Team Europe have won the last two editions of the Solheim Cup; 2023 contest takes place in Spain and the 2024 event in Virginia, before the 2026 Solheim Cup sees the tournament held in the Netherlands for the first time
Tuesday 15 November 2022 15:04, UK
The Netherlands will host the Solheim Cup for the first time in 2026, with Bernardus Golf named as the venue for the biennial contest.
Bernardus Golf, located in Cromvoirt close to Eindhoven, opened in 2018 and has hosted the Dutch Open on the DP World Tour on two occasions, with it scheduled to be that tournament's venue once again in 2023.
The Championship course, designed by renowned American golf course architect Kyle Phillips, is a heathland golf course with tricky water hazards, a compact layout, an architecturally stunning clubhouse and world-class practice facilities.
The Bernardus Solheim Cup bid was supported by the Royal Dutch Golf Federation (NGF), with the ambition to deliver a world-class Solheim Cup and create a benchmark in women's sports events and leave a long-term positive legacy for Bernardus, Dutch golf, the Netherlands and local community.
Robert van der Wallen, the owner of Bernardus and the chairman of PSV Eindhoven, said: "We are very excited to be hosting the Solheim Cup in 2026 and to partner with the Royal Dutch Golf Federation, IMG, the LET and LPGA.
"The opportunity to host such a globally significant sports event is a huge honour for our whole team. Experience is what we are all about at Bernardus and our preparations are already under way to ensure we play our part in providing the stage to host a best-in-class Solheim Cup experience in September 2026."
With more than 420,000 golfers, golf is the fourth most popular sport in the Netherlands and this number is still growing.
Caroline Huyskes, president of the NGF and president-elect of the EGA, said: "I am proud that the Solheim Cup is coming to the Netherlands. This event contributes to the NGF strategy aimed at attracting women and rejuvenating the sport in our country. The fact that we have been able to bring one of the largest women's sports tournaments in the world to the Netherlands is a reflection of our ambition and drive."
This will be the first edition run in partnership with IMG, who were appointed by the LET as the delivery partner of the European Solheim Cup for an initial commitment from 2026 through to the end of 2038.
Alexandra Armas, chief executive of the Ladies European Tour, representing the LET JV, said: "Working with IMG, we believe that in Bernardus and the NGF, we have identified the ideal partner for the 2026 Solheim Cup in what will be the 20th edition of the match."
The 2023 Solheim Cup will take place in Finca Cortesin in Spain from September 22-24, the week before the Ryder Cup is staged at Marco Simone GC on the outskirts of Rome in Italy.
The Solheim Cup will switch to even-numbered years from 2024 to avoid clashing with the Ryder Cup, with the Robert Trent Jones course in Virginia hosting it from September 13-15 that year.
