The most important tournament in women's golf begins with a welcome from representatives of the Malaga Provincial Council, Costa del Sol and Acosol, the town halls of Casares, Marbella and Benahavís, and Finca Cortesín, accompanied by Ana Belén Sánchez, Spanish player of the 2003 Solheim Cup

The 2023 Solheim Cup has officially begun its main week with an event in which representatives of the different bodies involved in the celebration of the tournament gave a warm welcome to everyone and were pleased that the Costa del Sol is becoming the epicenter of women's golf worldwide for these days.

The event was opened by Vicente Rubio, general manager of Finca Cortesín, who reiterated his “pride and pleasure” in hosting the Solheim Cup. “We have prepared thoroughly to ensure this event is an experience for everyone, both the teams and the spectators. I hope everyone enjoys what will be a historic moment in the history of golf in Spain.”.

She was followed by Ana Belén Sánchez, a professional golfer and member of the 2003 European Solheim Cup team, who thanked the institutions for supporting the project and highlighted “the pride I feel, as a native of Málaga, that this Solheim Cup is being played in my home region. I was the first woman from Málaga, and the third Spanish woman, to play in this tournament, and if it was already important twenty years ago, this year it's going to be incredible. I'm convinced it will be a turning point for women's golf in Spain.”.

Next, Francisco Salado, president of the Malaga Provincial Council; Manuel Cardeña, President of the Association of Municipalities of the Costa del Sol and of Acosol; José Antonio Mena and Juan Luís Villalón, mayors of Benahavís and Casares respectively; Ángeles Muñoz, mayor of Marbella; and Pablo Mansilla, president of the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation, visited the main facilities of the Solheim Cup.

Finca Cortesín, in perfect condition

The Solheim Cup course is now looking its best after significant improvements. The most important change, without a doubt, is that the first hole has been redesignated as the original fourth hole. This means the first challenge the players will face will feature a spectacular lake and will encourage them to aim for the green from the tee. Undoubtedly, this will be the perfect start to each match, with the crowd roaring in the stands surrounding the tee box.

This variation will also cause the layout of the first six holes to change, but not their design, while the 11th hole will undergo more transformation by going from a par 5 to a par 4.

On the 1st tee with Vu and Korda

During their tour of the Finca Cortesín facilities and the striking 1st tee, the group was able to enjoy watching the training of Americans Lilia Vu and Nelly Korda, currently number 2 and 3 in the world. 

Batacola, present at the Solheim Cup

Art, fashion, culture and tradition come together in this exclusive exhibition created by Fashion Art by Manuel Fernández, who has designed 60 bata de cola dresses, one of the most iconic symbols of flamenco and Andalusia, exclusively for the Solheim Cup 2023.