Bolton’s controversial Ryder Cup bid has fresh competition
It’s been the on-off project which has continued to raise eyebrows and cause a heap of controversy. But now, in a hit to Hulton Park’s ambitious bid to host the 2031 Ryder Cup, fresh competition has emerged to host the tournament in the form of an historic Bedfordshire venue.
As announced this week, Luton Hoo has officially launched a surprise bid to stage the 2031 and 2035 editions of the biennial competition. If successful, it would see England’s near three-decade wait to host another Ryder Cup finally put to an end.
The Bedfordshire estate currently homes just one 18-hole golf course on its luxurious grounds, a venue which has previously staged the Bridgestone Challenge on the Challenge Tour in 2017 and 2018, as well as a EuroPro event in 2017.
Now though, Luton Hoo plans to design and build a completely new championship course on its grounds, hoping to create something worthy of staging one of the biggest tournaments in golf.
Devised by Arora Group – the UK’s largest private hotel operator which purchased Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa in 2021 – the grandiose plans will rival the bid put forward by Hulton Park in Bolton, the project which similarly plans to build a brand new course to host the iconic event.
“Our acquisition of Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf and Spa was always with the intention to curate a luxury leisure and hospitality experience on the existing estate,” Surinder Arora said, founder of the Arora Group. “We want to continue building on the already rich history of Luton Hoo and to ensure that any future investment into the estate will bring economic benefit to Bedfordshire and surrounding areas.
“Hosting the Ryder Cup, potentially in either 2031 or 2035, would raise the profile of the area to a global audience and the opportunity to bid to host a Ryder Cup at Luton Hoo is a very real and realistic ambition.”
Richard Wenham, head of Central Bedfordshire Council, said: “The Ryder Cup is an iconic sporting event celebrated and enjoyed across the globe. Arora’s aspirational plans to take the superb Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf and Spa complex set in its beautiful surroundings to the next level, have the scope to put Central Bedfordshire on the world stage.
“Securing the Ryder Cup would be an enormous boost to our thriving economy, bringing many new tourists and supporting more new jobs.”
The news comes just two months after a public inquiry decided that revised plans for the 2031 Ryder Cup in Bolton should not have been rejected. Also reported to be on the hosting shortlist for the 48th edition of the tournament is The London Club in Kent, while there is an unnamed European course also in the running.
The last English course to host the Ryder Cup was The Belfry in 2002, where Sam Torrance helped guide Team Europe to victory over Team USA.
Whichever venue is successful will follow Marco Simone in Rome, Italy, and Adare Manor in Limerick, Ireland as the last three courses to stage the Ryder Cup on behalf of Team Europe.
As always, watch this space.
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George Cooper
A golf fanatic his entire life, George Cooper is NCG's man for all goings-on at the top level of the game, whether it's the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA or LIV Golf. He also looks after NCG's Twitter and Facebook accounts. George is a member of Woburn, but is not friends with Ian Poulter.
