The Open 2019 Royal Portrush

[Lord Tyrion]

It's not officially dropped, but they haven't hosted since 2009 and venues are now set until 2021. I believe 2022 is likely to be Muirfield. So would be at least 14 years for a 2023 venue.

Most venues are used every 10 or 11 years, other than St. Andrews every 5.

I would be surprised if they announced Turnberry as a venue while Trump is president.

Talking to an employee at Turnberry this year they are of the opinion that they will not get an Open whilst Trump is president, no great shock there. They expect to be back on the Rota when he returns to civvy street. I'm sure everyone at the club is hoping he is a one term president.

 

[Farneyman]

Love the fact that golf, like rugby, boxing, Gaelic games covers the whole Island.

https://www.golfnet.ie/ Golf is cross border under the Golfing Union of Ireland

I believe he was refering to British people, not the British Open i.e. people from Northern Ireland are British not Irish where as you said the Irish are embracing it...

Respectfully disagree

To be fair we can be both. The generalisation that we are all Irish is deeply offensive to some.

To be fair we can be both. The generalisation that they are all British is deeply offensive to some :whoo:

Got the email this morning asking for volunteers , actually tempted I have to say.
Btw you rarely go wrong with calling us Ulster folk .

Have you every tried to explain to people that not all of Ulster is in Northern Ireland...as a Ulsterman from the Republic this has taken some explaining at times

Looking forward to watching the coverage when it begins.

 

[Liverbirdie]

Have you checked that they all identify as "people"?

I'm sure that "The open" will be well attended by Irish, Ulster and British folk as us golfers are a broad church.

Church, who mentioned church?

I loved the course and the general area when I went last year. Really hoping that the wind gets up, cos if it did for 4 days, I think that less than 6 under par could win it. Very interested to see how the pros tackle it.

Nice town, as well, wish I was going. How many tickets are they selling, and have they limited it? I know that the Merseyside opens get total crowds of over 200k and St. Andrews, as well.

 

[Hammertoe]

I have tickets for the Friday, I’m gonna bus or train it from Belfast and back, should be great for Ireland.

 

[brendy]

Have you every tried to explain to people that not all of Ulster is in Northern Ireland...as a Ulsterman from the Republic this has taken some explaining at times :rolleyes

Nah, if they want to Google it they can crack on. I find it non offensive as both Protestants and Catholics can identify equally plus I see it as geographic rather than political.
I wonder if many players will be over playing other links courses beforehand like they have in the last, Tiger at RCD etc before the open a number of years back.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Nah, if they want to Google it they can crack on. I find it non offensive as both Protestants and Catholics can identify equally plus I see it as geographic rather than political.
I wonder if many players will be over playing other links courses beforehand like they have in the last, Tiger at RCD etc before the open a number of years back.

Seem to remember reading that quite a few top players are linked with Waterville, and play there pre-Open

 

[maxpeck]

I got tickets for Saturday, was forced to buy hospitality for my Dad and Me. Expensive, but we go every year so didn't have a choice. Never seen it sell out like this before at all.

 

[Jacko_G]

I got tickets for Saturday, was forced to buy hospitality for my Dad and Me. Expensive, but we go every year so didn't have a choice. Never seen it sell out like this before at all.

I think it's exciting that it's going out with the "open rota" places like Portrush deserve to be back on the Open rota. It's fantastic news for golf.

Taking it to St Andrews every 5 years is a joke considering it's really the most bland and easiest if the Open rota courses.

 

[Grant85]

I think it's exciting that it's going out with the "open rota" places like Portrush deserve to be back on the Open rota. It's fantastic news for golf.

Taking it to St Andrews every 5 years is a joke considering it's really the most bland and easiest if the Open rota courses.

I disagree. St. Andrews is an excellent venue. It produced an excellent tournament in 2015. Sure, it needs a bit of wind, but so do most links courses, especially when the pros are going at it. Would be great to see if we got a firm and fast Old Course with a 12 mph breeze every afternoon. Not sure if the scoring would get past -8 over 4 days. In 2015, there were 3 guys tied at -15. It's hardly PGA tour scoring.

Ian Woosnam floated an interesting idea. The Open should be held on the same venue every year at St. Andrews. This should be a purpose built, 'Tiger proof' links. Now that's simply not going to happen, but would be interesting to see what they came up with.

And in reality, very difficult as the wind is such a big factor. You need a course that is difficult but still playable in a strong breeze.

However, I'm all for looking at all suitable venues in the British Isles. And not just venues that have hosted before.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

One of the great things about The Open is that it is taken around the country to different courses, giving golf fans from all over a chance to see the tournament. Keeping it at one course would be dull. Keeping it at St. Andrews would be doubly dull. Long may it keep roaming.

