Ryder Cup - 200 days to go!

Last updated: 15th March 2010

With exactly 200 days to go to The Ryder Cup, the Twenty Ten Course is shaping up to be in pristine condition.

Jim McKenzie, Director of Golf Courses and Estates Management at The Celtic Manor Resort, has worked tirelessly with his greenkeeping team over the past few months to ensure the 24 golfers who tee up from October 1-3 will have the best playing conditions available to showcase their talents.

"The Twenty Ten Course is shaping up nicely for both The Celtic Manor Wales Open in June and The Ryder Cup in October, despite the unprecedented cold weather we experienced this winter," said McKenzie.

"We lost several days in our planned maintenance programme when snow covered the course for days at a time during January and February, but we've been working hard and putting in extra man hours to recover that lost time over the last few weeks.

"We've been putting in the course refinements discussed with Colin Montgomerie and Ryder Cup Europe, most notably adding a greenside swale to the left of the 11th green, which also involved remodelling the greenside bunkers. Further remodelling work has also been done on a number of other bunkers around the course as well as making significant improvements to drainage within the bunkers.

"We have also been redefining the lake edges on the sixth, 12th and 13th holes by adding wooden sleepers to more clearly define the water hazards and we're very pleased with how this has improved the look of these holes.

"We've got a busy couple of months ahead preparing for The Celtic Manor Wales Open and we will continue to work closely with Colin and Ryder Cup Europe on some of the smaller refinements they will want to make to the course ahead of The Ryder Cup. It will be a busy summer but everything's on track and the whole team here is looking forward to the challenge ahead."

Ticket details

Spectators wishing to sample the electric atmosphere of The Ryder Cup week are reminded that they can still do so as the second ballot, which was launched on September 7, 2009, is still open and will remain so until mid April.

This ballot offers spectators the opportunity to immediately buy Practice Day Tickets for Tuesday September 28, Wednesday September 29 and Thursday September 30, in addition to applying for Match Day Tickets, and can be accessed through the Official Ryder Cup Website, www.rydercup.com/tickets.

Practice Day Tickets for Tuesday (September 28) and Wednesday (September 29) cost £30 each - on these two days there is also a special concession for Under 16's with tickets priced at £15 - and for Thursday when the Opening Ceremony takes place, the price is £40 (concessions £20).

A limit of eight tickets per household is being applied to the purchase of Practice Day Tickets although Ryder Cup Europe will work with Golf Clubs and Societies to ensure, wherever possible, large group numbers can be accommodated especially when this includes Juniors. There will be a maximum of four tickets for any match day for each household.

Ryder Cup Europe's second formal offer for a match destined to deliver one of the greatest weeks in the sporting history of Wales takes in Match Day Tickets for Friday (October 1) and Saturday (October 2) at £100 and for Sunday (October 3) at £130. There are several Season Ticket options ranging from £140 to £430 and spectators opting for a six day International Pavilion Ticket - costing £950 - will have access to an upgraded facility with a sports bar theme containing seating, television and food and drink purchase points.

There is a half price concession throughout the week including the International Pavilion - a 'premium' ticket being offered to the public for the first time - for the Disabled, and if he or she requires a Carer then that ticket can also be purchased at half price.

Successful candidates from the second public ticket ballot will be determined, as was the case in the first ballot, through a computerised random lottery draw to take place this Spring. Successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified of the result by email.

Meanwhile, anyone wishing to secure admission to experience the atmosphere of golf's greatest team event in the company of friends or colleagues can do so by purchasing Official Ryder Cup Hospitality packages for tables of ten or chalets of 30 or 50 people. Details of those packages can be purchased via www.rydercuphospitality.com.