‘These courses look amazing.’ PIF Future Fairways tee off in London

LONDON: With immersive tech, visionary course design, and a bold ambition to shape the next chapter of global golf, the Saudi Public Investment Fund and Golf Saudi officially launched PIF Future Fairways in central London on Tuesday — a preview event blending innovation with sport to highlight Saudi Arabia’s emergence as a world class golf destination.

The event at Urban Golf in Smithfield unveiled an interactive 3D digital version of three flagship Saudi golf courses — Shura Links, Laheq Golf Course, and Trojena Northern Golf Course — designed to position the Kingdom at the heart of golf’s next era.

These next-generation venues will anchor Saudi’s broader ambitions to triple its number of golf courses by 2030 and build a holistic sports and tourism ecosystem.

Attendees, including pro golfers, designers and industry leaders, explored virtual replicas of the new courses, demo-played signature holes on high-tech simulators, and took part in a “closest to the pin” challenge — all while engaging in off-the-record discussions with PIF stakeholders and Golf Saudi executives.

“For me, every experience that I have with Saudi, it’s been amazing,” said Carlota Ciganda, one of Golf Saudi’s ambassadors. “I know what they are capable of doing. These courses look amazing, a lot of fun to play — they’re going to attract a lot of people, a lot of tourists. I would love to go, play, and be part of this.”

Her sentiments were echoed by fellow ambassador Marianne Skarpnord, who said: “I definitely see Saudi Arabia becoming a golf tourist destination. Saudi Arabia’s landscapes are tailor-made for golf — from coastal settings to dramatic desert terrain. As we’ve seen here today, there are some amazing courses being built — it’ll be an