Interview Matt Nicholson
It’s been more than two decades since the Ryder Cup was last staged in England. In 2002, Sam Torrance captained Europe to a 15½-12½ victory over the United States at The Belfry, the fourth time the famous North Warwickshire venue hosted the biennial contest.
It remains to be seen whether England’s wait to host the prestigious contest will extend beyond 30 years. As it stands, Camiral Golf & Wellness Resort (formerly PGA Catalunya) in Spain is reported to be in pole position to host the event in 2031, although there has yet to be an official announcement.
One man that will be hoping to see the Ryder Cup return to England is Surinder Arora, the founder and chairman of Arora Group, owners of The Buckinghamshire Golf Club.
Four years ago, the company bought Luton Hoo, and Arora has big plans for the venue. Work will soon commence on building a new course, one that will be worthy of hosting the Ryder Cup.
That’s the dream: Luton Hoo, Ryder Cup venue 2031. He might settle for 2035, but the ambitious billionaire businessman, who moved to England from India when he was 13 years old, is ploughing on with his bold plans for the property regardless – and he has a lot of good support, too, in the shape of golfing legends Gary Player and Justin Rose.
Matt Nicholson caught up with Surinder Arora at his Heathrow offices to talk about his love of the game, and what golfers can look forward to seeing at Luton Hoo in the not-too-distant future and something special in the pipeline at his Fairmont Windsor Hotel in Berkshire.
