With less than a month to go, the international golfing community has begun counting down the days in anticipation of the 2009 Solheim Cup. The Solheim Cup is a biennial, trans-Atlantic team match-play competition pitting the best U.S.-born players from the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour against the best European members from the Ladies European Tour (LET). The U.S. team leads the competition, 7-3, and has never lost The Solheim Cup on home soil.

This year’s event was awarded to the very private — and very challenging — Rich Harvest Farms golf course in Sugar Grove, Ill., just outside of Chicago. Any true golf fan will be in awe of Rich Harvest Farms — ranked by Golf Digest at No. 51 of the top courses in the country. The course winds through majestic oak and hickory trees, not allowing any short cuts once a golfer is off the fairway. The deep bunkers, the many water hazards and fast greens will make every shot a challenge — and a pleasure to watch. During the week of the Solheim Cup (Aug. 17-23), some expected 35,000 international attendees daily will descend upon this quaint town, nestled in the heart of the Midwest. Don’t forget to explore Sugar Grove (and neighboring Yorkville, Sandwich and Aurora) with its quaint charm, wide open spaces, model homes and some of the best corn-fed beef around.

The PING Junior Solheim Cup is a biennial, trans-Atlantic team match-play competition featuring the 12 best female junior golfers from Europe and the United States, which will play out Aug. 17-19 at the Aurora Country Club in Aurora, Ill. The week’s events schedule looks like this: Monday: Player practice (great time for autographs) Tuesday: Player practice and the Solheim After Sundown evening event Wednesday: Past Captains Exhibition and autograph session Thursday: Player practice, Pro-Junior 4-hole Challenge and opening ceremony Friday: Four 4-ball matches, four foursome matches Saturday: Four 4-ball matches, four foursome matches Sunday: 12 single matches and the closing ceremony.

–John Wroblewski