Excitement for this year’s Solheim Cup is already starting to reach fever pitch at La Hacienda Links Golf Resort, with the 36-hole venue organising a weekend golf extravaganza to celebrate hosting the iconic trophy this month.
Officials at the up-and-coming resort on Spain’s Costa del Sol marked the three-day visit of the most famous prize in women’s team golf by planning a series of events, culminating in a special ‘Race to Solheim Cup 2023’ tournament on La Hacienda’s redesigned Links course.
Organisers of the Solheim Cup arranged the trophy visit to help honour the roles of La Hacienda director of sales and marketing Ana Berbel and experience manager Nerea Domingues as Spanish ambassadors for the event, which will take place at Finca Cortesin Hotel, Golf & Spa in September.
As well as having the opportunity to be photographed with the trophy, the sold-out field of 75 players from countries including France, the United Kingdom and the home nation had the chance to compete for an array of top prizes in the Stableford and strokeplay competitions, including a one-week pass to the Solheim Cup.
Thanks to sponsors BMW Carteya Motors, there was also a sparking new BMW Mini on offer to anyone hitting a hole-in-one on the 166-metre par-three 12th hole, while Ana Ruiz, the councillor of tourism at the Town Hall of San Roque, was on hand to present the prizes.
Berbel said: “The Solheim Cup is one of the biggest events in women’s golf. This is the first time that it has been played in Spain and it was a real thrill and honour for us to be able to host the trophy for three days.
“There was a real buzz around the resort while the trophy was here and everyone could not have been more excited. I’m not sure that many people in the Costa del Sol realise what a big thing it is for the region to host the Solheim Cup, but I’m quite sure that there is going to be a golf boom in the number of new female players after the event has taken place.”
In addition to the relaunch of its renowned Links course last summer after a major renovation, the opening of a new clubhouse and the announcement of a new Fairmont hotel to open in 2024, the resort is carrying out a fresh series of upgrades to its golf and leisure amenities including new investment on its other 18-hole layout, the Heathland course.
Other future improvements include the launch of a new state-of-the-art website, a variety of updated stay-and-play packages and the opening of a new halfway house for players on the Links course, while La Hacienda will fully launch a new 300-plus-room Fairmont hotel and villas in spring 2024 – underlining the resort’s ambition to become one of the most exclusive and luxurious golf developments in Spain.