Play the best Open venues, then watch golf's event of the year
By David Brice, Golf International, Inc.
At 148 years of age, The British Open is not only the granddaddy of all golf tournaments; it's also one of the world's most widely viewed sporting events. Attracting a global audience, through television, radio and the Internet, larger than even the Super Bowl, it's the fortunate few who actually get to see The Open in person, who understand what a truly magical event this is.
They alone will experience first hand, the colorful pageantry, history and tradition that perhaps only the British can deliver with such style. The electricity that follows the players on practically every stroke of each round is legendary and the nail biting thrills and excitement produced without fail each year, unique to The Open.
The only one of the Majors to always be played over traditional links courses, The Open rotates each year's venue between an elite grouping of nine of the very best links layouts in Scotland and England. Scotland has five courses on the honor list - St. Andrews Old Course, Muirfield, Carnoustie, Royal Troon and Turnberry. In England, Royal Liverpool, Royal Birkdale, Royal Lytham & St. Annes and Royal St. Georges, each take their turn. It's the most prestigious course listing ever compiled -- the crème de la crème of British golf and nine of the world's most highly esteemed links layouts.
They are a mixture of private clubs and public courses and all have played an important role in the development of the game over the centuries, earning their respective places in golf's history. Yet despite this prestige, each recognizes a responsibility to open their doors to visiting golfers, enabling them to experience that history for themselves.
There may be no better way to obtain a genuine taste for The Open than to play a few Open venues first, then attend the final couple of rounds of this year's event, to be hosted by England's top ranked, Royal Birkdale Golf Club.
Every year since 1989, New York based golf travel specialist, Golf International, has operated a selection of escorted tour programs to attend The Open and for 2008 has put together some of the best tours ever. Combining both Scotland and England in one week packages, Golf International is offering guaranteed starting times on the very finest Open venues in each country, before attending this year's tournament.
Starting with a stay in St. Andrews, Scotland, golfers will play a pair of world-renowned links courses that have a permanent place on every golf aficionado's, must play list. The first will be Carnoustie, the layout that saw the legendary Ben Hogan win the only Open Championship he ever played in.
Carnoustie has hosted The Open on a total of seven occasions so far and with a well-earned reputation as the toughest venue of all, there are likely to be many more in its future. The very first was in 1931 when Scottish born, naturalized American, Tommy Armour took the honors and the most recent, just last year when Padraig Harrington walked away with the claret jug after a closely fought battle with Sergio Garcia. Other winners here have included Henry Cotton, Gary Player and Tom Watson.
No course in the world carries as much fame as St. Andrews Old Course, the six-century old masterpiece where golf had its beginnings back in the 14th century. No course is as much in demand by visitors, nor as difficult to obtain a visitor time, but Golf International is including guaranteed Old Course times for tour participants. In the record books as having hosted The Open 27 times since 1873, most recently in 2005, when Tiger Woods took his second Open title and Jack Nicklaus played in his final Open Championship. The list of winners at the home of golf is long and impressive, including practically every great player the game has ever known.
In England the tour includes golf on two of the grouping of three Open venues that make their home within 40 miles of each other on England's northwest coast -- Royal Liverpool and Royal Lytham & St. Annes.
When Royal Liverpool hosted its first Open Championship in 1897, it was only the second time the event had been held outside of Scotland, but the course so impressed the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, it would host a further 9 times up until 1967. It was then determined, due to a lack of facilities to accommodate the growing crowds that were attending The Open; Royal Liverpool would have to be taken off the rotation.
After a 39-year hiatus and extending its facilities considerably to accommodate major events, Royal Liverpool was returned to the Open rotation with much fanfare and in 2006, hosted its 11th Open. The occasion was celebrated by all, including Tiger Woods who took the 2006 crown and his third Open victory.
Royal Lytham & St. Annes, a ten-time Open host, maybe the most brutal links layout in all of England. This is a golfers golf course, where David Duval, playing at his peak, joined a select list of golf greats when he took the 2001 Open crown. Following in the footsteps of past Lytham victors, including Bobby Jones, Bobby Locke, Peter Thomson, Bob Charles, Tony Jacklin, Gary Player and two-time Lytham champion, Seve Ballesteros, Duval proved to the world his worthiness as the world's top player.
Boasting the most grueling stretch of five finishing holes in golf anywhere, Royal Lytham is a course that unashamedly defies being beaten. Be assured that when The Open is next held here in 2011, the champion will have again, proved their worth.
With the personal experience of having just played four of the best British Open venues, you will be more than prepared with a new appreciation for the challenges that confront the world's best, as you witness the final two rounds of The 2008 Open at Royal Birkdale. Among the field will be the invincible Tiger Woods, looking for his fourth Open Championship.
This weeklong extravaganza, centered around golf's event of the year, is an unusual opportunity for any golfer to experience "Open Magic", in a way not readily available. And for any accompany non-player, less enchanted by the game, they will find the trip no less appealing.
While golfers are playing some of the most famous and testing golf courses in the world, non-golfers will be chauffeured on carefully planned, guided sightseeing excursions to discover and experience the wealth of history, culture, folklore and tradition that abound in these parts of Scotland and England. There will be visits to ancient castles, stately homes, historic towns, cities and charming villages and always the opportunity for a little shopping. Chances are the non-golfers could even have a more enjoyable time than the golfers.
For more details of how to attend the 2008 British Open and experience some of the best Open venues for yourself, click here.
©2008 David Brice / Golf International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Golf International -- Providers of quality golf travel arrangements since 1988.
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