Lady Golfer’s new columnist – Solheim Cup captain, Carin Koch

We now have less than a year to go until the 2015 Solheim Cup and Germany already look like being incredible hosts.

To start the year-long countdown we had a stunning event over two days there and we were lucky enough to have Steffi Graf, Martin Kaymer and Franz Beckenbauer, Caroline Hedwall and Paula Creamer to help to promote it.

In the past the competition has been held in countries where golf is already so popular and you know that the fans will come. In Germany the sport is not yet at that level and they want to do so much with this event and get juniors and more people playing golf so this was a great start.

It began with a shootout in dramatic fashion on Heidelberg’s Old Bridge before a spectacular gala dinner where we had a Q&A with myself, Juli Inkster, Caroline Masson, Sandra Gal and Caroline Larsson, a Swedish golfer who had to have her leg amputated in 2011.

At the end of the two days the event raised nearly half a million Euros for charity. The following morning there was a press conference and we had a shootout on the range – German European Tour star Moritz Lampert was the star of the show when he hit an air balloon from 100 metres at the first attempt – and then played 14 holes to make birdies and money. At the end of the two days the event raised nearly half a million Euros for charity.

Juli and I played on the same team which made a nice change and it was great to spend some time together. This was the only chance for Juli and her assistant, Pat Hurst, to have a look at the team rooms in the hotel and at the course and was a good chance for us to sit down and talk about the matches.
As well as all being very competitive we are all on the same page in terms of having fun.

I have loved the first six months of my captaincy. There is a lot going on and so much planning to do but the LET have done it so many times that they have a checklist to work through and we’re getting through it.
We had a nice get-together at the British Open at Birkdale where players could pop in and say hello.
There were about 25 players invited so we have a big squad of talent to look at and it is good for them to know that they are on my mind.

Twelve months and counting.