The organizers of the Solheim Cup did not leave the selection of the host venue for the 2026 Solheim Cup to chance. The routine Bernardus Golf – hosted the Dutch Open on the DP World Tour in 2021, and 2022, and will host it again in 2023.
The Bernardus Golf Solheim Cup bid is supported by the forward-thinking Royal Dutch Golf Federation (NGF) and together with the LET and IMG.
Their intention is to deliver a world-class Solheim Cup and create a benchmark in women’s sports events and leave a long-term positive legacy for Bernardus Golf, Dutch golf, the Netherlands, and the local community.
This is interesting in a country where the local golf federation has got about 270 affiliated associations with 420,000 registered golfers. Furthermore, the golf federation is the 4th biggest sports association after football, tennis, and fishing.
The share of female golfers is 32% (=125,537 female golfers). This is the
- The 2rd-highest share of female golfers,
- The 3rd biggest number of female golfers in Europe.
- Source: The R&A & EGA: European Golf Participation Report 2021.
Bernardus Golf & 2026 Solheim Cup
Robert van der Wallen spent more than $50 million on the development of Bernardus Golf. He hired Kyle Phillips to design the golf course of Bernardus Golf. The Leadingcourses.com readers chose the club as the Golfers’ Choice in 2022.
At yesterday’s press conference, they very skillfully avoided the question of which TV channels will show the 2026 Solheim Cup. I didn’t even get an answer about what they will do for the fan experience.
Actually, I just wanted to hear which of the following sports marketing trends will they implement and follow:
- Over-The-Top (OTT) content (see Netflix, Amazon): OTT means that the content can ultimately be received independently of the terminal device.
- The usage of AI & chatbots: An entertaining and clever chatbot can reach new target groups and strengthen fan loyalty because it offers extraordinary content.
- Wearables: The next frontier in fan engagement will be in the form of connected smart sensors.