Lancaster will not be hosting the Solheim Cup after all.
After months of planning, gathering corporate sponsors and even traveling to Chicago for a bid presentation before the Ladies Professional Golf Association, the Lancaster Country Club received word that it was not picked to host the Solheim Cup.
A story posted on lancasteronline.com today said the club’s bid for the international tournament was second to that of Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.
Lancaster submitted its bid in June for the cup, a three-day event that brings professional women golfers from the United States and Europe to compete. It is held every other year, switching between Europe and the United States.
The next cup will be held in Iowa in 2017. In 2019, the cup will be held in Scotland.
Lancaster was bidding on the 2021 event.
Lancaster was one of several communities bidding to host the event. It was hoping to follow its success in hosting the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open, which drew more than 135,000 people.
In its bid, the club provided digital, print and video information that promoted Lancaster as the right market for the event, with the right organizing team, according to vice chairman of the club’s bid committee, Rory Connaughton.
Many Lancaster-based companies volunteered resources to help create the bid package. For instance, Aurora Films produced a film, while website design firm Williams-Forrest LP handled most of the digital marketing work.
Part of Lancaster’s plan was to have the Junior Solheim Cup played simultaneously at the Hershey Country Club in Dauphin County.
The Junior Solheim Cup is what it sounds like – a version of the main event for younger players. The golfers are girls ages 12 through 18. The event is traditionally held in the same week as the Solheim Cup, but on different days and at a nearby venue.
Midstate businesses committed to donating millions of dollars to sponsor the event, and the club had letters of support from many state government officials, Connaughton said.
The event was predicted to have an economic impact of between $30 and $50 million, according to Chris Garrett, tournament director for the Solheim Cup.
