Two distinctly different former UK Ryder Cup venues have been awarded ‘honourable member’ status of World of Leading Golf, an association representing many of the world’s foremost golf clubs.
The Celtic Manor Resort, in Newport, Wales, which created its Twenty Ten course specifically for the tournament in that year, will be joined as the inaugural ‘honourable members’ by 126-year-old Lindrick Golf Club, located in south Yorkshire.
Lindrick is a historic members’ club and is one of Britain’s finest inland golf courses, consistently ranked in the country’s top 100 listings. A mixture of heathland and moorland, with a reputation for very fast, true greens and outstanding playing conditions all year round, Lindrick hosted the sport’s premier biennial team tournament in 1957, when GB&I beat the USA 7½-4½ – the first time the host nation had won in 24 years.
In contrast, the Celtic Manor Resort, which opened only in 1995 and is set in more than 2,000 acres of panoramic parkland, has established itself as a world-class golf destination, with three championship courses – the Twenty Ten, Roman Road and the Montgomerie; plus three hotels, a 330-room luxury resort hotel, a historic 19th century Manor House with 70 rooms. and the 148-room Coldra Court; a large convention centre; two exceptional spas; two state-of-the-art health clubs; fishing; adventure golf; tennis courts; and a choice of eight restaurants. It even hosted a NATO Summit in 2014.
Julian Maturi, chairman of Lindrick’s marketing committee, said: “We are extremely proud to have become a member of WLG. We are sure that the underlying philosophy of the organisation and the member clubs – which requires the highest levels of service, quality and excellence within the world of golf – will fit perfectly with the long-standing culture and traditions of Lindrick Golf Club and our members.”
And Celtic Manor Resort’s director of golf and retail, Will Hewitt, said: “We are delighted to accept this invitation to take up membership at WLG. It is a prestigious collection of some of the finest golfing institutions in the world and we are excited to have our Ryder Cup venue feature among them.
“We already welcome large numbers of international golfers to the Celtic Manor Resort and I’m sure the excellent exposure we will receive through the WLG will help us build on this business.”
Claus Feldt, WLG’s general manager, added: “Our ‘honourable members’ category is designed for Ryder Cup venues or other destinations that have a special standing in the golfing world. By their very nature we
consider they share the aims and values of World of Leading Golf and its members and therefore they are invited to join.
“In becoming a member in this way, venues can avail themselves of many of the benefits of membership, including networking, a presence at trade fairs and other business events, WLG media partnerships and
use of the World of Leading Golf concierge services travel platform.”
WLG and its member clubs are passionately committed to preserve golf culture, but not only by heeding to such things as rules, dress code and etiquette – they commit to the very highest of quality standards concerning the design and caretaking of golf courses and services, as well as the levels of ambiance and gastronomy.
World of Leading Golf www.world-of-leading-golf.com
Celtic Manor Resort www.celtic-manor.com
Lindrick Golf Club www.lindrickgolfclub.co.uk