Luton Hoo owners plan for 'the Augusta of Europe'

The owner of a luxury hotel which hopes to host the Ryder Cup said he planned on creating "the Augusta of Europe".

Luton Hoo, in Bedfordshire, would like to host the international golf tournament in either 2031 or 2035.

The Arora Group, which owns the hotel, has submitted plans to build a championship level golf course and upgrade the hotel.

Chairman Surinder Arora said hosting the Ryder Cup would bring "hundreds of millions" to the local economy.

The Ryder Cup, a golf competition between Europe and the United States, takes place biennially, with the continents taking it in turns to host.

In September, it will be played at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome.

Luton Hoo currently has an 18-hole golf course but it plans to replace it with "a new championship level course worthy of hosting the Ryder Cup".

The competition was last held in England in 2002, at The Belfry in Sutton Coldfield.

Mr Arora said he believed Luton Hoo could be "something special".

"Nearly five years ago my son took me to Augusta and I never thought anything like that existed," he said.

"The dream I had then was to build the Augusta of Europe, and when this estate came up for sale I thought it was tailor made for it.

"It has the accessibility, you can get from Heathrow in under 30 minutes, it's close to London, there's the airport, the train station - it's got so much going for it.

"When you come in through those gates, it's like heaven.

"The grounds are so pretty, there's the lake, the River Lea running through it - but it needs a lot of work don't get me wrong."

Mr Arora said hosting the Ryder Cup at the estate would bring a boost to the local area.

"When you have hundreds of thousands of people coming, they need accommodation, restaurants, taxis, shops," he said.

"It would bring hundreds of millions of benefits to the local economy."

Mr Arora said he viewed the plans for the estate as his "legacy".

"This is not just about making money," he said.

"It's about creating something that will be here for future generations to enjoy, getting local youngsters interested in golf, having a training academy, creating employment and boosting the economy.

"We are excited and we will give it out best shot, then it's up to the powers that be to decide."

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