Rome course provides stage fit for Ryder Cup gladiators

ROME : On a clear day St. Peter's Basilica can be seen from the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club that provides the stage for three days of golfing theatre that only the Ryder Cup can conjure.

And for the 24 players representing Europe and the United States in the 44th edition of the biennial tussle, just east of Rome, a little divine intervention might be required.

Built on farmland in the late 1980s, the course was completely re-modelled by European Golf Design as part of Rome's bid and work was completed in 2021.

The result has been spectacular with a course befitting the Ryder Cup's first foray into Italy, following a hugely successful staging in Paris in 2018.

As many as 50,000 fans are expected to watch the action unfold on each of the three days at a venue designed to provide a 'stadium golf' experience.

The hilly terrain means fans stomping the grounds will have plenty of amphitheatre-like vantage points while huge grandstands dot the course - the one on the first tee featuring 5,000 Azzurri blue seats.

While those lucky enough to have tickets will revel in the setting, the golfing gladiators trying to deliver points for their teams could be excused a mild sense of trepidation mixed with the excitement of the battle ahead.

Physically, the par-71 lay-out will be a test of endurance while those ready to take it on will do so at their own risk.

"The rough's thick, it's pretty penal," Europe's Tommy Fleetwood told reporters on Tuesday. "It's not going to give you many favours and it's not going to give you much luck.

"It's just a demanding tee-to-green course, it really is."

While the match is on European soil, the turf itself has a very American flavour with the seeds provided by partner companies Pure Seed and Atlas Turf