Coming years the Ryder cup will be held at:

Medinah Country Club (2012)
Gleneagles (2014)
Hazeltine National Golf Club (2016)

Bids for 2018 are from France, Germany, Holland, Portugal and Spain. France brings in Paris under the motto ‘Passion, Prestige, Panache’. If Germany wins the bid, the Ryder Cup matches will take place near Munich. Both proposing countries make use of existing golfcourses. Holland is building a brandnew course near Gorinchem (a Colin Montgomery -design). Spain, that already has hosted the Ryder Cup in Valderrama in1997 now brings in Madrid. Portugal is developing a €1 billion golf and leisure -development in the Setubal-region (Herdade da Comporta), between Lisbon and the Algarve. The winning venue is expected to be announced in April 2011.

(picture source: Boston Globe Pictures)

Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a top golf-player?
- It is not the swing.
Lee Trevino used to say about his swing: ‘I look like a caveman, killing his lunch’.
Moe Norman`s swing wasn`t even better, but he got the ball where he wanted it.
Use the swing that fits your physique and make it work …
- It is not the equipment.
Sure, some good clubs will make a difference, but you dont`t have to pay thousands of dollars for a putter.
Start with a simple set and move to something better if you get hooked on the game …
The bottomline is: In golf, there is no secret; just start young & practice, practice, practice.
Look at Carly Booth or Tiger Woods. Both started before they were 5 years old, and then practiced thousands and thousands shots.
That`s the secret …

Zooming in with Google Earth on these golfcourses most of the time shows ‘Ground Under Repair’. They are brandnew, but already qualified as Top Courses in the UK. Note that most of the courses can be regarded as classic linkscourses, and that`s the way golf began:

Castle Stuart Golf Course (check the Aerial Video Tour)
The Twenty Ten Golf Course (Ryder Cup Course)
The Renaissance Club
Lough Erne Golf Course
Macreddin Golf Course
The Castle Course (one of the 7! courses at St. Andrews)
Killeen Castle Course
Moyvalley Golf Course
Askernish Golf Course
Machrihanish Dunes Golf Course

The last Olympic golfplayer to win gold was Georg Lyon (Canada) in 1904 at the Olympic Games in Saint Louis. After more than 100 years golf will be back at the Games. Rio de Janeiro will probably hosting the event, but that’s not decided yet. Golfcourses are not widespread in Brazil as you can read here. The main contenders are:

Búzios Golf Club and Resort
Itanhangá Golf Club
São Paulo Golf Club

As Golfweek noticed, Gavea Golf and Country Club is not suitable as a venue for the event, although the location looks perfect. But with a par of 69 and no infrastructure, it will miss the cut. Another possibility is that a private developer will jump in and create a new Olympic Course.

Celtic Manor (Wales) was from 1-4 october 2010 the arena for the best golfers from Europe and the USA. The event is held every two years (with some intervals) since 1927. You can find all about the 38th Ryder Cup here and here. The following list shows all the venues of the past years:

2008. Valhalla Golf Club – Louisville (Kentucky)
2006. K Club Hotel and Golf – Straffan (Ireland)
2004. Oakland Hills Country Club – Bloomfield Hills (Michigan)
2002. The Belfry – Wishaw (England)
1999. The Country Club – Brookline (Massachusetts)
1997. Club de Golf Valderrama – Sotogrande (Spain)
1995. Oak Hill Country Club – Rochester (New York)
1993. The Belfry – Wishaw (England)
1991. Kiawah Island Golf Resort – Kiawah Island (South Carolina)
1989. The Belfry – Wishaw (England)
1987. Country Club at Muirfield Village – Dublin (Ohio)
1985. The Belfry – Wishaw (England)
1983. PGA National Resort and Spa – Palm Beach Gardens (Florida)
1981. Walton Heath Golf Club – Tadworth (England)
1979. The Greenbrier – White Sulphur Springs (West Virginia)
1977. Royal Lytham and Saint Annes Golf Club – Lytham (England)
1975. Laurel Valley Golf Club – Ligonier (Pennsylvania)
1973. Muirfield – Gullane (Scotland)
1971. Old Warson Country Club – Saint Louis (Missouri)
1969. Royal Birkdale Golf Club – Southport (England)
1967. Champions Golf Club – Houston (Texas)
1965. Royal Birkdale Golf Club – Southport (England)
1963. Atlanta Athletic Club – Atlanta (Georgia)
1961. Royal Lytham and Saint Annes Golf Club – Lytham (England)
1959. Eldorado Country Club – Indian Wells (Califoria)
1957. Lindrick Golf Club – Worksop (England)
1955. Thunderbird Country Club – Rancho Mirage (California)
1953. Wentworth Club – Virginia Water (England)
1951. Pinehurst Resort – Village of Pinehurst (North Carolina)
1949. Ganton Golf Club – Scarborough (England)
1947. Portland Golf Club – Portland (Oregon)
1937. Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club – Southport (England)
1935. The Ridgewood Country Club – Paramus (New Jersey)
1933. Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club – Southport (England)
1931. Scioto Country Club – Columbus (Ohio)
1929. Moortown Golf Club – Alwoodley (England)
1927. Worcester Country Club – Worcester (Massachusetts)

Update: Europe wins with minimal margin: 14,5 – 13,5 !

