John Deere, the official machinery supplier to The Solheim Cup 2015 gave Carin and members of the team the opportunity to put the latest generation of agricultural tractors and Gator utility vehicles through their paces at the company's test track facility in Bruchsal, Germany.

"We had a lot of fun! These are totally different to the vehicles we would normally use. We appreciated the opportunity and were impressed by how easy it was to drive the various machines," said Carin Koch.

The 10 team members clearly enjoyed their first experience of driving powerful agricultural tractors ranging from 215 to 370hp, and several shared the occasion on social media channels.

The Solheim Cup combines the tradition and prestige of the game of golf with passion for one's country. This biennial, transatlantic team matchplay competition for women features the best European golfers from the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the best US-born players from the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA).

The 2015 Solheim Cup will take place on September 18-20 at St Leon-Rot Golf Club in Germany. The European team enters the competition holding the Cup and will need 14 points to retain it, with the US team needing 14½ points to regain the coveted Waterford Crystal trophy. The US squad holds an overall 8-5 lead in the series, which began in 1990, and is undefeated (6-0) on American soil.