A few weeks before the most transcendental golf tournament since the 1997 Ryder Cup in Valderrama is played on the Costa del Sol, everything is ready to host it at Finca Cortesin, the venue of the event: the course, in the best conditions in its history; the necessary infrastructures, planned…. Everything is in order to make the best tournament possible and that this Solheim Cup 2023 becomes unforgettable, as was the 1997 Ryder Cup.
Francisco de Lancastre, director of the camp, explains how they have prepared for this great event.
-What has been done in the field for the event, what reforms or changes?
-We are fortunate to have a course that is always at the highest level of maintenance and we have not had to adapt much for this event. But we have made several interventions, more in terms of landscaping than anything else, especially for better visibility for the spectators of the tournament.
We have also made some improvements in the irrigation system, and the biggest change has been the modification of the routing for the tournament from hole 1 to 6.
Our current hole 4 will be hole 1 for the competition, a short par 4, with water on the left, which allows you to reach the green with a good tee shot. It is one of our emblematic holes.
On that tee we have made a completely new, oversized platform to accommodate everything a Solheim Cup 1st tee requires.
In the rest of the course, improvements have been made to bunkers, sprinklers and other tee platforms, all of which were already included in our five-year improvement plan, but which we have brought forward for the Solheim Cup.
-Are the players going to find the field in the best condition it has ever been in?
-Yes, the truth is that it has been a continuous work of many years in which Ignacio Soto, our director of Agronomy, has been very involved. At the moment we are at a very high level of day-to-day maintenance, but for an event like the Solheim Cup there will always be an extra one percent to keep the course impeccable, and always meeting the highest standards of sustainability and care for the environment.
We need, as always, a little help from the weather, but I can assure you that the course will be fantastic.
-I’m sure the players will find an unbeatable course, but what about the spectators, what will they find when they arrive at Finca Cortesín?
-Spectators will also find the best possible stage, although this is a matter that depends more on the promoter and the organization of the event. They will have specific areas and bleachers that will have fantastic visibility.
The first six holes, especially the 1st tee, will be ideal places to follow the tournament. Between holes 3 and 4 there will be a very large platform that gives visibility to several greens in that area. The 11th hole, which will be played as a par 4 to facilitate the movement of spectators, will also have a large area for the public, as will the 16th and 17th, where 80% of the matches are expected to finish.
-Will there be, then, large stands on tees and greens?
– Yes, yes, as on the 1st tee, where an amphitheater-shaped grandstand will be installed for more than 1,200 spectators. We will also have a very large “village” area, with merchandise stores, food, drinks, etc., which will be the center of the event and will be located in a large open plot near the 9th hole.
-Finca Cortesin has hosted major tournaments, especially the Volvo World Match Play. What are the differences between that tournament and this one?
-The big difference is that the Solheim Cup has become a global event. It is an event with a lot of worldwide repercussion. So did match play, since it was a competition that allowed the best players in the world to come to Finca Cortesin, but the Solheim Cup has become, like the Ryder Cup, an event that transcends all this and reaches all parts of the world.
The turnout will be one of the biggest changes for us, over 20,000 spectators a day, which makes quite a big difference. And then, as we are at a peak moment in world golf, especially women’s golf, I think it will have even more worldwide exposure.
-Will the spectators have parking and access facilities? How will they get here?
-The facilities will be the normal ones for events of this magnitude: large parking lots will be set up nearby, for which we have had the support of nearby municipalities, and from there they will be brought by bus. Also the organization of the tournament is providing many means of transport from areas that can generate greater influx of people, such as Marbella, Estepona, etc.. It will not be necessary to get here by car, park and then take a shuttel.
-What global impact do you foresee this major event having?
-The world’s major television networks, such as Sky TV, BBC, CNN, etc., will be here to broadcast the live images to more than 150 million viewers around the world. A further 500 million will be able to watch the tournament on tape delay. So the impact, both for Finca Cortesin and for the destination, Spain, Andalusia, Costa del Sol, will be incredible and a unique opportunity to reach so many people.
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