How Camiral was awarded the 2031 Ryder Cup

We asked Flavio Papa, Golf Director at the Spanish resort that was previously known as PGA Catalunya, to reflect on the hugely significant announcement that will see the biggest event in golf return to Spain for the first time in 34 years.

July 25, 2025 was an historic date in the history of the Ryder Cup. It was the date we discovered that the biennial event was heading back to Spain.

Camiral Golf & Wellness in Costa Brava, near Barcelona, will have the honour of hosting the best players from Europe and the USA in 2031, following on from Valderrama in 1997 when Seve Ballesteros was the European captain.

Having opened in 1999, Camiral has become not only a popular venue used for DP World Tour events, but one of the very best golf resorts in the country. Being awarded the Ryder Cup was a hugely significant moment for Camiral owner Denis O’Brien, and all of his team.

Flavio Papa joined Camiral as Golf Operations Manager in 2022, having previously worked at La Cala Resort and Emporda Golf Club. Papa is now Golf Director during a time of great excitement and anticipation.

The iconic Stadium Course at Camiral, designed with the Ryder Cup in mind.

Ever since we opened in 1999, we’ve carried the ambition of one day bringing golf’s greatest team event to Catalonia. The Stadium Course was originally designed for the 1997 edition, and for the last 12 years we’ve been working towards this moment. Hosting the 2031 Ryder Cup is the realisation of that long-held dream, not just for us at Camiral, but for the communities of Girona, the Costa Brava and Barcelona.

Camiral has already proved itself on the international stage, hosting the DP World Tour’s Open de España three times, the Catalunya Championship in 2022, and nine consecutive Qualifying Schools for the European Tour. The Stadium Course has been rated among the top 10 courses in Continental Europe since it opened.

From a wider perspective, Catalonia has a rich legacy of staging major global events - the 1992 Olympic Games, the F1 Spanish Grand Prix, MotoGP Catalunya, and football on the biggest stage at Camp Nou. Combine that with our spectacular coastline, world-class hospitality, gastronomy and vibrant cultural heritage, and we knew we could present a compelling case for a Ryder Cup that would be unforgettable for players and spectators alike.

Camiral’s spectacular setting in Costa Brava – a proven stage for major tournaments.

The exact layout of the golf course has not been determined yet as we intend to work closely with Ryder Cup Europe as part of our event planning process to find the routing that is optimal for both fans and players for the 2031 Ryder Cup. Our terrain offers natural vantage points which lend themselves beautifully to spectator viewing, and our infrastructure will be adapted to accommodate the thousands of fans, media and officials that an event of this magnitude requires.

The Ryder Cup is about so much more than a week of golf. It creates immediate economic uplift –  Rome, during the 2023 Ryder Cup, generated over €260 million in economic activity, attracted more than 271,000 spectators from 100 different countries, and encouraged almost two-thirds of international visitors to plan a return trip.

For Girona, the Costa Brava and Barcelona, the 2031 Ryder Cup will drive high-value golf and leisure tourism and investment before, during and after the event. Crucially, it will leave behind a valuable legacy of visibility and reputation, further cementing Catalonia as one of the great golf and leisure destinations in Europe.

Since I joined the team in 2022, we’ve defined ourselves as Spain’s No.1 Golf Resort. Under Denis O’Brien’s ownership, the resort has undergone a considered transformation, with sustained investment in our infrastructure. This includes multi-million-euro enhancements to our golf courses, the introduction of a new Club Car fleet, and the installation of Trackman Range technology at the Golf Hub – home to Spain’s only PGA National Academy.

Beyond our world-class golf facilities, Hotel Camiral, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World collection, offers guests five-star amenities alongside an award-winning Wellness Centre. Here, cutting-edge treatments and technologies, typically reserved for elite sports facilities or specialist medical clinics, set a new benchmark for wellness in hospitality.

The evolution of our brand from PGA Catalunya to Camiral marked the latest step in our journey, reflecting our ambition to be more than an outstanding golf venue, but a complete destination. It is this continued innovation and evolution that has brought us to the point where hosting the Ryder Cup is not only a possibility, but the natural next chapter in our story.

Hotel Camiral, part of The Leading Hotels of the World, offers five-star luxury alongside award-winning wellness.

The Ryder Cup is a magnet for visitors from around the world, and we’ve already seen the effect since the announcement, with increased interest from international golfers, tour operators and partners. It’s a really exciting time for Camiral, and we look forward to welcoming more guests in the years ahead.