The 20th edition of the Solheim Cup, the premier team match-play competition in women’s professional golf, will make history in September 2026 as the first to be hosted in the Netherlands.
Staged at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt from 7 to 13 September, the event represents a watershed moment for both the host venue and the Netherlands Golf Federation (NGF).
This review assesses the quantitative and qualitative impacts of the event on Bernardus Golf and the wider Dutch economy, provides short-, medium-, and long-term forecasts, and sets out actionable recommendations to maximize legacy value.
Event at a Glance — Key Statistics
The headline figures alone underscore the scale of the opportunity:
| Metric | Figure | Context / Significance |
| On-site attendance | 80,000+ | Fans from more than 40 countries across the tournament week |
| Global broadcast reach | 620 million homes | Coverage across more than 155 territories; 30+ hours of live TV |
| Media reach (print/online/social) | 4 million+ | 200+ journalists, photographers and content producers on site |
| Direct economic impact | €17 million | Anticipated regional economic uplift (NGF estimate) |
| Volunteers recruited | 1,000+ confirmed | 2,500 initial expressions of interest; 24 nationalities represented |
| Sustainable transport fleet | 4,000 bikes & 60+ buses | First fully car-free Solheim Cup in the event’s history |
| Women golfer target uplift | 32% → 40% | NGF participation ambition driven by Solheim Cup legacy programmes |
| Junior Solheim Cup | 7–8 September | First time played on the same course as the senior event |
Impact on Bernardus Golf
Reputational & Brand Elevation
Since opening in 2018, Bernardus has established itself as one of the Netherlands’ premier championship venues, hosting three DP World Tour KLM Dutch Opens (2021–2023).
The Solheim Cup represents a quantum leap in global visibility.
Broadcast to 620 million homes across 155 territories, the course and its distinctive Dutch landscape will be viewed by an audience orders of magnitude larger than that of any previous event staged there.
The commercial value of this exposure, production hours, aerial footage, course-identification graphics, and player interviews would amount to tens of millions of euros to replicate through paid advertising.
Brand recognition among golf travelers, tour operators, and corporate hospitality buyers worldwide will be permanently elevated.
Infrastructure & Operational Maturity
Hosting an event of this magnitude requires — and produces — lasting improvements. Bernardus will benefit from:
- Enhanced spectator and hospitality infrastructure commissioned for the event.
- Refined logistics and crowd-management systems were stress-tested against 80,000 visitors.
- Proven sustainability credentials, including the world-first car-free Solheim Cup model.
- Strengthened relationships with global partners including PING, Rolex, Skyscanner, adidas, E-Z-GO, TUMI, and CT&ROE.
Each of these leaves a tangible operational legacy that will benefit future tournaments and private memberships alike.
Commercial Pipeline
The partner roster, combining established global brands with new Solheim-specific partners — signals the premium positioning Bernardus now commands.
Future event bids, corporate day packages, and destination golf tourism will all benefit from the venue’s proven capacity to deliver a world-class international spectacle.
Impact on the Netherlands
Economic Impact
The NGF-estimated €17 million in regional economic impact is a conservative headline figure.
Breaking this down, the direct spend from 80,000+ visitors covers accommodation, dining, transport, retail, and leisure across the North Brabant region and wider Netherlands.
Indirect and induced multiplier effects, supply chains, employment, and re-spent income will extend the true economic footprint significantly beyond this estimate.
The international volunteer cohort (one-third of the total, from 24 countries) is itself a form of inbound tourism: these individuals travel to the Netherlands, spend money locally, and become informal ambassadors for Dutch hospitality and golf.
Destination & Tourism Marketing
The Amsterdam Centraal stunt, a 2.5-meter golf ball dramatically placed inside one of Europe’s busiest transport hubs, illustrated the event’s capacity to generate earned media at national scale.
Global coverage reaching 4 million people through print, online, and social platforms will cement the Netherlands’ image as a world-class sporting destination.
Tourism authorities and regional boards should track uplift in golf and sports-tourism inquiries for at least 18 months post-event.
Golf Participation Legacy
The most strategically significant long-term impact is the projected growth of golf participation.
The NGF’s ambition to raise the proportion of women golfers from 32% to 40% is underpinned by structured pre-event programs and the inspirational effect of 24 of the world’s best women golfers competing on home soil.
This 8-percentage-point shift, if achieved, would represent a structural and lasting change to the shape of Dutch golf, with compounding downstream benefits for club membership, junior development and course revenues.
International Profile of Dutch Golf
The appointment of Anne van Dam, a Dutch professional, as Europe’s captain, alongside the Netherlands’ hosting role, positions Dutch golf at the center of the global women’s game narrative in 2026.
This is a reputational asset that extends well beyond the tournament week.
