The Three Main English Contenders To Stage The 2035 Ryder Cup

All reports suggest the 2035 Ryder Cup will be staged in England, with three main contenders including a new build, a redevelopment and a former DP World Tour host just outside London

A Ryder Cup flag blowing in the wind with wet weather forecast for Bethpage Black in New York
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Ryder Cup looks like it's heading back to England in 2035 for the first time since The Belfry staged the event way back in 2002.

The news of an impending bid from Hulton Park in Bolton, near Manchester, sparked the debate and it seems the only other contenders also come from England.

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The country boasts some iconic courses, and there is an argument to say that one of England's Open courses would be a better choice to host the Ryder Cup such as Royal Birkdale or Royal Liverpool.

There's also the likes of Wentworth that you could consider and a plethora of others already established with long histories that would be wonderful Ryder Cup hosts.

But it seems that so far at least the contenders are a proposed new build in Bolton, a redevelopment project in Luton and a DP World Tour host venue just outside London.

So here's a closer look at the contenders to stage the 2035 Ryder Cup.

Hulton Park

A CGI image of the proposed Ryder Cup at Hulton Park

(Image credit: Peel L&P)

Hulton Park has not yet officially launched its bid, but it's all the rage in the news thanks to Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham revealing a £240 million ($320 million) funding package for the project.

World No.3 Tommy Fleetwood has already given his backing to Hulton Park's impending bid, with the proximity to big cities Manchester and Liverpool a big plus for the proposed venue.

“Whenever it’s on the Ryder Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world, and bringing that to the North West of England would be something very special that we’d remember forever," said Fleetwood.

The bonus with a new build of course, as with the 2010 course at Celtic Manor, is that the design can have a matchplay flavor to it. And along with all the infrastructure in the area, on paper it has everything needed for a successful Ryder Cup.

Luton Hoo

Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire has had approval to build a new golf course aimed at staging the Ryder Cup

(Image credit: Getty Images)

A stage ahead of Bolton, ground has already been broken on the redevelopment of Luton Hoo Hotel & Golf Club in Bedfordshire with owners targeting a bid to stage the 2035 Ryder Cup.

The £170m ($226m) redevelopment of the current course there will take up to two-and-a-half years, with seven-time Ryder Cup player Justin Rose helping to design the new championship calibre course alongside golfing icon Gary Player.

Owners the Arora Group say it will become "the Augusta of Europe" and have employed Atlantic Golf Construction, which built next year's host Adare Manor.

European Golf Design is also involved - the company responsible for recent Ryder Cup venues Celtic Manor, Le Golf National and Marco Simone - so with those major players and the owner's ambition to "bring thre Ryder Cup home" this contender has a lot going for it.

The London Club

London Golf Club

(Image credit: Getty Images)

This one has the edge on the other two in terms of having experience at hosting tournaments, staging DP World Tour events including the European Open and World Matchplay.

The London Club website has stated it's ambition to stage the Ryder Cup with 'The London Project' being an expansion including a new hotel and spa that would make it a viable Ryder Cup option.

"We have tried and tested it with DP World Tour events, but there are global events – Ryder Cups, Solheim Cups – that we should be looking at and aspiring to host," it states on the website.

The Jack Nicklaus design is situated just outside the M25 so has an ease of access and a proximity to London that would make it endlessly marketable to visitors from across Europe and the USA.

Future Ryder Cup venues

  • 2027 - Adare Manor (County Limerick, Republic of Ireland)
  • 2029 - Hazeltine National Golf Club (Chaska, Minnesota)
  • 2031 - Camaril Golf & Wellness (Girona, Spain)
  • 2033 - The Olympic Club (San Francisco, California)
  • 2035 - Unconfirmed (Europe)
  • 2037 - Congressional Country Club (Bethesda, Maryland)
Paul Higham
Contributor

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush. 

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