Open going back to Portrush

[happyhacker]

Barry's has been sold to a developer with rumours of a hotel and apartments being built on the site. If true and completed in time that should help with the accomodation.

 

[Crazyface]

100% - as IanM has said above - It's St Andrews

I actually don't get the kowtowing over St Andrews. The pros can destroy the place, crumbs, people even post on here about how well they've done there. Nope, nowhere near good enough anymore. Leave the place to the tourists and have The Open at a proper course, of which there are many.

 

[Ethan]

I actually don't get the kowtowing over St Andrews. The pros can destroy the place, crumbs, people even post on here about how well they've done there. Nope, nowhere near good enough anymore. Leave the place to the tourists and have The Open at a proper course, of which there are many.

I know what you mean. The efforts to extend the course have been just about keeping it relevant, but that may soon not be enough. There is a traditional appeal, and the R&A doesn't care about protecting par like the USGA. Recent StA Opens have produced good champions, Zach Jonson was a deserving winner, so was Louis Oosthuizen, and Tiger Woods x 2 before that. It is further down the road to obsolescence than some others.

 

[Crow]

I know what you mean. The efforts to extend the course have been just about keeping it relevant, but that may soon not be enough. There is a traditional appeal, and the R&A doesn't care about protecting par like the USGA. Recent StA Opens have produced good champions, Zach Jonson was a deserving winner, so was Louis Oosthuizen, and Tiger Woods x 2 before that. It is further down the road to obsolescence than some others.

Never thought I'd say The Old Course should be dropped but I agree.
At the last Open in 2015 the course measured 7,297 yards and par was 72, not that par is relevant.
But by my reckoning, even on soft fairways, there were 7 par fours where the second shot is no more than a half shot with a wedge or a chip.
On dry running fairways several greens will be in range for many players and only the shortest hitters wouldn't treat the 9th and 18th as a par 3s.
Yes there are deep bunkers to avoid but the winner will have luck on their side and not go in too many of them.

As a plus, if it was off the Open Rota then there might not be so many overseas visitors pushing up prices and taking all the tee times!

 

[Backache]

Par is basically a way of comparing players on different parts of the course in stroke play. In terms of total numbers of strokes taken in the last 10 years or so there have been two opens at St Andrews with winning scores of 272 and 273. The other open venues have averaged winning scores of 271 in this time.
By comparison the US Open has averaged 276 and the PGA 271. The Masters is 276.
There is less than a shot a round between them over four rounds and the US open generally has to have penal rough to keep the scoring down and the Masters has to trick up it's greens as well as being longer.
From the numbers I don't see much evidence of The Old Course being unsuitable for the top competitors.

 

[sunshine]

Well, the R&A have visited Porthcawl several times... on their recommendation lots of the gorse has been removed to accommodate stands and people walking. Its less remote than Fife or Antrim. 0ver 2 people million in Wales live "south of the M4" and over a million people holiday in Wales every year. Its had two recent Senior Opens and the players loved it. Special trains can laid on from Bridgend (6 miles) or Pyle (3 miles) and folk can be bussed in from there or Cardiff and all round. Plenty of open fields for "park and ride" too.

So, other than the Scots wanting it in Scotland and Londoners not knowing where Wales is, what's the problem?

The Wales Tourist Board has spoken!

After playing it last year, I'd like to see Porthcawl host the Open. The only challenge though, is I can't see how they would accommodate the spectators and grandstands. The routing has numerous cross over points which would make it difficult for spectators to circulate.

 

[IanM]

The "Surrey Born" Welsh Tourist Board. I think they do a pretty poor job of selling Wales as a golf destination. Some smashing courses a fraction of what you'd pay in Ireland or Scotland! (the tourist trail ones) I am packing in work in 3 weeks, maybe I should start a Welsh Golf Tours Business!!

I understand that spectator routing and management plan has been outlined to the R&A and got a thumbs up. Be interesting to see if its gets it.

Never thought I'd say The Old Course should be dropped but I agree.

Now I am worried... he'll be eyeing up a Ping 425 driver at this rate!!

 

[milngavie_hacker]

As predicted the 2025 Open is heading back to Royal Portrush which means the next few years look like this..

2022: St Andrews
2023: Royal Liverpool
2024: Royal Troon
2025: Royal Portrush

Which also means that Lytham hasn't held one since 2012, Muirfield 2013 and Turnberry 2009. So, arguably, definitely two, maybe three of the best courses not part of things for the next few years...

Martin Slumbers speaking last year...

“Infrastructure is one of the key issues we need to solve at Turnberry. I am sure it will stage an Open there in the not-too-distant future.”

On Turnberry transport is the key issue. I worked in Scottish Goverment transport team in 2009 and there were major issues with roads. Not just for traffic going to the Open but how it impacted haulage firms travelling to Cairnryan for the ferry. Hard to see how this is addressed any time soon.

 

[Backache]

On Turnberry transport is the key issue. I worked in Scottish Goverment transport team in 2009 and there were major issues with roads. Not just for traffic going to the Open but how it impacted haulage firms travelling to Cairnryan for the ferry. Hard to see how this is addressed any time soon.

The A77 is being upgraded with a bypass at Maybole which will help and there are talks of further upgrades.

 

[milngavie_hacker]

The A77 is being upgraded with a bypass at Maybole which will help and there are talks of further upgrades.

Girvan is where the real issue is and how it’s these roads link up with Edinburgh in the East and the corridor south to England. The SNP coalition with the Greens, unfortunately makes any investment in any further key road projects extremely unlikely in this Parliament.

 

[Backache]

Girvan is where the real issue is and how it’s these roads link up with Edinburgh in the East and the corridor south to England. The SNP coalition with the Greens, unfortunately makes any investment in any further key road projects extremely unlikely in this Parliament.

Is there much Open golf traffic through Girvan?
I'd of thought most would come from other directions though I may be wrong.

 

[KenL]

Would love to see it back at Muirfield. A few miles from my house.
I absolutely loved my week marshaling there in 2013.

 

[milngavie_hacker]

Is there much Open golf traffic through Girvan?
I'd of thought most would come from other directions though I may be wrong.[/QUOTE

The shuttle busses operate from Girvan train station and some of the parking I think was around Girvan too. Made an already congested town even worse. South Ayrshire council when lobbying for a Girvan bypass have argued it’s key to getting Open back to Turnberry but that was pre Trump.