Ireland? Scotland?
Nope, for the next 18 months the most talked about international golf destination is sure to be Wales.
Wales?
Yes, Wales.
Cymru (its Welsh name) might be small (population 3 million) but it's big when it comes to golf. There are 189 golf courses in an area slightly smaller than New Jersey and 22 of them are the highly desirable links courses, like Royal Porthcawl.
Although not one of those links courses, the "2010" course at Celtic Manor Resort will host next year's Ryder Cup. Nine new holes designed by Ross McMurray join a pre-existing (and heavily renovated) nine designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Together the two nines form the first course built specifically to host the Ryder Cup.
At last week's PGA Merchandise Show, the media was treated to a presentation that detailed the extraordinary lengths Celtic Manor went to build the course. (In some cases they had to literally move mountains.) That kind of earth moving makes it sound more like an American venture than one in the British Isles, but we're happy to report that none of the photographs we saw resemble a Pete Dye course on acid.
Suffice to say, the Welsh are excited to play host. How excited? Check out Celtic Manor's website. There's a clock counting down the days. Only 604 to go.
In the meantime, here's a commercial created by the Wales Tourism Board, starring 2006 European team captain and Welshman, Ian Woosnam.
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