Scotland's Next Ryder Cup

The Home of Golf should target 2039 for a serious Ryder Cup bid, and start planning now

Credit: Scottish Government

The Old Course has staged virtually every big or significant professional and amateur men's event it possibly can since the 19th century, except for one.

The 1979 Colgate PGA Championship, 1949 British Masters, 2018 Senior Open, the Alfred Dunhill Cup 1985 to 2000, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2001 to 2025, and of course The Open on 30 occasions, most recently in 2022 and next in 2027, have been played on the Old Course. In addition to major professional events, the world's most famous golf course has staged the Amateur Championship 16 times, the Walker Cup 8 times, and the Eisenhower Trophy once, in 1958.

The Ryder Cup on the Old Course could be the most remarkable golf event we have ever seen, because the venue can handle enormous crowds, with potential for it to be staged in a different manner than the R&A do for The Open, and because the golf course is arguably at its best for match play.

The second and third holes have the potential to be shortened for some sessions to make them driveable, restoring the danger of some of the bunkers off the tee, and holes like 6 and 7 also fall into that category, along with 9, 10, 12 and of course, the 18th. You can play around with the tee at the 17th hole, bringing it forward, tempting players to attempt to thread the eye of the needle and get to within 100 yards of the green.

Ryder Cup Europe could erect double-decker grandstands and hospitality all down the right side of the first hole, creating an atmosphere unlike anything we have ever heard or seen in golf. Because matches finish at different points during the course, this creates opportunities to place grandstands and hospitality at different holes to what we see at a St Andrews Open., although of course holes such as 15, 16 and 17 are already well-served in that regard. Holes on the front nine, after the second tee are traditionally not that well-served with grandstands and hospitality. The likes of 4, the 5th green and 6th tee and around the 9th green and 10th tee could all benefit from additional grandstands and hospitality, creating a remarkable 18-hole stadium course for a Ryder Cup unlike any other.

The Ryder Cup also has the opportunity to generate golf tourism unlike many other events, and courses around St Andrews, as well as bars, restaurants, hotels and guest houses could benefit from a spike in golfers at a time when traditionally the season is winding down. Of course, the build-out to such a mega event would potentially cause some inconvenience, mainly to local golfers, with holes on the New Course and Eden Course out of action in the months leading up to the event, so the infrastructure can be built, and the Jubilee Course for the driving range.

Lessons can be learned from how The Open is staged, and the likes of the Media Centre could be sited in its more traditional spot, which would be behind the first tee grandstand, on the Bruce Embankment. This would reduce the inconvenience to locals somewhat, by enabling the car park to remain in public use until the week of the Ryder Cup, reopening to the public in the days following, rather than a long build of the media centre and long de-rig.

The Balgove course could host The Opening Ceremony and concert arena, which would give Ryder Cup Europe the space to build something truly spectacular, and host concerts every night of Ryder Cup week, without disturbing locals. Much of the park and ride infrastructure would be following what is used for The Open, as well as the tented village being on the Links Academy site.

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship rotation could be amended to make way for the Ryder Cup, with Carnoustie becoming the anchor site for that year, being joined by Kingsbarns and Dumbarnie.

A St Andrews Ryder Cup should be embraced, it would be a one-off in our lifetime.

SHANK, written by Matt Hooper