All eyes are on Gainesville this month, as spectators flock to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club to watch some of the world’s top golfers take on the prestigious Solheim Cup.
This is more than just a regular golf tournament. It’s a game where players compete for “pride, country, and continent,” says Penny Lee, the Solheim Cup chair at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. This biennial competition pits the 12 best U.S. golfers from the Ladies Professional Golf Association against the 12 best European golfers from the Ladies European Tour in head-to-head competition.
This year’s event is set for September 10 to 15. Though it typically happens every two years, the 2024 event comes on the heels of the 2023 competition in Spain because organizers made the call to shift the tournament from odd to even years after COVID-era delays caused scheduling clashes with its men’s counterpart, the Ryder Cup.
And for the U.S. team, this year really is a matter of pride. The 2023 event resulted in a 14-14 tie, with Europe ultimately retaining the Solheim Cup.
“We left with some unfinished business in Spain,” says Stacy Lewis, the U.S. team captain who also headed the 2023 team. “We get to go kind of settle the score, and hopefully it’s not a tie again.” (The odds look good for the red, white, and blue; the United States holds a 10-8 advantage over Europe.)
Hosting an event like this is a win in and of itself for the area. The last time a Solheim Cup was held on American soil was in 2021. Toledo, Ohio, saw crowds of over 130,000 who pumped about $30 million into the local economy, according to tournament executive director Lindsay Allen. She estimates that this year’s tourney will top those numbers, in part because the DMV area is already a popular travel destination. Allen expects 150,000 spectators to contribute $45 million to $50 million to the region’s economy.
Setting the Scene
For a tournament of this scale, organizers needed to choose a location that could handle the pressure — especially since the even-year, odd-year shuffle meant less preparation time. The Robert Trent Jones Golf Club rose to the occasion.
RTJ is a prestigious private golf club that’s nestled along Lake Manassas. It was designed by its namesake, the renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr., and opened in 1991. Jones crafted quite a repertoire throughout his career, building and renovating over 450 courses across the globe — including a putting green at the White House at the request of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and a single hole at Camp David.
Still, the Gainesville course turned into a point of pride for Jones, who once said, “The terrain is aesthetically perfect. I don’t think we could have done anything better anywhere.” With the course’s 6,903 yards of rolling greens and clear lake views, it’s hard to disagree.
“[The course is] amazing, first and foremost. Just — one — the views of the lake and then the greens. It’s Robert Trent Jones, and it’s little sections, you’ve got to hit to certain spots,” Lewis says. “I’d say they play a lot smaller than they actually are. But just the setup for the Solheim Cup is going to be amazing, from 14 being reachable par five, and there’s going to be a ton of drama on the back nine.”
Those back nine holes run almost entirely parallel to the lake, making for great views and exciting challenges for the players. The par-three 11th hole is another standout, as it’s the only hole where golfers must hit the ball across the water.
Getting Ready
This is the first major women’s tournament that RTJ will host, but it’s hardly its first go-around with large-scale tournaments. Most prominently, the club hosted the first four Presidents Cup tournaments in the U.S., in 1994, 1996, 2000, and 2005.
That experience was a major draw for organizers, who knew they needed a course with the capacity for an event that’s expected to bring such huge crowds.
“[LPGA] needed a course that, one, had experience, that had the capability and capacity to host such a tournament,” Lee says, pointing to factors like the course’s ability to host hospitality tents, bleachers, and a large number of spectators. “We have always constantly kept our course at a championship-caliber level.”
The process of choosing a venue began around 2021, Allen says. “Given the pedigree of RTJ and its experience with big events, we knew this was going to be a great spot.”
Once the venue was official, LPGA immediately sent representatives to help with the preparation, Lee says, to assess the landscape and begin any necessary work.
While its history with major tournaments and high standards meant RTJ didn’t need to make any major infrastructure changes, it did need to do a lot of preparation. Caterers had to be chosen, with specially curated menus for the competing athletes. Organizers had to work with Prince William County and state officials to make sure logistical factors, such as parking and emergency services, were in order. Sponsorships also were a major factor, as organizers partnered with Hilton, Rolex, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation, among others.
Team USA
Captain Stacy Lewis will lead the team for the second Solheim Cup in a row. The 13-time LPGA Tour winner has a long history with the tournament. She represented the U.S. at the Solheim Cup in 2011, 2015, and 2017, racking up a record of 5-10-1.
From 2011 through 2016, she spent 264 consecutive weeks ranked in the top 10 of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. She also made an appearance at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, where she tied for fourth place.
Before being named captain, she served as assistant captain unofficially in 2019 after an injury left her unable to play, then returned to the position officially in 2021.
When she started as the captain in 2023, she was just 38 years old, making her the youngest team captain in Solheim Cup history. She is only the fifth person to captain the U.S. team more than once.
By her side, Lewis will have four assistant captains: Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome, Morgan Pressel, and Angela Stanford.
The full U.S. Solheim Cup team includes Allisen Corpuz, Lauren Coughlin, Ally Ewing, Megan Khang, Nelly Korda, Jennifer Kupcho, Alison Lee, Andrea Lee, Sarah Schmelzel, Lexi Thompson, Lilia Vu, and Rose Zhang.
An Unforgettable Experience
Golf enthusiasts can expect to see three days of practice sessions, beginning Tuesday, September 10, followed by three days of fierce competition. The first two competition days will consist of eight matches (both foursome and fourball) per day, then the final day will consist of 12 singles matches.
While the sport is the main event, guests have even more to look forward to with the hospitality and entertainment offerings along the course. Thursday marks the official start of the tournament with an opening ceremony, followed by a family-friendly country concert hosted by the Virginia Tourism Corporation. There will be DJs, bands, putt-putt games, and more throughout the event.
Spectators will be able to buy food, drinks, and merchandise. Special hospitality venues, like the open-air Solheim Pavilion and the Captains Club, constructed right on the course, will offer prime views for additional ticket fees. They’ll also provide luxury offerings for food, drinks, private restrooms, and entertainment.
And if the thought of a golf tournament conjures images of hushed crowds and subdued applause, think again.
“It’s loud, and it’s energetic. And that’s something you don’t get at any normal golf event,” Allen says. “People are invested in what’s going on. They’re cheering. They’re following the players. The players are so energetic and amped up just to be here. It just really makes it really unique.”
That energy is particularly evident at the famously boisterous first tee, where it’s not uncommon to hear chants and songs, or to see spectators decked out in costumes representing their teams.
“They are going to see golf as they’ve never seen it before,” Lee says.
Tickets are for sale online.
Feature image of Lexi Thompson by Jeff Heeney
This story originally ran in our September issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