Strategic Forecast
The table below sets out a forecast across three time horizons for Bernardus Golf, the NGF, and the broader Dutch golf economy.
| Area | Short-term (0–12 months) | Medium-term (1–3 years) | Long-term (3–7 years) |
| Bernardus Golf Revenue | Premium hospitality & ticket revenue; partner payments | Surge in corporate day bookings & destination tourism packages | Elevated green fees, membership waiting lists, hosting of future majors |
| Bernardus Reputation | Global broadcast exposure; 155-territory recognition | Ranked among Europe’s top-10 must-play courses by travel media | Permanent status as a landmark international championship venue |
| NGF Participation | Spike in inquiries; junior program uptake near venue | Women golfer share rising from 32% toward 40% target | Structural shift in gender balance; self-sustaining participation pipeline |
| Netherlands Tourism | €17M+ direct regional spend; earned media reaches 4M+ people | Increased golf tourist arrivals; return visits from international volunteers | The Netherlands has established itself as a leading European golf destination |
| Sponsorship & Partnerships | New partner activations (E-Z-GO, TUMI, CT&ROE) | Renewed and expanded multi-year commercial agreements | Attraction of new global partners seeking Dutch market access |
| Sustainability Leadership | Car-free model sets industry benchmark | Adopted as a template by LET/golf governing bodies | Bernardus is cited globally as a model for low-carbon major events |
Recommendations: Maximizing the Benefits
For Bernardus Golf
Commercial & Hospitality
- Launch a post-event ‘Solheim Collection’ premium membership tier, leveraging the venue’s newly elevated status to justify a price premium and create waitlist demand.
- Package the venue’s Solheim Cup history into a compelling destination-golf offering: multi-day itineraries that combine tournament replay experiences, pro-am formats, and Dutch cultural tourism.
- Use the broadcast footage and partner relationships to produce a polished venue showreel for international tour operators, incentive travel buyers, and corporate hospitality planners.
Operational Continuity
- Retain the car-free and sustainable transport infrastructure as a permanent operational model — this differentiates Bernardus from competing venues and aligns with European sustainability expectations.
- Document the operational learnings from managing 80,000+ visitors and publish a venue capability statement to support bids for future LET, DP World Tour, and Ryder/Solheim Cup events.
- Negotiate long-term agreements with key infrastructure partners (E-Z-GO, CT&ROE) to maintain event-grade facilities at reduced ongoing cost.
For the Netherlands Golf Federation (NGF)
Participation & Grassroots Growth
- Capitalize on the post-event enthusiasm window (September–December 2026) with a targeted ‘Try Golf’ campaign at clubs within a 60km radius of Bernardus, where local awareness will be highest.
- Create a dedicated ‘Solheim Girls’ youth program inspired by the Junior Solheim Cup model, partnering with schools and Anne van Dam’s personal brand to recruit girls aged 8–16.
- Set measurable quarterly milestones toward the 40% women golfer target, publishing progress transparently to maintain momentum and media interest through 2027–2028.
Volunteer & Community Legacy
- Retain the 1,000-strong volunteer network as a standing community of golf ambassadors by providing ongoing training, event invitations, and recognition to prevent attrition.
- Establish a ‘Solheim Legacy Fund’ from a portion of the event surplus to permanently endow participation programs, ensuring the legacy outlasts the initial excitement window.
National & Regional Authorities
- Commission an independent post-event economic impact study within 90 days of the tournament to capture the full multiplier effect and provide an evidence base for future major event bids.
- Incorporate Bernardus Golf and the Solheim Cup narrative into national tourism marketing campaigns for at least 24 months, maximizing the earned media value already generated.
- Explore a North Brabant Golf Tourism Trail, linking Bernardus with other regional courses to spread the economic benefits of inbound golf tourism beyond the immediate venue.
- Use the car-free event model as a case study in sustainable sports tourism for EU-level funding and grant applications.
Risks & Mitigations
| Risk | Likelihood / Impact | Mitigation |
| Adverse weather disrupting attendance | Medium / Medium | Robust contingency scheduling; covered spectator areas; flexible shuttle operations |
| Participation spike failing to convert to sustained membership | Medium / Medium | Structured onboarding programs; introductory membership pricing; club ambassador scheme |
| Economic impact below €17M forecast | Low / Medium | Pre-event visitor spend tracking; real-time hotel occupancy monitoring; post-event audit |
| Sustainability claims are not independently verified | Low / High | Third-party environmental audit; public carbon reporting; SAF partnership documentation |
| Post-event venue underutilization | Medium / High | Proactive pipeline of events; commercial hospitality packages launched pre-tournament |
Conclusion
The 2026 Solheim Cup at Bernardus Golf is far more than a prestigious one-week sporting event.
It is a strategic platform with the potential to reposition Bernardus Golf as a globally recognized championship destination, accelerate structural growth in Dutch golf participation, particularly among women and girls, and deliver a measurable economic stimulus to the North Brabant region and beyond.
The foundations are exceptionally strong: world-class broadcast exposure, a blue-chip partner ecosystem, an authentic sustainability narrative, a nationally symbolic captain in Anne van Dam, and an operational model — including the groundbreaking car-free format- that sets new standards for the sport.
The critical variable is the execution of the legacy. Events of this magnitude carry a well-documented risk of post-tournament inertia.
The organizations and stakeholders that act decisively, converting inspiration into programs, inquiries into memberships, and visibility into commercial bookings, in the 12 months immediately following the tournament, will capture the full measure of what September 2026 can deliver.
Done right, the 2026 Solheim Cup will be remembered not merely as the best edition of the event to date, but as the moment Dutch golf entered a new era.