ROBIN DAVEY SAYS: Ryder Cup course is wondrous

12:23pm Tuesday 29th April 2008

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I'VE said it before and I'll say it again.

The vision, ambition, drive and money belonging to Wales' richest man Sir Terry Matthews - now down to his last £950m after dropping from £1.1 billion - has put this part of the world on the map as never before.

I could scarcely believe my eyes as I drove through the gates down into the Usk Valley and on to the magnificent clubhouse and saw the magnificent course unfold in front of me at the launch of the Celtic Manor Wales Open last week.

Truly breathtaking is the best description as the fruits of Sir Terry's labours come to fruition, with the significant help of a small army of golfing experts of course.

The Wales Open at the end of May will be the first tournament to be played on the course which has been specifically built for the 2010 Ryder Cup which Matthews won for the Usk Valley, as all the literature describes the venue.

Gwent's Bradley Dredge will bid to become the first home player to win the Wales Open after his narrow squeak last year when he led going into the last hole on the final day.

But, as he ruefully recalled at the launch last week, he put the ball into a bunker, bogied the hole and let South African Richard Sterne in to grab the title at the death.

Dredge is aiming to go one better this year when Open champion Padraig Harrington will be in the field, expected to be further strengthened in the next week or two to make it a memorable event ahead of the day Tiger Woods arrives in 2010.

The 18th hole alone is a sight for sore eyes, over 600 yards long and once you get to the brow of the hill there's a lake protecting the front of the green and bunkers at the back. Awesome!

A lot of refinements will be carried out yet, designed to make the course more difficult for the Americans in a little over two years' time.

The clubhouse itself and the changing rooms provide the last word in luxury. You can belong to the 2010 club if you've got a spare £6,000 - £3,000 joining fee and another £3,000 annual membership. You'll also get a Ryder Cup ticket and the chance to purchase another.

I'm indebted to local businessman/entrepreneur Byron Faulkner for the guided tour and he's offered to host a small media group for a round on the actual course itself.

Now that is the real deal, but it will have to be after the Wales Open - it would be a shame to dig the course up before the main event!

Only joking, can't wait.