Quinn-owned UK course aims for Ryder Cup

THE BELFRY golf course and resort in England, which is owned by Seán Quinn jnr, is eyeing a bid to host the 2022 Ryder Cup.

In an interview with the Birmingham Postthis week, Nigel Gray, general manager of the Belfry, said: "We would love to host the Ryder Cup again – that is one of our aspirations.

A £200 million revamp of the resort, which has received planning permission and includes building a 500-bed, five-star hotel, is on ice due to the recession but Gray indicated that the plan is still a live one. “The owners are very much committed to it,” he said. “They have great affection for The Belfry and really want to see a new Belfry. We would be looking at a review of the project towards the back end of this year, or early next.”

Quinn bought The Belfry in 2005 for £186 million. The resort has two championship golf courses and a 324-bed hotel, which is marketed as part of the Quinn group of hotels.

The Belfry first hosted the Ryder Cup in 1985 when Tony Jacklin’s European team won the trophy for the first time. It staged the event on three other occasions, the last being in 2002.

The Ryder Cup will be hosted by the Celtic Manor resort in Wales this year and isn’t expected to return to England until 2022.

“The amount of spectators would be comparable to having the British Open,” Gray said. “But probably the earliest date would be 2022. For 2018, it is probably going to mainland Europe.” We have invested a huge amount of money – around £3.5 million – on the golf course here.”