In 2009 Golf World published a top-100 list of ‘Continental’ golfcourses. A list like this is very subjective, but any course on the list is worth playing. At no. 1 Les Bordes (great website by the way). On the former hunting estate of Baron Bich you are one a half hours – and an entire world – away from Paris. Lübker Golf Resort (Denmark) is a new entry at the top of the list. See for yourself which courses are missing:

01. Les Bordes (fr)
02. Morfontaine Golf Club (fr)
03. Club de Golf Valderrama (es)
04. Le Golf National (fr)
05. Royal Zoute Golf Club (be)
06. Noordwijkse Golfclub (nl)
07. PGA Golf de Catalunya (es)
08. Golf de Chantilly (fr)
09. Campo de Golf El Saler (es)
10. Sporting Club Berlin Scharmützelsee (de)
11. Golf de Fontainebleau (fr)
12. Bro Hof Slott Golf Club (se)
13. Praia d`el Rey Golf and Beach Resort (pt)
14. Lübker Golf Resort (dk)
15. Halmstad Golfklubb (se)
16. Koninklijke Haagsche Golf and Country Club (nl)
17. PGA of Sweden National (se)
18. Le Prince de Provence (fr)
19. Barsebäck Golf and Country Club (se)
20. Troia Golf (pt)
21. Kennemer Golf and Country Club (nl)
22. Spérone Golf Club (fr)
23. Golf Santander (es)
24. Falsterbo Golfklubb (se)
25. Oitavos Golfe (pt)

Download the complete list here.

Turkey! This is the first true linkscourse in the Mediterranean! Lykia Links opened in November 2008 and only the weather makes you feel you’re not in Scotland or Ireland. But there is more … Ten more golfcourses with over 250 holes cover the Belek-area :
1. Tat Golf Belek International Golf Club
2. National Golf Club
3. Antalya Golf Club
4. Kaya Eagles Club
5. Carya Golf Club
6. Sueno Golf Club
7. Cornelia Golf Club
8. Montgomerie Papillon Golf Club
9. Gloria Hotels and Resorts
10. Robinson Nobilis Golf Club

Probably too warm during the Summer, but playing here in Spring must be a (Turkish) delight.

In the month of May we headed for Arran to play some rounds of Gowf. There are 7 golfcourses on the island that measures 430 km2. The ferry from Ardrossan (near Glasgow) brought us to Brodick (the main city). Rental cars were ready and we drove to Lamlash, where we stayed at the Glenisle Hotel. It turned out to be a good choice. From our hotel we could reach all golfcourses within half an hour. With the ‘Arran Golf Pass’ you can play all courses on the island (for £105). Lochranza is not included anymore, but you can play another course of your choice twice, instead. The day of arrival we played Lamlash. A very nice course, overlooking the bay of Lamlash. 18 holes, steep hills and the wind comes in play on a couple of holes. No par-5′s though. Day 2: Whiting Bay. Picturesque golfcourse, with great views over the bay. A warm welcome and wonderful weather (no guarantee in Scotland). Machrie. 9 holes linkscourse along the Westcoast. No par-5′s again! Day 3: It had been raining all night. Course closed at Shiskine Golf and Tennis Club (happens only once a year). But after an hour or so (the rain stopped) already playable (the good thing with linkscourses). It turned out to be the best golfcourse, and we played the 12(!) holes twice. Once played, never forgotten! So certainly worth to play it again (and again). Shiskine can compete with the best golfcourses in the UK. And finally a par-5 (on hole 9). Final day: Corrie. Cosy 9 holes, a bit of rain and no snakes today. Brodick. 18 holes, mature parkland-course with a hint of links. All in all; some great days of golf and the lack in distance on some of the courses is compensated by the walks up and down the hills. Highly recommended **** Click for a slideshow

Now you can compete with golfplayers all over the world when you enter the World Golf Tour. Subscription is free, but you’ll be warned: this is a very addictive game! WGT is a fenomenal ‘flash-game’ with superb animations. Play tournaments on different courses (Kiawah, Wolf Creek and more) against other players or play single games; closest to the pin, etc. Scores are kept and you can even save your best shots for review (and showing off). Five stars *****

Since 2005 Trickshot Championships are held. At wgstc.com you can see the highlights of 2005 and 2006. So if you are struggling with your handicap; give your golfcareer a new direction! Here are some videos to give you an idea: Rickard Strongert, Ron del Barrio and Junger Woods.