Six countries will bid for the right to host the 2018 Ryder Cup. France, Germany, Holland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden have told organisers Ryder Cup Europe of their intention to bid. The deadline for submission of bids is 30 April next year, and the winner is expected to be announced in 2011.

Richard Hills, the European Ryder Cup director, said: “We are delighted with the response and congratulate the six countries involved. We have set the date by which bids must be received in order to provide each country with the optimum opportunity in the current economic climate to present their strongest possible bid. In setting the sporting and commercial criteria that will be used to assess bids, we have been quite clear that each country bid must be channelled through its National Golf Federation and that no bids from individual venues will be considered.

“We look forward to working with all six countries over the coming months as they develop their bids and we will shortly be launching an Official Candidate Logo to enable bids to be effectively promoted within each nation. Assuming that all necessary criteria are met, the 2018 Ryder Cup will be played in mainland Europe.”

Several courses in the bidding countries, some only in the planning stage, have been mooted as possible venues for 2018. Furthest along is probably Bro Hof Slott in Sweden (full review), whose owner Björn Örås has made no secret of his ambitions. Elsewhere, projects in Madrid, Berlin, and the Golf Valley course outside Munich have found supporters.