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Portugal has officially launched its bid to host the 2018 Ryder Cup with the support of Don Jaime Ortiz-Patiño, the founder of Valderrama, which staged the 1997 event.

A delegation, led by the Portuguese Golf Federation and the Comporta Links Resort project, travelled to the Ryder Cup in Wales earlier this month to meet with top officials and introduce their plans.

"We entered the bidding process later than the other contenders but we genuinely believe we have come up with a proposal that the European Tour, the PGA and the PGA of Europe will find hard to discount," said Miguel Franco de Sousa, chief executive of the Portuguese Golf Federation.

"Our job, at this stage, is to make it difficult for the Ryder Cup authorities to ignore us and that's exactly what we have done. The bid provides a trophy course which we are convinced will soon be regarded as the finest in Continental Europe and a resort which will be developed with environmental sustainability very much in mind.

"It's also the only bid that will significantly affect the growth of the GDP of the host country and will leave a lasting legacy for the European Tour, both by guaranteeing support for 36 tournaments over a 12-year period and by providing the tour with a significant equity-based return.”

One man who is impressed by the vision is Patiño, who as founder of Valderrama hosted the 1997 Ryder Cup and no less than 16 Volvo Masters between 1988 and 2008. In May this year, the Bolivian-born Patiño was made an honorary life vice-president of the European Tour in recognition of his service to golf in Europe.

"I believe Portugal deserves to host the 2018 Ryder Cup because it is the only candidate that is a genuine golf destination,” he added. “You don't go to Germany or the Netherlands to play golf but that's exactly what you do when you go to Portugal.

"Portugal has a long heritage in welcoming golfers and that contribution deserves to be recognised by a successful bid."

Portugal is one of five countries – France, Germany, Holland and Spain are the others – bidding to host the 2018 Ryder Cup. The winning venue is expected to be announced in April 2011.