Spectator strategy and tips for the open

bradleywedge

bradleywedge

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I am attending the final day at Portrush on Sunday.

Although I have attended a couple of Golf events before I have never experienced anything of this scale before.

I'm just looking for advice really like best way of watching the play. Am I better following a group or finding a spot on the course and staying there? I take it there are things to do before play starts (we will probably get there early).

I appreciate its gonna be packed, so any advice on a plan of attack would be appreciated.
 
Personally I'd do a mix of following groups and staying in one place. Both are enjoyable. If staying in one place a good one is always to find a place where you can watch approach shots into a green and the tee shots on next hole.
There will be loads to do and look at outside of the actual golf, easy enough to pass the time.
 
bradleywedge said:
I am attending the final day at Portrush on Sunday.

Although I have attended a couple of Golf events before I have never experienced anything of this scale before.

I'm just looking for advice really like best way of watching the play. Am I better following a group or finding a spot on the course and staying there? I take it there are things to do before play starts (we will probably get there early).

I appreciate its gonna be packed, so any advice on a plan of attack would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

We did our first Open last year - got there and walked through the front nine trying to catch as many of the morning starters as possible, got out to the Postage Stamp but the queues were pretty long, so we walked back to the 12th and got ahead of the crowds, found a good spot near a greenside bunker and waited for the names to come through. Tiger put one in the bunker, so we got within a few feet of him playing that shot, and saw Wyndham take 3 attempts to get out of the same trap... 🤣Walked back to the fan village, Fish and Chips, and then back out ahead of the afternoon groups. Got in the grandstand on the Postage Stamp this time where we watched for at least 90 minutes as all the star players came through, then walked back to 18 and got in the grandstand there where we were able to watch all the same players complete their rounds.

Worked pretty well tbh.

This was on the Friday, so you'll have to have a different approach for Sunday obviously.
 
Nothing like finding a player you like and experiencing the ups and downs of their round with them by following - you also get to see the course for real which is presumably partly why you’re there (unless you’ve played it already) and enhances your understanding of the course and what people are trying to do if watching on TV later.

Fan-interaction friendly with personality and something interesting about their game is good. If it’s a relatively lower profile player and they’re out on the other side of the course to the superstars who attract the big crowds (Rory, BDC, Fleetwood etc) and it’s a very early start so quieter then all of these things are so much the better. Don’t need to be top of the leaderboard - in fact better if they’re not as that attracts crowds - a pro playing a mediocre round is still playing unbelievable golf compared to normal mortals.

Mentioned it in other threads but I will follow Harrington for a bit in any tournament I can - as he fits this bill perfectly, and shows what you can do even at a moderately advanced age, although he won’t get away with being low profile in Ireland I suspect 😃. Antipodeans like Adam Scott (drool over that swing!) or Ryan Fox also fit that description nicely, as do various up-and-coming Europeans. Or Siem if you want faintly bonkers in a good way. Hopefully one of them sneaks under the cut line but is out nice and early for you to follow on Sunday.

Once you’ve seen the course in the flesh then you can settle in somewhere and watch the biggest stars roll through.

There’s something about following the last group up the fairway on 18 that is iconic, especially if the tournament is on the line, even though it’s never going to be a great spot for actually viewing the action.
 
I've done the Open at Sandwich a couple of times, a few PGAs at Wentworth as well. Usually walk the course a couple of times by following a group up a hole, watch 2 or 3 groups through, rinse and repeat until you've seen the whole course. However I've never done a Major sunday. Did the Sunday in Paris for the Ryder Cup but that's a bit different, I feel.

Personally, I'd get there early and walk the course with an early starter, pick a short par 4/par 3 on the back 9, somewhere 12-16 ish and hang around there for a few hours. Go grab some lunch and then try and get a spot around the 18th and get settled for the afternoon.

Definitely take binoculars, I find they're invaluable. At both Sandwich and Paris I've used them to watch a screen I was just too far away from! :ROFLMAO:
 
Last Open I went to was on the final day, it was heaving. Ended up spending most of the day in the tented village watching all the action on a huge screen with a cold beer. Still got all the atmosphere and buzz but we saw all the action from around the course.
If you want to wander round the course then put the following in your rucksack......drinks, snacks, waterproof jacket if any rain is forecast and binoculars are a great idea if you have some.

And don't forget to wear all your best golf gear and shoes!!
 
Either pick a spot in the grandstands to watch all the players play, or, if you want to watch a group and follow them, don't go hole by hole, skip a hole or two now and then to get a good observing spot. Look at the course map, grandstands and pick two or three holes you'd like to watch.
 
Maybe it’s only really a St Andrews thing, but when following a group and I wanted to get down a fairway to see their tee shots finish and get good visibility of 2nd shots being played, I had to get to know where I had to cross a fairway to get to where I wanted to go. I often had to rush (run) from watching players putting out to getting across a crossing pt before the marshalls closed it. Sometimes it was so tight I might head off before any final tap-ins were done.
 
I went to the final day the last time the Open was at Lytham.
We watched the first 3 rounds on telly and kept an eye on stands that we thought could be good viewing points to see more than just one green.
We got there early and walked the course watching loads of different players and working out good places to watch later and where we could stand to watch a green and the next tee box.

We knew the weather was going to be decent so didn’t bother taking a rucksack, had breakfast before we left and lunch there was affordable and then stopped for dinner on way home.

Wearing comfortable shoes golf or otherwise is the biggest tip I would suggest as lots of people moaning their feet were hurting on the day.

We also had a few bets before we went which for us was a good bit of fun and gave us a few extra players to cheer on and keep an eye on there progress.

We had a great time and still talk about it now.

Have fun
 
irip said:
I went to the final day the last time the Open was at Lytham.
We watched the first 3 rounds on telly and kept an eye on stands that we thought could be good viewing points to see more than just one green.
We got there early and walked the course watching loads of different players and working out good places to watch later and where we could stand to watch a green and the next tee box.

We knew the weather was going to be decent so didn’t bother taking a rucksack, had breakfast before we left and lunch there was affordable and then stopped for dinner on way home.

Wearing comfortable shoes golf or otherwise is the biggest tip I would suggest as lots of people moaning their feet were hurting on the day.

We also had a few bets before we went which for us was a good bit of fun and gave us a few extra players to cheer on and keep an eye on there progress.

We had a great time and still talk about it now.

Have fun
Click to expand...


Nice tips, thanks.
 
Personally I can’t be bothered with the crowds, done it for years trying to see tiger etc but all you see is heads and 10 deep lined fairways, unless you’re willing to sit in a spot for a long time to see rory up close. I’d recommend a quieter group or less known players, it’s still incredible to see these guys hit it. And park yourself in a stand behind a par 3 for a bit, some food in the bag, get a beer and time it so a few of the big guns pass through.
 
It will be so busy that it won’t be easy to see much golf. Following a group could be good as long as it is not a big draw like Rory.
I spent the final day at Muirfield in 2013 watching on the big screen, having a few pints with my pal after we had finished marshalling about 1pm. Saw all the golf and soaked up the atmosphere.
Binoculars are a must.
 
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