Minnesota looking forward to hosting THE Golf event
The economic impact from the Ryder Cup – golf’s bi-annual battle between the best that Europe has to offer and the prime of the USA – has been assessed at around £50 million in 2006 rising to £75 million four years later and an estimated £110million at the next event at Hazeltine, Minnesota, September 2016.
It is no wonder that destinations clamber for the right to hold the prestigious tournament as over a quarter of a million visitors come with the deal plus world-wide television and social media exposure. Already we know where we will be going for the 2018 Ryder Cup, Le Golf National Paris and in 2020, Whistling Straits, Kohler, Wisconsin. The competition for the 2022 European venue is now going through the bidding process with Germany, Spain, Italy and Austria all vying for host status.
It isn’t only spectators, however, that get excited about the Ryder Cup as professional golfers from both sides clamber for places on the team of 12. The prestige of playing a Ryder Cup surpasses almost everything in golf other than a major win and the courses upon which battle commences are naturally the very best and the very challenging.
Bill Von Bank of Explore Miinesota addresses the Ryder Cup Golf event
It will therefore come as no surprise to discover that when Explore Minnesota decided to run their VIP golf day last month, invites were hard to come by as the prize for the top three golfers on the day plus one lucky loser was the chance to play Hazeltine exactly one year before the final day of the 2016 event. In addition to its Ryder Cup credentials, Hazeltine has also hosted all of the USA major tournaments and is only one of two clubs to do so, plus it was the scene of the US Open victory for Great Britain and Ireland’s very own Tony Jacklin back in 1970.
Hazeltine will be the third Ryder Cup in a row to be hosted within one of the Great Lake states following Medinah in 2012 and preceding Whistling Straits in 2020.
The Explore Minnesota VIP day was, fittingly, held at Walton Heath, host venue for the 1981 Ryder Cup, and attracted a field of top travel golfers, half of whom played off single figure handicaps. On a day when the course was playing at its most difficult with strong winds, dry fairways, penal rough and fast greens, scoring was high. Three golfers did however make their way from the pack. Off to Hazeltine in September will go David Giles of Giles Travel, Frank Docherty of Holiday Discount Centre and Robin Couchman of Your Golf Travel. They will be joined by lucky loser Phil Newcombe of Bon Voyage whose name was drawn out of the hat by the host Bill Von Bank, market development manager, Explore Minnesota Tourism.
Lucky loser Phil Newcombe of Bon Voyage (r) with Bill Von Bank from Explre Minnesota
The trip will include visits to some of the other world leading golf venues within Minnesota including Legends and Grand View Lodge , the Mall of the Americas in Bloomington and some of the 11,842 lakes in the state but hopefully not to retrieve a golf ball.
Diane
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