Turkey wants to be a major player in international golf circles, and it believes that hosting high-prestige professional tournaments is the way to do it. Although the nation isn’t yet an established golf market – it had only 19 golf properties in 2011, according to a study by KPMG’s Golf Advisory Practice, and a mere 5,649 players – it plans to bid on the European Tour’s season-concluding event in 2016 and the Ryder Cup in 2022.
“Turkey would have as good a chance as anywhere,” the tour’s CEO said in a comment published by the Telegraph. “This is a country where anything is possible.”
To sweeten its proposal, Turkey is willing to build a new course specifically designed for the event it wins.
