Terry Matthews knows something about playing in the big leagues of golf.
The engaging multi-millionaire spent about $120 million to bring the 2010 Ryder Cup to his Celtic Manor resort in his native Wales, winning a bitter bidding war with Scotland.
He also knows something about throwing a party as his sponsorship of the Wales Open has quickly made that one of the more high-profile events on the European PGA Tour, including a gala night of entertainment on the eve of the tournament.
Now Matthews wants the world to know about his outstanding Brookstreet Resort's The Marshes Golf Club in Kanata.
That means raising the profile of the Robert Trent Jones-designed layout.
Matthews announced yesterday the CPGA Seniors Championship will be held at The Marshes Aug. 4-5. The 36-hole championship has a purse of $50,000.
The Marshes will also host the $65,000 Casino Lac-Leamy Invitational, a stop on the Quebec pro tour, May 19-22.
"It's all about having fun and about feeling the grass beneath your feet," said Matthews, who took a couple of playful cuts with a new Callaway driver for photographers in a ballroom at his classy Brookstreet Hotel.
STONES ROLL IN
Matthews also said yesterday the Rolling Stones are expected to play the course when they come through Ottawa in August.
What's more fun than that?
The Marshes has a two-year deal with the CPGA to host the event with an eye toward making it a permanent home to the event.
There's talk the CPGA Seniors at The Marshes could be held in conjunction with a Celebrity Tour event next year.
There are still rumours Matthews, a big backer of the European PGA Tour, will ultimately bring an EPGA Tour event to The Marshes and the adjacent Brookstreet Hotel.
"I tried for 20 years to get the Ryder Cup. I'm a persistent person," said Matthews, adding the CPGA Senior championship "is a great start to raising the profile of Brookstreet Resort."
The CPGA Senior Championship is open to Canadian pros 50-and-over. It's been held in the Ottawa area six times, the last one in 2002 when Gar Hamilton won at the Carleton Golf and Yacht Club.
