Saudi Arabia’s First Island Golf Course Sets a New Benchmark for Luxury, Sustainability, and World-Class Play
Shura Island, Red Sea, Saudi Arabia — Shura Links, the first island golf course in Saudi Arabia and the centerpiece of an unparalleled luxury resort development on the Red Sea, has opened.
Designed by acclaimed architect Brian Curley and managed by Golf Saudi, the pioneering project reflects the Kingdom’s robust investment in golf and its growing reputation as a global destination for the game.
“Shura Links offers 18 unique and visually stunning holes in a beautiful island environment that will redefine golf in the region,” Curley said. “Our goal was to create a course that is both strategic and forgiving, where golfers can enjoy the ground game, and be inspired by the seaside setting.”
A distinctive island backdrop
Stitched through native mangroves and bright-white dunes, with long stretches that hug the Red Sea shoreline, Shura Links was conceived to blend seamlessly into its unique surrounds with a layout that welcomes all levels of play. A par 72, it measures 7,400 yards from its championship tees, with the option to extend beyond 7,700 yards for professional and top-flight amateur competitions. But the flexibility of its design—replete with wide playing corridors, fast, rolling conditions, and open approaches that invite varied angles of attack and ground-game options in windy conditions—makes for a fair and compelling test for elite and everyday golfers alike.
Greens are large and richly contoured, with backstops, bowls, feeder slopes and run-offs that are meant to strike a balance between shot-making challenge and user-friendly playability. While the gentle terrain allows for easy walking, the firm surfaces are also well-suited for carts.
Bold bunkering is another of the layout’s defining features, at once strategic and visually striking. Many of the sandy areas are hard-packed expanses that allow for relatively easy recovery, while the formal bunkering has transitional outer edges with irregular lines, in keeping with the naturalistic design theme. Irregular turf lines mirror that aesthetic, too.
Additional golf highlights
- Signature holes include dune-framed par-3s (Nos. 6 and 15) that play directly toward the Red Sea and a dramatic, driveable par-4 (No. 16) for late-round risk-reward.
- Two-acre, family-friendly putting course, adjacent to the clubhouse and suited to all ages and abilities
- Expansive grass practice range, putting green and short-game area, with premium Callaway balls.
- Two returning nines, plus tailed green-fee options for 9 or 18-holes
- Professional golf instruction for individuals, families and groups, led by onsite PGA-qualified teachers.
- A stunning modernist clubhouse, designed by Foster + Partners, with curated golf retail and dining options both casual and refined on an indoor terrace or by the pool.
An environmental showcase
Built with sustainability at its core, Shura Links has just 70 acres of irrigated turf, all of it Platinum TE Paspalum, a drought-and salt-tolerant grass with superior appearance, playability and maintenance benefits across all surfaces. The Toro irrigation system is designed for maximum water efficiency, while the landscaping— also by Curley-Wagner Design—integrates desert flora, palms, and flowering trees across sweeping white sand expanses. The significant construction effort was handled in-house by Red Sea Global’s Richard Haas, contributing substantially to the overall design-build process.
The design philosophy emphasizes playability without extreme punishment, creating a visually alluring, accessible course.
“Too many desert courses penalize golfers with lost balls in thick vegetation of non-turf areas,” Curley said. “Here, the course is framed by brilliant white sand and open expanses punctuated with bursts of natural dunes vegetation that inspire creativity while keeping the game moving.”
Part of a World-Class Destination
Located just 30 minutes from Red Sea International Airport via a 3.5-kilometer causeway, Shura Links anchors a destination that will feature 11 luxury hotels, including Four Seasons, Raffles, Rosewood and Jumeirah, all of which will open in the coming month. Villas and resort architecture have been woven into the dune landscape, creating a luxurious island-beach environment in a climate where year-round temperatures average 90 degrees.
“Having designed 20 courses for the massive Mission Hills Golf Club in China, I am certainly no stranger to bold and imaginative projects,” Curley said. “The effort here by Red Sea Global is groundbreaking and monumental and I’m honored to be a part of it.”
Shura Links has been skillfully designed to host both resort guests and professional tournaments, underscoring Saudi Arabia’s growing role on the global golf stage.
“Shura Links sets a new benchmark for the game of golf in the region,” said John Pagano, Group CEO of Red Sea Global. “It’s more than just a course – it’s a place to connect, challenge yourself and experience the full beauty of The Red Sea. This is another proud milestone in our mission to reshape global tourism through sustainability and design, and a significant step in building Red Sea Global’s diverse sports portfolio, aligning perfectly with Vision 2030’s goal of establishing Saudi Arabia as a premier global sporting destination.”
About Curley-Wagner Golf Design
Initially founded in 1997 as Schmidt-Curley Golf Design, Curley-Wagner Golf Design is a full-service, U.S.-based golf course and master-planning design firm with a global portfolio of critically acclaimed and award-winning courses spanning 25 countries. Its work includes 20 courses at Mission Hills Golf Club in China as well as projects throughout the U.S., Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Egypt, Mexico, Sweden, and beyond. Brian Curley has been named “Architect of the Year” by GOLF Magazine, “Best Golf Course Architect” by Asian Golfer for seven straight years, and one of golf’s “Most Influential Architects” by Golf Inc. His firm’s courses have hosted the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour, PGA Champions Tour, World Cup of Golf, The Skins Game, Korn Ferry Tour, among other elite competitions.
Curley-Wagner specializes in creating challenging, beautiful and enjoyable courses, often on difficult sites. By balancing classic golf course architecture with ever-advancing technology, the firm strives for soul-stirring designs that elevate a golfer’s appreciation for the land and the game, with cost-efficient construction, maintenance and operations always top of mind.