Ambitious plans have been submitted to build a championship-level golf course at Bedfordshire’s Luton Hoo estate with the hope it could host the Ryder Cup in either 2031 or 2035.
The biennial tournament was last hosted in England in 2002 at the Belfry. However, following the acquisition of the estate by Arora Group, the company intends to bring the event back to England with the new development, subject to planning permission. According to Luton Today, an application has been sent to Central Bedfordshire Council and is currently at the consultation stage of the process before potentially being considered by the council’s development management committee.
In a statement, Arora Group said: “Luton Hoo is set in more than 1,000 acres of picturesque parkland, woods and lakes in Bedfordshire. The estate is currently home to an 18-hole golf course. In line with our ambition to create something special on the estate, it’s planned to design and build a new championship-level course worthy of hosting the Ryder Cup and other prestigious golf tournaments, including DP World Tour events.”
Chairman of the company Surinder Arora expanded on the ambition, saying: “Our acquisition of Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf and Spa was always with the intention to curate a luxury leisure and hospitality experience on the estate. We want to continue building on the already rich history of Luton Hoo and to ensure that any future investment into the premises 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. The opportunity to bid to host a Ryder Cup at Luton Hoo is a very real and realistic ambition.”
The news comes less than two months after another proposed English course’s plans were approved following an appeal. Bolton’s Hulton Park Estate is set to be developed in anticipation of its own bid for the 2031 Ryder Cup, which, along with Kent’s London Club, has been shortlisted for the bid by UK sport and Ryder Cup Europe.
With the potential for another venue to enter the bidding process, Conservative Central Bedfordshire Council leader Richard Wenham explained the benefits the Luton Hoo development would bring to the area. He said: “The Ryder Cup is an iconic sporting event, celebrated and enjoyed across the globe. Arora’s aspirational project to take the superb Luton Hoo complex, set in its beautiful surroundings, to the next level, has 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 tourists to the area and supporting more new jobs.”
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