Women's Golf in Saudi Arabia: How to Begin

Golf is having a moment among women in Saudi Arabia, and the door to the game is opening wider than it ever has. Golf Saudi has spent the past few years building the programmes, academies and coaching that turn curiosity into playing, and the early numbers show real appetite for it. If you have ever wondered whether the sport is for you, the honest answer is that women's golf in Saudi Arabia now has a clear path that runs from a first lesson all the way to a regular weekend game.

In this article

1. How many women are taking up golf
2. What golf actually asks of your body
3. How to begin as a beginner
4. What it means for women's sport in the Kingdom

How many women are taking up golf

The growth is real and it is quick. According to Arab News, more than 15,000 people have signed up for golf lessons after events across the Kingdom, with over 4,000 more on the waiting list, and women now make up about a third of the players in the Go Golf programme. Golf Saudi has said it wants to grow the number of active golfers from around 4,500 today to more than 30,000 within five years. It has also linked its grassroots work to the LPGA and the Ladies European Tour, and added an LPGA Professionals coaching programme, so that a complete beginner and a future professional sit on the same pathway.

What golf actually asks of your body

Golf can look gentle, and in the best way it is, because it is movement you can keep doing for life. Walk the course instead of riding a buggy and a full round becomes a few hours of steady, moderate aerobic activity, built around walking and the repeated rotation and muscular effort of the swing. The Golf and Health Project, drawing on a review in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, links regular golf to improved cardiovascular risk-factor profiles, better blood-glucose levels and a longer life expectancy, alongside mental gains like more confidence and less anxiety. None of that is a medical guarantee, but it is a strong case for a sport you can still play in your seventies, and a reason to treat it as real training rather than a slow walk.

How to begin as a beginner

You do not need a full bag of clubs or a country-club membership to get going. The quickest way in is to build the base fitness that golf rewards, then add the skills on top.

1. Build a walking base. A round on foot can cover several kilometres, so work regular brisk walks into your week and grow your step count until long distances feel comfortable.
2. Open up your mobility. The swing turns through your hips and upper back, so daily thoracic rotations, hip openers and gentle trunk twists make a fast difference.
3. Strengthen your core and grip. A stable core and strong forearms give you control and protect your lower back, so add planks, cable or band rotations and simple grip work.
4. Book a Go Golf session or a beginner clinic. Structured coaching is where the fundamentals click, and it is exactly what the new programmes are designed to give you.

What it means for women's sport in the Kingdom

The bigger story is momentum. Officials have described the plan as generational rather than seasonal, and the goal is not only more players but more women coaching and leading in the game. For anyone reading this in Saudi Arabia, it means golf is becoming a normal, supported choice, whether you want a social weekend habit, a family activity or a genuine competitive route. The path that once stopped at curiosity now carries on to the professional stage, and the base fitness you build for it serves the rest of your health too.

Ready to build the fitness that makes golf, or any sport, easier and more enjoyable? Fill in the enquiry form and the GymNation team will help you get going.

Sources:
arabnews.com
golfandhealth.org
al-hadath.com

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.