Golf Club St. Leon-Rot today hosted a number of the leading women golfers in Europe as the Heidelberg venue continued the countdown towards the 2015 Solheim Cup, which will be played in Germany for the first time from September 18-20.
The venue, one of two outstanding European Tour Destinations in Germany along with Golf and Country Club Fleesensee near Berlin, welcomed European captain, Carin Koch, and a number of her backroom team and potential team members, who had travelled from Turnberry following the Ricoh Women’s British Open to attend a media session and to play the St. Leon-Rot course.
Koch was joined by her vice captains Annika Sorenstam, Sophie Gustafson and Maria McBride as well as team adviser, Fanny Sunesson, in assessing the current condition of the course and working on the behind the scenes minutia vital to the overall success of Europe’s bid for a third successive Solheim Cup victory.
Several players who took part in the latest women’s Major Championship at Turnberry then experienced the St. Leon-Rot lay-out which has staged three Deutsche Bank-SAP Opens on The European Tour.
Melissa Reid, fresh from a top ten finish in the Ricoh British Women’s Open, teed off alongside potential team-mates Carlota Ciganda, Caroline Hedwall, Charley Hull, Caroline Masson and Gwladys Nocera, who all enjoyed the chance to acquaint themselves with the well-manicured course and to appreciate the setting with the grandstands under construction around a number of tees and greens.
Anticpation is growing for the venue, owned by Dietmar Hopp, President and Patron of St. Leon-Rot, and earlier, the group had an opportunity to help the club’s General Manager, Eicko Schulz-Hanssen, to launch a Social Media Wall erected in the main foyer of the clubhouse at St.Leon-Rot, with Koch taking the first ‘selfie’ to officially set the ball rolling in the build up to the main event next month.
Even with 45 days to go until the opening tee shot at 8am on Friday, September 18, the site is bustling with activity as the vast acres of canvas are erected, incorporating a grand Welcome Pavilion, hospitality and catering units, media centre and a 2000-seater structure based around the world famous ‘Oktoberfest’ which will accommodate the opening and closing ceremonies.
One of the main focal points for the spectators attending the Solheim Cup will be the innovatively placed grandstands, forming a square in the centre of the golf course which will afford superb views of the action on the 11th, 12th, 13th and 15th holes for a total of 3000 seated fans.
David MacLaren, The European Tour’s Director of Property and Venue Development, who was part of a Tour delegation at St. Leon-Rot for the event, said: “We are delighted to offer continued support to our European Tour Destination, St. Leon-Rot, as they reach the final stages in the build-up to what promises to be a tremendous golfing event next month.
“Our relationship covers many aspects and we have been privileged to bring a small part of our Ryder Cup and tournament expertise in ways which we believe will enhance an already top class team effort.”
