As the sun sets on the 2023 Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin, and a dramatic 14-14 tie saw Europe retain the Solheim Cup, preparations are already underway for the 20th edition of the Solheim Cup in 2026, the next instalment to be held in Europe, taking place at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, close to Eindhoven and ‘s-Hertogenbosch in Southern Netherlands.
The 2024 Solheim Cup will be held at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, USA Sept. 10 – 15, and at the conclusion, the baton will officially be passed to Bernardus.
With hospitality and travel partner tenders currently being considered, tickets for the 2026 match are anticipated to go on sale in September 2024 through the appointed partners, with an anticipated 100,000 plus spectators flocking to Bernardus to enjoy the renowned Dutch hospitality as the Solheim Cup is played in Holland for the first time. To be the first to hear news, ticketing information and updates, sign up for email updates here.
Since opening in 2018, the acclaimed championship course at Bernardus, designed by renowned American golf course architect Kyle Phillips, has hosted the KLM Dutch Open on the DP World Tour on three occasions (2021-2023) and promises to provide a spectacular stage for one of the biggest events in sport.
Built as a heathland golf course with tricky water hazards and a compact layout with an architecturally stunning clubhouse and world-class practice facilities, Bernardus is open to everyone, with a focus on experience and enjoyment. The Bernardus course is accessible to everyone through a day membership and the only rule is ‘there are no rules’ – it’s a place to relax, play a world class golf course and enjoy the off-course just as much as the on-course experiences, including a Michelin-star restaurant, spa and lodge accommodation. In line with the Bernardus ethos of ‘no rules’ is the ambition of the Solheim Cup 2026 is that spectators should expect the unexpected and that their experience at this event will be unlike any other golf tournament they may have attended.
Robert van der Wallen, the owner of Bernardus commented: “We are filled with immense pride and eagerly anticipate the arrival of the Solheim Cup 2026 at Bernardus in the Netherlands.”
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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.
Golf is currently the fourth most popular sport in the Netherlands, with more than 420,000 registered golfers. Since being announced as the host country, The Royal Dutch Golf Federation (NGF) have wasted no time in implementing an impressive marketing plan, with the national campaign ‘Welcome to the club’ that will run through to the 2026 match. In the build up to the 2023 Solheim Cup, the NGF focus was firmly on raising awareness, using the event as a catalyst to both improve the overall image of golf and deliver on lofty ambitions to grow the game through rejuvenation and attract women golfers. Utilising the 2026 Solheim Cup as the vehicle for change, their plan aims to grow the number of women playing golf, encouraging a shift in the audience demographic. The NGF has declared their aim is to see 40% of golfers are aged between 25-50 years old and that females will be 40% of the golfing population by 2030, with a special focus on increasing the numbers of women and girls.
Caroline Huyskes, president of the NGF and president-elect of the EGA, commented: “After enjoying the 2023 Solheim Cup experience at first hand in Spain, we are even more excited to welcome the next European edition to the Netherlands. We are already achieving increased awareness of the Solheim Cup and are seeing evidence of how this event will help us to deliver on the NGF strategy, aimed at attracting women and rejuvenating the sport in our country. We cannot wait to welcome one of the largest women’s sports tournaments in the world to the Netherlands and are very excited about the impact it will make on growing the game of golf.”
Together the NGF, Bernardus, the LET and IMG aim to deliver a world-class Solheim Cup in 2026 that creates a benchmark in women’s sports events, leaving a long-term positive legacy for Bernardus, Dutch golf, the Netherlands and local community.
The appointment of IMG came on the back of delivering the most successful European Solheim Cup to date in 2019 in partnership with Visit Scotland seeing over 90,000 spectators attend the match at Gleneagles and millions watching the broadcast around the world.
