Players and captains are typically considered the stars of the Ryder Cup, but the competition cannot be staged without those working tirelessly behind the scenes.
For the Ryder Cup, the course is almost as important as any player, and this year is no different for host Marco Simone Golf & Country Club. The course, which has hosted the Italian Open four times (most recently from 2021-2023) has spent the last few years getting into the best shape of it’s long history, partly thanks to Lara Arias, Marco Simone’s co-head greenskeeper.
Below is a conversation with Arias on how she, along with co-head greenskeeper (and fiancé) Alejandro Reyes, are preparing the course for the Ryder Cup later this month in Rome, Italy.
How long have you and Alejandro Reyes been leading the agronomy team at Marco Simone? Any notable stops previously?
Since February 2020, Alejandro as director of agronomy and myself as superintendent. Before, we were in Paris, responsible of Le Golf National and preparing for the 2018 Ryder Cup.
How much conversation does your team have with the Captains and respective leads from the Ryder Cup Europe and PGA of America teams regarding course setup? Length of rough, runoff areas around greens, etc. Is this a monthly/weekly conversation, or how much in advance are these factors discussed?
We’ve been in contact with the Ryder Cup, [since] the course was under construction and as we have the Italian Open every year, they visit us frequently. The Italian Open is very helpful, from the agronomist's point of view and also to understand the setup of the golf course.
How much additional staff will you add to handle the increased workload leading up to and during the event? How does that compare to the Italian Open?
From April to September there will be 23 greenstaff and during the tournament week, we aim to have 100 volunteers. That means three times more volunteers than for the Italian Open.
What made you want to get into this line of work?
Tournament preparation is very special, I always say that it reminds me when I was an athlete, you have to show the best version of the golf course during the tournament week, which keeps you motivated and working daily with a great goal.
My experience in the United States preparing tournaments such as The Players at TPC Sawgrass or PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, helped a lot.
What types of grass are the tee boxes, fairways and greens? Have any of those changed since you arrived?
Tee boxes, fairways are paspalum (Pure Dynasty), greens are bentgrass (Pure Distinction) and rough tall fescue. No changes!
How will the time of year the Cup will be hosted affect how those grasses are cared for?
It’s the perfect time to host the Ryder Cup. Last Italian Open was a good example of how the golf course is gonna be during the Ryder Cup.
Do you have a favorite hole on each nine or one you are most looking forward to seeing the Ryder Cup teams compete on?
My favorite holes are hole nine and hole 12, but I think hole 16 is gonna be the most spectacular one. It’s a Par 4 with the lake on the right side, designed to create drama, to produce an exciting finish.
Did you ever think you’d be leading the preparations for a Ryder Cup course? What does it mean to you to have this opportunity?
The Ryder Cup means a lot for us. We didn’t expect to come here but the opportunity came in 2020. We knew it would be different because the golf course was under full renovation and in three years we had to organize three Italian Opens and the Ryder Cup so it was and is a challenge.
Today, as superintendent, I feel very proud to be here, all the work done in just two years and I can’t wait to host the Ryder Cup.
