Bolton face a battle in their ambitious bid to host the Ryder Cup after another surprise English venue signalled their intent to showcase golf's most iconic team event.
The Ryder Cup has not been played in England in nearly three decades - but Bolton has outlined plans for a vast development that would see the North West town host the biennial joust between Europe and USA in 2031.
However, the controversial proposed £250m project now appears to face fresh competition from a renowned Bedfordshire venue in their bid to host the famous duel.
Golf News reports Bedfordshire's Luton Hoo has officially launched their own bid to stage the 2031 or 2035 Ryder Cup. The Luton Hoo complex will rival Bolton's Huyton Park Championship course proposal with their own elite Ryder Cup track.
The luxury estate currently has just one 18-hole golf course on its grounds, which has already hosted Challenge Tour and EuroPro Tour events in recent years.
But the Arora Group - the UK's largest private hotel operator - wants to build something more memorable after acquiring the Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf and Spa.
And new bold plans include building an-all new championship course to stage one of the most famous team events in sport.
“Hosting the Ryder Cup, potentially in either 2031 or 2035, would raise the profile of the area to a global audience and the opportunity to bid to host a Ryder Cup at Luton Hoo is a very real and realistic ambition," Surinder Arora, founder and chairman of the Arora Group said.
Richard Wenham, leader of Central Bedfordshire Council backs the elaborate plans. "The Ryder Cup is an iconic sporting event celebrated and enjoyed across the globe," he said.“Securing the Ryder Cup would be an enormous boost to our thriving economy, bringing many new tourists and supporting more new jobs.”
The Bedfordshire bid comes after a public inquiry in October concluded that Bolton's ambitious proposals to host the 2031 event should not have been rejected by the local council for its environment impact.
Plans to host the Ryder Cup on the historic Hulton Park appear to be back on, while The London Club in Kent is also rumoured to be on the tournament shortlist for 2031.
