KSA to tee off free golf for women in groundbreaking bid to grow game
Program aims to introduce women to sport, welcome them to clubs, promote regular exercise
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday teed off with a groundbreaking initiative offering free golf to women throughout the Kingdom.
The scheme, to be launched at next month’s debut Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by the Public Investment Fund, Golf Saudi’s innovative Ladies First Club will offer a complimentary membership inclusive of golf lessons, driving range access, and full 18-hole rounds on three different courses.
It will be open to all Saudi women, with initial membership capped at 1,000.
All players signing up to the scheme will be designated a Ladies First Member at either Riyadh Golf Club, Dirab Golf Club, or King Abdullah Economic City’s (KAEC) Royal Greens Golf Club. Membership will include a digital introduction to golf education pack, which will provide monthly seminars outlining the key aspects of golf for beginners. Each of the three golf courses taking part in the program will also host a Ladies First golf clinic once a month, led by a professional, which will conclude with an on-course induction for all participants and a chance to play an 18-hole round.
Full range access will then remain available to all members of the club, with the program’s top 12 performers being offered a full, year-round membership at their course of choice.
Majed Al-Sorour, CEO of Golf Saudi, said: “The Ladies First Club will be a club like no other. It is our most exciting initiative yet aimed at developing the great game of golf across Saudi Arabia and is the ideal way to celebrate the historic nature of the Kingdom’s first-ever women’s golf tournament, the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by the Public Investment Fund.
“Golf is growing in Saudi Arabia and we remain committed to our
targets. We are already seeing a steady rise in interest from women golfers and we hope the Ladies First Club will help us reach that next level,” he added.
Off course, the Ladies First Club will include a range of additional social opportunities including Pilates, yoga, and bridge sessions and other social and well-being activities. All those registering will receive member discounts across all three golf clubs’ restaurants and shops along with access to cut-priced full-membership options on completion of the program.
Maha Haddioui is the first and only Arab woman golfer to play on the Ladies European Tour to date and will be taking part in both of
next month’s Saudi events.
She said: “Any way of making it easier to get women out playing golf has my backing – and the scheme that Golf Saudi has created with the Ladies First Club is a fantastic idea.
“From my experience, there is no better way of opening the sport up to new golfers than making it fun, inclusive, and social. This initiative is all of those things.” Amateur golfer Sara Salhab, 27,
regularly plays with friends at Dirab Golf Club, having played the sport from a young age.
She said: “The Ladies First Club is a great idea because it’s creating a platform to take women’s golf to the next level, by giving the required professional help and building a community that will allow players to flourish.
“Golf is a nice sport that works both your mind and your body – and you’re outdoors in greenery, which is great, especially here. I really enjoy it. More women should play because it is healthy, you get to be outdoors and it’s a social activity that – with the Ladies First Club – is more accessible than ever,” Salhab added.
The Ladies First Club will officially launch during tournament build-up week for the Aramco Saudi Ladies International, which takes place from Nov. 12 to 15, two days before the Saudi Ladies Team International – with teams of four vying for a share of $500,000 prize money – on Nov. 17 to 19.
Women can register for the Ladies First Club via the Golf Saudi website from when the historic events get underway.
For more information about the Ladies First Club, Golf Saudi, and both the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by the PIF and the Saudi Ladies Team International, visit www.golfsaudi. com/en-us/ladies-international.