BLOG 14: Solheim Cup Team Europe Practice

Posted on | by Elliott Platts

By The 2017 European Solheim Cup Captain, Annika

It’s less than 70 days until the first shot will be struck at the Solheim Cup. In late May, a few vice captains, players and I made our last trip to beautiful Des Moines Golf and Country Club for a practice round. This was my second scouting visit and a great opportunity to really dive into details and share my thoughts with the rest of Team Europe.

It was also helpful to see the players hit shots on the course. It gave us all a good feel for how it will play. Naturally, the weather conditions and course setup will be different this summer, but we gained an excellent overall feel for the strategy it will require.

The official scorecard has the layout playing at 6,900 yards, which is quite long in relation to other Solheim Cups. The fairways were quite generous, so a long hitter should have an advantage. The greens are on the firm side and undulating. Accurate approach shots and skillful lag putting will be very useful.

As the Away team, we’re not involved in the course set up. Therefore, while in town we were focused on arranging the locker room and our team room at the hotel. We’re really concentrating on the logistics both inside the ropes as well as outside. This includes making sure no detail goes unnoticed, things like restaurant reservations, transportation, etc.

During our visit we included the media in our preparations. It’s great to see the amazing commitment from the sports enthusiasts in this town. The club has been amazing and very helpful. We really feel the love and encouragement. Everyone is working hard to make this the best Solheim Cup ever!

In addition, I’d also like to thank the LET staff for the hard work and dedication. They are doing all they can to make my job easier.

As we get closer to the finish line, please continue to stay connected with us through our different social media channels. We will announce the final vice-captain pick within the next few weeks. I am very excited and proud of the leadership team we have assembled.

It’s a hectic summer for the players. There are many big, major events on the calendar in the next two months – Solheim Cup points are up for grabs as are Rolex World Ranking points. Good luck, ladies!

Thanks,

A