The Solheim Cup was created in 1990 and is very similar in format to the Ryder Cup

Malaga, one step closer to hosting the Solheim Cup in 2023

The regional government, the Costa del Sol Tourist Board and the Mancomunidad are finalising an agreement to bring this women’s competition to Spain for the first time

alberto gómez

Martes, 18 de diciembre 2018, 09:55

The Solheim Cup, the womens version of the Ryder Cup, is gradually getting closer to the Costa del Sol. The Malaga provincial government is still trying to negotiate an agreement with the European Tour to host the competition in which the USA and Europe face each other every two years, in 2023. Also at the negotiating table are the Junta de Andalucía, the Mancomunidad de Municipios of the Western Costa del Sol, the Royal Golf Federation of Andalucía (RFGA) and the Spanish Royal Golf Federation (RFEG). If the attempt is successful, this will be the first time since its creation in 1990 that the Solheim Cup has taken place in Spain, and only the fourth time outside Britain.

The president of the Costa del Sol Tourist Board, Elías Bendodo, says that Malaga province has all the technical requirements, tourist facilities and infrastructure necessary to host the Solheim Cup, which is the biggest womens golf event in the world.

Bendodo points out that the womens Open de España was held at La Quinta Golf & Country Club in Benahavís, something which confirms that the Costa del Sol is a leading destination in this sector. He also insists that the province fulfils all the technical characteristics and has all the tourist infrastructure needed to host a world sporting event of this type, which is something the organisation of the Ladies European Tour (LET) insists upon for the Solheim Cup. Several courses in Malaga province, he says,pass the cut demanded by the organisation in terms of competitive level, length, expanse, maintenance, equipment, machinery and organisation of staff.

Searching for a suitable Solheim course

The course upon which the Solheim Cup would be played has yet to be chosen, although Marbella council has already expressed an interest in participating so it could well be played on one of the courses in that municipality.
The competition would attract around 70,000 spectators, and although there is no information about the economic impact, the income from the sale of tickets and merchandising would go directly to the organisers. The amount of the investment would be offset by the publicity for the destination, thanks to international coverage of the Solheim Cup. The European Tour, however, would keep the TV rights.
Sources consulted by this publication agree that the three institutions are very keen to organise the event, as part of the commitment to attract professional tournaments after years of drought because of the economic crisis.
The Junta de Andalucía is committed to promoting the regions golf facilities via major tournaments, aware that competitions like the Masters at Valderrama have a potential audience of more than 400 million homes with 15 hours of live TV broadcasts in source markets such as the UK, France, Germany and the USA.
There are 102 golf courses in Andalucía, of which approximately half are in Malaga province and just over 20 per cent in Cadiz.

Another requirement is that the courses have spacious areas for stands and hospitality marquees, because world-famous events of this type attract thousands of golf fans during the competition.

Apart from meeting these conditions, the destination also easily exceeds other requirements, such as the capacity and quality of hotels on the Costa del Sol, and the connections between Malaga province and the principal airports in Europe, says Bendodo.

The Costa del Sols candidacy, announced during the World Travel Market in London after a meeting with representatives of the Ladies European Tour, is a historic opportunity which we cant afford to miss, he says.

The Malaga provincial government considers that its application to host the Solheim Cup is unbeatable and would be a recognition of the effort we put in to promoting womens golf. This is evident because we have hosted the Open de España for three years as well as 62 per cent of the biggest womens tournaments which have taken place in Andalucía, such as the Andalucía Cup, the Interclub, the Irma Stemmann Selections Trophy and the International Pitch and Putt Championship.

Although he has not mentioned specific dates, Elías Bendodo is confident that within a short time we will be able to celebrate being the official host of the Solheim Cup, because our proposal includes making the Costa del Sol the mecca for womens golf over ten years, with the Solheim Cup taking place in the years before and after the Spanish Open.

Quality of the courses

Mark Lichtenhein, chairman of the Ladies European Tour, who attended the Spanish Open, agrees that the Costa del Sol is a prestigious destination and is famous in the world of golf for the number and quality of its golf courses. He says we must recognise the way the administrations have promoted womens golf by hosting the final of the Womens Open and, as it has more than 70 golf courses (67 per cent of all those in Andalucía), it is the European destination with the highest number of facilities.

Bendodo stresses the double importance for the Costa del Sol in hosting the Solheim Cup in 2023, describing it as a unique opportunity to showcase everything the whole province of Malaga has to offer in terms of tourism, and it will also reinforce our commitment to developing womens golf, a field in which we have been working for years with the Royal Golf Federation of Andalucía.

For the Costa del Sol Tourist Board, the Solheim Cup would be a major benefit for golf tourism, which is one of the most important sectors in the province, because it is an excellent way of attracting year-round tourism to the area.

Although little information is available about the direct economic impact of the Solheim Cup, the promotors consider it a tool of incalculable value for attracting American visitors, a market in which the Costa del Sol still has a considerable margin for growth.

Golf tourism in Malaga province is led by players from the UK, followed by Scandinavia, Norway, France and Germany. This is an important and strategic tourist profile, because on average they spend 1,827 euros on their trip including transport and accommodation, and about 148.46 euros a day on the golf course, which is far more than other types of tourist.

The biennial Solheim Cup is played by 12 teams representing Europe and the USA and is one of the most popular sporting events in the world. It takes place over three days, like the Ryder Cup, and numerous activities are organised beforehand.