“It will be the most sustainable Ryder Cup ever.”

Editorial Board Friday 15 September 2023, 3.20pm

Rome – “We focused everything on sustainability, and we made sure of that Ryder Cup Italian had unique and unprecedented requirements. Americans, after testing the course, praised the quality of the greens and fairways». Speech by Franco Chimenti, President of Federgolf, the man who brought the Ryder Cup – golf’s highest international expression – to Rome, to Marco Simone Golf Club. The event, in which teams from Europe and the United States will participate, will be of sorts high demand“We have created suitable infrastructures for access to the field and inside the structure itself, which has completely changed compared to the past,” says Chimenti in an interview with GEA. Rider will start on September 29th and end on October 1st. “We are proud of the path we have come in recent years, from 2015 until today, amidst enormous difficulties. “But I never had any doubts, and I never thought that I wouldn’t be able to achieve it,” says the Wiedergolf boss.

Challenge won

The biogolf project was the common thread of the interventions carried out in Ryder Key: “It is a certificate issued by the Federation to the most virtuous clubs to demonstrate the commitment to respecting nature and the environment. At Marco Simone, we worked in this direction,” stresses Chimenti. And again: “For me The Ryder Cup in Rome means achieving a goal that almost everyone thought would never be achieved. The difficulties were enormous. The biggest thing was getting people to participate, because I had to put this challenge in the minds of people close to me. People who saw this gesture as a form Paranoia. They said: He’s crazy, there’s no way he could do that. It is as if Morocco aspires to host an international ski race. “They laughed at me, and instead we did it, beating Germany, Austria and Spain, the favorites.” Two weeks before the challenge between Europe and the USA begins at the Marco Simone Golf Club, the anticipation is palpable. The European and American teams will compete until the end Squirt The cup has tremendous value.

On the attack

“When I announced that we were going to race on Ryder, someone said I was crazy, crazy, in a precarious state of mind – responds Federgolf’s number -. Which means not knowing things. “I remember very well who said that… someone from Turin.” The Ryder Cup is the third most followed event in the world after the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup: “It’s been sold 300 thousand ticketsWe could have sold double but there was a safety issue and we would have thrown spectators overboard. They come with enthusiasm from 85 Different countries, we received requests from them 150A draw was necessary to try to please everyone. They’ll be there in the press room 800 People, everything is huge here. On September 27, there will be a formal dinner in Caracalla attended by a thousand guests. The fact is that there are no tickets. Every now and then he calls someone and says: You should… but what should you? They organized the English language. We paid for this event, thanks Support from the government, which was far-sighted and understood the positive repercussions on tourism, but not only. “The positive impacts are almost immeasurable, and are related to the scale that a similar event can achieve.”

Looking to the future

“Now we’re here, ready to go,” Chimenti reflects. All to the end without scandals, that typical Italian stuff. I’m proud of this.” The man who brought Federgolf to Rome is a river of overflow and tells it all with a smile, but also with historical memory of a journey that has never been easy. “Now we are reaping the benefits, at golf level and beyond. I’ve always said: Let’s do that first and then We see the benefits it brings.” The rate of rotation generated by Ryder travels by many, many zeros. On the perfection of vegetables and paths: It was treated without pesticidesThis is in compliance with the Bio-golf certification, which rewards the most virtuous clubs in environmental protection. “Marco Simone is completely different than he was before and everything will happen in a harmonious context,” asserts Chimenti. He doesn’t say much about who will win, but he admits it.The field is in favor of Europe. In America they have roads that look like highways, in Marco Simone if you’re not precise you’re done. And you lose. Like what happened to Rory McIlroy Two years ago, on the 16th hole… a par 4 which is a par 3, accessible with driver. But if you make a mistake or have difficulty, good luck», Technical Note. “Italian golf must start from here, from this crazy event”: this is Chimenti’s legacy. “But not now, so… after a while,” he says jokingly.