Women golfers may be forced to play in trousers at the first female tournament in Saudi Arabia.

The historic competition will be held Royal Greens Gold and Country Club near Jeddah in March and the prize money is expected to be £760,000.

But at this week's event launch there was some concern among players about the dress code, given the strict dress regulations women face in the country.

No Ladies European Tour tournament has had a strict dress-code previously, with most women opting for skirts or shorts..

A source told The Telegraph: “It did not go down well, but the feeling was that it was a negative that, perhaps, may be worth it for a such a high-money tournament on a tour that’s been struggling."

When the tournament was announced Alexandra Armas, the LET chief executive, said: “I’m incredibly excited by this announcement and it is an honour for the Tour to be part of history in bringing the first-ever professional women’s golf event to Saudi Arabia."

The chairman of the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi, Yasir Al Rumayyan, said: "I hope the tournament will inspire many women to take up the great game of golf and awaken their interest in this wonderful sport.”