Updated: Thursday, 18th March, 2010 8:59am

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Plans well advanced for the Solheim Cup

by Fergal Lynch

The most prestigious international sporting event in Ireland next year will be hosted on our doorstep when Killeen Castle Golf Club welcomes the ladies equivilent of the Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup from 23rd to 25th September.

The Solheim Cup is growing in reputation since its inception in 1990 and the passion displayed by the world's greatest lady golfers is even more intense and exciting than that provided by the men's equivilant.

Last week, Killeen Castle invited members and officials from all the golf clubs in Meath in an effort to get every member of the golf community on board for what is sure to be the highlight of the sporting calendar in Ireland for 2011.

All the club representatives were treated to an excellent presentation about what Ireland, Meath and Killeen Castle can expect when the Solheim Cup arrives here.

Presentations were made by former touring professional and current tourist golf chief Roddy Carr, TwentyEleven PR guru Ann Marie Dalton and Meath Co Council's head of services for Economic Development, Kevin Stewart.

The presentation was aimed at ensuring the Solheim Cup is a huge success for Meath and that the economic benefits are maximised.

The local clubs were urged to provide volunteers for the event and also for the AIB Irish Ladies Open that will he held at Killeen Castle from the 6th-8th August 2010.

The Junior Solheim Cup will also be held in the days leading up to the main event at Knightsbrook Golf Club, Trim.

The Solheim Cup organisers also implored the local golf clubs to provide a 'typical Irish welcome' and throw open their doors to the thousands of international visitors expected to visit Meath that week.

The Solheim Cup offers a tremendous opportunity for Meath to benefit from the huge amount of corporate business that will be floating around before, during and after the Solheim Cup.

Big names in golf like Alison Nicholls, Laura Davis, Michelle Wie, Christina Kim, Suzann Pettersen and Morgan Pressel are sure to attract massive amounts of publicity for Killeen Castle.

Unfortunately for Killeen Castle, the chances of an Irish representative on the Solheim Cup team is still about three years away when the Maguire twins from Cavan, Lisa and Leona, who have relations in Dunderry, will be at the qualifying age to compete.

However, Alison Walshe from Galway does stand an outside chance of making the team, as does Rebecca Coakley.

"From what I've seen, the course looks absolutely stunning," said Pettersen, a veteran of four Solheim Cup clashes. "This place looks fantastic and I can't wait for 2011."

Pressel also had an opportunity to visit the magnificent facilities at Killeen Castle and she was also in awe at what the Meath club had to offer.

"It looks beautiful. It looks like a really first class spot. I think it will be a great host to the 2011 Solheim Cup. When we played in Sweden we had a lot of fun and even though it's overseas we still had a great time. Hopefully we can come back overseas and win again," stated the American.

The 2009 Solheim Cup was hosted by Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Chicago was the most successful year of the competition with over 100,000 spectators attending the three-day event.

Several members of the Killeen Castle organising committee for the Solheim Cup travelled to Chicago last year to witness, first hand, the special occasion.

One of the leading European players expected to be selected for the Solheim Cup, Pettersen, visited the course in July 2008 and expressed her delight at the venue.

The Irish Government has backed the Solheim Cup cent for cent in terms of marketing and funding when compared with its efforts in the run-up to the Ryder Cup and so there is no reason why the event shouldn't be a huge success.