Jack Nicklaus to design signature championship golf course in Saudi Arabia

Qiddiya course will be set around the Tuwaiq mountain range

Jack Nicklaus will design a signature championship course at Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia. Courtesy Golf Saudi 

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus has confirmed that he will be designing his first ever course in Saudi Arabia.

Jack and Nicklaus Design are creating the championship golf course for a private golf and country club, set within an exclusive residential community in the heart of the Qiddiya development, just outside Riyadh. The course will be set around the majestic Tuwaiq mountain range.

Construction began on the Qiddiya project in 2019 and the golf development will include a high-end resort hotel and spa, as well as exclusive residences, that once finished will position the development as both the premier golf and country club and number one course in the Kingdom.

Nicklaus, the most decorated player in the game’s history, said: “I am excited by this project. To be selected as one of the first international designers to work in the kingdom is a great honour.

"I’ve already spent time looking at the topography of the land, images of the backdrop and terrain, and discussing with our design team a strategy for the course.

"The design will fully integrate the natural environment and the beautiful Qiddiya landscape, bringing together green spaces and mountainous terrain to form a picturesque canvas for both a beautiful and challenging golf course.”