2010 Ryder Cup Course Open

The 2010 Ryder Cup course is the first to have been purpose-built for this great golf competition. The Twenty Ten course is open at the Celtic Manor Resort in Wales.

I've unfortunately never stayed or played golf at the Celtic Manor Resort near Cardiff in Wales, the venue for the 2010 Ryder Cup. But I have been to a big function there, when a few hundred members of the Society of American Travel Writers attended their annual convention in Cardiff. I went along with other members of the British Guild of Travel Writers, having a rare chance to meet up with our American colleagues. We were all stunned by the quality of the Celtic Manor. It was stylish, and then some.

The new Twenty Ten Ryder Cup course is the first golf course in history that has been custom-designed for this biennial tournament between Europe and the USA. The course, and its clubhouse, were opened on 28 May 2008 by the Right Honorable Rhodri Morgan, the First Minister for Wales, which shows how important this event is for the country.

The Twenty Ten course and clubhouse cost about £16 million to build, and have been designed not only to challenge the golfers but also to appeal to the spectators. Steep hillside runs alongside the closing three holes, to allow the maximum number of spectators the best view of the final action. The course is a par 71, and half the holes have water hazards that are described as both picturesque and penalising.

The new Ryder Cup course sounds amazing, and I know people attending the tournament will have a fabulous time. I'm a big fan of the city of Cardiff, and the beautiful area surrounding it. And of the Celtic Manor Resort. I must go and stay there sometime!

Check out the Celtic Manor Resort website and see what I mean.

Find out a little more about the Ryder Cup course and the Celtic Manor Resort by reading an earlier article. Click here.