Ryder Cup Rendezvous: Glittering Launch in Dublin

One of the biggest events in the world sporting calendar is coming to France in 2018. Tootlafrance was on hand to witness the special launch in Dublin

With less than a year to go until the 42nd Ryder Cup at Le Golf National, Paris (September 28th -30th, 2018), France is getting ready to stage one of sport’s most iconic events.

At an event today in Dublin, attended by media and travel trade, Atout France marked the countdown to the 2018 Ryder Cup with a special luncheon event. The lunch was attended by H.E. Mr Stéphane Crouzat, Ambassador of France to Ireland and Paul McGinley, four-time winner of the Ryder Cup and the first Irish captain to lead the European team to victory, doing so in 2014.

Speaking at the event, Paul McGinley said, “The Ryder Cup is a very important part of the European Tour. I’ve no doubt that this is going to be the most successful Ryder Cup that we have ever had. We really are in store for something magnificent next year. Le Golf National is going to be a wonderful venue and it’s one that the European team know very well”.

The event also showcased France, next year’s host of the biennial match between Europe and the United States, as the perfect destination for international golfers before, during and after the 2018 Ryder Cup.

Gwénaëlle Maret-Delos, Managing Director of Atout France UK & Ireland, the France Tourism Development Agency, which hosted the Ryder Cup Rendezvous event, said: “There are 600 golf courses in France including some of the most beautiful courses in Europe. While France is the most visited country in the world, it remains less well known as a golf destination. The 2018 Ryder Cup, broadcasting from Le Golf National to the world, will no doubt encourage more golfers to choose France, our golf courses and, of course, our ‘après-golf’, for their golf holidays.”

In 2016, France welcomed 82.5 million international tourists, including 611,000 from Ireland via convenient ferry and air links. The forecast indicates that this will increase for 2017 and France is set for a record year. (source: DGE /Direction Générale des Enterprises)

Among the most popular golf regions for Irish golfers are Normandy, Brittany and Provence, as well as the Paris region. Le Golf National is just 35km from the centre of Paris.

Richard Hills, Ryder Cup Europe Director, said: “Le Golf National, Paris and France are ready for the Ryder Cup and will be wonderful hosts for the 42nd edition of this match, which has become one of the greatest sports events in the world.”

Le Golf National, France, will host the 2018 Ryder Cup from September 28th – 30th, 2018, when Europe will try to regain the trophy following defeat at Hazeltine National in the United States, last year. The team, under the captaincy of Thomas Bjørn, will be looking to extend their impressive home soil winning record, which stretches back to 1997.

The Ryder Cup has become one of the world’s greatest sporting events. Every two years, 24 of the best players from Europe and the United States go head-to-head in match play competition. Drama, tension, incredible golf, camaraderie and sportsmanship are served in equal measure, captivating an audience of millions around the world. It’s an event that transcends sport, yet remains true to the spirit of its founder, Samuel Ryder, who instigated the first contest in 1927.