 

[Jacko_G]

I disagree. St. Andrews is an excellent venue. It produced an excellent tournament in 2015. Sure, it needs a bit of wind, but so do most links courses, especially when the pros are going at it. Would be great to see if we got a firm and fast Old Course with a 12 mph breeze every afternoon. Not sure if the scoring would get past -8 over 4 days. In 2015, there were 3 guys tied at -15. It's hardly PGA tour scoring.

Ian Woosnam floated an interesting idea. The Open should be held on the same venue every year at St. Andrews. This should be a purpose built, 'Tiger proof' links. Now that's simply not going to happen, but would be interesting to see what they came up with.

And in reality, very difficult as the wind is such a big factor. You need a course that is difficult but still playable in a strong breeze.

However, I'm all for looking at all suitable venues in the British Isles. And not just venues that have hosted before.

Disagree all you like. It's a poor venue, and has been overpowered by time now. Football teams out grow their stadiums and move with the times, it's about time the R& A did likewise. They were quick enough to ditch Prestwick for the exact same reasons they're not prepared to ditch St A for.

 

[maxpeck]

Quite like St Andrews for the historical value to be honest. Royal Birkdale was my favourite from a spectator viewpoint though.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Disagree all you like. It's a poor venue, and has been overpowered by time now. Football teams out grow their stadiums and move with the times, it's about time the R& A did likewise. They were quick enough to ditch Prestwick for the exact same reasons they're not prepared to ditch St A for.

Wasnt Prestwick removed because the course itself struggled to hold the level of spectators that you expect at an Open - with the last event nearly 100 years causing many issues - as opposed to the course being "overpowered".

Should they also remove Troon where Stenson destroyed it creating the record Open Score. What an Open at St Andrews has never really had in recent years is bad weather or really high winds which other venues have had. But the players love it , the spectators love it and i veru much doubt the Open will ever stop going back there - the players would go mental at the chance of playing an Open there being removed.

I think the Rota is looking really good - a lot of outstanding links courses with hopefully Porthcawl to be added would give a great mix - shame Trump bought Turnberry

 

[Jacko_G]

Wasnt Prestwick removed because the course itself struggled to hold the level of spectators that you expect at an Open - with the last event nearly 100 years causing many issues - as opposed to the course being "overpowered".

Should they also remove Troon where Stenson destroyed it creating the record Open Score. What an Open at St Andrews has never really had in recent years is bad weather or really high winds which other venues have had. But the players love it , the spectators love it and i veru much doubt the Open will ever stop going back there - the players would go mental at the chance of playing an Open there being removed.

I think the Rota is looking really good - a lot of outstanding links courses with hopefully Porthcawl to be added would give a great mix - shame Trump bought Turnberry

Prestwick is "hemmed in" but it's also short. It has the same sort of infrastructure as Troon in terms of actually holding an Open but yes spectator wise it couldn't cope.

St Andrews I agree has history but as a golf course, doesn't float my boat as all. The fact that your now extending holes outside the boundaries of the golf course suggests it's at the limit.

I'm not sure why so many believe that Trump will stop the R&A selecting Turnberry.

Back on track I think Portrush is a tremendous course and will produce a true champion. Can't ask for more than that. Also love how the Irish public have embraced the return by selling it out so quickly. Fantastic effort.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Prestwick is "hemmed in" but it's also short. It has the same sort of infrastructure as Troon in terms of actually holding an Open but yes spectator wise it couldn't cope.

St Andrews I agree has history but as a golf course, doesn't float my boat as all. The fact that your now extending holes outside the boundaries of the golf course suggests it's at the limit.

I'm not sure why so many believe that Trump will stop the R&A selecting Turnberry.

Back on track I think Portrush is a tremendous course and will produce a true champion. Can't ask for more than that. Also love how the Irish public have embraced the return by selling it out so quickly. Fantastic effort.

I guess because there has been plnety of noise to suggest that and when looking at the whats happened since Turnberry last hosted the event it points to being avoided currently

Since 2009 it was prob Turnberrys turn to host iin the coming years but looking at it they have decided against it - at the moment prob not looking to be there at the very least until 2023 and then i suspect Porthcawl will get invited.

Agree about Portrush - it is stunning and hopefully will be a perm fixture on the Rota - family over there have tickets so hoping to go and watch it

 

[Fish]

No course should be selected or deselected in relation to its ownership, it should be about the quality of the course and playability in such events as The Open, and that’s all.

Anything in life can come with baggage, but it shouldn’t stop what is the right decision to make at the end of the day, and that is that Turnberry should hold The Open at the earliest opportunity.