Rob Holt, Welsh Government's Deputy Director for Tourism Development, Major Events and Sports Policy, has spoken of his delight after the European Senior Tour once again showcased another great Welsh course at the SSE Enterprise Wales Senior Open.
Won by China’s Zhang Lianwei, the event took place on the famed Roman Road Course, one of three 18-hole courses at The Celtic Manor Resort.
Europe famously won The 2010 Ryder Cup on the purpose-built Twenty Ten Course at Celtic Manor, yet Holt was pleased that the Robert Trent Jones Senior-designed Roman Road lay-out was once again in the limelight in Newport.
“We said after Wales hosted the Ryder Cup in 2010 that we would continue our investment in golf,” he said. “Our relationship with the European Senior Tour has allowed us to do that in a big way.
“We have had the chance to host the big event, the Senior Open Championship at Royal Porthcawl in 2014 and coming back to Celtic Manor in 2015 and 2016 with the Wales Seniors open and with sponsors like SSE has been a fantastic boost.
“People know the Twenty Ten course, but perhaps don’t recognise how good the Roman Road course actually is. The feedback we received from the players has been brilliant, and it was great for us to showcase another course in Wales.”
In 2014, Royal Porthcawl was selected as the venue for The Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex – the first time the event had been staged in Wales – and Europe’s only Senior Major will once again be contested on the world class links course in 2017.
Bernhard Langer secured his second Senior Open title and third Senior Major victory in 2014 by an incredible 13 stroke margin as he carded an overall 18 under par with rounds of 65-66-68-67.
“The Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl was a massive success for us,” said Holt. “It was wonderful to hear Tom Watson say that he fell in love with the course, and it was great seeing how well the likes of Langer and Colin Montgomerie played too.
“We’ve got the momentum going and it has paid off with the amount of golf tourism we have in the country. Over a 12-year period, we’ve seen well over two million visitors and that equates to nearly £400 million worth of tourism income from golf alone.
“We had a wonderful event at the Wales Senior Open this year, and it was great seeing the likes of Paul Broadhurst, David Gilford and Ian Woosnam – players with Ryder Cup pedigree – on Welsh soil.
“Hopefully we’ll have players from The 2010 Ryder Cup return to Wales to play in The Senior Open and Wales Senior Open in the years to come.”
