Jon Brook’s golf career has been shaped by movement – across continents, cultures, and the changing expectations of an industry transformed.

Today, as General Manager of Shura Links, Saudi Arabia’s first island resort golf course, Brook sits at the centre of one of the world’s most ambitious golf developments.

The role draws on three decades in the game: leadership, technical expertise, commercial instinct, and team building in unfamiliar environments.

“I’ve built an international career in golf spanning more than 30 years,” he says, reflecting on a journey that has taken him from PGA Professional to senior leadership roles across Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

“I’ve consistently driven commercial growth, elevated member and guest experiences, and led high performing teams. My career has combined established private clubs with luxury resort developments, culminating in my current role with Red Sea Global.”

That culmination is Shura Links, an island course connected by bridges and positioned as the flagship golf asset within Red Sea Global’s vast tourism vision.

For Brook, the attraction was immediate. “First and foremost, it was the scale and ambition of Red Sea Global’s vision,” he recollects.

“The opportunity to be involved from the beginning of a landmark project – helping shape Saudi Arabia’s first island resort golf course – was a compelling challenge professionally and personally.”

He arrived during the pre opening phase, and recalls: “One of the key challenges was building a fully operational golf facility from the ground up in a remote island environment,” he explains. “This involved coordinating stakeholders, logistics, procurement, systems, infrastructure, and staffing within tight timelines.”

Recruitment was another priority. Brook knew Shura Links would depend on its culture from day one. “It was essential to establish a high performing team and embed service standards from the start,” he says.

“At the same time, aligning the golf operation with the wider Red Sea vision and integrating seamlessly with luxury hotel partners added another layer of complexity.”

Now that the course is open, Brook sees the finished product as a faithful realisation of the original vision.

“The early design drawings have been delivered exactly as planned and to the highest standards,” he says, crediting Brian Curley and Richard Haas for creating a visually striking, strategically rich course.

“They have delivered one of the finest golf courses in the region.”

Shura Links – which is managed by Golf Saudi – is, in Brook’s words, “a links in name, style and how it plays.”

Hard, fast surfaces, large undulating greens, deep bunkers and sloped run offs define the experience. The ever present Red Sea wind is a strategic force.

“Being a seaside course, the wind plays an important role in the playability of the course, just like it would at any traditional links,” he says.

Asked to choose his favourite holes, Brook resists. “It’s difficult to say as they are all different and unique,” he says. Visitors gravitate to the seaside holes – 4, 5, 6 and 15 – but 13 holes feature the Red Sea in some form, each serving the course’s flow and playability.”

The course’s future includes the possibility of professional tournaments, though Brook is measured in his outlook.

“Shura Island is such a unique destination, unlike anything else in the world,” he says. “Brian has designed a course that suits recreational golfers and the best professionals under tournament conditions. Should the opportunity be available, it would be a great honour for us.”

Sustainability is central to Shura Links, driven by necessity as much as principle. Water scarcity demands innovation, as too does drought tolerant turf as Brook explains: “The Paspalum TE we used is far more efficient in terms of water consumption and is better suited to the heat, salinity, and overall conditions we face.

“From a playability perspective, it offers firmer, faster surfaces with more ball roll and a greater emphasis on strategy.”

Irrigation uses treated sewage effluent and potable water, monitored daily for salinity. “We use a brand new, state of the art Toro Lynx irrigation system which controls more than 2,500 sprinkler heads,” Brook explains. “This ensures we use water as efficiently as possible while maintaining optimal playing conditions.”

Beyond water, sustainability extends to energy use and environmental protection.

“There is a strong focus on energy efficiency, including renewable energy and smart systems,” he says. The course is carefully integrated into the landscape to minimise impact and support biodiversity.

Technology plays a major role in both maintenance and the guest experience, with Shura Links joining worldclass.golf as a Premium Destination earlier this year.

“Our Toro Lynx system is fully app controlled,” Brook says. “We complement this with POGO moisture tracking on our greens.”

On the player side, Club Car carts equipped with Visage GPS provide yardages, communication, and soon food and beverage ordering.

“Our fully integrated booking platform allows guests to seamlessly package their golf, hotel stay, and transfers in one simple journey,” stated Brook.

The practice facilities include a 350 metre full grass range, large putting green, short game area, and undulating putting course. The Foster + Partners clubhouse is equally distinctive – four buildings resembling the petals of a native flower.

“We have the main clubhouse restaurant, an outside bar, swimming pool, private beach area, locker rooms, a gym and a prayer rooms,” Brook says.

The team behind Shura Links is compact but experienced. “We have 66 full time employees,” he says. “The team is split into Operations, Agronomy, Finance, HR, IT, Marketing, HSSE and Facilities Maintenance, and the staff is international, reflecting the global nature of the project.”

Hiring has focused on building a strong core while developing local talent. “It’s about balancing proven expertise with long term development,” Brook says. “Training and developing Saudi nationals is a key priority and an integral part of Vision 2030. We are committed to creating clear pathways for progression.”

Membership will exist, but the resort’s hotels will drive much of the traffic. “There will be a carefully structured membership offering,” he says. “But it will be balanced alongside a strong focus on resort guests, with a seamless end to end experience.”

Growing the game among Saudi nationals is another priority. Shura Links has partnered with the local school to deliver after-school coaching for children aged four to 12, while also offering complimentary introductory golf sessions for Saudi guests who want to try the game for the first time.

This initiative runs alongside Golf Saudi’s national Go Golf programme, which provides free coaching opportunities for all new Saudi golfers across the Kingdom.

For Brook, Shura Links is both a career milestone and a platform for future growth, drawing on three decades in the industry while pushing him into new territory.

“The chance to help shape a destination that will sit on the global stage,” he says, “has been an incredible honour.”

And with the course now open, the next chapter begins.