“Since moving to the Middle East from the UK in September 2015, I have been fortunate enough to work with some exceptional leaders who have guided me incredibly well through my Troon International journey so far,” stated Ben Stimson, director of golf at Royal Greens in Saudi Arabia.

A fully-qualified PGA professional, Stimson began his career working for Crown Golf before moving into his first sales role with Foxhills Resort in Surrey.

A year later, he relocated to the Kingdom of Bahrain, and took up the position of golf operations and sales manager at Royal Golf Club, managed by Troon.

“The operational excellence that you are exposed to by working at Troon International managed facilities is second to none and this has been a huge benefit to the development of my capabilities in the golf industry,” he said.

Moving from a typically sales background into operations came with challenges however, and understanding the environment and best practices took the 33-year-old time to learn from the senior team.

After a couple of years plying his trade in Bahrain, he moved to Al Zorah Golf Club, Ajman in the UAE, and shifted his focus to golf operations dropping the sales element from his role. Then, in April 2019, Stimson’s personal journey expanded as he left the UAE to assume the position of director of golf at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in Saudi Arabia.

“I was extremely excited to undergo my first director of golf role,” said Stimson. “It had always been a career aspiration of mine, so inevitably I was nervous about my capabilities and experience before taking on the role.

“Working at Al Zorah Golf Club was the most valuable part of my career to date, without a shadow of a doubt. At a Troon International managed facility, things are achieved with excellence and Al Zorah was no exception.

“The time I got to spend with Philip Henderson, the general manager helped me to grow as a leader. The mentorship and coaching, education pathways, personal development and operational standards provided by Philip was very aspiring and I will be eternally grateful for that.

“When I made the move to Royal Greens, my first impression was simply, wow, as the facility has everything,” Stimson recalls.

“Furthermore, the club showcased the world’s best golfers in only its second year of operation for the 2019 Saudi International, which was a huge achievement for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“The golf course is extremely well designed, and Dave Sampson and the European Golf Design team have done an incredible job in offering a unique layout that is both fun and challenging.

“For the 2020 Saudi International, Graeme McDowell won the tournament with an overall score of -12, proving what a stern test, the course provides to the world’s best, especially when the wind is up. Moreover, the condition of the course is exceptional and the pure dynasty paspalum turfgrass offers members and guests exceptional playing surfaces, all-year-round.”

Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, situated in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) is 120 kilometers away from Jeddah, the nearest city with a population of three million.

“With approximately 150 registered golfers in Jeddah, golf is a developing sport in this region, and a totally different model to the UAE, which has thousands of residential golfers plus a big tourism sector to help provide a sustainable level of business to the facility,” said Stimson.

“That said, Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation are working tirelessly to help grow the game of golf in Saudi Arabia. Mass participation programmes form a key strategic pillar in Golf Saudi’s vision and will be paramount to the future success of Royal Greens in helping to grow golf in Jeddah for Saudi nationals.

“The hosting of both the Saudi International and Saudi Ladies International last November – the first ever female golfing event in Saudi Arabia – should help grow the game. Bringing the world’s best golfers to Royal Greens and inspiring Saudi nationals [to take up golf] is something we are all very passionate about.”

Golf Saudi, headed up by Majed Al-Sorour as CEO and His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan as chairman, collectively have a bold trajectory planned for the future of the game in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

The implementation of these sporting events is a big stepping-stone to help inspire, motivate, and educate Saudi nationals and provide them with playing and educational pathways for years to come. The development of new courses across the Kingdom, practice facilities and social environments such as crazy golf are all on the agenda in the near future.

Another huge opportunity came in January 2020 with the release of the Tourism visa for international visitors, although the global pandemic has stunted international travel.

“At Royal Greens, we will be working hard to establish relationships with International Tour Operators and showcasing the club and KAEC as a golfing tourist destination,” said Stimson.

Located only an hour away from the new Jeddah International Airport and offering world-class hotel facilities, Royal Greens has all the necessary facilities to grow the golfing tourism sector.

February 2021 saw the launch of the Troon Royal Greens Pro-Am supported by Golf Saudi, which was inaugurated to help grow the tourism sector and offer further playing opportunities for the Saudi Arabia National team.

“However, due to COVID travel complications and restrictions, we made the decision to postpone the event to December 2021, and will focus our marketing & PR efforts throughout 2021 to continue to showcase this unique playing opportunity for amateurs and club professionals.”

Like most businesses around the world, there is no question that COVID has had a detrimental impact on the momentum of Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.

“We have had to review and amend many operating procedures, and had to close our golf course to members and guests for 96 days,” said Stimson, who also confirmed that many staff members were unable to travel back to their homelands due to travel restrictions.

“2020 was a very challenging year, however we are firmly focused on looking forward to a productive and successful 2021 and beyond. We have multiple professional tours events scheduled, and we are excited to watch the course shine in all its glory.

“Overall, the future is very bright for Royal Greens and golf in Saudi Arabia,” added Stimson.

“We work very closely with industry experts including Troon International and Golf Saudi, and with this wealth of experience, knowledge and passion, the future is extremely bright.

“Furthermore, we have an incredible team at Royal Greens in all areas from agronomy, sales and Marketing, F&B, finance & HR and facility maintenance and it really is a pleasure coming into work every day and working with like-minded individuals to achieve our overall club objectives.”