By MATT COOPER
The world’s greatest sporting events are overwhelmingly hosted by the world’s greatest cities for the most obvious of reasons: The infrastructure is in place, travel is convenient, there are plenty of hotel rooms …
(Add a screeching hitting-the-brakes noise.)
But not at the Open Championship.
In glorious contrast to the Olympics, World Cup, Super Bowls, Champions League finals and the like, the Open’s trundle around the coastline of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in search of the finest linksland (better known as the rota) is dependably, determinedly and defiantly idiosyncratic.
From one-road-in-and-one-road-out Carnoustie in the north, via the remote Turnberry, Troon and Portrush, and the residential Hoylake, to the church-fete-and-garden-party Sandwich in the south, it is rare that an Open week is a straightforward exercise for the tens of thousands of fans seeking a good night’s sleep close to the course.
Consider that Portrush in Northern Ireland welcomed in excess of 50,000 visitors each day in 2019, an eight-fold increase in its population. Had London welcomed a similar short-term increase at the 2012 Olympics, upwards of 60 million people would have been in search of a bed.
Your correspondent is a 30-year veteran, as fan and journalist, of the search for a place to rest his head near the Open. I’ve slept in a caravan wedged behind a fish-and-chips shop in remote Scotland, and also parked my parents’ camper van on the halfway line at Hoylake Rugby Club (with the committee’s permission, I hasten to add) in England.
At the 2010 Open in St Andrews, I joked, when play was suspended because of high wind, that the tent I was sharing with a fellow journalist might have been blown into the North Sea alongside Rory McIlroy’s chances. The joke later hit me in the face like the tent itself had hit a row of trees at the edge of the field (thankfully it didn’t reach the ocean as my belongings were still in it).
At last year’s Open, my little two-man tent was delicately perched on the White Cliffs of the Kent coast and there was no drama. In fact, it was a glorious week. Every morning I bid “bonjour” to France, visible a mere 20 miles away across the English Channel, and every evening, climbing the hill from the delightful pebble beach and Zetland Arms pub, I bid it “bonsoir.”
Quite a contrast to the 2005 Open, once more in St Andrews, when three friends and I shared a two-man tent overlooking the Firth of Forth with Edinburgh on the horizon. The overcrowding meant that all of us had a permanent view of the city lights and two of us spent the night with legs outside the canvas, soaking in dew. Not so much FootJoy as foot misery.
How time changes. When Martin Slumbers took on his role as R&A chief executive ahead of the 2016 Open, he was keen to launch initiatives aimed at a more youthful demographic. Key to that was the introduction of an official Open Camping Village designed to make a championship visit safe and affordable for young people and families.
Budget travellers can camp conventionally for the week (rates start at £50 per person, per night; youth ticket holders 16-24 and juniors accompanied by adults stay for free), and others might prefer the glamping option (£160 per two-person tent per night), which involves large bell tents with actual beds, duvets and cosy décor. (For information, click here.)
This year’s site is behind the Old Course Hotel and therefore just yards from the Road Hole. So, short of overlooking the 18th hole, it’s just about the best spot in town. It is also the first time that the R&A has welcomed an official partner in the form of, ah yes, FootJoy.
Headlining the week will be the shoe-and-glove brand’s Camp-Out Party on Tuesday evening when the campers will be entertained by live DJs and exclusive Q&As (past guests have included players and caddies), with a few surprises thrown in as excitement builds towards Thursday’s first round.
The festivities will not be limited to Tuesday, however, with live bands and entertainment throughout the week while FootJoy will also be offering free shoe fittings (Monday-Friday, 8-10 a.m. and 4-9 p.m.).
“This partnership is an opportunity to share our love for golf and to bring like-minded fans together to celebrate what is set to be a spectacular week,” says Paul O’Hagan, FootJoy’s marketing manager in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
“Providing a fun, unique experience for dedicated fans in the village places FootJoy at the heart of an iconic moment in the game’s history, and we look forward to joining fans, attendees and partners in celebrating heritage, innovation and performance at the 150th Open.”
Open campers have never had it so good: the perfect location, cool tents, a festival atmosphere, epic golf and, perhaps most importantly, happy feet. Two of my oldest friends, in particular, are very jealous.
Top: A communal area welcomes campers to the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews.