The atmosphere on hole 1 of the Solheim Cup is unlike any other golf tournament. The atmosphere and the decibels created by the two hobbies -European and American- with songs, music and colours, mean that, at that moment, the show moves to the stands.
For this reason, the three parties involved in the organization of the event: Ladies European Tour, Sport & Business and Finca Cortesín, agreed that hole 1 of the Solheim Cup 2023 should be a place where not only a large number of spectators could gather , but at the same time it was a challenge for the golfers and a show like no other.
And that place existed, but it was not the original hole 1 of the course, but hole 4, so that those responsible for Finca Cortesín, with Vicente Rubio, its general manager at the head, got down to work to carry out the necessary changes.
In this way, the new hole 1 of the Solheim Cup 2023 is now a par 4 of 256 meters, with a large lake on the left side that reaches the entrance to the green, a narrow and well-protected fairway, and a wide but moved.
“It is a success to have made this change. The characteristics of the new hole 1 for the Solheim Cup 2023 will allow us to place more than a thousand people in the stands on the starting tee, which will create a great atmosphere. I think it is the precise and perfect hole to start a Solheim Cup”, said Vicente Rubio.
“This hole is, as they say in golf jargon, a hole of risk and reward, since players can try to reach the green in one shot or play more conservatively. The design of the hole and the great difference in height between the tee and the green will make it quite a spectacle, and I have no doubt that it will be a success”, he concluded.
Who has already been able to play this hole has been Suzann Pettersen, the European captain, who with nine participations in the Solheim Cup, knows very well what it feels like when a player prepares to hit that tee shot.
“The sensations that are experienced have nothing to do with other moments that can be experienced in golf, such as leading a major, because in this tournament you not only play for yourself, you do it for your teammates, for your team… You put all your heart in it and you want to give your best. That first tee of the Solheim Cup is all adrenaline and energy”, confessed Pettersen.
Stacey Lewis, the American captain, has also had the opportunity to check the characteristics of the new Finca Cortesín hole 1 and did not hesitate to praise her choice: “I think we have never had a hole 1 like this in the Solheim Cup. green but the water comes into play a lot”.
Likewise, Lewis also highlighted the shape of the tee of this hole, since “it is like an amphitheater, the stands are going to be high, practically above you, which will make the public feel very close. Without a doubt, it is a great hole for the Solheim Cup”, he concluded.
The Solheim Cup 2023, an event of exceptional public interest whose official venue is Finca Cortesín, is sponsored by PING, Costa del Sol and Rolex as global partners; and by the ‘Department of Tourism, Culture and Sports of the Junta de Andalucía, with the co-financing of the European Union, Acosol, the Marbella City Council and the Benahavís City Council as official partners, and Reale Seguros as official sponsor. Solán de Cabras, Eversheds Sutherland, the Ayuntamiento de Casares, Toro, Vithas, EZ-GO and Jet Set Sports are official providers. Marca and Radio Marca are official media. Promotes and organizes Sport & Business. They collaborate in their organization LET, LPGA, RFEG, CSD and RFGA.