England Golf has reignited its campaign to bring the Solheim Cup to English soil and is now pressing the government for financial support to underwrite a bid for the 2030 edition. Although the biennial women’s team competition has travelled to seven different European nations, it has never been staged in England, and the host venue for the 2030 event – the next Solheim Cup to be held in Europe – remains undecided. Several courses have signalled interest in hosting, with The Grove in Hertfordshire among the most vocal contenders.
However, officials stress that without public funding – private sponsorship alone will not cover the full cost – any English bid would struggle to meet the financial thresholds required by the governing bodies. England Golf’s chief executive, Jeremy Tomlinson, has been vocal about the potential benefits, insisting that the tournament could generate "immeasurable good" for the sport and for the broader community. "The Solheim Cup is in a really good place and it's going to get bigger," Tomlinson told Sky Sports. "I honestly think if we bring the Solheim Cup to England we can double, maybe even treble the crowds." He added that several clubs are eager to put forward proposals and that a modest injection of government money could turn the dream into reality.
"We have several clubs that really want to put themselves forward and would really like to host the event. With a bit of government help, we really believe that we could bring it to England and it should be here for the first time," Tomlinson explained. "We're working with clubs, we're working with IMG and the Ladies European Tour and we have talks ongoing with UK Sport. I don't want to say too much, but we're feeling really positive about things and we would love to be able to bring it to England." Financially, staging a Solheim Cup is far less demanding than its male counterpart, the Ryder Cup.
Tomlinson pointed out that the total cost of a Solheim Cup is under a tenth of what a Ryder Cup requires, making the event a more manageable investment for public bodies. Yet, despite the lower price tag, the organization has yet to secure a private entrepreneur willing to underwrite the entire event. "It’s always easy when you perhaps have an entrepreneur that comes forward and can underwrite a whole event, but we haven't had that yet," he said. "We are somewhat dependent upon government to be able to step forward and help us.
We have some discussions with them right now and they are positive, they are constructive." Tomlinson argued that the return on investment would extend far beyond the immediate financial outlay. "It’s a lot of money that you need to be able to put this on, but we truly believe – and I think the government feels it as well – that the returns from a feel‑good factor and a promotion of an incredible sport could be dynamic." He highlighted the recent surge in golf participation following the pandemic, noting that more than 12.5 million people in England now engage with the game in some capacity. The most recent Solheim Cup, held at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands, saw Team Europe reclaim the trophy with a 15‑13 victory. The event attracted a packed grandstand and featured three English players among the winning side, underscoring the home‑nation talent that could be showcased on an English stage.
"Golf has continued to boom since the pandemic, there is no two ways about that," Tomlinson remarked. "We have in excess of 12 and a half million people just in England, who in some way, shape or form, touch golf or participate in golf." He also emphasized the importance of role models for women and girls. "We have an incredible amount of women that enjoy playing golf away from golf courses.
We'd love more women, more girls to be able to come to the golf courses, but they need to have heroes and they need to have people to inspire them," he said. "We at England Golf truly believe that if we could get the Solheim Cup, it could do immeasurable good for the game of golf and for women in sport.
It would be a very, very proud moment." The push for an English Solheim Cup comes at a time when the sport’s governing bodies are actively seeking new venues for future editions. The next tournament after 2028 – which will be staged at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky, USA, from September 8‑10 – will be the 2030 European leg. Securing England as the host would not only mark a historic first but also provide a platform to showcase the country’s growing female golf talent and to inspire the next generation. Sky Sports News has reached out to the Department for Media, Culture and Sport for comment on the government's stance.
As discussions continue, England Golf remains optimistic that a collaborative effort between clubs, the Ladies European Tour, IMG, UK Sport and public funding could finally deliver the Solheim Cup to England, creating a landmark event for the nation and for women's sport worldwide.