Golf: Seal of approval for course

Jan 4 2008 by Staff Reporter, Western Mail

CELTIC MANOR’S Twenty Ten course has been given the seal of approval by a top man on the Ryder Cup committee as well as new European No 1 Justin Rose and double major winner Sandy Lyle.

Director of golf Jim McKenzie played with Ryder Cup director Richard Hills and they had no doubt that not only will the course be ready for the Wales Open next season but it will be played on a truly world-class course for the first time.

“Everybody who has played it, the feedback has been very, very good. It is a golf course of options, there is more than one way to play every hole out there,” said McKenzie after that round.

“We have had eight Wales Opens on two different courses, we have had well-known winners and less well-known winners, we have had poor weather and great weather, that has meant the course has been in different conditions, but the one thing we have never had is a truly great golf course.

“I think we have now, it is very special. It took a long time to plan and to build and there were a lot of people involved – it was almost designed by committee so this is different in that it incorporates every element.

“There are very few golf courses in the world that are on a par as this one.”

With the days ticking down towards the start of the competition, Hills believes it is important the facilities are in such good conditions already.

“The Ryder Cup seems like a long time away. In truth it is not,” he said.

“Wales and The Celtic Manor Resort are now counting the days down to the 2010 Ryder Cup, and we will be supporting them every step of the way. At the end of May, The Celtic Manor Wales Open will for the first time be played on the Twenty Ten course – designed to host the Ryder Cup and European Tour competition.

“It will be a fascinating week that will provide further impetus to the build-up to 2010 and, in terms of continuing to build on the groundwork so far undertaken, we are delighted that our partners in Wales are strongly placed at this time to deliver a highly successful event.”

The Twenty Ten course at the Celtic Manor Resort is the first specifically designed to stage a Ryder Cup and so far the star verdicts on the new course and facilities have been glowing.

“Justin Rose has played it in the Jodie Kidd golf day and by all accounts he thought it was good. Sandy Lyle was here in the Wales Open and everybody has been very impressed,” said McKenzie.

“Now it is just a question of cranking it up for next year’s Wales Open and the Ryder Cup is getting closer all the time.

“People forget how young it really is, but it is very long from the back tees and very playable from the forward tees.

“Also there are not really old and new parts of the course – we took the greens off the non-Ryder Cup holes and put them on the new holes. Although the two parts are nine years apart, they have actually got the same greens.”

Dylan Matthews, chief executive of the Celtic Manor Resort, agreed, “We’ve had a fantastic response from golfers who have taken the opportunity to be among the first to play this spectacular course.

“A number of professionals and experts have commented on how the course is ideally suited to the team match play competition you see in the Ryder Cup.

“Having just opened the new clubhouse, too, we are now being inundated with applications to join the Twenty Ten Club. This announcement of 1,000 days to go until the Ryder Cup is played in Wales underlines just how close we already are to this massive sporting event, and every one of our Twenty Ten Club members will be guaranteed their place at the heart of the action in 2010.”