Costa del Sol at Solheim Cup 21 in Ohio
09 September 2021
Solheim Cup 21, at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio has been an historic event for Spanish golf, Ohio, both on a sporting and a promotional front. The perfect outcome was the European victory by 15 to 13 against the United States, with Carlota Ciganda as one of the stars of the competition, and the culmination was the closing ceremony in which Finca Cortesin was announced as host of the next Solheim Cup in 2023. For the first time in its history, this biennial tournament will take place in Spain, from September 18, at one of the most prestigious golf courses of the Costa del Sol and Andalusia.
Aside of the triumphs of our countrywomen in the Solheim Cup and the PING Junior Solheim Cup (Cayetana Fernandez and Andrea Revuelta were part of the winning European team in the competition that served as a preamble to the tournament at the Sylvania Country Club), the most important women’s sporting event in the world was the perfect showcase for the promotion of the Costa del Sol, Andalusia, and Spain in general.
Due to the limitations of Covid and the current geopolitical situation, the representatives of the Costa del Sol Tourist Board, Global Partner of the Solheim Cup, and other sponsor partners were unable travel, but staff were at hand in Toledo, Ohio, full of enthusiasm and commitment to show the best our region has to offer for golf enthusiasts, sponsors, tour operators and accredited journalists. In addition, a good number of meetings were held with the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour, the entities that govern women’s golf, in order to seal the transition once this year’s edition is over and to continue planning the championship at Finca Cortesín.
The Spain Plaza, the base of operations of the Spanish expedition at the Inverness Club, was a hive of activity throughout the week of the Solheim Cup and the best platform to inform the Americans of the best golfing, sporting, gastronomic, tourist and cultural assets offered by Andalusia, Costa del Sol and its main towns, such as Marbella and Benahavís. Also noteworthy was the work of the tour operators present at the stand, who were very satisfied with the expectation raised by the Solheim Cup 2023 and the reaction of the American public. In addition, in the Spain Plaza, the image of the Finca Cortesín tournament was presented, promotional videos of all the parties involved in the organization of the tournament were shown and visitors were offered a selection of Spanish products.
The heads of the Andalusian Government (Junta de Andalucía) and the Costa del Sol Tourist Board (Turismo Costa del Sol), main supporters of the 2023 Solheim Cup project, highlighted the importance of the work carried out during this week. “During this 2021 Solheim Cup that has just ended, Andalusia has had a unique opportunity to show the professionals of the golf world its magnificent credentials to take over the organization of a competition of this magnitude,” said Juan Marin, Vice President and Minister of Tourism, Regeneration, Justice and Local Government of the Junta de Andalucía. “It has been, undoubtedly, a great opportunity to advance in the planning and coordination of the various actions that we will develop on the occasion of this event, actions that will certainly contribute to the promotion of tourism and to consolidate Andalusia in the international golf elite as a sports destination”. The President of Turismo Costa del Sol, Francisco Salado, stressed that for the Costa del Sol the Solheim Cup is a dream come true and “an excellent opportunity to strengthen our position as a safe tourist destination, in addition to emphasizing the commitment to women’s sport in a sustainable event and of great international relevance that confirms the leadership of the destination in the golf segment”. The Solheim Cup is, according to the president of the Province of Málaga, “the culmination of a cooperative project in which many institutions have been working for years and all eyes will be on us. The celebration of these events is a splendid opportunity to show the facilities we have and the unbeatable offer of the Costa del Sol. With our more than 70 golf courses, we are the destination with the highest concentration in continental Europe”.
The schedule of activities of the Solheim week was intense and included interviews with national and international media, high-level meetings, working sessions with tour operators and meetings with U.S. political representatives, such as the reception of the Sister Cities Association chaired by Wade Kapszukiewicz, mayor of Toledo, and the state congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, among other authorities. The closing ceremony to the 2023 Solheim Cup was a fitting end for this event, at which point the exciting two-year countdown began until the action begins at Finca Cortesin in September 2023.
The 2023 Solheim Cup, an event of Exceptional Public Interest that will be hosted at Finca Cortesín, is sponsored by PING, Costa del Sol and Rolex as Global Partners; by Andalucía, Acosol, the local council of Marbella and the local council of Benahavís as Official Partners; and by Reale Seguros as Official Sponsor.
#vamosgirls #costadelgolf #costadelsol
More information at www.solheimcup2023.eu, @SolheimCup2023 (Twitter), @solheimcup2023esp (Instagram) and Solheim Cup 2023 (Facebook).
Contact:
Lynn Mitchell – Business Development Director
Costa del Sol Tourist Board
Costa del Sol Tourist Board, Plaza de la Marina, 4,4th-6th Floor,Malaga,Andalucia 29015,
Tel: +34 952 126272
Email: lynnj.mitchell@visitacostadelsol.com
Website: www.visitcostadelsol.com/golf