The Solheim Cup is coming to the Netherlands in September 2026. It is the largest international women’s golf event and the men’s equivalent of the Ryder Cup. The tournament pits the top twelve golfers from Europe against the top twelve from the United States over a three-day event.

The Dutch Golf Federation has designated Bernardus Golf in Cromvoort in Brabant as the golf course where the tournament will be held in four years’ time. The Dutch Open has also been held at this track in recent years.

Since 1990, the United States has won the Solheim Cup ten times and Europe seven times. The last tournament was held in 2021 in Toledo, Ohio, USA. Team Europe wins. The event was seen in 700 million living rooms in 239 different countries.

The tournament is held alternately in Europe and America every two years. In 2023, the Games will end in Andalusia (Spain). After that, the Solheim Cup will change for several years, and in 2024 the American Gainesville (Virginia) will be the host.

Two Dutch golfers have competed in the Solheim Cup. In 2011, Christel Boljon was the head of the Irish Killeen Castle. With her win in the singles, she was instrumental in a 15-13 European final win. In 2019, Anne Van Damme was part of the European team in Glenacles, Scotland that won 14.5-13.5 against the USA.

“How wonderful and special to come to the Netherlands with Ann Van Damme or Dewey Weber in a European team,” says a delighted Jeroen Stevens, director of the NGF. “As a country, we are going to present the best and the best Solheim Cup with gender equality and sustainability as paramount.” The federation expects 100,000 visitors from more than thirty countries.

Winning the Solheim Cup fits in with the NGF’s ambitions to attract more women to the game of golf. “About 32 percent of Dutch golfers are women and 30 percent of golfers are between the ages of 25 and 50. The goal is for both percentages to be 40 percent by 2030,” says Stevens. “With the organization of the Solheim Cup, the NGF hopes to stimulate a better balance in diversity, age and gender distribution in golf and improve its image among non-golfers.”