dirab Golf is accessible via direct contact with the pro shop. Shura Links is resort-guest only, bookable through the Red Sea resort portals or golfscape.com.

Riyadh has extensive ride-share coverage through Uber and Careem. Taxis are available but ride-share apps give a more transparent pricing experience. For King Abdullah Economic City (Royal Greens), a hire car from Jeddah is the most practical option unless you are staying within KAEC itself. In the Eastern Province, Al Khobar-based hire cars cover the Dhahran area comfortably.

Currency and Costs

All prices are in Saudi Riyal (SAR). The SAR is pegged to the US dollar at approximately 3.75 SAR per USD. Green fees across the major public courses range from SAR 200 (USD 53) at Dirab to SAR 495 (USD 132) at Riyadh Golf Club on peak weekends. Buggy hire is typically SAR 55–65 extra. Club rental is available at most facilities for SAR 100–150. A typical day’s golf all-in (green fee, buggy, rental clubs, lunch) costs SAR 500–700 at mid-range courses — comparable to a solid UK or US municipal but with far better facilities.

Saudi Golf in Context: What Has Changed

The transformation of Saudi golf reflects a broader pattern in the Kingdom’s sporting investments. Since 2019, when the first Saudi International attracted Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Phil Mickelson to a country that had previously hosted no professional tour events, the trajectory has been steep.

The original Saudi International at Royal Greens ran from 2019 to 2023 on the European Tour, before shifting to the Asian Tour’s International Series format. LIV Golf took up the baton at Royal Greens from 2022 — the $250 million investment that created LIV Golf was itself backed by the Public Investment Fund. Riyadh Golf Club hosted LIV Golf Riyadh in 2025 as a separate event to the Jeddah leg, giving the city two world-class tournament weeks in a single year.

Shura Links represents the next generation — a destination course designed to anchor a multi-billion-dollar resort island rather than simply host corporate hospitality. The Foster + Partners clubhouse, the Brian Curley design philosophy of working with landscape rather than against it, and the all-resort-guest-access model all signal that Saudi golf is done competing at mid-tier and is now aiming directly at Pebble Beach, Turnberry, and The Emirates Golf Club.

For the independent traveller, it remains a country that rewards early movers. Tee times at Royal Greens on a Tuesday in November are genuinely available. Prices at Dirab and Riyadh Golf Club remain lower than comparable courses in Dubai. The courses are well-maintained and uncrowded compared to peak-season destinations in Europe and Southeast Asia. That window will narrow as more courses open, more airlines add direct routes, and more sport tourists discover what the Kingdom has built.

Explore More Saudi Arabia Travel Guides

• Saudi Arabia Travel Guide 2026 — The complete guide
• Best Neighbourhoods in Riyadh — Where to stay near top courses
• Jeddah Corniche — Coast near Royal Greens
• Al Khobar Travel Guide — Eastern Province golf
• Luxury Experiences Saudi Arabia — Premium travel guide
• Saudi Arabia Visa Guide — Every visa type explained